Putting a Course Online John Usher, Julie Pester, and Ritchie
Boyd Burns Telecom Center Montana State University If you are an
instructor these days, you've no doubt noticed that the
"traditional" educational experience is becoming somewhat
atypical. Many individuals seeking to further their education
are expressing a wish to participate in authentic learning
opportunities-but only on their own terms. To meet the demands
of this constituency, many universities and colleges are
adjusting and developing programs in an attempt to promote true
flexibility for both the institution and student. Changes in
pedagogical strategies and the advent of robust technological
tools enable today's educators to successfully shape this
vision. More than ever before, higher-education institutions are
offering courses (and degree programs) that utilize online
resources to deliver distance education. What is distance
education? Distance education is a method of instruction that
does not require students to be in the same physical