Focuses on an ICP (Inter-University Cooperation Programme) OnLine in the area of Informatics/Artificial Intelligence. Notes that ICP is accessed through the World Wide Web and was launched in the Summer of 1994 to provide "virtual mobility." Discusses the program's objectives, student experiences, and the risks and opportunities afforded by…

Investigates the need to include computer screens in documentation for software using a graphical user interface. Describes the uses and purposes of "minimal manuals" and their principles. Studies student reaction to their use of one of three on-screen manuals: screens, icon, and button. Finds some benefit for including icon and button…

Examines whether level of interactivity in an online syllabus influences students' first impressions of course and instructor. Participants viewed identical syllabi, differing only in number and relationship of hyperlinks. The independent variable, interactivity, had three ordinal levels: website with no links (low interactivity), website with…

Use of a computerized simulation entitled "A Simulation of the First Year Teaching" by students in a teaching procedures class in physical education is described. (MT)

Two types of self-efficacy were investigated in this study: self-efficacy for course content and self-efficacy for online learning technologies. Specifically, the study examined how these two types of self-efficacy change throughout a semester. Secondly, it examined whether students' self-efficacy is predicative of their satisfaction and course…

The University of Florida's Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) has offered on-site and distance education courses in agribusiness management, horticultural sciences, and agricultural education and communication since 1998. A survey of current and potential students at IRREC was recently conducted which examines preferences for…

Reports on a four-phase study conducted to clarify the role of the facilitator and to identify other factors that support or inhibit online learning. Postgraduate students who had participated in online learning rated the relative importance of 12 facilitator tasks. Results show facilitators must clarify expectations, initiate and guide online…

Discusses science and engineering students' reactions and attitudes toward the use of on-line bibliographic information retrieval and major search systems vs manual searching in a course dealing with information resources. Problems encountered and the relevance to student needs of the on-line component of the course are included. (Author/CWM)

The development of computer-mediated asynchronous platforms for the delivery of online coursework brings college professors new questions about the features these platforms offer and the degree to which each feature is significant to the achievement of students. Are all features designed in the same way across platforms? Are there some features…

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…

Retention has been indicated as one of the greatest weaknesses in online instruction. While a preponderance of literature about online instruction is available, concrete ideas about how to retain students are lacking. A DHHS grant for over one million dollars made it possible for the Wright State University College of Nursing and Health (Dayton,…

Investigates how graduate students participated in online discussions over a two-week period to determine the utility of synchronous and asynchronous modes of discussion. Types and amounts of communication statements participants made in chats and threaded discussions were analyzed. Results indicate that both types of discussion are liked and…

This paper reports the results of a study conducted with non-IS undergraduate students undertaking an online distance education class. Although the sample size is small and there is some self-selection, it provides some preliminary answers to what such students see as the advantages and disadvantages of online education, whether these perceptions…

This study identified student reasons for participating in synchronous Web-based learning environments. Students were interviewed after completing a series of surveys designed to elicit their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the delivery methodology. Responses indicated that both convenience and learning enhancement were considered…

In 1999, the University of West Florida launched an online Instructional Technology master's program. Students enrolled in this online program can be divided into two groups: (1) "local" students who, for various reasons, prefer the online courses, and (2) students at a geographical distance. The purpose of this study was to identify…