Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, is currently the only post-secondary institution in that province to offer a part-time Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BScN) program for Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) through a blended learning model. This program represents a "bridge" from the nurse's college diploma and offers…

The Native Species and Natural Processes certificate at the University of Victoria is an advanced-level online program of four courses to introduce students to state-of-the-art topics in the field of ecological restoration. The program posed some unique challenges for course developers. The development team needed to find ways to create online…

The primary objective of this research was to explore the experiences of undergraduate distance education students using sample audio versions (provided on compact disc) of the learning guides for their courses. The results of this study indicated that students responded positively to the opportunity to have word-for-word audio versions of their…

This article describes the practical challenges faced by instructors who must blend a face-to-face laboratory experience into a distance education course. This issue is discussed in the context of an ongoing kinesiology and health course that includes a mandatory physical activity laboratory experience. The challenges that have arisen around this…

This study examines how aspects of a militarily enforced occupation have influenced continuing education at Palestinian universities. It focuses on three influences: the impact of the politics of occupation on the history of continuing education; the effect of travel restriction, violence, and a damaged economy on participation; and the influence…

Continuing education in Canadian universities is currently at a type of crossroads. It is being affected by a number of factors, including recent changes in the economy; the different approaches universities are taking to continuing education, which range from centralized to decentralized models; and the blending of continuing education with areas…

This article explores the similarities and differences between Canadian and Australian university teachers' face-to-face and online teaching approaches and philosophies. It presents perspectives on teaching face-to-face and online in two comparable Canadian and Australian universities, both of which offer instruction in these two modes. The key…

The limited research that exists in the area of prior learning assessment (PLA) has tended to be descriptive and conceptual in nature. Where empirical studies have been done, they have focussed mainly on PLA as a means of credentialing rather than as a learning experience. Furthermore, there has been very little empirical research into the…

Mandatory continuing education (MCE) has become widely accepted across many professions and jurisdictions in Canada as a re-credentialing mechanism. MCE is defined as continuing professional education (CPE) courses and/or programs, beyond the entry-level educational requirements, required by a licensure board, professional organization, or the…

It has often been suggested that education via the Internet, or e-learning, leads to a sense of separation in individual learners; this need not be the case. Teaching is a relationship: a relationship that is built on a connection between teaching and learner, between learner and learner, and between the learners and the content. What then is the…

A study of 15 graduate students in distance education applied a transition model charting changes in their coping responses throughout the program and assessed their perceptions of institutional support. Coping moved slowly from stress management to problem solving. Ability to cope was related to perceptions that the institution acknowledged their…

Traditional universities are feeling the impact of "disruptive technologies" such as distance education. Seeing how businesses have responded to such disruptions, universities should "incubate" innovations in a semiautonomous unit such as continuing education, which can address new markets with low margins. (SK)

Comparison of a nursing course delivered by videoconferencing (n=21), administration course via audiographics (n=23), and education course via audioconferencing (n=31) showed that, regardless of the technology, learners were most influenced by instructor's teaching style. The importance of relational and interactive factors in distance teaching…

Reviews global changes and the following strategies changing the definition of university extension and continuing education: (1) cost-recovery entrepreneurial model; (2) emphasis on professional continuing education; (3) diminishing focus on traditional service; (4) distance education; and (5) global marketing. (SK)

A survey of 224 Canadian distance education students indicated that 81% were women, 70% enrolled for career reasons, and most were age 24 to 50. Desired support services included information about getting started in distance education, communication with instructors and students, a learning center, and career assistance. (SK)