Describes a study of undergraduates that investigated the extent to which an electronic conferencing system, COW (Conferencing on the Web) facilitated preservice teachers' communication outside their classroom when discussing teaching cases from their field experiences, and the potential of COW and case-based instruction to foster quality…

Examined 230 course Web sites to assess characteristics based on 16 key factors, and presents results that showed most provide one-way communication from instructor to student, usually via email, and few provide student interaction. Discusses results of a faculty survey that found that time was the biggest obstacle to develop or improve course Web…

Describes the design of an intelligent Web-based interactive language learning system to support learning English as a second language on the Internet. Highlights include an interactive English writing environment; an authentic conversation learning environment; authoring tools to facilitate teachers' content preparation; system architecture; and…

Discusses the design of high quality Web-based online programs for higher education distance learning courses using the framework of grounded design. Uses an example of a graduate instructional technology course to focus on five areas of design decisions that best facilitate learning outcomes: psychological, pedagogical, technical, cultural, and…

Reports the results of a five-year case study of the use of online tools, including the Internet, e-mail, and the World Wide Web, in a graduate School of Education. Highlights include use of activity theory as a conceptual framework; self-efficacy and perceived value; scaffolding; and recommendations for future developments. (Author/LRW)

Describes the restructuring of Pepperdine University library's freshman seminar library instruction because students were not acquiring needed library and information literacy skills due to too much material being presented in too short a time with no hands-on experience. Explains the use of independent Web-based instruction in addition to…

Presents eight current projects involving faculty in the University of Washington's Department of Technical Communication that illustrate the broadening of the field. Notes these projects address: the cognitive processing of visual material; Web-based education; strategic management of information; communicating science and technology in the…

Describes the development of a distance education program in Brazil where students perform physics experiments in secondary schools assisted by a distance tutorial system. Discusses advantages of Web-based instruction; instructional design; public policy; student responses; teacher responses; and student performance. (Author/LRW)

Discusses results of interviews with five university teacher education professors that asked about their first-time experiences offering online courses. Recommends four categories for improvements: preparation, including a good introductory Web page for students; structure, including promoting interactivity by limiting class size and using…

Discusses use of the Web for online instruction and presents a design framework for creating online learning environments. Highlights include approaches to instruction, including behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism; learning activities; content; learner support; and application of the framework for a graduate course at the Indira Gandhi…

Lists eight guiding principles to help Web-based instructional designers. Three areas: pedagogical, social, and technological/support address planning instructional program events, i.e., building the blueprint to guide development and design for Web-based instruction and distance education. (AEF)

Discussion of Web-based course management systems (W-CMSs) in higher education focuses on formative evaluation and its contribution in the design and development of high-quality W-CMSs. Reviews methods and techniques that can be applied in formative evaluation and examines TeLeTOP, a W-CMS produced at the University of Twente (Netherlands). (LRW)

Reviews the Web as an instructional delivery medium and describes a hybrid model for continuing medical education (CME) delivery that merges the Web and CD-ROM. Discusses an evaluation that demonstrated the effectiveness of the model for delivering CME to rural physicians in regions with low bandwidth. (SK)

Describes the construction and evaluation of a Web-based learning portfolio of authentic assessment. Discusses the design of the portfolio database; its implementation in a course at National Taipei University of Technology (Taiwan); and student opinions about the impact on the learning process. (Author/LRW)

Describes the use of a Web-based conferencing system in graduate courses for enhancing interpersonal communication among students and the instructor, resolving problems related to course content and procedures, and providing the instructor with feedback on the course. Discusses achievement gains, student attitudes, and improving student learning.…