A principal characteristic of the Canadian experience with e-learning is the uniquely Canadian feature of provincial jurisdiction over education. Canada is the only country that does not have a national department or ministry of education. Therefore, any investigation of e-learning in Canada must focus more on specific provincial initiatives in…

In early models of online instruction, learning activities and assessments relied primarily on threaded discussions or papers. But advances in online technology, and a growing trend to incorporate collaborative learning strategies, have lead to the emergence of online group projects. While student-centered learning activities such as group…

The Internet has become a powerful force in transforming organizations in both private and public sectors, including public education. Some educational reformers now view virtual schools, in which the majority of course content is delivered online, as a viable alternative and innovative means of educating K-12 students. As of September 2007, 42…

In this article, the author provides a concise discussion on creativity, defining the term, sharing theoretical background information and offering insights into promoting creativity in online university classes. Emphasis will be placed on relevant ways to integrate creativity into instructional activities across the academic disciplines. He…

To respond to the demand for increasing the numbers of certified special educators in Arizona, the College of Education at Arizona State University West launched a faculty development program with the help of funding from the ASU College of Extended Education. The goal was to prepare or redesign courses for web-based delivery of courses combined…

This paper describes Virtual University (VU), a simulation of higher education administration that provides graduate students an instructional tool that offers an active learning environment, develops intrinsic motivation to learn, and serves as a practical, concrete learning experience. The first section describes VU, including features available…

Universities and businesses are creating Web-based environments that combine all aspects of course design: instructional design, course marketing, communication with students, and grades. Discusses TopClass, developed by WBT Systems in Dublin, Ireland, and Virtual-U developed by Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. (PEN)

The phenomenal growth of distance-learning programs and the possibility of a virtual university have increased concerns about how to ensure that higher education programs delivered via telecommunications are of good quality. The Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications has formulated guidelines, presented here, for…

International Management Centres (IMC), an independent business school, and Anbar Electronic Intelligence (AEI), a database publisher, have created a virtual library for IMC's virtual business school. Topics discussed include action learning; IMC's partnership with AEI; the virtual university model; designing virtual library resources; and…

Examines students' perceptions of their experiences with a virtual campus policy at Sheffield Hallam University (United Kingdom). Discusses how they are reacting to greater use of information and communication technologies (ICT), their relationship with faculty and peer groups, and the possible adoption of new strategies for studying and learning.…

Argues that the idea of virtual universities supporting the formation of skilled and educated personnel is unfeasible. Reports on a qualitative study of the views and experiences of a small sample of Northern Ireland university staff who have been engaged in the instructional applications of the World Wide Web. (CMK)

Describes e-global library, the first Internet-based virtual library designed for online students at Jones International University and that has grown into a separately licensable product. Highlights include marketing to other academic libraries, both online and traditional; fees; the e-global library model; collection development policies;…

A national survey was used to assess the acceptability of a job applicant's qualifications that included online coursework. The questionnaire, sent to hiring committee chairpersons, described three hypothetical applicants who earned degrees through a "traditional" institution, a "virtual" institution, and "mixed" coursework. The respondents were…

The paper discusses the approaches of virtual university strategies and developments in Europe. The discussion is partly based on the work done in the Activity 5 in the EU Thematic Network E4 and partly to the experiences gained through the activities of EUNITE virtual university network of six European universities. Based on our experience we…

There are many factors that affect the e-learning process. Instructor, assessment and evaluation, communication, and technical support are among the leading factors. It is obvious that these factors influence the effectiveness of e-learning and may be related to different expectations of e-learners. Therefore, this study focuses on examining the…