For the thirty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Anaheim, California. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…

With a growing number of courses offered online and degrees offered through the Internet, there is a considerable interest in online education, particularly as it relates to the quality of online learning instruction. The major concerns are centering on the following questions: What will be the new role for instructor in online education? How will…

An exploratory study was conducted with faculty and administrators at Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) to determine the level of reported knowledge and experience with policies that govern Web-based instruction (WBI). Result indicated that faculty had little experience with the policies and many had not participated in policy…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the problems associated with learner motivation in Web-based instruction, in particular in self-directed online learning environments. This study is interested in identifying and exploring what motivate or demotivate learners from completing a self-directed online course, which have implications for…

The Internet was not invented for education at beginning (Pett Grabinger, 1995), but it has influenced educational systems considerably, especially by providing another way for distance learning. This powerful communication function is superior to any other educational media. Students can conduct their own self-directed learning without…

Online learning has been hailed as a huge step forward for education. Academia is increasingly offering Internet-based distance courses because they allow "anywhere, anytime" learning and access to a wider pool of students. Firms and organizations like it for training employees because it permits consistency and repeatability in training delivery.…

This paper considers four aspects of online communities. Design, mechanisms, architecture, and the constructed knowledge. We hypothesize that different designs of communities drive different mechanisms, which give rise to different architectures, which in turn result in different levels of collaborative knowledge construction. To test this chain…

As the internet-based learning (IBL) market becomes increasingly global, understanding differing educational values and cultural expectations could provide an important competitive edge for providers (universities, publishing houses, and corporate training entities). How each of person determines "good" or "quality" instruction is to a large…

This study explored how preservice teachers perceived and utilized the Online Learning Support System designed and developed to provide a platform for presenting utilities like content, news, and course assignments, and facilitating communication among students and instructor. In this research, a qualitative method was used. The data was obtained…

Transferring face-to-face courses into Web-based courses is a trend in higher education. Whether this course transition is for distance education or for resident instruction, faculty members play a critical role in the process. Faculty members not only provide lesson content, but important insights into how content has been best presented in…

For the twenty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. This is Volume 2 of the 26th Annual Proceedings of Selected Papers On the Practice of Educational Communications and Technology presented at the National AECT…

For the twenty-fifth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the National AECT Convention in Dallas, TX. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two volumes.…