As distance learning continues to grow, ads continually appear seeking instructors to teach online. Many have experience teaching online, yet some also apply who have a solid education and great experience in a specific field--but have never taught online. This latter group of potential online instructors should not be dismissed merely because…

In this "Distance Learning" Special Issue, Errol Craig Sull introduces the "Try This" series of articles to assist with Becoming a Better Distance Learning Instructor. Sull notes, in this article, what the distance learning educator does in the first few days in a course can go a long way in setting the tone for the entire…

This article describes the development and impact of a faculty development program on improving the readiness of Indonesian educators to teach online. While online learning is seen as a potential solution to increasing access to higher education in Indonesia, most higher education faculty in Indonesia lack the necessary skills to teach online…

This research is a narrative which explains the development of a fully online master's program in education at a major public university. It was established in 2014, more than 6 years prior to the COVID pandemic. We asked our teachers and online faculty team to describe the characteristics of a successful fully online graduate program. Teachers…

New faculty who arrive at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are very likely to be asked to teach at least one online or mixed-mode course. Realizing that effective teaching in these digital formats requires additional skills and knowledge that go beyond the traditional face-to-face classroom, the UCF requires faculty to be certified in…

There are differences in the benefits that are afforded by the two extremes of face-to-face and distance education. University campus courses are based on the assumption that the student community and interaction between learners and an expert teacher in the same physical location is essential to the learning process. In comparison, distance…

This article addresses two aspects of online education: (1) how to develop a linkage between institutional requirements that courses have measurable learning outcomes; and (2) how to utilize technology to enhance the learning experience. Analysis of how tools are used in an accelerated online graduate criminal justice course at the authors'…

This study analyzed design and technological issues encountered by online course instructors as they taught 120 online courses while working with a designated instructional designer. Having developed the courses and having had them approved in compliance with a set, standardized rubric, implementation of the 120 courses brought out issues that…