Brian Newberry

We acknowledge the contributions of the Online Academy staff, the individuals who served on the various advisory boards, jurors and the many institutions, and individuals who contributed to the evaluation of the online modules and the production tool. Appreciation is Abstract The Online Academy (HO29K73002) was funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to develop online instructional modules in the content areas of reading, positive behavior support and technology across the curriculum. Targeted for preservice teacher education programs in Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), the modules have been implemented by over 172 institutions. This paper addresses the effectiveness of the implementation model and the formative evaluation processes employed by the Academy in readiness for implementing the modules nationally and the results of that effort.

This paper explores the design requirements for creation of Academic Performance Support Systems (APSS) that use information technology to support learning communities. It outlines an incremental approach to the design, planning, and implementation of an electronic performance support system (EPSS) that is intended to learning communities by integrating both learning support applications and administrative applications which support school management and operations. An academic performance support system is a computer-based network environment that provides real-time support to facilitate task performance within schools. The authors suggest that what is needed is a comprehensive vision based principles of universal design which maximize usability for everyone and focuses on identification of the functional support needs of administrators, counselors, teachers, students, parents, and other members of school organizations. The implementation of Academic Performance Support Systems (AP...

Online learning can be seen as a form of distance education. Though online education is relatively new, distance education is not. According to Rumble (1986), the term distance education may have first been used as early as 1892 in a catalog of the University of Wisconsin. Distance education is, according to Verduin and Clark (1991): “...any formal approach to learning in which a majority of the instruction occurs while educator and learner are at a distance from one another” (p. 8). This emphasis on distance between learner and instructor or teacher is common, for instance, Berge and Collins (1995) define distance education as “the delivery of the educational process to receivers who are not in proximity to the person or persons managing or conducting the process” (p. 14).