Encouraging continuous improvement in the quality, scale and breadth of online education, the Sloan Consortium invites practitioners to share effective practices. This report synthesizes effective practices submitted by Sloan-C members to the online collection at http://www.sloanconsortium.org/effective as of November 2010. The synthesis includes…

This study explores factors that predict learner satisfaction and transfer of learning in an online educational program at a multinational corporation, established to improve organizational learning by providing training in technical skills. A mixed-methods design was used, selecting both quantitative methods (utilizing survey research) and…

Sketches a set of standards that non-traditional higher education providers should uphold so that they provide a high-quality education without having to adopt characteristics of classical universities that detract from their non-traditional innovations. (EV)

Discussion of a recent Australian report on technology in higher education, entitled "Learning for Life" and known as the West Report, finds unconvincing its claims about the imminent threat of "virtual universities" and the educational possibilities opening up through new communication and information technologies. An…

Over 16,000 students are enrolled in Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain), a virtual university that has agreements with public and private institutions to provide resources in students' communities. Because student service is the staff's vocation, student satisfaction is high. Ongoing research focuses on continuing innovations. (SK)

Presents seven myths about online learning that discourage its expansion. These myths revolve around the purported inadequacies of online learning, the limits imposed by for-profit ventures, and the damage that virtual colleges will do to their traditional counterparts. (SLD)

Describes the virtual university as a response to a growing demand for knowledge and skills in unconventional higher education. Discusses technology, cooperation and collaboration, traditional universities and the World Wide Web, content, pedagogy, delivery, digital technologies, and globalization. (Author/LRW)

Discusses how in addition to federal regulations, student financial aid officers must understand state regulations concerning distance and Internet learning. A state challenge to the right of the institution to enroll distance learning students could deprive those students of access to Title IV benefits; if the issue is ignored, the challenge…

This paper considers endeavors to disseminate distance higher education in the Arab region. In particular, three different structures are examined: distance education programs provided by traditional universities, open or distance education universities offering only programs from a distance, and a virtual university. Shortcomings of these…

Much attention has been focused on the accountability, student learning outcomes, transfer of credit, and illegal file sharing provisions of the two related bills that have moved through the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives to amend and extend the provisions of the 1965 Higher Education Act (S. 1642 and H.R. 4137). One of the…

As the growth of online programs continues to rapidly accelerate, concern over retention is increasing. Models for understanding student persistence in the face-to-face environment are well established, however, the many of the variables in these constructs are not present in the online environment or they manifest in significantly different ways.…

Individualised open and distance learning at the university continuing education and post-graduate education levels is a central issue of today. The advanced information and communication technologies together with several applications offer new perspectives, such as the so-called virtual university. Simultaneously, to gain market share, several…

Online delivery of programmes of Higher Education typically involves a distributed community of students interacting with a single university site, at which the teachers, learning resources and administration of the programme are located. The alternative model, of a fully "Virtual University", which assumes no physical campus, poses…

In recent years, the competitive environment for business education has been rapidly changing. Although 1st-tier schools and colleges of business generally resolved accreditation issues long ago, other institutions are increasingly considering specialized accreditation as a strategic tool in the competition for students and institutional prestige.…

Those with online PhD's stand a better chance of being hired by a community college than by other colleges or universities when seeking a faculty position. In a 2007 study, administrators of some of the largest community colleges in the United States indicated that they were receptive to hiring applicants with online doctorates for teaching…