This study examines the implementation of "Criterion," an automated writing evaluation system developed by ETS, as a source of diagnostic feedback on learners' linguistic performance in a Vietnamese EFL writing classroom. Thirty-eight second-year English majors had access to "Criterion" for a five-month period. Data include…

This paper is a study on the interaction patterns of distance learners enrolled in the Mathematics and Physics programmes of Universiti Sains Malaysia in the videoconferencing learning environment (VCLE). Interaction patterns are analysed in six randomly chosen videoconferencing sessions within one academic year. The findings show there are more…

This qualitative study examines perceptions and use of assignment feedback among adult beginner modern foreign language learners on higher education distance learning courses. A survey of responses to feedback on assignments by 43 Open University students on beginner language courses in Spanish, French, and German indicated that respondents can be…

This paper reports on a two-year exploratory study to determine the viability of voice-based threaded discussions forums as a means of stimulating discussion and understanding of weekly readings as part of a large undergraduate communications course. From March to June 2001, 600 students participating in a large introduction to communication…

Discussion of design principles in creating interactive video simulations for second-language learning focuses on two interactive video simulations on the Eurocentres Videodisc (ECVD). Four design principles are explained, instructional procedures involved in the ECVD are described, and learners' reactions are discussed. (four references) (LRW)

Reports on a study of undergraduates at the University of Strathclyde (Scotland) that was designed to explore computer support for peer-based learning in methodology tutorials. Describes software that was developed to organize group discussion and discusses student ratings of their reactions to the software and to the tutorial sessions. (Contains…

Describes the prototype of a self-authored project that uses the Internet as a platform for disseminating information on the social geography of Nottingham (England). Provides background to the project along with the project design and content. Reports that both students and the designers' colleagues find the project to be successful. (CMK)

Online distance education is being introduced at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor (Slovenia) for an e-business course within which an experience about students' acceptability of online distance education was conducted. In spring 2001, an experiment with online materials (in place of regular lectures) for an e-business…

Reviews a criterion-based evaluation of educational software at York University, Ontario, using the York Educational Software Evaluation Scales (YESES). Concern over the quality of available courseware is expressed, and the response of students and teachers is highlighted as the most important criterion for evaluation. (LRW)

Reviews a study conducted at the University of Plymouth (United Kingdom) to establish the psychological basis for user responses to digital videoconferencing. Discusses possible predictor variables, including left and right brain laterality and factors of age and gender; measurement of behavioral and affective responses in distance learners;…

Through a LISREL analysis, this study validated the Constructivist Internet-based Learning Environment Survey (CILES). CILES consisted of six scales, sorted by two aspects. The first aspect, the cognitive-metacognitive aspect, included the scales of student negotiation, inquiry learning, and reflective thinking, whereas the second aspect, the…

Reports on the nature of interaction during one-way video and two-way audio teleconference sessions at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) based on recording of actual interaction and participants' reactions. Suggests a design for an ideal teleconference session, based on findings of the study. Includes seven tables. (AEF)

The traditional medical curriculum and internships must be supplemented by standardized teaching modalities, such as computer-assisted instruction using patient simulators. A patient simulator is defined as a representation of a clinical situation in which an individual conducts the diagnosis and management of a patient. Advantages include…

The Open University implemented a project called M205-STILE (Students' and Teachers' Integrated Learning Environment), a fundamental computer science course, with 110 distance learning students and nine tutors in the United Kingdom and Europe. This article examines, from student and tutor perspectives, the knowledge, social, and motivational use…

Preparing courses for flexible delivery and distance education is normally a time-consuming and expensive process. This paper describes the design and evaluation of a system that automatically captures and indexes audio and video streams of traditional university lectures without demanding any changes in the style or tools used by teachers. Using…