THE CHANGING FACES OF VIRTUAL EDUCATION - In a follow-up on the The
Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 1999 study on the "virtual" delivery of higher education,
several trends in online education were tracked, including:

- new venues for learning;
- the use of "learning objects" to define and store content;
- new organizational models;
- online learner support services; and
- quality assurance models for virtual education.

The Commonwealth of Learning is an intergovernmental organization created by Commonwealth
Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance
education knowledge, resources and technologies. For more information link to:
http://www.col.org/ (CIT INFOBITS, Aug 01. Visit the CIT INFOBITS Web site at:
http://www.unc.edu/cit/infobits/)

NGA ISSUES REPORT ON e-LEARNING IN THE STATES - The National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices released a report last month based on a 50-state
survey that sought to determine what measures states are taking relative to postsecondary
work related e-learning and what challenges they are facing. A key finding of the report
called "The State of e-learning in the States" is that quality issues are the states' top concern.
Other issues identified were the cost of developing content and training instructors, the
necessary enlargement of infrastructure capacity, agreements on articulation and residency,
the responsiveness of traditional institutions and issues of privacy and intellectual property
rights. The study found that the states are using multiple strategies to address delivery
systems, access, quality and governance, and that, despite differences, most of the states are
making progress in most areas. A summary table of findings by state, and a list of state
e-learning contacts, are provided in the full report. Read it on the NGA website at: http://www.nga.org/center/divisions/1,1188,C_ISSUE_BRIEF^D_2128,00.html
(infocus, a Newsletter of UCEA, July/Aug 01. For the UCEA Web site go to:
http://www.ucea.org)

LEARNER ASSUMPTIONS - The MASIE Center has recently begun to uncover
industry assumptions about Learners. It might be interesting to do a parallel conversation
in your own organization about what you assume about Learners. Below Elliott Masie
shares the questions his Center is pondering:

* Do learners feel like learners when doing eLearning? Do they perceive themselves as
learners, readers, workers or what?
* How do learners predict success or failure for themselves when participating in a
learning experience? And, when do they make that prediction?
* What is the role of difficulty and challenge for learning in the eLearning field? Does
it trigger early departure or increase engagement?
* How much time do learners want for reflection and practice?

Masie would like to hear your thoughts on these questions. The Center will share its
research in a future TRENDS newsletter! eMail TechLearn TRENDS at:
trends@masi.com (TechLearn TRENDS, 22 Aug 01