Designers of technology-based instruction wrestle with the possibility that their product will seem cold or mechanical to the user. Given the current understanding of learning as a social process, it is no longer reasonable to restrict the learner's participation in the process of instruction to trivial interactions. We believe that designs will…

How did the Internet affect learning in higher education? What methodological and theoretical issues characterized research on Internet-Supported Learning (ISL)? What implications existed for future research? A constant comparative, qualitative analysis of 29 studies indicated grade achievement was the prime measure of effectiveness in ISL…

Perceptual differences among higher education faculty members regarding distance education were examined. It is noteworthy that only the perceptions were measured rather than actual learning outcomes and quality of distance education. The results suggested those faculty members with experience responded favorably to questions about distance…

Instructors commonly assume that the successful online course must replicate its live counterpart by including a variety of interactions among student, instructor, and computer. Given the changing lifestyles prompted by an evolving Internet, an increasing student need for autonomy, and student learning styles, highly interactive courses may not…

Use of the Internet in distance education has increased at a tremendous pace. This study reports on a policy analysis that examined the development process of public virtual universities. First, public virtual universities in the United States were classified using Wolf and Johnstone's (1999) taxonomy, then, using a content analysis approach,…