The Internet has made it impossible for higher education institutions to ignore technology in fulfilling their strategic mission and responding to the expectations of a diverse student body. In the Republic of Ireland, as elsewhere, the use of online technologies has become an increasingly important challenge in academic staff development, and on…

In this article, the author provides an overview of the best instructional design and delivery practices for facilitating online courses. Many factors that contribute to effectively facilitating an online course are discussed, including student expectations and experience with technology, understanding the types of technologies used, effective…

The Southeast Asian country of Singapore comprises a main island and numerous islets between Malaysia and Indonesia. Inhabited by Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians, and other ethnic populations, Singapore is a vibrant mix of different cultures and religions. It is also reputed to be the most wired island in the world. This characteristic--along…

Distance learning is not a new phenomenon; online learning is, however, a new, exciting form of distance education. As with all novel ideas, online learning has vehement opponents and supporters, but it is an inevitable step in university instruction. Many online degree and certificate programs are currently available. Adversaries of online…