Describes an undergraduate religion course at Brigham Young University (Utah) in which seven learners pursuing an online baccalaureate degree were invited to join 49 on-campus students. This case study presents an evaluation of the course based on interviews with distant learners, on-campus students, and instructors. (MES)

Describes a large-enrollment accounting course at Brigham Young University (Utah). This case focuses on the possibility of using blended approaches to reduce faculty time, re-focus student time, and raise the possibility of using blended learning as a way to admit more students to an academic program. (MES)

Analyzes the blended learning environment in an introductory first-year writing course at Brigham Young University (Utah). The success of this course is compared with the tradition version of the course. The paper describes the process and outcomes associated with teaching and learning within a blended learning environment. (MES)

Presents a critique of the five case studies of blended learning environments in this issue. Comments are organized around the following four frameworks: (1) the J-curve of implementation; (2) the theory of Engaged Collaborative Discourse; (3) adaptation to individual differences; and (4) Validity-Centered Design. (MES)

This directed qualitative research project concentrated on an instructional designer's expert qualities and their interrelatedness to interpersonal dynamics with faculty in terms of the role the instructional designer plays. The designer's personal practical theories and their relationships to his/her effectiveness as an instructional designer are…

Discusses effective designs, management tactics, and strategies to produce ideal asynchronous network discussions that allow contemplation and encourage the development of critical thinking. A model of an online collaborative learning community is applied to implement the designs. A sample of online collaborative moderation guidelines is…

Provides an overview of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. A case study is then presented that explains how the use of the taxonomy was instrumental in the development of graduate-level online instruction and how the taxonomy helped to maintain the congruence among the components of online instruction. (MES)

Suggests a starting place for formal inquiry into distance education. Topics covered include: background on educational research and research on distance education; research paradigms that are applicable to distance education; subsystems of a distance education program; and a matrix for conceptualizing distance education research. (MES)

Briefly examines past military distance education practices and then focuses on discussion of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) initiative in Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL). Outlines some of the potential problems that should be addressed in the near future and possible solutions towards the goal of implementing a successful ADL system for…

Investigates the differential effects of computer conferencing on expository writing for students of seven intelligence types. Students were assigned to treatment groups that provided controlled exposure to a topic: unstructured exposure; computer conferencing; face-to-face discussion; and computer conferencing and face-to-face discussion.…

Presents a process-based framework for evaluating students' efforts in online discussion. Delineates criteria for evaluating students' contributions to an online discussion and describes processes for implementing student-centered evaluations and professor-centered evaluations. Offers implications for future theoretical and empirical endeavors.…

Examines student satisfaction with a doctoral degree offered at a distance based upon the constructs of immersion in advanced study and interaction with and through technology. Immersion in graduate study with mediated communication and access to educational resources can provide a substitute for traditional residence requirements. (Author/AEF)

Reports on a study that compares the performance of students enrolled in two sections of a Web-based computer networking course: one utilizing a simulation package and the second utilizing a static, graphical software package. Analysis shows statistically significant improvements in performance in the simulation group compared to the…

Use of the Internet in distance education has increased at a tremendous pace. This study reports on a policy analysis that examined the development process of public virtual universities. First, public virtual universities in the United States were classified using Wolf and Johnstone's (1999) taxonomy, then, using a content analysis approach,…

Examines the hidden issues caused by the format-shifting effect in distance education. Findings of a study of undergraduate students indicated that learning format shifting is a period of dilemma that occurs during the early period for learners during their first distance class. Overlooking the issue would result in problems that could affect…