Collaborative learning must prompt collaborative behavior among students. Once initiated, collaboration then must facilitate awareness between students of each other's activities and knowledge. Collaborative scripts provide explicit framework and guidance for roles and activities within student interactions, and are one method of fulfilling the…

The principal of a Louisville, Kentucky, alternative high school uses a "come when you can" schedule, a promise of success, and a high school diploma rather than a General Education Development certificate to entice would-be dropouts and pushouts to finish their education. Highly individualized and computer-assisted programs make the…

Online learning is meeting needs that traditional classrooms cannot fulfill. Online courses can get to people and places beyond the reach of the traditional school setting, serving the needs of students and teachers nationwide. This article describes the advantages of "virtual" schools in Florida, Louisiana, Alaska, West Virginia, and…

Learning networks are a proven way to deliver massively scalable blended learning solutions that have been successfully implemented in a variety of commercial situations. For learning challenges that involve educating hundreds of thousands of distributed learners across thousands of organizations, learning networks can enable the delivery of…

The "attractor magnet" curricula in the Interdisciplinary Program at Suncoast Community High School (Florida) include drafting, technology, engineering technology, and communications technology. As an alternative to comprehensive high schools, it provides challenging college-prep programs to a diverse population. (JOW)

Describes educational programs at Bexar County Detention Center (San Antonio, Texas), which utilize alternative modes of delivery as much as possible. Elements include a media center and a computer assisted instructional system. Discusses the effectiveness of these programs and why they should be implemented in correctional institutions. (CT)

Reuther High School has been an alternative school in the Kenosha, Wisconsin, school district for many years. In 1998, PLATO Learning, Inc. made it possible for Reuther to offer consistent skill development on a flexible schedule through computer assisted instruction. PLATO systems have been made part of five credit completion programs. An…

The state of Pennsylvania has embarked on a statewide initiative for distance education called the Center for Agile Pennsylvania Education (CAPE) consisting of community colleges and colleges and universities across the state; Duquesne University has joined this state-wide consortium in which members are encouraged to provide courses in areas of…

In the transition from traditional teaching and learning to eLearning, the authors advocate avoiding disruptive approaches. The authors claim that many virtual university and corporate university efforts worldwide try to showcase big leaps forward, yet lack sustainability, suffer from in-vitro conditions, and leave behind the big mass of teachers.…

Discusses three electronic conferencing tools that apprentice novice learners and encourage them to interact and grapple with alternative perspectives. Technical details of each tool are described, along with 1 instance where all 3 technologies were united, resulting in a highly interactive conversation shared by over 30 people at 4 different…

Highlights developments at the Center for Distance Learning at the State University of New York's Empire State College. Describes two types of instructional applications: (1) the textbook, course guide and tutor as the primary mode of instruction, with a technological tool/activity as an additional assignment; and (2) the textbook and course guide…

Assesses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the distance learning approach to education, and discusses how one institution, the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management, has developed a progressively expanding networked distance education program. Includes quotes from three students that suggest the quality of…

Reports on projects in British Universities which have focused on open learning. Establishes the main features of the learning environments created; results of the case study innovations; and management of change issues and how these may be addressed. A table presents details of the studies. (AEF)

The University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics was selected as a pilot institution for implementing distance education in Slovenia. This article illustrates how the synergy of combining existing domestic resources and the local social/educational environment with outside expertise could bring about a self-sustainable distance education program…

Presents a brief historical background for computer-assisted instruction and distance learning in the United States and the United Kingdom (UK). Focuses on the National Grid of Learning (NGL), an experiment in the UK to connect all learning institutions electronically. (AEF)