Graduation rates in distance higher education are low compared with full-time higher education--often less than 20% compared with full-time UK rates of around 80%--the "distance education deficit". In the University of London International Programmes, the difference between the face-to-face graduation rate of 61.5% and the distance…

In a world ruled by digital communications, it can seem like there are almost as many methods, tools, and platforms to communicate with internal audiences as there are opinions and perspectives on how to do it effectively. Organizations of various sizes are struggling with how to reach their audiences' divided attention, and higher education…

In July 2009, an e-mail survey was sent to various UK universities to gain information regarding current practices concerning mathematics diagnostic testing, and to provide an update from the review "Diagnostic Testing for Mathematics" published by the LTSN MathsTEAM Project in 2003. A total of 38 university departments were contacted…

Supporting undergraduate students with their academic literacies has recently been a major focus in higher education in the UK. This paper explores the value of tutor mediation in the context of academic writing development among undergraduate business studies students in open and distance learning, following the dynamic assessment (DA) approach…

Since the first postgraduate certificate in higher education teaching and learning was offered in Australia in the late 1970s, similar courses have become a major part of academic development in universities in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This paper describes the outcomes of a survey designed to determine the key higher…

Research into tutoring at a distance has a fairly long history and the functions of tutors in distance education institutions are well understood. Over the past 20 years research into online tutoring has advanced significantly as such institutions have "gone electronic": in this paper we cite published research from the UK Open…

This article reports on aspects of a recent research and development project in doctoral education. It focuses on the use of email for tutor's formative assessment within the early stages of a Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD) in an English university. Its case study methodology included participant observation of the programme workshops,…

Describes an electronic survey indicating that there is a wide variety of methods that are currently used in United Kingdom higher education institutions to support undergraduate learning. Raises awareness of what colleagues are doing and promotes an exchange of ideas. (Author/ASK)

This paper reports on research to investigate design features of asynchronous discussion systems for higher education. The research aims to identify features that increase the benefits of discussion systems and reduce the problems. The paper focuses on a major theme that emerged from interviews with learners and teachers: information overload.…

Discusses key themes from research funded by the British Library that investigated electronic communication in academic libraries in the United Kingdom. Highlights the intra-organizational use of e-mail, and discusses the development of effective networked communities. Contains 51 references. (Author/LRW)

This proceedings provides the texts of opening remarks, the official welcome, and 37 papers presented at an international symposium on the theme, "Computer Conferencing: Allied Technologies and New Applications." The papers are divided into seven categories: (1) Distance and Adult Education; (2) Socio-Psychological Issues; (3) Computer…

Describes an introductory computing course in which first-year students registered their presence and submitted assignments by electronic mail. Returning assignments by e-mail was found to be an effective method of giving individual help to those needing it most; individual student misconceptions could be more easily detected; and class discipline…

Examined e-mail messages sent by Romanian Ph.D. students over the first 2 years of a (largely) distance education program based in the United Kingdom. Found that participants used e-mail to obtain support, inscribe their multiple identities within their messages, and adapt the medium for their own needs; these uses have particular value for…

To be effective in higher education, text messaging must be effectively integrated into both the student and staff experience. These user groups provided input into the design of StudyLink, an email to text message service. A small-scale trial was conducted over a period of two academic terms to investigate the feasibility of using this system in…

Reports on a study of student-student interaction via computer-mediated communication (CMC) in an undergraduate course at a British university. Analysis focused on: (1) interaction patterns within groups; (2) the influence of the tutor's "virtual absence," and (3) students' and tutors' evaluation of the experience. Most students valued…