Online higher education is experiencing growth in enrolment and development which creates a need to continually evaluate the efficacy of online course delivery. Prior research reported that performance in online education is equivalent to traditional face-to-face delivery; however, minimal research exists to identify which elements of course…

The authors examine effects on student performance, from applying different deadline strategies to online assignments in face-to-face principles of macroeconomics courses. Students in one section were required to complete weekly adaptive learning assignments. Students in the second section were required to complete the adaptive assignments only…

We report the results of a diary study to determine whether a diary approach could be used as a successful way of retrieving a) the user's learning contexts, b) which learning contexts are significant for consideration within an m-learning application, and c) which learning materials are appropriate for which learning situation. Analyses of data…

Presents ideas for distance learning courses on the Web. Topics include students' individual characteristics; technology changes and problems; instructional design; deadlines for student assignments; monitoring student progress; giving students appropriate and timely feedback; time factors for students and teachers; active learning; and student…

Describes project at Bradley University that equipped freshman residence hall rooms with microcomputers. Highlights include student characteristics; academic performance; surveys of use of microcomputers; networking versus stand-alone uses; duration of computer use times and times of day of use; and sex differences in computer use. (Three…

Various strategies for dividing time on a computer-assisted instruction system among a number of eligible students were studied using simulation models. Results indicated that different time allocation strategies make very little difference in achievement; a more important variable is the total amount of CAI time used by students. (Author/RAO)

Reports on a study of the effectiveness of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in the acquisition of English as a second language by Arabic- and Spanish-speaking students in an intensive program. Examines two student variables--time spent using CALL lessons and attitude toward them--as well as four cognitive/affective characteristics.…

Describes a study that was conducted to learn about the needs of distance education students who were enrolled in television-based college courses. Student characteristics are examined; barriers to attending on-campus courses are described; and computer use at home, at work, and on-campus is discussed. (LRW)

Three strategies for selecting number of instances needed to learn legal concepts were compared. An adaptive strategy required 25 percent less time and resulted in better post test performance than a partially adaptive strategy. The partially adaptive strategy was 16 percent more efficient than the nonadaptive strategy, and resulted in better…

The aim of the present study was to investigate those factors influencing performance in solving story problems in a web-based environment. A situational simulation, "Hiking across Estonia," was explored by two samples of voluntary groups of students, comprising 65 and 50 groups, respectively. They solved 25 ecological and environmental story…

Due to the different rates of learning expressed by greatly differing students, a recent educational trend has developed that responds to different learner needs through the introduction of programed or individualized instruction. The consequence of the use of instructional packets is that the learners must frequently teach themselves while…

This study was designed to describe the frequency of professional development activities provided to part-time occupational and technical program faculty. Additionally, the perceptions of occupational education officers concerning the instructional professional development needs and their appropriate delivery method(s) for these faculty members…

Describes a study that examined the extent to which different levels of instructional control and varied learner characteristics affected performance and time on task, using interactive video in a college biochemistry course. Prior knowledge and learner internality/externality are discussed, and interaction between learner ability and…

This study investigated questions related to the length of video segments in interactive video programs: (1) the preferred segment length if learners decide how much information they want presented before stopping to answer question; (2) the relationship between segment length and direct recall of factual information when segment length is…

Designed to develop a more practical model for adapting context to learner interests, this study used computer-based instruction to make alternative contexts for statistics problems--sports, business, education, or no-context--available for selection by individual learners. The subjects were 227 undergraduate students enrolled in required…