The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education reports on its activities and achievements in 2001. The Council describes some of its activities, including: developing funding recommendations for Kentucky's college and universities for the 2002-2004 biennium; (2) continuing the startup of the Kentucky Virtual University, a consortium online…

This paper argues that one of the keys to an effective distance learning system is an effective monitoring and evaluation system. The evaluative process enables college faculty and administration to identify and address problems distance learners are experiencing. Distance learning instructors at Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute (New…

This paper examines the challenge of teaching online classes to students who have difficulty with organization and time management. Online learning is far removed from the traditional classroom learning rubric. Online education requires students to navigate a multi-layered information path. The first step toward student preparation is to assess…

This document provides a checklist for the development of effective instructional Web sites that promote student learning and enable instructors to enact the principles of good teaching. The information presented is valuable for instructors of online courses and faculty members who utilize instructional sites to supplement face-to-face classroom…

Online courses are appearing at a high rate, increasing the competitiveness of the distance learning market. Reluctance to invest in this area is due to cost and quality concerns. This study reports the findings of a survey of 700 professional and graduate education students regarding their comfort with technology, satisfaction with those…

This paper argues that--with the increasing use of enhanced, computer-based instructional technologies in education--studies that examine differences between distance and traditional classroom instruction by comparing a distance course with a regular classroom section of the same course are no longer appropriate. The author proposes methods that…

Discusses the limited exposure many preservice teacher programs have regarding innovative uses for technology in the classroom. Describes the use of a WebCT-based virtual field trip to an elementary school, using constructivist theory as a framework, to help preservice teachers rethink traditional instruction. (Author/LRW)

Discusses a study completed about the satisfaction of students with interactive teleclasses and online courses. Data indicates that most students are satisfied with long distance learning and would recommend it to others. Speculates that minority students cannot take advantage of these courses due to a lack of access. (Contains 3 references.) (MZ)

The author argues that access to education has been the central notion of distance education since its beginnings in 1892. He offers examples of current distance education programs, as well as advice for designing online general education learning communities. (NB)

Identifies stages in user adoption of virtual learning (i.e., Internet-based courses and traditional courses with Internet components) for higher education students and faculty. Instructors' stages of virtuality are: excited, apprehensive, questioning, determined, overstimulated, questioning revisited, and exhausted. Students' stages are:…

Discusses library services at the University of Tennessee to reach off-campus and distance education students. Topics include online research; email; library instruction for faculty and students; Web interfaces; fax; telephone service; chat technology; the library's Web page; virtual classrooms; library links from a course management system; and…

Identifies the major principles of general assessment theory, examines how these principles can be applied to online environments for distance education, and describes assessment issues that have special significance in virtual classrooms. Discusses proctored testing, identity security, academic honesty, and use of online discussions for…

Web-based technology has a dramatic impact on learning and teaching. A framework that delineates the relationships between learner control and learning effectiveness is absent. This study aims to fill this void. Our work focuses on the effectiveness of a technology-mediated virtual learning environment (TVLE) in the context of basic information…

This paper describes a model of online learning communities characterized by online mentors (OLCOM), which has been implemented at a large southeastern state university. The OLCOM is a virtual online learning community, which incorporates online mentors to assist online teaching and facilitate online learning along with other members in the OLCOM.…

Analyzing the activity of a group of students involved in an online university course with a simulation environment, this article considers and problematizes the idea of online community and its relations to learning. The analysis builds upon Dewey's conception of organic community and related perspectives. In valuing "joint action," such…