This study investigates and compares the relative importance of Web module design dimensions and their attributes as perceived by student participants in a research study and those defined by a selected group of researchers in the literature. We aim to understand whether the dimensions of clarity, organization, structure, visual/aesthetical…

This article presents an interview with Ken Udas, chief executive officer of UMassOnline. During the past decade, Udas has held leadership positions in online university initiatives and has served the field through his leadership in organizations including the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, EDUCAUSE, IMS, Sloan-C, and the American…

This study involved fourteen semistructured interviews with teaching staff at a Brazilian university. These interviews were aimed at unveiling possible transformations caused by distance education in classroom teaching and in medical assistance practices. The discourses collected were analyzed using qualitative methods and divided into groups with…

Variation in policies virtual schools use to calculate course completion and retention rates impacts the comparability of these quality metrics. This study surveyed 159 U.S. virtual schools examining the variability in trial period and course completion policies--two policies that affect course completion rates. Of the 86 respondents, almost 70%…

A computer programming class for students of mechanical engineering was redesigned and assessed: Cognitive Load Theory was used to redesign the content; online technologies were used to redesign the delivery. Student learning improved and the dropout rate was reduced. This article reports on both attitudinal and objective assessment: comparing…

A first-of-its-kind course at The George Washington University was taught entirely online using a self-paced, modular, case-based multispecialty format. Data on student perceptions of the course were obtained through a Web-based survey administered to students who had completed the course. Close-ended questions were analyzed using basic…

This article presents an interview with Darcy W. Hardy, executive director of the University of Texas (UT) TeleCampus and assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs with the UT System. A member of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) since 1999, she is the founder of the International Forum for Women in e-Learning (IFWE),…

This study was conducted to develop an inventory that measures students' motivation to engage in critical reasoning in online discussions. Inventory items were developed based on theoretical frameworks and then tested on 168 participants. Using exploratory factor analysis, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency, twenty-two items were…

This article describes three connected projects in physics: (1) a very successful course at the university level; (2) a collection of several thousand multimedia materials, its status and evaluation, and its dissemination; and (3) Web experiments--experiments that can be operated remotely from a distance via the Internet. (Contains 4 tables and 10…

This study compares learning success of online and on-campus students in a general education soil science course with lab and field components. Two terms of students completed standardized pre- and postassessments designed to test knowledge and skills from the lecture and lab content of the course. There was no difference in overall grade or lab…

Since the 1970s, cognitive psychological perspectives have dominated pedagogical frameworks and models for designing technology-mediated teaching and learning environments. More recently, social learning perspectives have received attention as viable or even desirable frames for research and practice related to teaching and learning, particularly…

This article presents an interview with Don Knezek, CEO of International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Knezek is a leader in coupling technology and creativity to transform education. His experience and impact span local to global levels--ranging from district-wide, classroom-based innovation and far-reaching, multi-state projects to…

This article presents an interview with Robert G. Holmberg, professor emeritus at Athabasca University (AU). He retired at the end of 2007 following a thirty-three-year academic career at AU in Edmonton and Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. During that time he oversaw the development and delivery of several of the university's first courses. He helped…

Using data collected from 120 students enrolled in nine sections of an undergraduate technical communication course, this study found a number of statistically significant associations between students' learning styles, as defined by the Index of Learning Styles, and nine measures evaluating both academic performance and student preference. The…

The Open University (OU) has a long and distinguished history of teaching biology at a distance by a supported open learning model. This article examines some of the challenges in delivering biology via distance teaching, explores some of the lessons learned, and discusses the opportunities and hazards of new teaching technologies that the OU has…