Six instructional units offer guidance in the process of writing printed educational materials. Each unit provides objectives, writing exercises and activities, and end-of-unit discussion questions. Unit 1 considers the first steps in writing, emphasizing the importance of varying instruction according to student needs and background and…

This report provides a brief description of a 1986 conference on distance education together with four of the papers presented by the five keynote speakers; an outline of the fifth paper is included. It is noted that, in addition to these papers, the conference included 26 application sessions which allowed the 183 participants to select issues…

Strategic planning is a critical part of sustaining distance education. Through such planning, the organization can solve business problems that involve training and education in an effective and often cost savings manner compared to in-person training efforts. This paper examines the strategic planning process as it relates to sustaining distance…

This paper draws on an extensive review of literature associated with telecommuting and looks at features that might affect the offering and take-up of distance education, particularly distance education involving computer applications, telecommunications and web-based, off-campus delivery of courses or components of courses. The issue is…

The Instructional Systems Technology Distance Master of Science program is one of the first degrees of its kind to be offered at Indiana University. Other than an initial on-campus orientation, it can be completed entirely via the Internet. The first course for this program was offered Fall of 2000 with 18 students enrolled. This same semester, a…

The design of instructional text is an important consideration when attempting to design a successful learning environment. With the rising involvement in online distance education, it is becoming even more important to adhere to good principles of text design. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework of possible instructional systems…

Companies and universities are increasingly moving to online delivery for much of their training and education needs, and designing and building quality distance education is a challenge facing many organizations. Option Six is an independent company that is building customized e-learning solutions. Over the last 2 years, the instructional…

The short history in the field of online learning of the UNITEC Institute of Technology (New Zealand) provides a story of changing attitudes and usage at three levels--organizational, tutorial, and student. From the first course designed for flexible delivery in 1994, UNITEC has progressed through three distinct phases of course development (i.e.,…

Over the last five years, several online courses covering different subjects have been developed and delivered in different settings at Wageningen UR (Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands). The total course content developed and delivered with a learning environment is equivalent with about 700 hours of study, and…

This paper presents a unique method of planning and designing a Web site for e-learning. The following phases are discussed: troubleshooting the project; initial overview of the entire project; dividing the project into small portions and assigning people to each of these portions; periodic studies of the entire project in light of the development…

It is clear that more courses are being offered online each year. With the increase in the number of courses offered, the number of faculty teaching at a distance will also be increasing. Many researchers are discussing concerns that faculty have about online courses, such as incentives, training, technical support, workload, and intellectual…

This paper presents the research and development of knowledge management system for Internet based intellectual assets to leverage the learning process for individual learners. The literature review reveals that corporate solutions of knowledge management are not directly applicable due to the lack of adaptivity needed to provide individualized…

This book contains case studies that look at using technology in a wide range of situations, from fully online courses to more traditional face-to-face settings. The case studies deal with issues related to student interaction, teaching and assessment, planning and development, and policy. The following case studies are included: (1) "Flame…

A portrait of the early-adopter of World Wide Web (WWW) courses is painted in the results of a survey of the 71 instructors who had a WWW course listed on the Southern Regional Electronic Campus (SREC) during the first semester of its operation, Spring 1998. Data about their perceptions, practices, concerns, and the institutional norms under which…

The Trickle Down Technology Project offered the impetus needed to change the way both K-12 and university educators capitalize on technology in the classroom. The project had three key components: the modeling of technology in the university classroom; online technology workshops; and interactive communication among inservice and preservice…