New educational technologies and online learning environments (OLEs) are infiltrating today's college classes and campuses. While research has examined many aspects of this permeation, one research gap exists. How do faculty perceive the learning experience in courses that use OLEs compared to courses that do not? One important factor that may…

Objective: The advent of videoconferencing technology has created opportunities to pool educational resources across different training programs. Methods: The authors surveyed participants and presenters in a seminar series utilizing interactive video-conferencing and a web-based course management system. Results: Trainees with access to…

This research investigates student responses to two technologically different teaching methods for two sections of a Principles of Marketing course. A traditional method of teaching using lectures, in-class discussions, assignments, and exams is compared to a "Web-assisted" method in which 7 of the 14 class sessions met asynchronously online.…

The emergence and rapid growth of computer network technologies are changing the way people live and learn. Computer networks provide new alternatives for the design, development, storage and distribution of, as well as access to, learning materials. Therefore, they present new and formidable challenges for curriculum designers and teachers. In…

Today, a variety of web-based learning environments have been developed for educational purposes, especially in higher education and continuing education courses. At the same time many studies have reported how networked interaction in many learning projects results in superficial and experience-based discussion, and does not reach the level of…

This study explores the use of video vignettes as a tool for the professional development of teachers. It is postulated that teachers' professional frames prime them to view vignettes through multiple "lenses," and that teachers may not recognize exemplary practice when presented with it. Think-aloud and interview data are collected as 11…

A main challenge in educating undergraduate students is to introduce them to the Internet and to teach them how to effectively use it in research. To this end, an Internet assignment was developed that introduces students to websites related to biomedical research at the beginning of a biochemistry/molecular biology laboratory course. The basic…

An important learning goal of a molecular biology curriculum is the attainment of a certain competence level in experimental design. Currently, undergraduate students are confronted with experimental approaches in textbooks, lectures and laboratory courses. However, most students do not reach a satisfactory level of competence in the designing of…

In their study of 261 students enrolled in eight sections of a business communication course, three taught in a traditional classroom setting and the others delivered in a hybrid, half-time online format, the authors found that all students measurably improved their writing skills. On another dimension of interest, however, students in the online…

A test of the effectiveness of interactive multimedia Web sites demonstrates that library users' topic knowledge was significantly greater after visiting the sites than before. Library users want more such sites about library services, their majors, and campus life generally. Librarians describe the roles they want to play on multimedia production…

Student interactivity in web-based educational environments has shown to increase academic learning and motivation (Jiang, 1998; Petraglia, 1998). However, instructors often find it difficult to assess the quality of online group dynamics without visual observations of student behaviors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of…

As it was initially implemented, e-learning did little other than supply facts and information, offering limited opportunity for interactivity and problem-solving. Designers need to find ways to address past limitations and bring the engagement of classroom training to the web. One method that merits attention is scenario-based learning. The…

This study investigated the impact of learning style on performance in a Web-based learning environment. Specifically, Introductory Psychology students with different learning styles, as measured by Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (LSI-IIa), were randomly assigned to one of two Web-based training modules that differed only in terms of their…

Online teaching is a complex professional practice. In addition to their content knowledge and pedagogical skill, online teachers must be qualified in methods of teaching the content online and have experience in online learning. This document examines some of the aspects of online teaching, specifically those related to communication and…

This paper innovatively extends the application of transactional distance theory (TDT) to evidence-based policy development in Mauritius. In-depth interview data on student persistence from a range of stakeholders is used to understand the implications of distance education (DE) policy deficit. Policy deficit has surfaced as another dimension of…