Explores changing curricular designs and the differences between traditional and authentic learning. Identifies significant design features of authentic design, and provides examples of these features with instructional units. (AEF)

Analyzes periodical literature on distance education, covering four refereed journals, and concludes that: researchers in distance education use mostly the survey method; use of citations is a common practice; there is a trend towards collaborative research; 80% of papers originate from five countries; and research on learner-centered issues…

Rooted in the turbulent 1960s, Woodlawn School in Arlington, Virginia is an alternative program serving 500 college-bound students in grades 6-12. Students mingle freely with kids from their own home schools, from which they ultimately receive their diplomas. In 1996-97, the school scored higher on the Stanford-9 Achievement tests than the…

Visualizes what embodied learning and shared authority looks like in an alternative high school for mostly Latino students. Argues for an approach to teaching that looks to teacher-student relationships. Suggests that educators surrender any predetermined certainty they may cling to concerning what their culturally diverse students need or which…

Staying in the distance learning business requires keeping the faculty who teach the courses satisfied. There are three keys for recruiting and retaining expert faculty in distance learning programs: reassurance, respect, and reward. Each of these is discussed in detail. (AEF)

Presents the results of a study involving students taking online classes through Southside Virginia Community College. Describes a study of telecourse students to determine: (1) where they did the work for their online class; (2) what sorts of difficulties or distractions they encountered; and (3) what computer equipment they used. The data was…

An administrator of an Indiana alternative high school constantly battles negative public attitudes toward alternative schools. Schools or programs seeking to serve the variety of youths and families in today's society should not be separated out as "alternatives." Ensuring that all individuals have opportunities to succeed is a necessity, not an…

Describes the resistance of a nontraditional public high school, the Durant School, to the global changes that would destroy its local ecology. In this school, the partially successful fight against the imposition of state standards and mandated tests has been a fight to preserve the school's integrity, mission, and autonomy. (SLD)

Results of a recent study conducted in graduate education courses at the University of New Hampshire indicate that adult students have generally positive attitudes toward their interactive television (ITV) classes. Essential to the success of distance education programs which use ITV is the technology training of both professors and students.…

Reports findings from a survey of 215 reentry education providers in 3 Australian states. Few providers possess formal qualifications in adult education, but most are favorably disposed toward working with reentry students. Such students were perceived to have high academic success rates, but also high withdrawal rates. Recommendations are made…

Discusses the growing array of school choice options, including: magnet schools; schools-within-schools; alternative schools; charter schools; and school voucher programs. The paper examines the impact of and potential problems with school choice and recommends that public school advocates recognize the need for public schools to continue to…

The University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics was selected as a pilot institution for implementing distance education in Slovenia. This article illustrates how the synergy of combining existing domestic resources and the local social/educational environment with outside expertise could bring about a self-sustainable distance education program…

Examines the issue of balance between community rules and personal freedom as it relates to who should control the education of children in Norway. Reviews the historical development of alternative education in Norway, including the growth of private schools and home schooling. Comments on future educational needs and the provision of good…

Presents a historical overview of correspondence education. Notes that a great influx of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries increased the demand for distributed learning (among a primarily urban population), and that a similar trend is observable at the end of the 20th century. Briefly compares effects of online technology with…

Analyzes how Arizona charter school policymakers succeeded in preserving the legislative intentions of the state's charter school program. Identifies four key features of policy implementation that created the charter school policy: communication, financial resources, implementor attitudes, and bureaucratic structure. (SLD)