From the Editor

Greetings Dear readers of TOJDE, TOJDE is appeared on your screen now as Volume 9, Number: 2. This is the second issue of the year 2008. In this issue we published 5 notes for Editor, 12 articles, already … reviews and this time 27 authors from twelve different countries are placed. These published articles are from Canada, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, The United Kingdom, USA and Turkey. “Reflections on screenagers, faculty development and net-supported learning” has been sent from Norway and written by Mike K. MOULTON for Notes for Editor section. He mentioned in his material that strategy for a faculty development program with respect to net-supported learning. Many universities and colleges are struggling with meeting the demands of a rapidly changing world. His reflections are based on experiences from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. The Second paper has been sent from South Africa, written by Professor Dele Braimoh which is titled as “lifelong learning through mentoring process and its operational dimensions in society”. His paper analyses the varying dimensions of mentoring phenomenon which may be characterized by flexibility of learning process among different groups of people in any given society. He conclude that mentoring is a useful informal and longlife educational process which is not only cost effective, but can also stimulate personal development, increase productivity and improve performance. The third paper on “Development and Validation Process Of A European Language Portfolio Model For Young Learners”, sent by Dr. Ismail Hakki MIRICI from Turkey. He gave a place that various models are being or will be developed and validated in Council of Europe member States depending on the age of learners and national contexts including ELPs for higher and adult education developed by a number of international NGOs. Similarly, every member state should organize seminars or symposiums to share ideas and broaden their viewpoint concerning ELP development, implementation and dissemination. This can be done through collaboration between Ministries of Education, national contact persons, portfolio developers, academics and teachers. The fourth paper on “QUALITY ASSURANCE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAME OF BANGLADESH OPEN UNIVERSITY: Present Status and Challenges”, written by Zobaida AKHTER, from Bangladesh Open University. This note is second note for TOJDE dealt with Bangladesh Open University. In her paper she mentioned that in the present day in national and international perspectives, quality is the top of most agendas. Quality of education has significant impact and invaluable contribution to the area of development. Recently, the SSC & HSC program of BOU have earned recognition of equivalency with the formal education sector, which has naturally raised the question of quality assurance of these programs By applying the quantitative method, the study has assessed the present status of the quality of SSC & HSC program of BOU and also put some recommendations to meet the challenges for further development. The last notes for editor arrived from Pakistan. Has been sent by Dr. Irshad Hussain and Muhammad Safdar on “Role Of Information Technologies In Teaching Learning Process: Perception of the Faculty”. They mention that students are independent and they can make best decisions possible about their studies, learning time, place and resources. Students are able to work in collaborative and interactive learning environments effectively communicating, sharing information and exchanging ideas and learning experiences with all in the environment. The first article of this issue is coming from USA, from University of the Pacific written by Jace HARGIS on “A second life for distance learning”. His article connects the virtual world to the essential next step in our learning and communicating approach, electracy. Initially, humans utilized an oral mode to communicate, followed by literacy which enabled written information. The Second article is “An Inclusive Approach To Online Learning Environments: Models and Resources”, written by Aline Germain-RUTHERFORD and Barbara KERR, from University of Ottawa, Canada. It deals with to give an answer some of these questions by first exploring the concepts of culture and learning cultures. This will help us to characterize the impact on online learning of particular cultural dimensions. And then present and discuss different online instructional design models that are culturally inclusive, and conclude with the description of a mediated instructional training module on the management of the cultural dimension of online teaching and learning. The third and fourth articles are from Turkey. The third one is on “An evaluation of web based instruction In view of the tutors’ and students’ perspectives”, written by Dr. Yavuz ERDOGAN, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. The aim of their research is to investigate web based instruction in view of the tutors’ and students’ perspectives. In order to achieve such an aim, face-to-face interviews were carried out with 10 tutors from the e-MBA Master’s Degree Programme at Bilgi University, and with 10 students registered in the same programme. The 4th articles arrived from Zonguldak University, Turkey on “Teaching In Online Courses: Experiences of Instructional Technology Faculty Members” an written by Omur AKDEMIR. Dr. Akdemir tried to investigate the experiences of faculty members teaching online courses. A convenience sampling was used to select the instructional technology faculty members to investigate their experiences in online courses. Semi-structured interviews with faculty members teaching online courses were used as the primary source to collect data about the experiences of faculty members in online courses. Results of the study showed that faculty members' interest in using technology and the amount of time available to them for online course design affected the quality of online courses. Collaborative learning is well suited to online learning environments built around threaded discussion. Research frameworks have developed around these practices providing methodological guidance for examining learning as a collective endeavor within the boundaries of a course. Understanding how to use the powerful learning techniques involved in collaborative learning in an online context is imperative. The major concerns are centering on the following questions: What is Collaboration? Why choose collaboration as a strategy? What collaboration tools are commonly used online? This paper will also examine the techniques used to facilitate good collaboration and the proper implementation of collaborative online discussions. The focus is based on the importance of collaboration in online instructions mentioned in the fifth article came from Philippines and written by Aldwin G. LAURON titled as Fostering collaboration to enhance Online instruction The sixth article which is entitled as “Perceptions Of Course Coordinators and Course Writers For Developing Distance Learning Material”, sent and written by Muhammad IMRAN YOUSUF, Muhammad Nadeem ANWAR and Muhammad SARWAR from University of Sargodha, PAKISTAN. Their paper attempt to research is to better understand and draw perceptions of course writers and course coordinators towards the process of developing distance learning material. For developing good self-instructional material cooperative efforts among course development personnel are essential. The study indicates the areas where contradiction is found among perceptions of a sample of seventy course coordinators and seventy course writes of Allama Iqbal Open University, Pakistan through a self developed questionnaire covering preparation, implementation and execution aspects of course development process. The seventh article is came from Ethiopia on “Stakeholders Perceptions And Concerns On Open And Distance Education In The Higher Institutions: The Case Of Eastern Ethiopia”, written by Yilfashewa SEYOUM. The study intended to investigate the perceptions of stakeholders of Open and Distance Learning in the Eastern part of Ethiopia. His study attempt to examine the perception of stakeholders (Tutors & coordinators) in open and distance education with particular reference to the eastern region of Harargie.30 tutors and 10 program coordinators were consulted and considered as subjects of the study. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed in the data treatment and analysis.The 8th article is arrived to us from Bangaldesh. The article which is entitled “New Trends In Legal Education At Bangladesh Open University”, which is written by Nahid FERDOUSI, School of Law. Her paper presents the new academic trends in Bangladesh Open University by distance learning Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree and modern aspects of the legal education at School of Law in Bangladesh Open University. Her study concludes Bangladesh Open University has taken this challenge by new trends in legal education through distance learning system which can play an important role in providing a new opening law degree for who could not afford to go to the conventional university. Next and the ninth article article is written by Nesrin OZDENER, Marmara University, Turkey and H. Muge SATAR, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. Their paper is entitled as “Computer-Mediated Communication In Foreign Language Education: Use of Target Language and Learner Perceptions”. Their study was conducted as an additional practice to the foreign language lessons with the participation of 60 students. Task-based language teaching principles were taken as basis in preparation of the teaching materials

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