In communities including New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Chicago, educators are creating alternative schools for struggling students that employ online credit-recovery programs as a core portion, or all, of their curriculum. The growth in online learning generally, including blended learning, has fueled the proliferation of computer-based credit…

Development of information and communication technologies has greatly expanded the number of institutions offering programs on a regional or global basis. Looks at problems that distance education institutions have faced, and continue to face, in terms of delivery of materials, student access to technology, structures, and maintenance of…

Discusses findings of the U.S. Congress' Web-Based Education Commission that examined how the Internet is being used to enhance learning opportunities for students. Addresses each of the seven areas in which the Commission suggested there is a strong need for action: broadband access; professional development; research and development; quality of…

To understand the value and impact of technology, it must be recognized that there have been three distinct phases in technology uses and expectations: Print Automation, Expansion of Learning Opportunities, and Data-Driven Virtual Learning. This report takes an in-depth look at these three phases and, for each, addresses two very important and…

Reports results of a survey conducted to determine perceptions of the barriers to distance education. Sixty-four barriers were determined from a review of the literature and clustered into the following 10 factors, based on survey responses: administrative structure; organizational change; technical expertise; social interaction and quality;…

This digest briefly reviews connections among the literature on the adoption of innovations, technology integration, and the value of reflection in encouraging educators to explore the integration of new educational technologies into their current teaching practices. An approach to prompting reflection is described, which uses structured guidance…

Presents six research abstracts from the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) database. Topics include: effectiveness of distance versus traditional on-campus education; improved attribution recall from diversification of environmental context during computer-based instruction; qualitative analysis of situated Web-based learning;…

This paper offers precise definitions of distance learning and distance education, and their interrelationship. First, a single definition of learning is proposed, and then the concept of learning is broken down into three subcategories: instruction, exploration, and serendipity. Each is defined and the concepts of distance learning and distance…

Learning and information management in technology rich environments is a nonlinear process that teachers cannot pretend to control. The University of Central Florida's (UCF) teaching and information management strategies build on metaphors and models borrowed from Dynamical Systems and Complexity Theories to help teachers and others understand…

Briefly examines past military distance education practices and then focuses on discussion of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) initiative in Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL). Outlines some of the potential problems that should be addressed in the near future and possible solutions towards the goal of implementing a successful ADL system for…

Focuses on enterprise computing in education, which is about using technology to manage and analyze instructional information in order to improve the entire educational system. Discusses enterprise computing's role potential to improve teaching and learning, ease administration, assess school programs, and distribute curriculum to homes. Examines…

An administrator who has a basic understanding of alternative methods for learning is one that shows a greater inclination to support those methods. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of administrator attitudes and perceptions relative to distance education, and how those attitudes and perceptions affect their support of…

Presents differing views on the meanings of learning as they relate to the use of computers in modern education. Reviews the literature, identifies problem areas, and concludes with recommendations on combining technology and learning as school districts move forward in the information age. (Contains 65 references.) (Author/AEF)

Teaching in the cyberspace classroom requires moving beyond old models of pedagogy into new practices that are more facilitative. It involves much more than simply taking old models of pedagogy and transferring them to a different medium. Unlike the face-to-face classroom, in online distance education, attention needs to be paid to the development…