Shared virtual worlds are innovative applications where several users, represented by Avatars, simultaneously access via Internet a 3D space. Users cooperate through interaction with the environment and with each other, manipulating objects and chatting as they go. Apart from in the well documented online action games industry, now often played…

Educational technology and the ways in which it is used have undergone considerable changes of the last three decades. Various technology-driven change agents have been responsible for the ways in which this subject has evolved from "chalk and talk" through multimedia to sophisticated virtual reality training environments. Increasingly,…

This paper presents a model for the evaluation of postsecondary online distance education courses and programs. To better address the unique nature and audience for these courses and programs, and the related institutional needs for assessing their success or failure, the focus is on a model from corporate training that provides a comprehensive,…

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…

Developing a course for online study by off-campus students requires a major change of approach to teaching and learning. This study outlines the constructivist theoretical basis and the approach to teaching applied in the development of a humanities course. The study includes analysis of the turning points in the students' learning as identified…

This study is an ongoing examination of the effectiveness of an online professional development course designed to examine the connection between learning theory and technology used to support learning in the classroom. The course was taught by three methodologies: a traditional face-to-face class that used the online materials as a resource; an…

This book is an examination of several critical issues and controversies concerning the potential of new information technology (IT) for education. In a series of interrelated essays, the book explores such issues as access, credibility, new approaches to reading and writing, the glut of information, privacy, censorship, commercialization, and…

This paper presents results of research on an intensive online graduate level course in Web-based instruction (WBI) delivered via the same medium. The classes, offered concurrently at the University of Memphis and at Georgia State University, provide students with experiences centered around three areas: being a student in an online environment;…

This book offers suggestions for developing well-planned and effective computer-mediated distance learning. Part 1 lays the foundation for a distance education framework. Chapter 1 explores issues involved in teaching and learning when learning moves into the online environment. Chapter 2 looks at the essence of the framework--the importance of…

Although the "basics" of program planning and instructional delivery in traditional face-to-face settings are a good place for instructors to begin when developing online courses, they are only a beginning. When one educator was faced with the task of designing an online course for inclusion in a distance masters degree program for…

This paper examines how teaching within a traditional classroom benefits from insights and techniques developed through online teaching. A critical assumption underlining it is that much online instruction would be performed by faculty members who also teach, as part of their work load, traditional face-to-face classes. The format of the paper…

This guidebook is based on the belief that e-business applications will transform academia and academic support experiences, with learners participating in distributed learning environments that mix physical and virtual learning resources in many combinations, and it offers insights into the strategies and planning needed to develop a college…

Despite the ever-increasing number of higher education institutions offering online courses, there are still a lot of controversial debates and a strong sense of confusion about how well the concept of Web-based distance learning is being implemented. This paper summarizes the 10 primary steps toward the assessment, planning, design,…

This paper focuses on the rewards and pitfalls of offering an online Technology in Education program. The program structure, administrative support needs, student readiness issues, evaluation process, student benefits and concerns, logistics, technical needs, and teaching issues relating to offering an online program are presented. Concrete…

The higher education environment is currently being revolutionized by the challenge of online course offerings. Many obstacles stand ready to confront those instructors who are faced with the task of utilizing this new instructional environment. The instructional aspects of Web-based learning are often viewed as secondary to the technical issues…