ABSTRACT
Teachers today need a strong understanding of how instructional technologies can best be used and blended into the course content; however, they also need to be able to nurture this kind of aptitude in learners to accommodate adjustment (Moore et al., 2002). Computer-mediated communications (CMC) tools provide educators with venues to monitor and participate in student meaning-making processes; further, understandings gained from such communication and discourse provide an initial point for future instructional design (Paulus, Payne, & Jahns, 2009). For many instructors, course design is a continuous process in which components or modules are revised or redesigned as each seeks and implements new methods for improving their courses. Some instructors now build entire courses around authentic activities as a means of improving student participation, engagement, and understanding (Reeves, Herrington, & Oliver, 2002). These students are no longer passive learners simply reading, listening, and repeating; instead, they interact actively with faculty and respond to the learning content as participants in the pedagogical process. In addition, today’s learning occurs in many places and in many ways outside of the brick and mortar institutions.
