"iMOOC101: Mastering American e-Learning" is a Coursera-based, free, massive online course aimed at preparing non-U.S. students to succeed in regular, for-credit, online classes in American universities. The course is also intended to help foreign-born professionals integrate into virtual work environments in U.S.-based companies. The…

This document presents a speech delivered by Chancellor Bill Goertz at the meeting of the State Board of Higher Education last November 19, 2009. In his speech, Chancellor Goertz reports that: (1) according to a Delta Cost Project report, North Dakota ranked among the top five states in regard to market-based productivity; (2) the Midwest Higher…

A new project, designed by educators in Minnesota, will develop, evaluate, and disseminate model procedures for integrating new information and communications technologies into precollege instruction in rural areas. Consortia of small rural schools using interactive telecommunications will serve as pilot sites for developing and assessing the…

These three papers explore ways to use television for instructional purposes. "ITFS for Lifelong Learning--'The Development of a System'" (Leonard J. Bathurst) provides a brief historical overview of the background and some of the experiences at California State University, Fresno, as an Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS)…

Thirty-three member schools of the Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools cooperated in the creation of six school networks that participated in a series of electronic "field trips" for rural students. The field trips were actually conference telephone calls that allowed students and teachers to talk with experts in areas such as…

The document describes efforts begun by the Canadian province of Alberta to apply telecommunications technology on a broad basis in special education, through the involvement of provincial and local agencies and public and private sectors. A brief history of the development of Alberta's educational technology over the past two decades is offered.…

Distance learning and collaboration software is beneficial to on-site students as well as off-site students. Collaborative learning (CL) allows students to work together in small groups to help each other master academic material. CL helps teachers by exploiting the ability of students to communicate with each other, and more actively engages…

This paper presents a Web-based distance education system that contains synchronous (live) video lectures, asynchronous learning materials with video-on-demand (VOD) archive data, and question and answer functions through digital reporting between a lecturer and students. It is intended to provide a collaborative workplace to encourage…

The South Carolina T3 (Troops-to-Teachers) Coalition Alternative Route to Teacher Certification (ARC) Coalition postbaccalaureate program is designed to provide requisite training and credentialing for retiring military personnel to become teachers, in the schools most in need. This program offers an opportunity to prepare for a teaching career…

This paper describes the orientation program conducted for distance students at the University of Central Queensland in Queensland, Australia, and outlines the steps in developing and conducting such a program. Information is included on the rationale for the orientation program, program objectives, program design, including issues, location,…

Transferring face-to-face courses into Web-based courses is a trend in higher education. Whether this course transition is for distance education or for resident instruction, faculty members play a critical role in the process. Faculty members not only provide lesson content, but important insights into how content has been best presented in…

Undergraduate education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been transformed by the campus-wide use of interactive learning and studio teaching. Rensselaer's 80/20 Model for interactive distance learning is a natural extension of its on-campus educational environment and will form the foundation for the future development of professional and…

"Adapting Instructional Techniques" was developed at Indiana University to improve the performance of teachers in classrooms equipped for interactive audio or video in a distance education setting. The formative evaluation of this videotape is described. The tape suggested modifications for five common instructional techniques used in…

The definition of educational technology has shifted from a focus on the organization and use of hardware and software items as a delivery system to recognizing that the introduction of technology into educational systems demands a systematic approach to enhance learning and human development. In the first definition, curriculum is the…

In determining the scope of online delivery of programs currently being developed within the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne (Australia), a number of factors have been involved. Until recently, the traditional research focus at the University of Melbourne translated into little or scattered interest in developing programs for…