New terms were exploding early in the development of distance learning and virtual universities. Distance learning, online learning, e-learning, and distributed learning were applied to the various new forms of learning using online or Web-based materials and processes. However, largely thanks to the immediate popularity of the Western Governors'…

The purpose of this study was to understand the consortial approach to distance education at the state level, with a focus on examining the way three state-level virtual universities engaged colleges and universities in participating in distance education initiatives. Specifically, three research questions guided this study: (1) What structure was…

Approved in 1999 by the Swiss Parliament, the Swiss Virtual Campus (SVC) project debuted in 2000 with the goal of promoting an information society in Switzerland. The University of Geneva has been actively involved with building the SVC and the European virtual campus e-LERU, a two-year project in which eight European countries partnered to…

This paper outlines the components of the Robust Learning Model (RLM) as a conceptual framework for creating a new online university offering numerous degree programs at all degree levels. The RLM is a multi-factorial model based on the basic belief that successful learning outcomes depend on multiple factors employed together in a holistic…

A few years ago, universities were dumping their online spinoffs like rotten fish. Now the virtual campus is re-emerging. But the new speculators are public universities, and instead of creating commercial, online branches like their predecessors, they are embracing a not-for-profit model. According to A. Frank Mayadas, president of the Sloan…

This article describes and analyzes actors' experiences of distance learning systems in a wide variety of cultural and organizational contexts. In line with the project of this special series of issues, results of research, much of which is longitudinal, allow us to suggest answers to the following questions: Who are the actors of distance…

The increased demand for postsecondary education in the United States and abroad and the availability of new teaching and learning technologies are having an indelible impact on the nature of faculty work. As distance education becomes more prevalent, a growing number of faculty are facing new challenges and opportunities, especially those working…

In November 1996, forty-five higher education technology leaders convened in Washington, D.C., to discuss the virtual university (VU). The Western Governors Association had announced establishment of the Western Governors University (WGU). As a result, VU initiatives were emerging from, or being contemplated by, almost every state-level higher…

Student success is vitally important. Without academic achievement student self-efficacy is lost, persistence is blocked, and matriculation is unachievable. Exponential growth at online institutions necessitates the inquiry into factors that play a role in student success. In this study, approximately 15,000 cases from the Top 20 enrolled courses…

As online education has grown rapidly, colleges and universities have developed various approaches to effectively evaluating and coaching faculty. Faculty performance is central to student success and faculty need feedback that is consistent, constructive and illustrative. Through the use of screen recording technology, academic department chairs…

This article reports that last month at the NASA-Ames Research Center, a group of top scientists and business leaders gathered to plan a new university devoted to the idea that computers will soon become smarter than people. The details of Singularity University, as the new institution will be called, are still being worked out--and so far the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate proper website and courseware for e-learning in higher education. Methods used in this study included the data collection, the analysis surveys, the experts' in-depth interview, and the experts' focus group. Results indicated that there were 16 components for website, as well as 16 components for…

Distance education is not a new concept for all kinds of learners in the modern societies. Many researchers have studied traditional distance education programs for adult learners in the past, but little research has been done on Web-based distance education (WBDE) for adult learners. There are also many popular online universities in the U.S. or…

New models of schooling are necessary as educational institutions attempt to transition into the digital age. This article is an ethnography of Apolyton University, an informal online university of gamers created to enhance pleasure from the game experience, teach the game, and improve upon the game's standard rule set. It identifies the life…

In this article, the authors describe an analytical inquiry into the cost and quality issues of online pedagogy in university education. Using economic theory, pedagogical insight, survey findings, experiments, and other studies that researchers have reported in the literature, the authors address these issues, identify answers, and present…