Discusses the use of technology for distance learning in higher education and examines the similarities and differences between face-to-face seminars and online discussions. Considers the concept of affordance in relation to information and communication technologies and distance education; and examines affordances of electronic conferencing and…

Provides an overview of issues relating to practice and research regarding collaborative online learning in distance education. Topics include traditional problems of distance education; instructional design issues, including course preparation, social climate and sense of community, instructor's role, and the effective use of technology; and…

Discussion of professional development among academic staff focuses on a collaborative project between a lecturer and a subject specialist to develop learning materials for a new distance education course at the University of Queensland. Highlights include existing models of professional development; the needs-based component; and the action…

Reports on a study in which an interactive computer-based tutorial with a decision support system and simulations is evaluated in the context of a distance education business degree course. Discusses the effect on students' motivation and the impact on their ability to transfer knowledge to the workplace. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the effects that information and communication technologies are having on education, particularly the introduction of online courses; and describes a study at the Ghent University that examines how students cope with a re-engineered course that is task-based and how it affects their learning styles. Examines the results from tested…

Discusses results of the evaluation of an educational teleconferencing system in a Mexican university. Highlights include student expectations; student perceptions of efficacy for self-regulated learning; student perceptions of the course; differences from traditional courses; and the importance of considering student variables in evaluations of…

Reports on the findings of a questionnaire that elicited information from 99 instructional designers in Australia about their qualifications, the activities they undertake, and perceptions of their role. Variations based on place of employment are discussed, and confusion and negative perceptions regarding instructional designers' roles are…

Describes a study of 699 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 33 live, interactive telecourses that investigated satisfaction with various facets of the telecourse, demographic characteristics, and experience with previous telecourses. Results show gender differences and prior experience had the greatest effect on course satisfaction.…

Discusses results of a survey of 148 off-campus students formerly enrolled in Deakin University (Australia) to assess factors that influenced their decisions to leave/withdraw. Implications of the findings for quality assurance in higher education and the development of more flexible modes of distance education are suggested. (Author/LRW)

Describes research conducted in the United Kingdom that asked Open University distance education students what type of assignment feedback they would like to receive. Interviews with 22 students are discussed that ascertained their views regarding feedback on tutor-marked assignments and computer-marked assignments. (Author/LRW)

Discusses five fallacies that can arise in the design and analysis of student questionnaires regarding teaching materials used in Australian distance education courses, including student objectivity, student subject knowledge, notions of relevance, author responsibility for student learning, and faulty generalization in evaluating student…

Discussion of learning materials and the acquisition of skills in the Dutch Open University focuses on the instructional design of an advanced course on expert systems that includes a practical element for acquiring required skills via CD-audio. Situated learning is also discussed. (LRW)

Analyzes the effects that English proficiency has on the performance of international students in comparison with Australian students at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), concentrating particularly on overseas students studying externally and admitted under the alternative English entrance requirements. (Author/LRW)

Reports on the development of an asynchronous learning environment for teaching introductory macroeconomics to approximately 200 distance education students. The research supports evidence in the literature that computer mediated communication an in particular, collaborative learning, can make a positive difference to the educational experience of…

Reports on a four-phase study conducted to clarify the role of the facilitator and to identify other factors that support or inhibit online learning. Postgraduate students who had participated in online learning rated the relative importance of 12 facilitator tasks. Results show facilitators must clarify expectations, initiate and guide online…