Aiming to develop a course with students as partners and to explore the process, two faculty initiated a curriculum development partnership with graduate students to design a new field study course. Applying a collaborative inquiry approach, we engaged in a research collaboration with graduate students online. The data collection was organised and…

Enrollment pressures and other considerations spur Master of Public Administration online offerings, and specific skillsets are needed for implementation. Online program management providers (OPMs) are for-profit companies that bundle services to establish academic programs in exchange for tuition revenue sharing agreements, upfront fees, or a…

Curriculum development for distance education (DE) practitioners is more and more focusing on practical requirements and competence development. Delphi and DACUM methods have been used at some universities. However, in the competency-based development area, these methods have been taken over by professional-task-based development in the last…

Over the last several decades, recognition of the educational rights of individuals with disabilities has grown from a request for acceptance to a demand for inclusion. While many countries have made progress in inclusive education, the majority of individuals with disabilities lack access to basic education. One explanation for this situation is…

Rapid advancements in technology are creating new opportunities for educators to enhance their classroom techniques with digital learning resources. Once used solely outside of the classroom, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers are becoming common in many school settings. "Advancing Higher Education with Mobile Learning Technologies: Cases,…

This paper reports on a case study into the contribution of podcasting to the curriculum transformation of two distance-taught master's programmes. Both programmes attract work-based Occupational Psychology practitioners, most of whom are in full-time employment. Challenges faced by the course team included adding flexibility to the curricula,…

Development workers studying at the graduate level benefit from exposure to the great variety of cultures and worldviews. In the Australian National University's Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development (MAAPD) program, peer learning is giving current and future development workers in the field and in the classroom the chance…

This paper describes how two related e-learning initiatives have led to school-level virtual learning environment (VLE) adoption and commencement of several new teaching developments at the University of Southampton. These have engaged additional academic staff with online learning and increased the role of blended learning within the curriculum,…

Offers a model for institutions that may be considering the development of an interactive video Master's Degree program and shares the process by which such a program was designed and approved. Examines the issues and challenges confronted in implementing the M.A. program in communication education via distance learning using the Iowa…

Investigating the participant structure that works in online courses helps us design for, and facilitate, collaboration. Learning communities and group work influence collaboration in online courses. We present an exploratory study of computer-mediated groups that used this model to participate in an online MA program in Educational Technology.…

Describes the distance learning initiative at the Scarman Center for the Study of Public Order (UK), focusing on two Masters courses. Discusses the course design, course materials, study guides, and complementary reading materials. Describes elements of the student support system: the student handbook, "fax-a-tutor" system, regional…

This paper discusses a distance education course directly connected to a fundamental need at Regent University (a graduate-only institution) to equip ill-prepared students for the rigors of the Master of Arts degree in communication. This course was designed to be taken by any student whose undergraduate transcript did not adequately meet the…

Examines the development and delivery of an MBA program via the Internet. Reviews benefits and limitations of using this medium in higher education. Compares the theoretical benefits and problems with actual advantages and drawbacks. Summarizes issues encountered during the early stages of the Internet program design including opportunities for…

During the summer of 1998, Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) invented a new way to earn an Educational Technology Master's degree. Founded in 1997 as a university dedicated to utilizing new technologies for both local and distance learning, FGCU's School of Education has enabled learners from across the state to complete a degree program in…

This paper reports the development of an international Masters in Information Studies between the Universities of Parma (Italy) and Northumbria (United Kingdom). Rather than concentrating on a detailed discussion of course content, it considers the strengths of an international collaborative course development and delivery and the issues involved…