Millions of students and adult learners who aspire to college are overwhelmed by the complexity of student aid. Uncertainty and confusion rob them of its significant benefits. Rather than promote access, student aid often creates a series of barriers--a gauntlet that the poorest students must run to get to college. Replacing complexity with a…

A study identified adult learning principles critical for effective Web-based instructional design (WBID), barriers to effective WBID, and practices of professionals who design WBID. National experts in adult education and WBID were interviewed, and the resulting product was an online assessment that 10 Web-based instructional designers completed.…

This study illustrates the convergence of two teaching and learning media, face-to-face and online, as reflective lecturers seek to address the limitations of a single medium. Innovative university lecturers at a large Western Australia university were interviewed about their use of online environments with face-to-face students. The interview…

Today's literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer-mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building, and the establishment of…

Curriculum is the educational blueprint for institutions. Without it, they would not exist. Curriculum is their product; it provides the concepts, skills, and motivation that students need to shape their futures. From book-driven curriculum to the highest, technologically driven curriculum, an institution's main goal is to ensure that students…

Technology Mediated Instruction (TMI) is an alternate mode of instructional delivery that provides several benefits. In addition to assisting information transfer through integration of course material, TMI fosters instructor-student interaction through methods such as interactive question-answer areas, video-based office hours, e-mail, and…

This thesis describes computer-mediated communication between 15 health and physical education preservice teachers at the University of Regina (Saskatchewan, Canada) and a faculty contact person during the field experience. Discourse using an interactive computer network system called UNIBASE was analyzed to examine communication patterns on the…

An ongoing online survey is being conducted about how the Internet has changed career guidance for European career advisors and its impact in the following areas: (1) overall professional practice; (2) service to clients; (3) clients' development process and job searches; and (4) the services of individual organizations, including the delivery of…

This study compared the effectiveness of distance education versus on-campus education, as measured by pre- and post-tests, differences in final exam scores and final course grades, age, and preferred learning styles. Learning style preferences were determined by the Canfield Learning Styles Inventory. Participants included 47 undergraduate…

A formative evaluation was begun of an innovative project funded by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) to develop competencies and qualifications in e-commerce. The formative evaluation was designed to focus on inputs, processes, and interim outputs, identifying both good practice and areas for improvement. Findings to date…

This second edition of the "Parent's Guide to the Internet" is intended to help parents--regardless of their level of technological know-how--make use of the online world as an important educational tool. This booklet provides parents with basic information about how to use the computer to find information and communicate with others. It describes…

Distance education is moving toward more interactive environments. Studies of student satisfaction with distance education suggest that the level of interaction in the class is related to perceptions of satisfaction regardless of the instructional medium. This paper reports findings from a study of four graduate research and evaluation courses at…

This report discusses issues related to distance learning in higher education. Section 1, "The Expanding Universe of Distance Learning," examines: data from a new national survey on higher education distance learning; Internet access in elementary and secondary schools; the 1999 national survey of information technology in higher…

This qualitative study examined the structure and interaction in an online course from the meaning-perspectives of the actors involved. Participants were a teacher and teaching assistant who taught a graduate course in distance education at Arizona State University, delivered through a computer conferencing system. Data collected included…

In 2004, a Saudi student at the College of Engineering, King Saud University (KSU) designed and launched an informal students' forum that aimed at communicating students' voices to university professors and administrators. Students could register for free, post academic and career problems and suggestions, and participate in the discussion. Soon…