Regional accreditation of Jones International University (JIU)--the first entirely virtual university accredited by the United States regional accreditation agency--sparked heated discussions in academic circles. Concerns about changing roles of academia and faculty were countered with unbinding enthusiasm for the new teaching opportunities. This…

This paper is designed to provide college and university presidents with an overview of distance education, e-learning, or what is called "distributed learning," a term preferred here because "distance" is too restrictive a concept. This overview identifies significant issues associated with distributed education and suggests questions to help…

This document presents a step-by-step guide to using three desktop videoconferencing applications: CU-SeeMe, iVisit, and NetMeeting. First, hardware and software recommendations for PC-based and Macintosh systems are provided. Illustrations of sample screens accompany the text for each application. The following additional considerations for…

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is used in different contexts and uses different tools, such as those of computer conferencing, e-mail, and groupware. This article introduces the use of Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) as a methodology to visualize the data in CMC. FCA, which is based on a mathematical lattice theory, offers visual maps…

Student/initiates into visual, textual, and theoretical Web-based self-constructions do not necessarily wish to be gender, race, class, or ethnicity invisible or neutral. To best teach writing and critical thinking according to her departmental objectives, one instructor felt she had to broach student's assumptions about themselves as they…

Compares one form of synchronous computer-mediated communication, Daedalus InterChange, with analogous spoken and written corpora. Finds that the InterChange discourse mode is not merely intermediate between speaking and writing; rather the electronic medium uniquely fosters some behaviors and inhibits others, in support of the view that physical…

Discusses newsgroups, listservs, and Web-based discussion groups. Highlights include major categories of international USENET discussion groups; newsgroups versus mailing lists; newsreaders; news servers; newsgroup subscriptions; newsgroups versus Web discussion groups; linking newsgroups, mailing lists, and the Web; and setting up a news host. A…

Explores ethical issues heightened by use of technology, and examines a means for managing these ethical concerns. Argues that ethical problems are not inherent in technological advances, but rather it is how human beings choose to use these new tools that may lead to ethical dilemmas in business contexts. (SR)

Focuses on online newsgroup gender composition and the seeming relatedness between gender roles and group process functions described as task and maintenance. Finds that men far outnumber women as participants in online discussion groups. Notes that results were mixed with respect to the relation of language patterns and group gender composition.…

Examines the frequency, form, and tone of reproaches for misconduct on five newsgroups. Finds that few individuals responded publicly to their reproachers and that complete "traditional" remedial episodes in Usenet were relatively rare. Concludes tentatively that different offense types elicit reproaches which vary in form and tone.…

Proposes that a useful perspective for studying group computer-mediated communication is the theoretical construct of interactivity. Examines a representative snapshot of communication among the very large groups populating the networks. Finds that conversations are less confrontational than popularly believed: conversations are more helpful and…

Examines copyright issues surrounding media workers quoting and using sources obtained from computer networks, bulletin boards, and electronic mail. States that some recent legal cases and the Clinton Administration are beginning to address the issue of copyright in cyberspace, but that media workers are moving in uncharted waters when they quote…

Finds that just over 60% of a random sample of people in an Internet newsgroup reported forming a personal relationship with someone they had first contacted through a newsgroup. Shows that nearly two-thirds of those whose personal relationship began online chose to have other forms of contact as well. (SR)

Describes the scope of the Kentucky Authors Project, which involved 4th through 11th graders and 7 teachers at 5 Kentucky schools. Names the participating authors and schools. Presents lessons learned from the project and guidelines for assembling similar projects. (PA)

The meaningful nature of online discussion was explored in 31 survey responses and 10 interviews with nursing students. Eight patterns of interpretation of online experience were exemplified by themes of engagement theory (relating, creating, donating), with positive and negative outcomes for each. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)