Proposes a framework within which to consider online courses. Highlights include historical background; pedagogical evolution, including discussions, collaborative activities, online assessment, and interactive course materials; examples of online course models from the United Kingdom's Open University; and the development of new learning…

Describes a conceptual framework that can be used to guide the design of distributed learning environments, particularly those that use the capabilities of computer and Internet technology. Discusses implications for improving online collaboration among learners and for informing future designs of computer-supported collaborative learning…

Recent findings in brain research suggest the implementation of contemporary instructional practices is in order for base practices. Incorporating best practice research is critical for students to be competitive in a global market. This article provides a brief overview of educational philosophy, recent findings on brain research and language…

In an attempt to provide students with the benefit of the latest technology, some instructors include multimedia content on their class Web sites. This article introduces the basic terms and concepts needed to understand the multimedia domain. Provides a brief tutorial designed to help instructors create good, consistent audio-visual content. (AEF)

Discussion of computer-mediated communication in education focuses on online collaboration. Highlights include characteristics of a collaborative group, including participation, interaction, and interdependence; collaborative situations; non-collaborative groups, including cooperation without collaboration; factors that promote or inhibit…

Discussion of the need for distance education programs for children of occupational travelers who don't regularly attend elementary school focuses on FLEX (Flexible Learning Environment Experiment) used in Belgium, Britain and the Netherlands. Highlights include information and communication technology; and instructional design of a generic open…

Discussion of the implementation of computer technology in schools focuses on the need to design computer technologies based on sound learning theories. Considers the results of meta-analyses on computer-based instruction; socio-cultural learning theory; computer-supported collaborative learning; constructivist theories; project-based learning;…

This article reviews research on inclusion of students with severe disabilities and concludes that greater attention to the acquisition of functional skills may be necessary if inclusion is to realize its promise as an instructional model that benefits students across the range of skills areas necessary for independent adult life. (Contains…

Explores five common types of instructional feedback--written, conferences, audio, video, and computer. Provides a description drawn from the literature, and offers several guidelines for using each format in education and training. (AEF)

Presents the results of a two-part survey on developmental education in four-year colleges and universities. Describes the requirements, staffing, and enrollment in the programs, and assesses the extent to which a subsample of developmental mathematics instructors follow the standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.…

Presents the findings of an empirical research study into the academic self-concept, study habits, and attitude towards distance education of students at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and relates these to their academic performance. Discusses variables and implications for learner support and instructional design. (Author/LRW)

Focuses on information literacy (IL), specifically the design of a college course and its high school version intended to equip students with essential IL skills. Discusses current problems in information seeking that correspond to each of the phases of the information life cycle: asking a question, accessing and retrieving information,…

Describes different Internet resource sites for instructional design and human performance technology maintained by various groups including: professional organizations, United States government agencies, educational institutions, publishers and booksellers, and miscellaneous groups. (AEF)

Lists steps to follow when planning a course online: assess needs and necessary conditions to satisfy them; estimate development cost, effort, and implications; plan the virtual classroom; design the virtual classroom; prepare and distribute contents; enable communication; implement online student assessment methods; implement class management…

This study compared using explicit rule-based instruction and a basal-reader activity-based approach for teaching 40 fourth-grade students with learning disabilities to determine character motive in three types of narrative texts. Rule-based instruction was superior to the activity-based approach when teaching character motives irrespective of…