Contends that online courses enrich and extend the core curriculum, and inherently support the acquisition of Internet-related skills. States that quality threaded discussions are the single most critical aspect of online education--they support interactive conversations that help students analyze, synthesize and evaluate in response to questions…

Reviews the educational and technological approaches used in telematics-based open and distance learning (ODL). Particular reference is made to projects supported by the Telematics Applications Program (TAP) of the Fourth Framework of the EC Research and Technological Development Program. Concentrates on practice, reflecting the interest in how…

Attempts to clarify misconceptions regarding the character and goals of learning technology and puts it in perspective, relative to its role in the Learning Communication Model and its importance in the contemporary and future learning environment. Defines educational, instructional, and learning technology. (Author/AEF)

Reports an empirical investigation that explored relationships between student perceptions and course design factors in 73 SUNY Learning Network courses in the Spring 1999 semester. Findings indicated that clarity of design, interaction with instructors, and active discussion among course participants significantly influenced students'…

Investigates how graduate students participated in online discussions over a two-week period to determine the utility of synchronous and asynchronous modes of discussion. Types and amounts of communication statements participants made in chats and threaded discussions were analyzed. Results indicate that both types of discussion are liked and…

Because high school students are constantly bombarded with information, they have adapted to quickly screen only the information they want. E-mail is perhaps the most underused online method of delivering personalized, customized information to prospective students. While the Internet will not replace paper and ink, it will be a combination of…

An e-mail enquiry asked 270 people to compare two styles of passages sent via attachments and to judge which was more suitable for an undergraduate textbook. Of the 152 respondents, 70 (46%) read their texts on screen and 82 (54%) first printed out their texts. Results showed this had no measurable effects upon their judgments. (AEF)

Reports on the design and formative assessment of a synchronous distance education demonstration project designed to bring experts to participants at their work locations through Internet technologies. Following evaluation results, a more robust model was designed to increase interactivity before, during, and after the live-broadcast training…

Presents research abstracts from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology. Topics include: classroom communication apprehension and distance education; outcomes of a distance-delivered science course; the NASA/Kennedy Space Center Virtual Science Mentor program; survey of traditional and distance learning higher education members;…

The use of modern information technology to deliver health services to remote locations presents both opportunities and problems for social workers. This article examines how communication technology such as e-mail and video conferencing affect social work practice. Issues are raised about the ethical, legal, and client relationship…

Discusses online student-teacher interactions and notes how these encounters forced educators to think about the use of computer-mediated technologies. Reflects on both overly optimistic stances toward technology and stances that position the students as aliens and cyborgs. Examines the dynamic relationship that emerges as technologies, students,…

Provides a framework to categorize distance education planning issues into four distinct program stages and three decision areas. The framework brings to the surface and highlights numerous areas of uncertainty and potential disagreement among decision makers and provides an organizing backdrop to improve the distance education planning process.…

Drawing on the ethnography of communication, addresses the role of electronic channels for meaning making among Korean students in graduate TESOL classes in the United States. Looks at the ways that these electronic literacies provide opportunities for navigating Korean and U.S. cultures of learning. (Author/VWL)

Defines social and instructional interaction and outlines key elements influencing the design of adaptive computer-mediated learning. Discusses options for the design of interactivity: Web-based, groupware, programming tools, and hybrid course design programs; proposes a graphical model for choosing design tools balancing interactivity and…

A study using a 43-item coding schedule examined 127 Web courses. After analyzing interrelationships between the variables and issues pertaining to accessibility, interaction, and attractiveness, a University of Wisconsin history course <http://hum.1ss.wisc.edu/hist102> was awarded a "Madonna" as best dressed, while an Illinois…