Computer-Mediated Communications for Distance Education and Training: Literature Review and International Resources.

Overview & Synopsis

This report is intended to provide instructors and designers concerned with training for the National Guard and Army Reserve (the Reserve Component--RC) with a practical review of research findings on the successful implementation of computer-mediated communication (CMC) for distance education and a reference guide to international resources and literature that will be of use to both researchers and practitioners. The first of two parts of the report, a literature review, provides instructors and instructional designers with practical knowledge on the design and implementation of distance training with CMC, including relevant knowledge about specific needs of distance education students. Topics covered include frequency of feedback, effective design and implementation of group activities, shifts in instructor role for a distance education environment, characteristics of successful distance students and instructors, and recommendations for the pacing of students and instructors. (125 references). Focusing on international resources in CMC and distance education, the second part provides lists of resources and overviews on educational and industrial applications of CMC, information on computer conferencing software, and reference information for distance education and CMC. This part includes lists of selected distance teaching institutions, descriptions of distance education graduate programs, information on educational and communication applications of CMC, an overview of teleconferencing computer software with a directory of software vendors, lists of distance education journals and international clearinghouses for distance education resources, an extensive bibliography of references on distance education and CMC, and a summary of the two parts of the report. (DB)