Standards are the results of concerted efforts to improve the quality of education found in distance education. Legal and ethical standards are needed to ensure a positive educational environment. Participants from different cultural, physical, economical, and intellectual backgrounds should have equal access to all the positive aspects of…

This article presents research based on highly structured and self-managed discussions in the university context. The main question answered by this study is about the value and effectiveness of these virtual tools for teaching and learning, in terms of the types of knowledge built and the relationship between this knowledge and the academic…

This case study analyzed how an online learning community developed among a cohort of 18 students in an instructional design and technology master's degree program taught at a distance. Students' reflections about the effectiveness of the program revealed that a community-centered approach to learning, a constructivist learning environment, and…

This study explores distance instructors' perceptions and attitudes related to applying key elements of instructional design in preparing to teach at a distance. Although one role of a distance instructor is to design instruction, it is not known if and how he or she knows, understands, and applies instructional design elements when he or she…

Despite the continued growth of Web-based courses, and the great promise of anytime, any place learning, it appears that Web-based instruction fails to produce the sense of "social connectedness" often highly valued in face-to-face instruction. The purpose of this study was to identify problems instructors face that impede social connectedness…

There has been a rapid proliferation of online courses and shareable content objects. These courses often include a vast array of information, yet they are not instructionally sound. The primary purpose of this article is to provide a procedure (tool) that will help instructional designers determine if existing e-learning courses and sharable…

This article shares the results of a needs assessment conducted to guide the development of an e-learning certificate program for implementation at Texas A&M University. Participants were asked to provide input regarding the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to work as an e-learning specialist. The qualitative data was collected using…

This study examined the effects of group composition based on the learners' personality types as measured by the Myers-Briggs type indicator as they interacted in threaded discussions. Three groups comprised introverts, extroverts, and mixed introvert-extrovert classifications. Ninety-six participants were divided into 24 groups of 4 participants…

This article addresses the historical context, current development, and future challenges of distance education in Indonesia. Conditions related to the geography, demography, socio-economic and cultural situations, as well as the availability of technology have encouraged the use of distance education as a valid choice in providing access to…

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of cooperative learning on cognitive outcomes in a public health graduate level Web-based distance education course. Specifically, the authors use a randomized control trial to determine the impact of two teaching pedagogies on learning effectiveness in three areas of the cognitive domain: (1)…

This article describes how a K-12 school in South Florida adopted a course management system with e-portfolio capabilities. E-portfolios are available tools, though more costly, in higher-end course management systems and are gaining recognition in the K-12 market. However, according to a recent survey administered by the technology team at the…

Responses of alumni enrolled in a distance and an on-campus program at a traditional land-grant university to a survey evaluating their academic experiences were compared. Results demonstrated that both groups of alumni were very satisfied with their education. Both groups responded similarly to questions about the university's contribution to…

The National Center for Educational Statistics reported that during the 1997-1998 academic year, 58% of all postsecondary institutions offered Web-based courses. Moreover, 82% reported plans to increase their Web-based offerings over the following 3 years. In response to the growing interest in providing online instruction, various online course…

This article describes how online discussion groups and visual collaboration can be used in combination to build and support a virtual community of learners. Data derived from several online discussion groups are presented, and the support needs of learners are highlighted as a key factor of success. (Contains 1 figure.)

Online discussion is a common tool to create learner-learner interaction. Whole class discussions can result in potentially hundreds of postings with students spending more time creating the illusion of participation as opposed to critical reflection and deeper learning. The purpose of this study was to determine quality of online discussion based…