Describes research that has investigated and compared students in face-to-face classes, Web-based classes, and hybrid courses which combine both methods. Presents a chart that shows comparative advantages of face to face versus virtual classes, and discusses results that show hybrid courses have the highest success rate. (LRW)

The method presented provides a systematic approach for communicating information about interrelationships between concepts taught in a psychology course. Students who did not receive the information through traditional instructional methods received enhanced scores on tests of structural understanding. Five references are listed. (MER)

Describes three studies that were performed to investigate the efficacy of digital PowerPoint lecturing in undergraduate classrooms. Results revealed that lecture difficulty, but not the method of lecturing, contributed to grade differences, and suggest that the efficacy of PowerPoint lecturing may be case specific rather than universal.…

Explains how written material started; describes the nature and supply of electronic documents; characterizes student practices in using paper texts and online electronic texts in higher education, including the role of reading; and considers communication and speed and informational inflation and choice. (Author/LRW)

Describes the development of an online physical anthropology course at Palomar College (California) that evolved from online tutorials. Discusses the ability to update materials on the Web more quickly than in traditional textbooks; creating Web pages that are readable by most Web browsers; test security issues; and clarifying ownership of online…

Discussion of quality in higher education focuses on quality assurance of Web-based learning in distance education, based on experiences at the Open University of Hong Kong. Highlights include problems with distance education; a literature review; traditional learning versus Web-based learning; and the changing role of faculty. (Contains 63…

Describes a study conducted at the University of Nebraska at Omaha that used questionnaires and interviews to compare and contrast the interaction that occurred in distance learning courses offered via two-way, fully interactive audio-video classrooms and online instruction through the Internet or World Wide Web. (Author/LRW)

Discusses digital books, or electronic books, and their relationship to libraries and communication between authors and readers. Topics include the scholarly market, for academic libraries, versus the consumer market; textbooks versus novels; digitization of older books; marketing; costs; and electronic books versus printed books. (LRW)

Describes a meta-analysis that indicated a slight student preference for a traditional educational format over a distance education format in higher education, and little difference in satisfaction levels, even when considering presence and type of interaction. Discusses meta-analysis as a method for synthesizing literature. (Contains 53…

Describes the development and installation of a hypermedia system for student use at the University of Texas Pan-American library that provides information about the library's resources as an alternative to existing printed materials. Highlights include selecting an authoring tool and computer hardware and the development of an icon-based system.…

This paper begins with background on the objectives, courses, and students of the British Open University. The aims and structure of a proposed modern language program are then outlined, and plans for using print, television/video, radio/audiocassette, and software learning materials are briefly described. A summary of some experiences of…

Discussion of adapting established classroom practices to new online environments identifies the instructional strategies that lead to successful classroom teaching and describes an online system, WebTeach, that provides structured teacher-learner interactions and is used at the University of New South Wales. (Author/LRW)

Describes the development of courses at the University of Central Florida that are a mix of traditional classroom instruction and online courses. Discusses course assessment methods to help meet student needs; faculty incentives to participate in the assessment process; administrative support; and accountability. (LRW)

This discussion of the educational potential of audiotape and videotape cassettes in distance teaching considers each medium individually, with examples of how the Open University has tried to exploit them in its teaching, and comments on some major differences between the two media and their implication for education. Characteristics of…

This discussion of questions related to the most appropriate role for the computer in undergraduate postsecondary education begins by describing the Educational Testing Service's evaluations of two large-scale funded projects intended to stimulate the incorporation of computer assisted instruction (CAI) into undergraduate instruction--the…