Discusses virtual online communities, probing claims about the Internet as a place for fostering democracy. The paper examines the democratic nature of computer conferencing in classrooms, focusing on a study of graduate students' online interactions. Results indicated that students were able to master the medium and act as responsible, equal…

A physics professor ponders the advantages and possibilities of the Internet in graduate education and shares his own experiences delivering graduate courses and individual lectures online. Discusses accreditation and costing between institutions, the nature and extent of copyright problems, and the most useful forms of student interaction. (PVD)

Provides some cursory guidance on the mechanics of establishing and instructing in a virtual classroom. Briefly discusses the history and central issues of distance education, describes how to teach an online virtual seminar, and offers recommendations for future courses. Discusses such issues as instructor availability, directing discussions,…

Interviews with 66 students, faculty, and administrators in ten departments of a large public research university revealed a number of factors instrumental in integrating first-year students successfully into graduate programs: a structured departmental orientation complementing the university-wide orientation; a culture of collegiality;…

Main trends and developments in British graduate study in the last decade are examined, including establishment of organizational structures to reduce graduate student isolation; graduate curriculum development; concern with completion rates; and issues surrounding quality of graduate courses, especially through academic audit and teaching quality…

Describes the Valdosta State University (Georgia) Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology's venture into creating its own online graduate degree program without the assistance of private vendors. Topics discussed include the new program design process, student recruitment, technologies used to build and support the program, and the…

The debate over the nature, purpose, and structure of the doctoral dissertation is examined, particularly as it relates to the humanities and social sciences. Issues discussed include supervision policies and practices, the advising relationship, the culture of research and collaboration, differences between disciplines, resolution of research…

Presents six principles to guide institutional efforts to enhance student learning and personal development by more purposefully integrating curricular goals and outcomes with students' experience outside the classroom. Implications for practitioners and graduate preparation programs are discussed.(Author/SR)

"The Research Assistant," was developed to help graduate students and faculty manage the quantity of available information, to be able to read it, synthesize it, and create new insights and knowledge. "The Research Assistant" was designed using the Filemaker Pro relational database and can be set up in a networked environment to be used in…

Discussion of the development of advanced distributed learning environments focuses on a prototype graduate Web-supported course on emerging technologies developed by the National Computational Science Alliance partnership. Describes course materials; student assignments; student evaluations of the course; and future plans. (Contains 30…

Examines classroom practice in Ireland and Japan, comparing the development of Vygotsky's notion of social constructivism to that of communal constructivism (which reflects the opportunities created by information and communications technology to share and develop knowledge as a central and moral commitment in the development of learning…

Argues that librarians should actively accept their responsibility to ensure and provide useful content to the general Internet public. Discusses change brought on by electric commerce and the need for librarians to fill traditional roles, as well as new roles in providing and encouraging Web usage by the public. (AEF)

During the past few years, Executive Master's in Business Administration (EMBA) programs at U.S. universities have expanded both in number and content. This article proposes a rigorous strategic planning model for EMBA program directors to consider in planning international experiences for students. It uses a case example to delineate between…

Presents a framework for using media to create experiential learning in multicultural and diversity issues based on cognitive-experiential self-theory. Offers several lessons and a media resource list aimed at training counseling students in multicultural and diversity issues. (Author/GCP)

Examines whether employers can infer information about workers' precollege abilities from acquired college credentials and value attainment of credentials because they signal these abilities. Analysis of 1993 National Longitudinal Study of Youth data reveals that employers value attainment of a bachelor's degree for these reasons. Academic degrees…