Questionnaire responses of 457 students and 602 tutors were used to investigate conceptions of a "good tutor." In each case, factor analysis identified scales that reflected key constructs; cluster analysis identified subgroups with different patterns of scale scores; and discriminant analysis determined the scales that contributed the…

This article reports on the findings of a research study that was conducted to explore the types of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in use in higher education in South Africa. Specifically, the goal of the study was to explore how e-learning is being used for teaching and learning purposes. Data were collected from interviews with…

The purpose of this study was to explore the dynamics of an online educational experience through the lens of the Community of Inquiry framework. Transcript analysis of online discussion postings and the Community of Inquiry survey were applied to understand the progression and integration of each of the Community of Inquiry presences. The results…

In her second semester teaching for Arizona State University, the author suddenly found herself teaching a fully online writing course for the first time. Originally she had been scheduled to teach the course in a hybrid format, meeting face to face with students once a week; however, a coding error in the online class schedule resulted in the…

During the spring of 2004, the College of Staten Island (CSI) undertook an exciting project to connect our campus in New York City with three international partners in China, Turkey and South Africa using internet based videoconferencing. Based on a model developed by East Carolina University and funded by the State Department, the plan was to…

In the seven years since former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett helped develop "virtual charter schools" that provide educational programs to charter school students via the Internet (Kafer, 2003), the number of these schools has rapidly increased. At least 90 (or around 3%) of the almost 3,000 charter schools in operation in…

This guide provides recommendations for collecting accurate, comparable, and useful data about virtual education in an elementary/secondary education setting. Its goals are to: (1) identify components common to many education information systems that are necessary to meet the information needs of policymakers, administrators, instructors, and…

This research intends to explore students' aspect and impact on forming virtual learning communities within online courses. A formal online course that is on the process of building virtual community is closely examined to discover students' perceptions of learning community approach, their online performances, and how these perceptions and…

Discusses the need for continuous education and describes changes in distance education that will be needed to ensure successful continuous education. Highlights include the virtual classroom, multimedia distance learning environments, distributed learning environments, synchronous and asynchronous interactive learning, and a sidebar that examines…

Focuses on five unresolved challenges of digital education in higher education: faculty workload, continued dominance of traditional pedagogy, the state of assessment, flaws in the accreditation process, and the state of educational research in the area. (EV)

Reviews research and case studies of Internet-based degree programs to gain a better understanding of the impact of information technology on student equity and overall standards of quality. Offers recommendations suggesting that governmental strategies related to online education should be limited in scope and promote two goals: equal opportunity…

Outlines key issues, principles, and planning and development issues for instructional design in virtual learning environments. Addresses new teaching strategies and support for teacher competence with information and communications technology. (Contains 21 references.) (SK)

Discusses a virtual faculty as an alternative to extending learning opportunities for students in regional universities or universities where specializations of interest may not be offered. Describes an Australian project that explored the viability of establishing a virtual faculty using videoconferencing, and discusses the importance of…

Suggests that most instructors, administrators, and software developers assume that online interaction collaboration among students must follow the same format as traditional interaction in face-to-face classrooms. Describes examples of virtual classrooms that use the Web to create new kinds of possibilities for collaboration and learning. (LRW)

The author began her career as a classroom teacher, and for the last 20 years has focused on improving teaching and learning in urban school districts. Now, as a principal of the Connections Academy virtual K-8 public schools in Colorado, her day may look different from that of a traditional school principal, but there are actually a lot of…