Articles and Papers on Benefits of Online Learning

1) What Matters in Judging Distance Teaching? Not How Much It's Like a Classroom Course
Barbara B. Lockee, Virginia Tech.
The author claims that trying to judge the quality of a distance course by comparing it with a traditional course is misguided.

2) F2F - Why Teach Online?
Crawford Kilian.
Arguments in support of teaching online. A Keynote Address To The Second Annual Teaching In The Community Colleges Online Conference. (August 1997)

3) You Have the Best Job in the World
Murray Goldberg, Founder of WebCT, University of British Columbia.
Inspiring article from the founder of WebCT making the point that the primary goal of these technologies is improving our ability to educate, and improving the ability of our students to learn. Other benefits include improved student to student and student to teacher communication by using the bulletin boards and conferencing systems, tracking students activity, and communicating with all students simultaneously. (November 1999)

4) TeleLearning Encourages Active Collaboration
Dave Watson (Georgia Straight Newspaper).
" It may be that in a few years educational technology will permit a greater number of people the opportunity to become students and to integrate learning as a regular part of their lives. If the research by TeleLearning NCE and the work of its spin-offs is fulfilled, perhaps Canada can help make the world a smarter place."

5) The Future of Online Learning
Stephen Downes, Assiniboine Community College Distance Education Design Specialist.
"This Essay does not attempt to describe what ought to be, but rather, what will happen. Although I am a deep supporter of online learning for many reasons, I have chosen instead to focus on prediction rather than prescription. "

6) Electronic Tuition Rates Overcome Distance Learning Barrier
Bracey Campbell.
"Traditional residence-based tuition is one of the most significant barriers to distance learning. In the electronic era, when learning is available anytime and anyplace, traditional tuition policies reduce opportunities for potential students and limit institutions' access to new markets. The Southern Regional Education Board, the nation's oldest compact for education, has targeted this problem and is promoting a new policy to replace residence-based tuition. "

7) Why Bother?
Steven W. Gilbert, President, The TLT Group.
     A discussion of benefits on learning online, including: meeting varied learning needs, higher expectations, information literacy, career necessity, anonymity and renewed energy. (December 2001)

8)  Education, Innovation & The Internet: Nobel Laureates Look To The Future (.Pdf)
Prepared by Princeton Survey Research Associates for Cisco Systems, Inc.
      Cisco's recently commissioned survey Education, Innovation & The Internet: Nobel Laureates Look To The Future interviewed 71 Laureates on their expectations of the Internet's future effects on education. Those surveyed said: the Internet: will help disseminate research results (92%); will provide greater access to information and libraries (93%); will improve education (87%); will provide greater learning opportunities (74%).

9) The Benefits of Information Technology
Kosakowski, John, ERIC Digest, June 1998.
     This article summarizes the observed benefits of technology implementation. The importance of evaluating the effects of technology on learning is also addressed.

10) Twenty Five Reasons To Consider Teaching in a Computer Conferencing Environment
W. R. (Bill) Klemm, Texas A&M University.
     A long list of advantages of computer conferencing. (1996)