In distance education, interactivity refers to mutual influence of objects and actions, particularly with reference to the relationship of learner, instructor, content, and technology. Instructors should build interactivity into distance learning to increase participation, develop communication, receive feedback, enhance elaboration and retention,…

Design of student-centered instruction for telecourses must take into consideration the variables that contribute to meaningful and motivated student learning: clarity; connections; teacher immediacy behaviors; and active learning. Unlike much conventional instruction, telecourse teaching isn an intensive and demanding team process requiring…

This chapter describes the experience of two faculty members who implemented laptop technology in a lower-division social science course. The authors focus on the pragmatic issues associated with incorporating this technology into the social science classroom and recommend several strategies and resources.

In its use of complex, real-world problems to introduce concepts and motivate learning in an active and cooperative learning environment, problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to the passive lecture in introductory college science. Use of technology and multimedia instruction, focus on large classes, and use of interdisciplinary…