Here's a collection of sites tha I have found very useful as free resources for most any topic on distance learning. I will be continually adding to this site, and invite you to submit your favorite free and useful sites for DL resources. - G. Moore

Chatrooms

http://www.acuit.com
Allows Web access to thousands of chatrooms, permitting synchronous voice contact

http://www.ichat.com
You can also use Web-based audio and a microphone to converse with people just as you would a telephone. There are a number of programs that allow you to do this for no cost beyond the Internet connection. You can find examples at the above site.

http://www.hearme.com
Many chatrooms allow the instructor special privileges such as muting students, disconnecting students, or even assigning special privileges to guests. This is an excellent medium for inviting special guests to participate with your class while they remain in their own country, office, or home. Try downloading free software at the above site.

http://distancelearn.about.com/education/
You may also communicate in many chatrooms by talking over a microphone much as you would in a conference call on a telephone. Here's an idea.. Kristin Hirst at "Distance Learning," supports a chatroom on the subject of distance education at the above location.

http://www.mscomm.com/~twoton/
If you are using a microphone, it may be a challenge to set it up and have it work perfectly the first time. You could obtain some help at the above URL.

Course Development

http://www.ecollege.com
eCollege.com

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil
Filamentality- This is a do-it-yourself, fill-in-the-blank site that starts you off by picking a topic, then searching the Web, and assembling relevant Web sites that may then be turned into appropriate activities for students. Try it out...it's great for a template.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~idt/courses/7W120
Intro to Instructional Design/ Univ. of Iowa

http://www.unc.edu/cit/guides/irg-38.html
Learning Over the Internet

http://www.lotus.com/home.nsf/welcome/learnspace
Learning Space/Lotus

http://www.pbs.org/adultlearning/als/
PBS Adult Learning Systems Online/tele-Web Courses

http://www.cet.sfsu.edu/online-resources/webbased.html
Resources for Creating Online Courses

http://www.csp.edu/courses
Resources for Developing On-line Courses in a Box./Concordia University

http://thenode.org
The Node- A "not-for-profit" organization that promotes effective uses of Internet-based technology. It offers rich resources on instructional design, and pedagogy and community forums (that are timely and on going.

http://dossantos.cbpa.louisville.edu/cbpa/webcourse/index4.htm
The Web Course Development Home Page/Univ. of Louisville

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/w/d/wdm2/research.htm
Web-based Instruction Resource Site

http://www.webct.com/
WebCT Course Tools

http://virtual.park.uga.edu/cdesmet/231stud.htm

http://ubli.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/tlr/large.html

http://www.inform.umd.edu/CTE/lcn/index.html
Use filters on your email to organize responses. There are several excellent websites that address the issues of teaching large classes and/or using TAs. The above websites are useful for these purposes.

www.w3.org
The World Wide Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative is one of the largest research and information programs developed to provide guidelines on creating accessible websites and online courses.

The Association of Schools of Public Health Distance Learning Site

1. Tools for Development: Collection of Web URL's for the development of web-based courses:
2. DL References: Books, articles, and web sites to promote distance learning:
3. More DL Resources: Chat rooms, libraries, research, classroom resources

get educated.com

The Virtual University Gazette’s Guide to programs that teach instructors how to teach online.

Course Digital Resources

http://www.merlot.org/Home.po
MERLOT - Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching is a FREE and OPEN resource designed primarily for faculty and students in higher education. Information hosted in MERLOT is free to use for educational, non-commercial purposes, and materials linked to by MERLOT have a range of license agreements from public domain to commercial. The links to the learning materials are in MERLOT to help users find these web sites. MERLOT is not responsible for the content or the practices of these sites. With a continually growing collection of online learning materials, assignments and reviews, MERLOT helps faculty enhance instruction. MERLOT is also a community of people who strive to enrich teaching and learning experiences. Search for peer reviewed materials that you can use in your web-enhanced or online course i many subject areas including Arts Business Education Humanities Mathematics Social Sciences Science & Technology.

http://www..pearsoned.com
Pearson Distributed Learning provides a showcase of technology solutions grouped into four major categories that include: Book Specific Website, Discipline Specific Websites, Courses Management Systems, and Other Technology Solutions. These technology solutions may be viewed at the above site.

http://www.mhhe.com
Since more publishers are entering this digital arena continuously, there's a good chance that your subject matter is adequately covered by one of these publishers. To learn more about digital solutions from McGraw-Hill visit the above site.

http://www.hmco.com
Some of the electronic online services provided by Houghton-Mifflin are available at the above site.

http://www.virtualchautauqua.org
And, as it turns out, with sites as above, the performing arts have been put online in video, audio and text, and the artists are available via synchronous and asynchronous discussion, thereby removing geographic boundaries.

http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu
The Harvard Business School Publishing now offers case studies online as well as course templates centered on these case studies as at the above site.

Film (digital processing)

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/products/photoCD.shtm
There are a number of vendors now offering to digitize your film. If you want a tutorial on digital photos, want to know about Photo CD, would like to download Photo CD software, or locate a Photo CD service provider, then give the above URL a try.

http://www.filmworks.com
If you have just a roll of film that doesn't require high resolution then most digitizing services will work just fine for Web applications since the resolution doesn't have to be very high. You might try Seattle Filmworks at the above site.

http://www.snapfish.com
If you're really economical then try the above site. They will send you back your negatives, a full set of prints on Kodak paper, post your password protected photos on the Web, and notify you by email at no cost but the $1.69 for return shipping. Advertisers pay the rest. You can download the photos off the Web for use.

Distance Learning Portals

About.com distance learning portal

Looking for the motherload of online resources.and information. Here's the About.com site hosted by Kristen Hirst. There's substantial links to faculty and student resources, publications, organizations, tools, systems, research , available college degree programs and much more at this site.

Center for Internet Technology (CITE)

CiTE, the Center for Internet Technology in Education, brings together leading educators to address the challenges and opportunities of the academic community. CiTE partners with institutions of higher education to explore current issues related to Internet-based technologies in education. Based in Denver, Colorado, CiTE encourages a forum for educators to learn, network, and share eLearning experiences.

The Technology Source

The purpose of The Technology Source (ISSN 1532-0030), a peer-reviewed bimonthly periodical, is to provide thoughtful, illuminating articles that will assist educators as they face the challenge of integrating information technology tools into teaching and into managing educational organizations.

Ed Tech

Offering publications and discussion groups on topics related to distance learning. Resources for online learners. The topics in this section include:

• absolute beginners, 'Open Me First' application,
• articulation and transfer guides
• brochures and print materials
• career development
• distance education resources
• financial aid
• miscellaneous resources
• netiquette and online discourse online help
• online research
  • evaluating resources
  • references
  • periodicals and journals
  • mailing lists and newsgroups
  • miscellaneous virtual libraries
• learning skills
• technical hints