The study reported here concerns the development and predictive validation of an instrument to assess the achievement outcomes of DE/online learning success. A 38-item questionnaire was developed and administered to 167 students who were about to embark on an online course. Factor analysis indicated a four-factor solution, interpreted as "general…

Uncertainty and irreversibility are central to online learning projects, but have been neglected in the existing educational cost-benefit analysis literature. This paper builds some simple illustrative models of the impact of irreversibility and uncertainty, and shows how different types of cost and demand uncertainty can have substantial impacts…

A 2004 Distance Education Survey form was sent to all 73 DETC-accredited institutions. For the purpose of this survey, the DETC membership was divided into three categories: (1) High School; (2) Postsecondary; and (3) Degree Granting. Data from the three DETC military institutions are not included in this survey. Of the remaining 70…

Reports on a project that traced the moment-by-moment thought processes of 17 tertiary students enrolled in undergraduate distance education programs as they interacted with textual materials in private study settings. Data are presented on selected mediating processes, including evaluation, linking, strategy planning, generating, metacognition,…

Investigates the effectiveness of inserted questions and concept mapping for enhancing academic performance. The study sample was composed of 141 nursing students enrolled in a 20-week distance education course. Subjects who completed concept mapping exercises outperformed those using inserted questions or a combination of the two instructional…