This book describes the current state of developments in distance education and distributed learning. The volume brings together some of the leading contemporary contributors in the areas of educational technology and distance education. Topics covered include research and evaluation in distance education, online communities, faculty productivity, online assessment, critical issues and the digital divide, and the hidden curriculum of e-learning. The following chapters are included: (1) "Designing and Studying Learning Experiences that Use Multiple Interactive Media To Bridge Distance and Time" (Chris Dede, Pam Whitehouse, Tara Brown L'Bahy); (2) "A Conceptual Framework for Studying Distance Education" (Charalambos Vrasidas, Gene V. Glass); (3) "Rethinking Assessment for the Online Environment" (Robin Mason); (4) "Learning To Solve Problems Online" (David H. Jonassen); (5) "Is There Anyone There? The Embodiment of Knowledge in Virtual Environments" (Rob Walker); (6) "Revealing the Hidden Curriculum of E-Learning" (Terry Anderson); (7) "Distance Education and the Professorate: The Issue of Productivity" (Thomas C. Reeves); (8) "Evaluation and Research in Distance Education: Implications for Research" (Gary J. Anglin, Gary R. Morrison); (9) "What Makes Online Learning Communities Successful? The Role of Collaborative Learning in Social and Intellectual Development" (Linda Harasim); and (10) "Of Nomads, Polyglots, and Global Villagers: Globalization, Information Technologies, and Critical Education Online" (Michalinos Zembylas, Charalambos Vrasidas, Marina S. McIsaac). Each chapter contains references. (MES)