Describes the benefits for principals of online staff development for teachers. Sources of online courses and training include local and state departments of education, professional associations, colleges and universities, online universities, and commercial suppliers. (PKP)

Presents an overview of the features of course management systems as they pertain to teaching online courses. Specifically, it identifies tools and techniques related to the effective use of management features, assessment options, instructional activities, and communication in online courses. (EV)

Presents a WebQuest for the novel "Because of Winn-Dixie," which provides readers tasks to help them understand and better enjoy the story. Explains that some of the tasks should be done before reading the book, some should be completed while reading the book, and some should be done after finishing the book. Includes a "Just for Fun" section with…

Summarizes current published quality standards for electronic learning and organizes them into nine domains: executive/institutional commitment, technological infrastructure, student services, design and development, instruction and instructor services, program delivery, financial health, legal and regulatory requirements, and program evaluation.…

Describes the activity of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in support of asynchronous learning networks (ALNs) in universities. Discusses how these networks can provide the essentials of the traditional learning experience while assembling a diversity of students and teaching staffs and offering a flexibility of delivery that vastly extends…

Using dialogue theory based on Bakhtin, Rommetveit, and Lotman, analyzed an asynchronous Web-mediated discussion in a philosophy class. Found that the high degree of interactivity and dialogicality resulted from the quality of the assignment, the role of the teacher, and the symmetry of the participants. Discussion entries combined dialogic and…

Provides reviews of four distance learning software products: (1) LearningSpace, (2) LearnLinc I-Net, (3) LOIS (Learning Organization Information System), and (4) Symposium. Includes a comparison of the features of each of them. (JOW)

Analyzes Web-based instructional design practices as to how they may influence the student experience and suggests guidelines for achieving optimal learning effectiveness. Evaluates barriers to successful Web teaching and credibility of resources on the Web that negatively impact student ability to achieve learning goals. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of knowledge management systems highlights an integrated tool architecture that focuses on content rather than technical issues and supports authoring Web pages and Web-based training, collaborating with subject matter experts, item tracking, and gathering feedback from end-users. Describes the updating of an existing knowledge base…

This paper describes the use of the CoFIND (Collaborative Filter in N Dimensions) system to evaluate two assessment styles. CoFIND is a resource database which organizes itself around its users' needs. Learners enter resources, categorize, then rate them using "qualities," aspects of resources which learners find worthwhile, the n dimensions of…

Vibiana Bowman enjoys spending time with young adults--which is just as well since she has a few of her own, has done her time as scout leader, and now teaches proper research methods to students at Rutgers University--Camden. She first discovered how much this instruction was needed when she noticed her own kids cutting and pasting copy from the…

This article presents information on the history and role of Web-based tools and vignette use in education by providing a definition of a vignette and other Web-based collaboration tools. After providing background on the use of vignettes and case-based scenarios in teaching and learning, the author discusses how Web-based tools may be used to…

The aim of this study is to investigate what is reciprocal understanding in virtual web-based interaction and what does it consist of. The context of this study was an international web-based pre-service teacher education (N=116) course. The study is based on an idea of shared cognition and reciprocal understanding, in particular. It is assumed…

In today's information technology society, members are increasingly required to be up to date on new technologies, particularly for computers, regardless of their background social situation. In this context, our aim is to design and develop an adaptive hypermedia e-learning system, called PERSO (PERSOnalizing e-learning system), where learners…

Freed from the nuisances of paper-based methods, districts are making creative use of digital tools to move their curricular documents online, where educators can collaborate on course development and lesson planning. Back in 2003, Amarillo Independent School District (Texas) had begun using the Blackboard Content System to provide lessons online.…