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Social constructivist theory has advanced the notion that distance education is inferior, because effective learning is thought to require immersion in a cognitive apprenticeship under the guidance of a mentor. Effective learning is said to be situated in activity, context, and culture as a collaboration in a community of practice. Administrators and practitioners in distance education are confronted with a challenge to the efficacy of their endeavors. The authors briefly trace the evolution of social constructivism, the influence of Piaget and Vygotsky, and analyze the effects of contemporary social constructivism with implications for instructional theory and practice.

Wikis at School Educators at all levels are finding ways to incorporate wikis into their teaching. For every assignment that asks students to research a particular topic, there is a possible application for a wiki. Take, for example, a collaborative writing project. With a simple wiki, students from one class, multiple classes, or even multiple schools can post their writing samples for comment (see "High School Online Collaborative Writing"). The wiki structure makes it possible for several students to work on an assignment concurrently. Most wiki software packages track changes to a page so students and their teachers can see when and by whom the writing was edited. Or consider a different scenario: Students who are studying a complex topic such as the U.S. Constitution are broken into teams to research and present information about different aspects of the document and its history. In the past, this kind of student work might be shared with the rest of the class. With a wiki, it can be shared on the Web for anyone to read and use. Perhaps more exciting, parents, students in different classes or schools, and invited guests can add details, correct errors, and comment on what's been posted, making learning a truly collaborative process. Outside of the classroom, teachers and administrators are using wikis as tools for school planning and interaction with parents. The traditional printed newsletter, for example, can be replaced by a wiki that continuously provides announcements and other key information to parents. Some schools have chosen to use wiki software to build their entire Web sites.

Administrators, learning designers, and teachers are facing a new kind of learner - someone who has control over the learning tools and processes. When educators fail to provide for the needs of learners (i.e. design learning in an LMS only), learners are able to "go underground" to have their learning needs met.

To make the paradigm shift with campus wireless possible—or even advance its evolution—wireless must be ubiquitous and seamless. Wireless devices need to work, not just on campus, but globally, and they must be able to go from campus to home to plane to Sri Lanka seamlessly. And we can’t teach a course that makes effective use of wireless technology without an appropriate wireless device. With these infrastructure requirements, we could have classes that really use the mobility of mobile devices. One small step in that direction would be to have distributed classes where some students would physically be in a classroom while others would be distributed to various action sites. Learning about pollution? Have some students locate different polluted sites and participate in the class on site like the evening news. “This is Sue reporting Podunk the toxic chemicals are pouring into the Crimea River.”