| Since the early 1990s, new conceptions of learning, especially constructivism; a shift from teaching-centered to learning-centered instructional strategies; rapidly-expanding access to the Internet and adoption of the World Wide Web, and the expanding impact of technology on the academy have combined to yield exciting new tools and theories for developing more effective and efficient learning environments.; The canonical classroom-based models of teaching and learning are beginning to yield to new instructional models based on the aforementioned trends. Classroom practices have had the benefit of more than three and a half centuries of experience, reflection, and analysis; however, new online conceptions have developed mainly since 1995, and have therefore existed for less than a decade at the time of this writing.; This investigation is a case study of the online learning initiative at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and traces the program's history, design, development, practices, and outcomes. A distinguishing feature of the university's approach to online learning is the formal development of theory-based models of practice covering all major elements of the initiative: instruction, course design, faculty development, course development, learner support, and assessment. The university's implementation of these models has led to positive qualitative and quantitative outcomes that are having a transformative effect on teaching and learning, resource utilization and scheduling, and the delivery of academic support services.; Additional material traces the development of the World Wide Web as an environment for teaching and learning, and examines the theoretical foundations of online learning. In addition, examples of best practices, as articulated by leading accrediting and policy bodies, and failed implementations, in which the emergence of online learning led to campus tensions or the launching of unsuccessful commercial ventures, are discussed.; Finally, the transformation process at the University of Central Florida is examined in the context of organizational change theory from both business and higher education sources. The central focus of this work is the examination of the university's models of practice for online learning and how, through a process of institutionalization, they have become a catalyst for the transformation of teaching and learning. |
