For many years, researchers have searched for the factors affecting the use of computers in the classroom. In studying the antecedents of educational computer use, many studies adopt a rather limited view because only technology-related variables, such as attitudes to computers and computer experience were taken into account. The present study centres on teachers' educational beliefs (constructivist beliefs, traditional beliefs) as antecedent of computer use, while controlling for the impact of technology-related variables (computer experience, general computer attitudes) and demographical variables (sex, age). In order to identify differences in determinants of computer use in the classroom, multilevel modelling was used (N = 525). For measuring primary teachers' use of computers to support the leaching or learning process a modified version of the 'Class Use of Computers' scale of van Braak et al. [van Braak, J., Tondeur, J., & Valcke, M. (2004). Explaining different types of computer use among primary school teachers. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 19(4), 407-422] was used. The present article supports the hypothesis that teacher beliefs are significant determinants in explaining why teachers adopt computers in the classroom. Next to the impact of computer experience, general computer attitudes and gender, the results show a positive effect of constructivist beliefs on the classroom use of computers. Traditional beliefs have a negative impact on the classroom use of computers.

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The central aim of this study was to test a model that integrates determinants of educational computer use. In particular, the article examines teacher and school characteristics that are associated with different types of computer use by primary school teachers. A survey was set up, involving 527 teachers from 68 primary schools in Flanders. A separate questionnaire was administered to information and communication technology (ICT) coordinators from the same schools to gather additional information about cultural and contextual school characteristics. The combined impact of both teacher and school characteristics was explored through a multilevel analysis. Besides the importance of school characteristics, the results reveal differential effects of specific characteristics on specific types of computer use. Cultural school characteristics for instance, such as the schools' openness to change and the availability of an ICT school policy plan, are positively related to the use of computers as a learning tool and to the adoption of ICT in view of basic computer skills. In contrast, no cultural school characteristic seem to be associated with the use of computers as an information tool. In a comparable way, teacher characteristics are associated with specific types of computer use, e.g. the variable gender. In general, male teachers report integrating computers more often. In this study, it appears that gender differences only exist in relation to the adoption of computers as an information tool.The results demonstrate that a multidimensional approach provides more insight into the characteristics affecting computer use.

Assessment of oral presentation skills is an underexplored area. The study described here focuses on the agreement between professional assessment and self- and peer assessment of oral presentation skills and explores student perceptions about peer assessment. The study has the merit of paying attention to the inter-rater reliability of the teachers. Comparison of the teacher and peer assessment rubric scores points at a positive relationship, but also at critical differences. The lower intra-class correlation suggests that peers and teachers still interpret the criteria and indicators of the rubric in a different way. With regard to the comparison of self-assessment scores and teacher scores, we have to conclude that there are significant differences between these scores. Self-assessment scores are, for the most part, higher than the marks given by teachers. The results also reflect a very positive attitude of students towards peer assessment as a relevant source of external feedback.

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This study focuses on stimulating social knowledge construction in e-discussions and examines the introduction of five roles: starter, summariser, moderator, theoretician, and source searcher. Asynchronous discussion groups of 10 1st-year students Instructional Sciences were organised to foster students" processing of the learning content. Four successive authentic tasks of three weeks each were presented. Taking into account the moment of introduction of the role assignment (at the start of the discussions versus at the end), the differential impact of the roles on knowledge construction is studied through quantitative content analysis based on the interaction analysis model of Gunawardena, Lowe, and Anderson (1997). The results show a positive effect of role assignment on students" social knowledge construction at the start of the discussions. This implies that roles should be introduced at the start of the discussions and can be faded out towards the end. With respect to the differential impact of the roles, the results show that messages from moderators, theoreticians, and summarisers reflect higher levels of knowledge construction at the start of the discussions. Even students without a role in role-supported groups benefit from the role introduction.