Community colleges continue to experience growth in online courses. This growth reflects the need to increase the numbers of students who complete certificates or degrees. Retaining online students, not to mention assuring their success, is a challenge that must be addressed through practical institutional responses. By leveraging existing student…

The purpose of this project is to investigate the potential of communication networks using electronic mail, computer conferencing, and electronic databases for education and training at a distance within the Open Univeristy system of Great Britain, although it would be applicable within other contexts. This report discusses (1) the rationale for…

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…

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…

Ten papers focus on applications in specific curriculum areas, modelling and simulation, and computer managed learning. Projects described include voice support for the visually handicapped, distance education, and industrial training, as well as teaching applied mathematics, several facets of engineering, zoology, and, with videodisc, observation…

As learners use World Wide Web-based distance learning systems over a period of years, large amounts of learning logs are generated. An instructor needs analysis tools to manage the logs and discover unusual patterns within them to improve instruction. However, logs of a Web server cannot serve as learners' portfolios to satisfy the requirements…

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…

Due to its sparse, rural population and long distances, Alberta province (Canada) has been providing education at a distance since 1923 for students in grades 1 through 12 and adults who wish to complete their high school education through correspondence. This handbook is published as a resource for Alberta schools that offer distance learning…

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 presents a framework for producing learning environments (LEs) on the World Wide Web that improves productivity and quality at a reduced cost for both designers and learners. The resulting LEs are germane to fractals. Changes in scale are likened to levels in LEs; each level expresses a given viewpoint on knowledge. Self-similarity…