Included below is an overview that identifies and highlights some of those companies and their services which are advantageous to educators in their endeavor to extend and enhance their reach to students throughout the world. For example, important differentiating characteristics of communications technology is whether it provides one-way, two-way, or multiple way communication, whether it is possible to share multiple applications while delivering on-line learning, and whether additional rich media is included in a company’s service offering. These are a few of the categories included in the matrix below.

Distance learning models were circumscribed by one-way communications. Today electronic mail, chat, bulletin boards, and streaming video/audio are effective vehicles for integrating interactive capabilities into the formula. Offering these tools together with assistance in instructional design as to how to integrate them into their distance learning courses, as well as their on-campus courses can further enhance the quality and satisfaction of the teaching and learning experience. Above all, students tend to be more active learners and quickly form communities of collaborative learners when their environment is rich and rewarding.

Please note: The following chart is in no way intended to be exhaustive and/or comprehensive and is certainly not a complete listing of the multitude of vendor choices available. It is for use as a brief analysis and comparison of several vendors' offerings.

Related Distance Learning Resources:

"Environments for Online Learning" in the Transforming Teaching with Technology Newsletter, an interactive newsletter that focuses on the role of emerging technologies as catalysts to improve student learning.

DLRN's "Designing Instruction for Web-Based Learning", a practictioner's guide to designing online courses. It includes a glossary of terms that will help you understand some of the terms used in this paper. You can also refer to this E- Learning Glossary.

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