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In order for an online course to be properly carried out it must be properly planned. The goal of this paper is to provide users with a methodology to design, assess and follow up a good quality online course project. The methodology proposes six phases to be followed in order to accomplish the task: Analysis of educational problem; justification and purposes of the project; proposal of project's perspectives; education, operational and financial planning; project's expected results, and project tracking and assessment. The proposed methodology allowed designing and carrying out the online course project called Rubrics for Assessment of Activities of e-Learning which was given at the Distance University of Poland. Even though the course was highly assessed by its participants, their comments imply the necessity of a more careful planning of the pedagogical components of the course. Despite this weakness, the project allowed to obtain answers to the main questions raised by decisions to be made when planning a course: What is intended to be done?, why?, what for?, how?, when?, by whom?, with what resources and funds? It is concluded that the proposed methodology may constitute a reference framework for the universities that wish to plan a high quality online course, both in Poland and in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a research project related to the learning styles of postgraduate distance learning students from the University of Tamaulipas, Mexico. These postgraduate studies were created in 1996: nowadays, 14 generations have graduated from the Master of Human Resources Development; 13 generations, from the Master of Quality Management; and 8 from the Master in Educational Technology. The instrument used in this research was created by Whiteley and is based on the model of multiple intelligences developed by Gardner and the neuro-linguistic programming model by Bandler and Grinder. The research was conducted with a sample of 72 participants, who represent one hundred percent of the students enrolled. The results showed that the most prevalent learning styles are logical and social, and the auditory and physical learning styles were the less predominant. Consequently, it was able to recommend content, resources and learning activities for each learning style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to describe the elements needed to understand that the classification of technological media in distance education is one of the most fundamental references within the decision process of its selection and use. The paper asserts that the potential of technological media is reflected in the degree of ease to provide interaction and interactivity, access to sources of information, and the development of skills for students and teachers. Additionally, this paper introduces the classifications according to features, technological media and transmission, evolution throughout history, and role or function. This media is also considered in the learning's virtual environments. Finally, it is emphasized that the selection of media cannot be unbound from the context of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some findings of a distance learning programs study from a study of distance learning programs, which methodological design was inspired by a self assessment model for higher education programs designed by ANUIES, this model was applied in the different distance learning programs of the Universidad Juarez Autónoma de Tabasco. This model is complemented by a historical and administrative search and systematization of information. The results allowed on the one hand, detect some failures of the subsystems involved in the System of Open and Distance Education, and the other hand, analyze the possibilities, as well as the limitations of such models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a summary of the experience in implementing the distance senior high school education in Mexico and effects on equity for the populations whose geographic, demographic and social features marginalize them from conventional educational provision. The study is based on national education policies that prioritize the equity at educational services with quality and relevance by setting strategies related with the educational use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to deliver these services to populations whose conditions and characteristics do not justify the creation of conventional educational services. The study assesses some results from this experience such as the extension of coverage, service efficiency and the students' performance. The results of this analysis suggest that these students' efficiency and performance is not significant different from traditional students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management is a key factor in any strategy implemented in educational organizations. It can make the difference between success and failure of a policy or a program. Unfortunately it is difficult to grasp, even to become aware. It is important to undertake studies to demonstrate its significance, which can provide resources to improve administrative processes. The present paper reports the results of a distance programmes from an institution of higher education as part of a larger project that seeks to identify factors motivating or limiting the performance of non-conventional programs. The analytical exercise was based on a proposed management model, and data were collected through the documents that support the mode, and interviews with programmes staff. The results suggest that the management problems in non-conventional modalities are solving when they arise, this because there are not institutional guidelines, and to assure the advancement of educational programmes, which reflects the need to address this aspect of this modalities implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most relevant issues about the implementation of a virtual learning environment at the Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí (UNESUM) are presented in this paper. This implementation process is guided by the challenges of the current trends in b-learning field and the most imperative requirements of the UNESUM. These requirements are captured on a preliminary study taking into account the opinion of students and lecturers. Based on other similar proposals carried out in other educational centers, a methodological framework is proposed to reach the virtual learning environment at UNESUM. This paper also offers several considerations about the design and implementation of the virtual environment used on a pilot test using several courses in two grades. A set of recommendations in order to generalize the proposal to the entire university is also offered in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The e-learning could be considered as an essential tool into the organizations' improvement, because the continuous education of the human resources provides to the organizations with qualified staff, allowing that the workers can be trained to acquire skills without they neglect their job commitments. On the other hand, the digital revolution has been stimulated the use of electronic (digital) documents to manipulate the information within the organizations, leaving the traditional paper forgotten. According to this, it is a necessity that the organizations have qualified workers in the management to this kind of digital documentation, who know about technological process and legal regulations for each particular case. In this work, we present the experience of an e-learning course developing between the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí and the National Institution of Statistics and Geography. The course was focused on digital document management and it was addressed to training the staff responsible for document management. Also, we describe the development, execution and evaluation of the course according to PRADDIE model (2012), classifying the employed instruments based on the Laurillard's model (1993) modified by Curtis (1997), evaluating the technological tools through the elements of the ACTIONS model proposed by Bates (1995), and measuring the learning obtained by the students, the Kirkpatrick's model (1994). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper consisted in formulate a critical reflection about the MOOC as an emergent educational model, based on the information coming from the specialized literature and from our own experience as a user. We intent answer the following question: What is the real intention and scope of the MOOC as an emergent educational model? That is to say, is really the MOOC a valid alternative to traditional model in higher education? From the literature review we can establish that one of the advantages of this model is the fact that it represents real knowledge democratization for giving the opportunity to open access to knowledge to everyone with the only requirement of having a digital devise connected to Internet, want to learn and have a genuine motivation to do so. However, like any innovation this educational model has supporters and detractors. It is concluded that even when the MOOCs have been supported by important international universities, this model is not a threat for traditional universities; however it is expected that it will seriously impact the actual model of distance education and upon the traditional higher education model and it will induce change on it including those about the roles of its main actors (professor and student) in the educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual education has taken hold within the Latin American educational system as a methodology that provides vocational training to people whom, for various reasons, cannot access classroom education. This paper aims to review the literature on the current state of virtual education in Colombia and the factors associated with dropout in Virtual Learning. As findings during the literature search, we encountered that during the period between 2000 and 2012 in Colombia 38,136 students were enrolled in this modality, demonstrating the immense acceptance of these programs and the impact thereof. However, despite the number of enrolled, dropout rates are high. According to the System for Dropout Prevention in Higher Education, in 2013 there were a total of 48,850 students who dropped out of distance education programs, which represents 38.2% attrition and therefore a retention index of 61.8%. These figures suggest the need for studies to determine the factors that lead students to make the decision to desert. In this regard, the Colombian context studies of this phenomenon are in very early stages and most have adopted theoretical models grounded in distance-traditional education. However, some factors that may be associated with dropout in this modality are related to technical aspects and socio-cultural characteristics of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]