In this article, members of "The Teacher Educator" editorial advisory board consider the state of teacher education in today's universities through these questions: (1) What do you believe might be the lasting impact of COVID-19 on teachers and how teacher education might change? (2) What really matters for teacher educators in the wake…

This article presents an interview with Robert Mendenhall, president of Western Governors University, who is the 2012 recipient of the Virginia B. Smith (VBS) Innovative Leadership Award. The annual award recognizes his leadership in redesigning higher education delivery for adult students. In the interview, Robert Mendenhall talks about his work…

Online courses raise instructional concerns about goals, philosophy, changes in teaching and teacher roles, and evaluation. Creating interactivity is a crucial issue. Organizational issues include face-to-face components, group interaction, and prerequisites. Institutions must be concerned about faculty incentives, access and equity, ongoing…

In the early days of online courses, a widespread production model was to provide faculty members with release time and/or stipends in return for developing and delivering their own courses. These early online courses were developed by a cadre of faculty "zealots" who believed that information technology could transform learning. Such faculty…

This interview with author Paul Levinson applies Marshall McLuhans' ideas regarding media to today's society, the Internet and the Web, and their effects on human communication and education. Highlights include societal change; teachers as gatekeepers; accreditation of online college courses; the global village; and control of technology. (LRW)

Discussion of telecommunications and distance education focuses on a graduate level course, primarily online, that was designed to help educators become familiar with Internet resources. Topics addressed include computer-mediated communication (CMC); writing and CMC; cooperative learning and participant roles; challenges of online interactions;…

In this article, the author provides an overview of the best instructional design and delivery practices for facilitating online courses. Many factors that contribute to effectively facilitating an online course are discussed, including student expectations and experience with technology, understanding the types of technologies used, effective…

In traditional face-to-face classrooms, teachers lead their students through discussions using strategies that promote reflection and further exploration of issues and topics. The same holds true in the online class. There are specific techniques and strategies used in facilitating learning through discussion in both types of classes. The…

One of the hot topics in education in the past 10 years has been the shift of the role of the educator. Whereas, he has traditionally been the owner and deliverer of the knowledge (Sage on the stage), now his role is shifting to a guide and facilitator (guide by the side). The purpose is to give the students ownership in their own learning…

The California Educational Technology Initiative (CETI) for California State Universities proposes a ten-year, four-billion-dollar revenue partnership with a private consortium to finance educational technology. Due to the great increase in college enrollment and decreased state funding for higher education, some believe that online courses would…

Computer-mediated instruction is particularly well-suited to typical community college students because it offers an alternative to the time and place constraints of traditional classrooms. Key characteristics of computer-mediated learning are as follows: instructors and students are separated by distance; instruction is delivered via computer…

This book, which is written from the perspective of a practicing human resources manager, presents 17 case studies illustrating how technology is driving a new training paradigm. The case studies support 21 propositions regarding training in the e- learning (electronic learning) revolution, including the following:(1) the Internet changes…