In Distance education, learning depends on the ability of the learner to manage his/her learning process, both through the creation of appropriate objectives, and by adopting strategies to achieve them. The role of the teacher is to develop an efficient methodology with flexibility over the learners' special characteristics and to create…

Many online classrooms today are designed based on learner-centered principles. Implicit with this design perspective is the goal to create and facilitate a virtual learning community in which students learn from and share with each other through discussion-based computer conferencing. In the current literature, little has been shared on what…

This paper discusses research and development work currently being conducted with universities in Bhutan and Nepal to design appropriate systems for distance and distributed learning courses among a network of campus sites. Although working from a high level of awareness of pedagogic skills, staff in the region face two significant impediments in…

Audiographics is a low-cost delivery system for distance learning using a telecommunications link between computers and an audioconferencing medium. A study of the interactions between teachers and 10- to 12-year-old students in Western Australia indicated that, although audiographics can support interactions of many forms, teachers used a limited…

Discussion of interactive compressed video (ICV) focuses on human reactions and interactions and the implications for teaching and learning styles. The use of ICV at the University of Kentucky to link community colleges for distance learning is highlighted. (SLW)

In 1998 the Charleville School of Distance Education (SDE) in Queensland, Australia, began using telephone teaching to replace high frequency radio as its means of communicating with rural and remote students. A study investigated the extent to which telephone teaching has contributed to the development of a constructivist teaching and learning…

Summarizes the authors' experiences developing and teaching computer-mediated courses in an innovative Master of Continuing Education program at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada). Presents background information, teaching methods used, and recommendations for building successful computer-mediated learning environments. (Author/LRW)

Explores issues related to the design of collaborative-learning environments mediated by computer conferencing from the perspective of challenges faced in the sociocultural context of the Indian sub-continent. Examines the impact of online features on social cohesiveness, group dynamics, interaction, communication anxiety, and participation.…

Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are often perceived by education establishments as an opportunity to widen access without traditional overheads. An integral part of most VLEs is asynchronous computer conferencing and on-line moderators must help students migrate quickly to the new virtual environment to minimize learning disruption. This…

Discusses virtual online communities, probing claims about the Internet as a place for fostering democracy. The paper examines the democratic nature of computer conferencing in classrooms, focusing on a study of graduate students' online interactions. Results indicated that students were able to master the medium and act as responsible, equal…

This paper examines the viability of journal writing as a distance education teaching technique designed to provide deeper understanding and mastery of curriculum content in graduate level education courses. In creating optimal learning experiences, four different types of journal writing can be utilized in various types of distance learning…

By comparing two classes (onsite and remote), this study assesses the influence of interactive video technology on how students learn in one library and information science (LIS) distance learning course. Students in this course participated voluntarily in the study by completing a questionnaire, and some elected to participate in a focus group at…

This conference focused on the many elements of distance education that must be integrated into a smooth-functioning whole that provides a quality learning experience. This proceedings contains 76 papers presented at information sessions, 14 workshop papers, and one addendum. Topics include learning environments; learning strategies; funding;…

This paper reports on a pilot project in which German universities in Freiburg, Constance, Mannheim, Stuttgart, and Ulm connected computer science departments via the Internet for a summer 1997 telelecture and teletutorial on computers and society. The first section provides background on telelearning and introduces the case study. The second…