Learning Management System (LMS)-enabled blended learning has been adopted by higher educational institutions for promoting accessible and effective pedagogy and andragogical practices. The introduction of this mode of learning has altered the traditional face-to-face interaction. However, the lack of actual usage and online presence by…

The cost of college tuition and textbooks continues to rise and can function as a barrier to education for many students. This study evaluated Minnesota State Colleges and Universities students' attitudes towards different types of learning material (e.g. commercially printed textbooks, eBooks and open educational resources (OERs)) and class type…

Different approaches exist in delivering courses. The traditional face-to-face, the blended approach that combines the strengths of face-to-face with the application of technologies, and the online approach, which is the form of learning that takes place over the Internet. This article reports on the impact of the forced transformation of a data…

An increase in online education is causing science educators to evaluate student cognitive understanding after completing virtual, computer-simulated laboratories. Online education has demonstrated comparable learning gains when analysed to those of the traditional classroom, but research is mixed when reviewing students' ability to manipulate…

The relevant literature is rich enough about the differences between distance and face to face education. However, the number of studies examining these differences from the viewpoint of dual-mode alumni, those graduated from both distance and face to face education programmes is limited. In this study, opinions of 33 dual-mode alumni from Turkey…

Examines barriers to conventional education and explains how distance education can fill the niche markets created by these barriers. Curriculum barriers and economic barriers are discussed; core attributes of distance education are described; and planning for niche markets is addressed based on the core attributes. (Contains five references.)…

SEPTIMUS is a one-year Europe-wide postgraduate theoretical course for psychotherapists and counsellors provided entirely via the Internet. It may be used as part of a training course, with face-to-face elements provided locally, or for continuing professional development. The course was developed at the University of Sheffield in collaboration…

This paper presents our experiences and the challenges identified in transforming traditional lecture-based modules at a university into problem-based blended learning within a social constructivist approach. Our experiment was, among other factors, motivated by an urgent need to meet new curriculum requirements by reducing the lecturing time in a…

This paper considers the influence of e-tuition using an asynchronous written conferencing package, "FirstClass," upon retention and success rates for Masters-level courses in a distance learning programme as compared with similar courses that were supported in a traditional manner using face-to-face tuition. The paper investigates the common…

Examines the integration of face-to-face tuition with open learning methods based on experiences at the Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University (United Kingdom). Analyzes the ways in which such approaches provide competitive advantage in the higher education environment in the United Kingdom. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of audioteleconferencing highlights the possibilities of telephone technology, student-teacher interaction, peer interaction, face-to-face interaction versus distance education, the role of tutors or faculty, and the need for more extensive training for students and tutors. (LRW)

Addresses industrialization and distance education and how they relate to the modernist and postmodernist models of work, Fordism, neo-Fordism and post-Fordism. Concludes that not all distance education is industrialized; traditional education is not always a craft; and Fordism does not adequately explain the development of distance education.…

Examines implications of quality assessment for distance education and other forms of materials-based learning. Suggests that materials-based teaching cannot properly be judged in quite the same terms as conventional, face-to-face teaching. Presents and discusses 20 questions for program evaluation. (Author/AEF)

Discusses student support systems in distance education based on experiences at the Open University (United Kingdom). Topics addressed include distance education versus traditional education; changes in the learning process; management theory; student support as a service industry; course production; resource allocation; and decision-making…

Reports on findings of a joint Sino-Japanese study comparing conventional and television-based higher education in China, examining student satisfaction and student expectation of higher education, relative to the resourcing of conventional and radio and television universities ("universities without walls") in China. Reports on a…