Discusses the regional accrediting commissions that provide quality assurance for the majority of degree-granting institutions in the United States. Considers the balance between accountability and innovation regarding new forms of educational delivery and describes draft guidelines being developed for evaluating electronic programs. (LRW)

Provides an annotated bibliography of print and Web resources concerning online learning. Topics include brain and learning research, distance learning research and practice, traditional higher education research and practice, theory and practice on designing and delivering degrees and courses, and Internet and technology research and monitoring.…

Discusses trends in Web-based learning environments. Highlights include common features of existing Web-based learning environments; challenges; the large amount of available online educational material; adaptation and dynamic interaction; real-time interaction; and monitoring online testing. (LRW)

Surveys existing efforts at using the World Wide Web for instructional purposes, points out innovative uses of the Web, and suggests ways for instructors and developers to optimize the design of instructional sites to better serve users. Mistakes to avoid are discussed, and addresses of 13 instructional sites are provided. (Author/LRW)

Outlines Web-based training (WBT) options (page-, frame-, and screen-based), provides general guidelines for designing Web-delivered instruction. Discusses case studies of a teacher's guide to the Holocaust and sales training for a telecommunications company. Provides addresses of sample WBT sites. Includes reader reactions and author responses to…

Considers the impact of mobile wireless technologies on Web-based Instruction and Training (WBI/T). Discusses the relevant technological infrastructure issues, content design and development issues, and differing modes of communication as they pertain to mobile wireless WBI/T, followed by a scenario of one possible WBI/T application. (Contains 12…

Discusses policies that regulate what types of academic activities faculty can engage in outside the institution in light of the proliferation of distance education courses that provide faculty with the potential for teaching online courses through other institutions or corporations. Considers competition and the changing market for higher…

Summarizes the main features of Michigan State University's Internet-based online degree programs in beam physics. Discuses enrollment and degree requirements; explains the WebCOSY system, an interactive Web-based homework and course management program; and examines participants, dropout rate, and grades. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study conducted at the Naval Postgraduate School to determine student attitudes toward various aspects of network-based instruction. Discusses Internet technology; Web-based education; online learning; learning styles; and results from Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, the Hidden Figures Test, and a number of multivariate procedures.…

Investigated college students' personal choices for taking Web-based courses and whether their self-efficacy for the course content and technological components would predict performance in online courses. Results showed students who enrolled because they enjoyed Web-based learning had higher self-efficacy and better performance than students who…

Discusses virtual universities and the design of Web courses. Topics include current traditional college courses; computer assisted instruction; reconsidering education; why professors teach; what they teach; what students expect; how employers view graduates; certification; why knowledge is overrated; goal-based course design; and conceptual…

Presents several strategies that have proven successful for community building in Web-based learning environments. Discusses challenges to community building in terms of space, time, and tools, and how to overcome these challenges. (EV)

Describes how the core principles of learning science lead to associated best practices in instructional design and how to translate those into practical applications in Web-based online courses. Topics include knowledge construction; student motivation; higher order learning; learning styles; experiential learning; cooperative and collaborative…

Examines the nature of student participation in an online discussion-oriented course delivered via the Web. Highlights include access to course materials; a focus on course content; changing participation while students served as course moderators; and community building through student dialog with each other and with the instructor. (Author/LRW)

Presents the development of a Web-based course model and the results from an exploratory study conducted to determine the effectiveness of this model on student satisfaction. Results showed students had a positive experience, were satisfied with the online learning environment, appreciated the flexibility, and were satisfied with quality and…