Concerns about the value and quality of higher education have led to increased scrutiny of the U.S. system of peer accreditation. Public policy-makers have begun to question the extent to which accrediting agencies achieve their quality assurance and quality improvement objectives in the colleges and universities they accredit. Some have begun to…

Peer moderation of group work in higher education is rapidly advancing through the use of technological developments and is increasingly being informed by pedagogical research. The highly successful WebPA online assessment system has gone through a number of development phases over its 15-year history and has now evolved into a relatively mature…

This paper presents a brief overview of Qatar University's history since it was started in 1973. Its primary focus is on the various small, but important, steps taken by the University to address the needs of quality assurance and enhancement. The Qatar University Reform Plan is described in detail. Its aims are to continually improve the quality…

In this article, we discuss the development of online courses in higher education in terms of the in- structional quality and economic costs. In our conceptual analysis, we point out problems in developing online courses with sufficient quality due to limited funds being made available for online course development. Moreover, economic costs exist…

The experiences of a number of institutions using a variety of approaches show that distance education by television can be both instructionally effective and cost effective. Careful attention to five steps in course development (planning, preparation, rehearsal, presentation, and review) can help colleges save time and avoid pitfalls. (MSE)

Western Carolina University's task force on teaching effectiveness and the resulting faculty development program are described. Section 1 outlines the conditions from which the effort emerged, all supporting a climate in which mediocre teaching appeared to be the norm: changes in the student population, steadily increasing pressure on faculty for…

"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…

This paper describes attempts to explore a variety of questions about ways to integrate mathematics and science methods courses for preservice elementary teachers. Questions include: Are there principles of integration that can be used when planning the integration of courses? How might these principles help prospective teachers think about…

Many educators and researchers are discussing a shift in national education from an "instruction" paradigm emphasizing measuring inputs and providing instruction to a "learning" paradigm emphasizing outputs and producing learning. The question is how can Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) smoothly shift educational paradigms.…

Edproj, a project team of faculty from the departments of computer science, software development and education at Monash University (Australia) investigated the quality of teaching and student learning and understanding in the computer science and software development departments. Edproj's research led to the development of a training program to…

This paper reports on the re-design of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) programme, which is offered by the University of Pretoria through distance education (DE) to teachers in rural South Africa. In 2007, a team re-designed the programme with the goal of promoting access, quality, and student support. The team included an independent…

Background: The literature on immersive virtual worlds and e-learning to date largely indicates that technology has led the pedagogy. Although rationales for implementing e-learning have included flexibility of provision and supporting diversity, none of these recommendations has helped to provide strong pedagogical location. Furthermore, there is…

This paper innovatively extends the application of transactional distance theory (TDT) to evidence-based policy development in Mauritius. In-depth interview data on student persistence from a range of stakeholders is used to understand the implications of distance education (DE) policy deficit. Policy deficit has surfaced as another dimension of…

Designed for use by physical educators in school districts and preservice education programs in colleges and universities, this book provides a set of procedures and forms that promote systematic planning, implementation, and evaluation of K-12 physical education programs from "instructional inputs on activities" to "student outcomes." The…

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how an evaluation framework was developed and implemented in order to support goals of an e-learning university. The paper discusses the aim of assessment to support institution-wide e-learning goals, the benefits and challenges of this approach to assessing the development of content for e-learning, a…