Education on the Web: A Rejoinder

It is an error to over generalize from early Web based education to current standards of practice. The state of the art for distance learning projects is based on the use of Web-centric integrated distributed learning environments (IDLEs). Incorporating the application of sound principles of learning/education and appropriate instructional design, IDLEs support extremely high quality, student centered educational programs for remote learners, making extensive use of the synchronous and asynchronous tools available for Web based communications. Most of them reside on the server, requiring no proprietary applications on the client side. Distant learners may use any Web browser to engage in collaborative online activities.