Abstract: Autism is a disorder in the growth and development of a brain or central nervous system that covers a large spectrum of impairment, symptoms and skills. The children who are suffering from autism face difficulties in communicating and adapting w ell in the community as they have trouble in understanding what others think and feel. Therefore, there is a need to design effective e‑learning method to ease the communication process and to deliver required knowledge to autistic children. Past research ers have highlighted that a virtual reality based learning environment, a computer simulated environment, can facilitate the learning process among autistic children. It is also recognized that the virtual agent plays an important role in virtual worlds a s it eases the communication process between the virtual environment (VE) and children with autism. This research aimed to design an effective learning environment for autistic children by developing a virtual environment prototype using face‑to‑face in terviews and picture exchange communication system (PECS) methodology for data collection which was analysed using quantitative tests. The findings suggest that the toilet virtual environment topped the list for being the most popular learning environ ment among autistic children for behavioural training. The designed prototype identifies autistic childrens and their parents needs and also addresses limitations in an existing virtual environment.

At the University of Birmingham, Information Services, together with the Staff Development Unit and the Learning Development Unit have been working together to set up a number of initiatives to support staff to use WebCT to underpin its learning and teaching strategy within a flexible framework. The framework seeks to invest in developing appropriate skills and training for University staff to ensure that the quality of the content and the communication tools within the WebCT environment are fully exploited to enhance the student learning experience. Developments include the establishment of an e‑Learning module, team based projects from the Learning Development Unit and a WebCT training and support pathway.

The studies described in this paper sought to investigate several forms of online learning and assessment methods in terms their efficacy in facilitating student learning. The studies also sought to investigate how participants rated each method. Attitudes toward computer‑assisted learning were not related to performance on each of the online methods employed, whereas some relationships were noted between cognitive styles and online learning and assessment. Finally, evaluation feedback from participants indicated that each online task was rated positively. Implications of the findings for further implementation of online instructional methods are discussed.

This paper reports on a study to determine if existing technology is adequate for the delivery of quality distance education. The survey sample was 392 respondents from a non‑traditional graduate level. The study included 15 descriptive questions on course assessment and satisfaction. The three hypotheses used Chi‑square to find relationships between interactivity and three other variables: progress, communication mode, and the desire to take another course. Responses showed that taking a distance education course was worthwhile. Findings, recommendations and conclusion are included.

This paper describes a mechanism developed by the authors to gather student feedback from formative revision Multiple Choice Questionnaires (MCQs) within an on‑line learning system. The MCQs provided first year Computer Science students with instant formative feedback, while data was also gathered about student responses, such as the percentage opting for each answer and the time taken to answer the question. We measured how students were using our on‑line learning system; whether they were in fact 'workers' who provided answers to the MCQs, were 'lurkers' who did not provide answers but asked for solutions or 'shirkers', who did not access the site at all! The data indicates that the time taken to answer a harder question was less than that of an easier question suggesting that the workers turned into lurkers strategically when they thought they could not answer successfully. It was not however clear whether the lurker suddenly finding an easier question would change back into a worker. Future work to encourage the shirkers to participate is also discussed.

It is often stressed that the pedagogic models and approaches of Collaborative Online Learning support a learner's shared knowledge building within collaborating groups of learners, the individual construction of knowledge and the formation of an ongoing learning Community of Practice. Based on a recent case study of a Danish Master's programme, this paper will demonstrate that the emerging collaborative practice displays tendencies contrary to the generally accepted assumptions. The outcome is not only based on the models and their attributes, it is also affected by the emerging practice itself and the interaction among the participants during a course. From this perspective, it is relevant to look at which possibilities and obstacles teachers encounter when they try to detect slowly emerging tendencies that may lead to major misinterpretations of the subject matter and marginalize or even exclude students from participating in the learning Community of Practice. In conclusion, the case study will identify the slowly emerging tendencies that may be detected and observed at an early stage and thus indicate areas in on‑line learning environments that require special attention.

The study of database systems is typically core in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes related to computer science and information systems. However, one component of this curriculum that many learners have diffi‑ culty with is database analysis and design, an area that is critical to the development of modern information systems. This paper proposes a set of principles for the design of a games‑based learning environment to help the learner develop the skills necessary to understand and perform database analysis and design effectively. The paper also presents some preliminary results on the use of this environment.

This study sought to investigate four separate issues regarding student performance in a blended learning environment in the delivery of a Psychology course to 140 University undergraduates. Firstly, to investigate the relationship between student performance on three different coursework assignments and their performance on interim online assessments. Secondly, to investigate the relationship between student performance on coursework assignments and their perceptions of online community. Thirdly, to investigate the relationship between students' online community scores and their engagement with an online assessment. Finally, to look at the relationship between students' cognitive information processing style and coursework performance. The findings revealed that student coursework performance was positively related to their engagement with the online assessments. Furthermore, student online community scores were related to their coursework performance as was cognitive style. The results are discussed in terms of a consideration of these three factors in course design within a blended learning framework.