Brownlee, E. Familiar questions about information technology in education. Certain questions have become standard in discussion of the incorporation of digital information and communications technologies into the undergraduate curriculum. They persist because they are critical to the enterprise, they resist solutions, and they affect most participants directly. The concerns these questions reflect will inevitably surface in conference discussions, and part of the planning effort will be directed toward framing the intersection between these practical issues and the unique challenges research universities face in approaching technology-related change in how they carry out their teaching mission.
Sherry, L. Issues in Distance Learning. This review of literature and current information related to distance learning deals with several primary research issues. These include redefining the roles of partners in distance education teams, technology selection and adoption, design issues, methods and strategies to increase interactivity and active learning, learner characteristics, learner support, operational issues, policy and management issues, equity and accessibility, and cost/benefit tradoffs.
Kearsley, G. A Guide to Online Education. The purpose of this Guide is to introduce some of the basic characteristics of online education. It is intended for students or teachers who are new to this domain and looking for some suggestions and advice about how to make it a more enjoyable and worthwhile endeavor. The views expressed are based on about 20 years worth of personal experience across many different systems and settings, plus constant reading of the literature.
Polyson, S., et al. A Practical Guide to Teaching with the World Wide Web. The World wide Web and the Internet have enticed faculty with promises of access, inter-activity, ease of use, and a potential universal presence in the lives of students and teachers. For many faculty, the question is not "should I use the Web in my class?", but "how do I get started?", and "What does a good web course contain?"
Woolley, D. Choosing Web Conferencing Software. The field of Web conferencing software is growing at a breathtaking pace. In the summer of 1994 there were exactly two products in this category, both of them rather primitive freeware packages. Today there are well over 60 commercial and freeware products, many of them quite sophisticated, that support conferencing on the Web in one form or another. With so many products available, the choice can seem overwhelming. But with a methodical approach, you'll probably find that you can quickly whittle the list down to just a few candidates.
Woolley, D. The Future of Web Conferencing. This is a chapter from the book "Web-based Computer Conferencing" edited by Paulette Robinson, to be published later 1998.
Oliver, R. Creating Effective Instructional Materials for the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is a popular and useful instructional medium for a number of reasons. It is easily accessible, it supports flexible storage and display options, it provides a simple yet powerful publishing format and a means to incorporate multiple media elements. Interestingly, instructional effectiveness is not a proven characteristic for World Wide Web courseware and in many instances delivery via the WWW can impede rather than enhance learning when compared to conventional publishing forms. The purpose of this paper is to consider design aspects that can help to improve the instructional effectiveness of teaching and learning through the WWW.