Stephen Downes

By Benjamin Bell and Robert Raoul Meyer. Undated, but to look at the references, it's probably 1996 or 1997. As summaried by Michael Szabo: ...an analysis of attitude toward distance learning, based on high ratings of distance learning courses identified three major attributes of highly-rated courses (Bell & Meyer. 1997). First are what I call well-organized courses; clearly defined expectations, thoughtful instructions, student responsibility, defined timelines, etc. The second attribute is enrichment with communication. Third is the high use of collaborative interchange among students, using a variety of special collaborative software.