Considers the issues related to conducting qualitative inquiries in online settings for distance education and the implications for using electronic means in interviews and observation. Topics include attitudes and perceptions of online learning; epistemological viewpoints of qualitative research; and a comparison of interview techniques,…

Examines a model of professional development including preprofessional, autonomous, collegial, and postprofessional phases. Addresses the importance of reflective practice in moving from autonomous to collegial. Suggests the potential for computer-mediated communication to promote reflective dialogue. (Contains 30 references.) (SK)

Introduces some basic concepts related to the transmission of data from a computer to its peripherals to help distance educators make decisions regarding computer equipment purchases for their institutions. The following data transmission concepts are described: cables, serial and parallel, synchronous and asynchronous, bandwidth, and analog and…

Analysis of behavior on an electronic social space (electronic bulletin boards) revealed complex linages in which a few types of behaviors occurred most frequently. Interpretation indicates that cross-cultural implications for end-user computing involve practical considerations relating to three types of adaptation: technological, work, and…

In a discussion of how universities must deal with distance learning, the viewpoints of a college president of the 1950s are juxtaposed to those of one in 1995 concerning curriculum and methods of teaching. The author proposes distance learning is well on its way to becoming the academic norm. (JKP)

Shows that the content and network communication among health-care professionals involved in an educational program using computer conferences were significantly related to occupational role, with physicians and hospital administrators afforded higher status in computer conferences than nurses. Finds that the effects of occupational status…

Explains the use of satellite connections for Internet access and whether this access route is useful for colleges and universities compared to current traditional connections. Comparison of startup costs and hardware needs are discussed, as as is one college's answer to providing Internet services without the cost, overhead, or installation…

Provides examples illustrating that the study of technologically-mediated communication, if approached from an ethnographic perspective, draws attention to old questions of interactional patterning in what may be radically new contexts of communication. Notes a central issue to be explored, that of the implications of formulating the notion of…

Examines the effects of time scarcity on the way disagreement is managed in synchronous computer conferencing; reports an experiment in which pairs of undergraduates used keyboard-based conferencing software to resolve disputes on two controversial discussion topics under conditions either of time scarcity, or time abundance; and discusses…

Describes a new synchronous collaborative environment that combines interactive learning and Group Support Systems for computer-mediated collaboration. Illustrates its potential to improve critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills, and describes how teachers' roles are changed. (Author/LRW)

Presents and applies a teacher professional-development-oriented analytical framework to provide clarity to the discussion of what role network-based communication may play in teacher professional-development experiences. A table presents a summary of advocacy and adversarial claims in network-based professional development by areas of…

Describes a study of undergraduates that investigated the ability of readers of computer-mediated communication (CMC) such as electronic mail to identify the gender of the author when messages were selected for language characteristics identified in previous studies as being associated with both group development and gender. (Author/LRW)

This product evaluation reviews two of the most popular online Internet service providers, America Online and CompuServe, and describes their advantages and disadvantages for synthetic speech-users compared to services that offer Internet access only, such as Concentric or Netcome. It concludes that CompuServe is a better choice for individuals…

Lists a number of popular and useful master sites that librarians use when searching for community college resources and performing "comparisons shopping" on search engines. Subject directories tend to provide lists of community colleges by state and the four to six national organizations. (VWC)

Provides a structural definition of interactivity in instruction, with the goal of describing and delimiting a broad and general process. Examines the four major attributes to the concept of interactivity, and defines four additional variables that arise through the structural study of interaction. Outlines five common patterns that deal with…