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Teaching With Educational Technology in the 21st Century: The Case of The Asian-Pasific Region Edited by Yukiko Inoue and Suzanne Bell Hersley: PA: Information Science Publishing, 2006 pp. 321, ISBN 1-59140-724-9 Reviewed by Dr. Abdullah KUZU Anadolu University Eskisehir-TURKEY This book was edited by Yukiko Inoue and Suzanne Bell, an educator and a librarian at the University of Guam, and published by Information Science Publishing in 2006. The book describes the opportunities, challenges and strategies of the technology-enhanced learning in the regional base, namely Asia-Pacific. The main goal of the book is to examine educational technology, learning theories, human learning and cognition; to provide successful experiences in higher education and educational technology; to explain the technology integration into teaching in geographically remote regions such as Guam and Micronesia; to support faculty members in technology use and achieve the reluctance, and to discuss the future trends in educational technology. The book can be recommended for students as well as the professionals such as university professors, researchers, learning center directors, librarians, media specialists, supervisors, and software and courseware designers who are interested in theory and practice of the educational technology, distance education and technology-enhanced learning in multicultural context. ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSIONS The book has nine chapters divided into five sections. Section I contain one chapter and provide an introduction to Guam and Micronesia. The selecting of this region as a case study based on their community that reflects diverse ethnic cultures influenced by European, American, Asian, and Micronesian populations. Guam is a regional learning center in western Pacific. Section II consists of two chapters. Chapter II concentrates on advanced technologies and e-learning, and describes an overview of educational technology, educational media in curriculum and instruction, and online government e-resources for teacher education as a case study. Chapter III focuses on human information processing, learning theories and information technology. It compares cognitive theory with behavior theory in terms of human information processing of learning. Section III presented in three chapters, and focuses on faculty voices on technology integration. The first chapter of this section, Chapter IV, describes faculty teaching experiences with educational technology in higher education system in Guam. Chapter V focuses on experiences on Micronesian faculty members in the area of educational technology integration into teaching. Chapter VI provides successful examples for developing IT skills, and suggestions for planning flexible programs for training and mentorship to encourage and support reluctant and apprehensive faculty. Section IV consists of one chapter. Chapter VII describes Internet technologies and distance learning based on three online programs in higher education. A regional distance education program titled as the University Challenge Grant Program is described in terms of its design, implementation, and evaluation. The last section of the book, Section V has two chapters, and focuses on educational computing in the Asia-Pacific region. Chapter VIII emphasizes virtual academic resources to support digital programs, higher education research and curriculums. Chapter IX discusses generally future directions of technology-enhanced teaching and learning. Besides this, the changing roles of higher education faculty and policymakers and the opportunities, challenges, and strategies of educational technology for the Asia-Pacific region are presented in this chapter. |
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