Title: Changes within the practice of higher education: participating in educational communication through distance settings

Authors: Jimmy Jaldemark

Addresses: Department of Education, Mid-Sweden University, SE-871 88 Harnosand, Sweden

Abstract: This paper is about changes within the practice of higher education. These changes relate to students| and teachers| participation in educational communication through distance settings. Here, this communication is analysed and described in terms of different dialogical intersections, which embrace the tools used in educational communication and the locations where students and teachers are physically situated. The Swedish practice of higher education illustrates these changes in participation in educational communication. In short, the number of intersections has increased, and the use of tools and locations has changed over the years. This is visible both in discourse and in the practice of higher education. Finally, this paper questions whether the distinction between distance, face-to-face and online education nowadays is meaningful.

Keywords: convergence; distance education; educational communication; educational settings; face-to-face education; higher education; online education; online learning communities; participation; tools; e-learning; web based communities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2008.017671

International Journal of Web Based Communities, 2008 Vol.4 No.2, pp.173 - 187

Published online: 26 Mar 2008 *

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