Discusses the importance of the computer-user interface for instructional multimedia materials to motivate students effectively. Motivation, functionality, learner control, cognitive optimization, interactivity, cognitive load, and screen design are discussed. (LRW)

The third in a series defining the field of distance education and its related concepts, this article focuses on flexible education, a term closely associated with open education. Discussion includes flexibility, autonomy and learner control; individualizing instruction; and management of instruction and instructional management software. (AEF)

Considers the learning process and suggests that learners need to be more in control. Topics include learning that takes place without leaders; the influence of past experiences; learning from context as well as from content; engaged learning and the importance of interaction; instructional objectives; and the effect of values. (LRW)

Discusses critical issues in information technology relevant to changes in education. Highlights include the need for new models for teaching and learning; integrating technology into the curriculum; student controlled learning; ethical use of technology; skills needed by students; and teacher needs. (LRW)

Playing the role of constructive critic of articles in this special issue, I adopt the term self-reliance to refer to work habits, work styles, volition, and self-regulated learning. Starting with the belief that developing self-reliance is an important goal of education, I examine key issues that influence the likelihood of reaching this goal. I…

Studying worked examples and engaging in self-explanation are well supported strategies for developing self-regulated learning and improving student performance. Our efforts involve a design theory approach to creating a Web-based learning tool that uses the notion of a weekly quiz to draw students into an environment that supports the development…

In this paper, we suggest that self-organized learning can be supported through emergent and informal Web technologies and propose that these technologies can be used to encourage similar practices in higher education. Self-organized learning aims at increasing individual control over instructional functions through a process that involves…

Adaptive LMS have not yet reached the eLearning marketplace due to methodological, technological and management open issues. At aDeNu group, we have been working on two key challenges for the last five years in related research projects. Firstly, develop the general framework and a running architecture to support the adaptive life cycle (i.e.,…

e-Learning is bringing training to the attention of upper management in a way that other learning technologies have never done. Web-based training will remain predominant to the design and delivery of workplace learning in the 21st century because of its advantages over traditional classroom-based training. A comprehensive framework that…

Within the field of technology enhanced learning, adaptive educational systems offer an advanced form of learning environment that attempts to meet the needs of different students. Such systems capture and represent, for each student, various characteristics such as knowledge and traits in an individual learner model. Subsequently, using the…

The main aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of the competency-based web learning material (CBWLM) on the self-directed learning aptitude (SDLA) of college students. Specifically, it seeks to investigate, statistically, the changes in SDLAs at different stages of competency-based web learning (CBWL) over an eight-week period. The sample of…

WebTOP is a three-dimensional, Web-based, interactive computer graphics system that helps instructors teach and students learn about waves and optics. Current subject areas include waves, geometrical optics, reflection and refraction, polarization, interference, diffraction, lasers, and scattering. Some of the topics covered are suited for…

In learning environments which provide little structure (e.g., hypermedia systems) students have an especially strong need to regulate and control their own learning. However, a review of the literature indicates that merely providing learners with flexible learning environments does not necessarily mean that they will effectively explore and…

An Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) consists of an expert problem-solving program in a subject domain, a tutoring model capable of remediation or primary instruction, and an assessment model that monitors student understanding. The Geometry Proof Tutor (GPT) is an ITS which was developed at Carnegie Mellon University and field tested in the…

This study explored the extent to which computer conferencing contributes to facilitating self-direction by describing concrete activities. The study focused on interaction among participants related to self-direction. The study adapted Garrison's model (1997) considering the characteristics of data and research questions to develop the conceptual…