Defines a distributed course as one in which instructional events that have traditionally occurred in the classroom are made available to either distant or local learners. Discusses the challenges for distributed course designers and presents a taxonomy for distributed course design. Addresses design, development, and evaluation processes and…

Course management systems (CMSs), such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, or WebCT, have become a common resource at universities, colleges, and distance learning organizations. Research into how these systems are used for learning is in an early state. Currently, this research focuses on technical features in a CMS more than research about how people…

Describes the design of a prototype for the graphical user interface component of an electronic classroom (ECR) application that supports real-time lectures and question-and-answer sessions between an instructor and students. Based on requirements analysis and an analysis of competing products, a Web-based ECR prototype was produced. Findings show…

This book is a collection of new works that inquire into the nature of media and technology as found and practiced in the social world of schooling. It creates a forum for investigating the social, institutional, historical, and epistemological relationships between media, education, culture, and technology. Contributions to the book include:…

This publication is meant to share ideas about distance education and descriptions of work-in-progress in this area. In the first of three papers, "Computers, Related Devices and Distance Education: How Cinderella Becomes a Princess," George Hampton describes the need for technological literacy and suggests computer-assisted instruction…

In developing any Virtual University it is important to clarify the differences between organizational structure, technical infrastructure, and content. This paper introduces a model for virtual universities that consists of three layers. The organizational layer defines the structure of the organization and addresses issues such as copyright and…

Describes the adaptation of a traditional graduate-education course to an online format. Compares this course with an undergraduate model. Discusses course requirements of the graduate online course, creation of the online community, student attitudes, and problems. Offers advice for course planning and development, course orientation, and…

Online teaching and learning has been in transition for its entire existence. The number of courses offered at a distance has grown rapidly. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (Waits & Lewis, 2003), in 2000-2001 more than 56% of four-year colleges and universities in the United States offered distance education degree…

Some faculty feel that, as tasks become "unbundled," technology may take over instructional duties that define professor's jobs, with courses designed outside the institution, lectures replaced by Web sites, tests created and administered by outside organizations. Others feel that computers foster more interactive and lively learning environments…

The purpose of the Web Retargetable Course Generation System, or "ReCourse," developed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Massachusetts) is to facilitate both distance and on-campus learning via the World Wide Web. ReCourse's features include the ability to retarget a Web course for different levels of students, multi-user chat rooms, a…

This paper describes a methodology for approaching the problem of migrating a course from the classroom to the World Wide Web. It proposes that there are four main learning modes in the classroom--traditional oral and visual (passive) presentation, student involvement in demonstration of the theory, student led practical exercises, and reference…

This paper describes a computer-supported environment designed to facilitate distance learning through collaborative problem-solving. The goal is to encourage distance learning students to work together, in order to promote both learning of collaboration and learning through collaboration. Collaboration is defined as working together on a common…

This paper presents a model of collaborative telelearning and describes how coordination theory has provided a framework for the analysis of actor (inter)dependencies in this scenario. The model is intended to inform the instructional design of learning scenarios, the technological design of the telelearning environment, and the design of…

This paper describes a system called ANDES, designed for the management and delivery of distance education courses. ANDES enables students to study at home at their own pace, as well as interact with instructors and other students in virtual classrooms. It uses World Wide Web technology for transmission and delivery, with extensions relevant to…

Instructional design is a critical factor in a successful distance education environment. An efficient design analyzes audience and needs, creates learning goals/objectives, develops materials, methods and media for content delivery, and plans for evaluation and feedback. Design implementation requires certain instructional criteria: (1)…