The budget squeeze is battering both community colleges and their workforce development clients. But a unique network is helping those community colleges reel in clients through computer- and Web-based learning. In this article, the author describes the ACT Center network of Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Georgia. ACT Centers are designed…

Copyright and fair use laws that regulate educational materials seem to be fairly well understood by the U.S. courts and educators for use in face-to-face (f2f) classrooms (Post and Trempus, 1998). Ever-changing revisions to these laws blur the distinction between tangible and intangible materials shared with students in f2f, online and hybrid…

Nontraditional instruction is increasingly available through the Internet and other technology-based delivery systems. The telecommunication network now in place can distribute high quality educational materials to students. This briefing paper argues that the "virtual university" created by the technological delivery of instruction, while…

In this article, we describe the current situation of virtual universities in Germany and pursue the question of whether innovation processes taking place throughout the entire higher education landscape. Our study shows that the integration of ICT [information and communication technologies] not only changes the medial characteristics of the…

The My Monash Portal (Portal) at Monash University (Australia) provides a virtual gateway to support student-centered flexible learning by coordinating several of the university's key resources to meet the needs of students and staff. The Portal is intended to help deliver innovative learning programs, foster opportunities to undertake research,…

Changing workplace demands have made postsecondary learning essential for almost all workers. The age of universal access to postsecondary training has arrived, and students are taking advantage of the opportunities expanded access has to offer. Anticipated growth in the demand for postsecondary training and the need to acquire certain skills…

Presents a comparative analysis from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Learning Technology Standards Committee's (LTSC) of the architectural and functional design of e-learning delivery platforms and applications, e-learning course authoring tools, and learning management systems (LMSs), with a view of assessing how…

Discusses a study completed about the satisfaction of students with interactive teleclasses and online courses. Data indicates that most students are satisfied with long distance learning and would recommend it to others. Speculates that minority students cannot take advantage of these courses due to a lack of access. (Contains 3 references.) (MZ)

While many universities and colleges are emphasizing distance education as a way to reach working adults and control costs associated with maintaining campus infrastructures, the World Wide Web is beginning to provide a medium for offering courses to students anywhere in the world. Discusses virtual universities which combine the Web with other…

Questions whether higher education can fairly evaluate a 21st century institution when using standards from earlier centuries that may be outdated by technology and do not mesh with the population that virtual universities serve. Discusses the background; differences between traditional and new services, roles, methods, and materials;…

This paper adopts an academic literacies perspective to argue for a critical approach to the writing practices of the online university classroom. It describes an on-going action research project in an online Masters in Online and Distance Education (MAODE) programme at the UK Open University, which aims to create an online writing resource to…

Distance education and information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been marketed as cost-effective ways to rescue struggling educational institutions in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study uses classroom video analysis and follow-up interviews with teachers, students, and local tutors to analyse…

In developing any Virtual University it is important to clarify the differences between organizational structure, technical infrastructure, and content. This paper introduces a model for virtual universities that consists of three layers. The organizational layer defines the structure of the organization and addresses issues such as copyright and…

In this study, "Needs for the Distance Education", which is the first unit of the "Foundations of the Distance Education" course in Computer and Teaching Technologies Departments, has been prepared in written and this unit has been scripted for a web-based asynchrony presentation. In the preparation of the script a special…

This paper describes the authors' experiences in developing an all-in-one virtual university. The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is a consortium of Department of Defense education and training institutions and organizations that provides mandatory and assignment-specific courses for military and civilian personnel serving in 11 acquisition…