Outlines the course development of an introductory large-scale distance education course offered via the World Wide Web at the Open University in the United Kingdom. Topics include developing appropriate student skills; maintaining quality control; facilitating easy updating of material; ensuring student interaction; and making materials…

Discussion of distance education versus traditional instruction focuses on courses being converted at the Naval War College to Web-based courses. Explains equivalency theory, which aligns the learning experiences of online learners with those of on-site learners so that either scenario should yield the same outcomes. (LRW)

Discusses issues involved in teaching a master's degree course online via the World Wide Web. Highlights include distance education; course construction; content; basing online courses on existing traditional courses; interaction among students and with the instructor; and the importance of timely communication. (LRW)

This purpose of this study was to assist an instructor in facilitating an online course while the class was being offered, and to provide timely interventions for improving the course during the semester. Instructional interventions were suggested and an overall evaluation was conducted. The approach, findings, and recommendations have…

Describes the provision of library instruction and reference services to students enrolled in distance learning courses at 73 Florida-based colleges and universities by the Florida Distance Learning Reference and Referral Center (RRC). Explains the use of chat software which allows real-time virtual reference assistance that supplements email,…

Shows how the instructional design process can assist in developing a Web-based distance teacher education course, based on the development of a Web-based course for teachers of language minority learners. Topics include audience needs analysis, establishing instructional goals, and formative evaluation and revision. (Author/LRW)

Describes how librarians at the UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) biomedical library adopted to changes in the medical school's curriculum, developed new ways to support the school's instructional goals, and provided information literacy instruction. Discusses librarian-faculty collaboration to meet the changing needs of students and…

Teachers most interested in a constructivist approach to historical instruction often use new technology to provide realistic, inquiry-based learning situations for their students. Recent research in social studies learning has de-emphasized student memorization of facts and text-based instruction in favor of engaging students in historical…

The article presents a reusable online support system, in which an open-ended learning environment is created to scaffold complex, real-world problem solving activities. The major learning components of the system are specifically described, and the internal interactions between different components within the system and the external interactions…

Asynchronous online discussion has been shown to enhance communication between students and to elicit many cognitive indicators. Nevertheless, historians have often been reluctant to make use of such instructional technology. Students enrolled in a fully online world civilization course corroborated qualitative research findings regarding the…

Drawing from the Technology Acceptance Model, this correlational study was intended to determine student users' adoption of WebCT and its relationship to their final grade. In acknowledging the relevance of human-computer interaction, the author attempted to investigate a belief-attitude-behavior relationship in a WebCT setting. Given a social…

Previous studies have suggested significant benefits to using computer-mediated communication in higher education and the development of the relevant skills may also be important for preparing students for their working careers. This study is a review of the introduction of a virtual learning environment to support a group of 60 campus-based,…

The definitions of information literacy make it clear that it is concerned with higher-order thinking skills. This article surveys the literature on critical thinking and extrapolates pedagogical requirements for fostering the development and use of higher-order thinking skills. It then considers these requirements in relation to the development…

This is an exploratory, design-based study of the development and implementation of an online art unit designed to teach for transfer. Secondary art teachers implemented a traditional and then a revised Web version of the unit. Four kinds of knowledge (content, procedural, strategic, and dispositional) provide the structure for reporting: a)…

The gradual, ongoing transformation of a large general education astronomy class is presented. Emphasis is on student reaction to and academic impact of changes in the teaching/learning environment introduced over a five-year period. In-class, cooperative, and small group exercises are discussed, along with web-based materials and Just-in-Time…