Providing accessible library services and instruction to distance users with disabilities can seem daunting. This article, which grew out of a webinar presented by the author to the Health Science Special Interest Group of ACRL, provides practical strategies to help content creators utilize built-in accessibility features and provides a resources…

Following a review of the online delivery of distance education programs within the School of Information Studies (SIS) program at Charles Sturt University, a team of academics worked with an external consultant to design a purpose built SIS Learning Centre in Second Life (SL), a 3D virtual world environment in which people (via their avatars) may…

In this article we propose a novel e-learning system, dedicated strictly to knowledge assessment tasks. In its functioning it utilizes web-based technologies, but its design differs radically from currently popular e-learning solutions which rely mostly on thin-client architecture. Our research proved that such architecture, while well suited for…

This study examines cross-cultural interpretations of icons and images drawn from US academic websites. Participants from Morocco, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the USA responded to an online questionnaire containing 18 icons and images representing online functions and information types common on US academic websites. Participants supplied meanings for…

Examines computer conferencing systems for distance education from a design perspective. Outlines structured and unstructured communication, organization and management of communication structures, and functions for users and managers of conferencing environments. Contrasts Web- and non Web-conferencing. Suggests how to choose a…

This paper describes Connect Ed, a program offering graduate and undergraduate courses for credit via computer conferencing. It is noted that these courses are offered in conjunction with the Masters Degree in Media Studies at the New School for Social Research and the Polytechnic Institute, both in New York City. A progress report on Connect Ed's…

The authors developed a Web-based negotiation system that is closely modeled on real-world transactions. This paper illustrates the generality of the system by discussing two disparate applications of the system: one taken from business and the other from collaborative e-learning. The application generates, in real time, transparency-controlled…

Examines current limitations of Web-based learning systems (WBLS) in higher education and describes a prototype Web-based Asynchronous Synchronous Environment (WASE) that is designed to circumvent those limitations. Includes 10 figures and 2 tables. (AEF)

This paper describes the experience of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Trento, Italy, in delivering online courses through the Web. The faculty chose to design and build its own system from scratch rather than buy one off the shelf. The paper discusses the considerations informing this decision, and presents the main functionalities…

Reviews the literature on the interactivity concept from the perspectives of communication, computer-assisted instruction, distance education, and interactive dimensions and functions for Web systems. Proposes a technical framework for including such dimensions and functions in Web-based learning systems. Discusses evaluation feedback. Interaction…

Presents the results of several years of designing and implementing a Web-based multimedia distance learning system at Nova Southeastern University. Includes the methodology used, design issues for the software and hardware environment, user interfaces, functional aspects of the system including controls used by both teacher and learner, the…

FODEM (FOrmative DEvelopment Method) is a design method for developing digital learning environments for widely dispersed learning communities. These are communities in which the geographical distribution and density of learners is low when compared to the kind of learning communities in which there is a high distribution and density of learners…

While electronic learning environments provide exciting possibilities for supporting learners, the design of the user interface is as yet little understood. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of specific usability attributes for online learning courses. A review of related papers on usability methods and learning theories…

This paper describes the design and implementation of a real time on-line collaboration tool, EDUCO. The main focus is to demonstrate how the tool is applied to a real life on-line distance education course, discuss the preliminary research findings of the qualitative empirical study, propose directions for future work and discuss implications.…

This paper reports on a study to design, develop, pilot test, evaluate, and assess an online Internet community system during the months May-July, 1997 at Nova Southeastern University-Programs for Higher Education (NSU PHE). The system was used as a prototype for developing and studying techniques for building virtual communities. Project research…