The phrase "online course materials" means different things to different people. A common characterization is that online course materials are delivered and consumed via a Web-based interface. Online education requires certain resources to be in place. Technological resources are easy to identify: computers with browser software, Internet access, servers, and so forth. Some resources are less obvious: student skills relating to computers, computer-related skills of people developing online materials, and the resources needed to sustain the development and delivery of online materials. One important resource is the continuing development and redevelopment of online materials. Content and concepts in college courses change and the online materials must change as well. Additionally, the delivery methods for online materials change as technology changes. Faculty must be motivated to update and renew the content and also the delivery of online course materials. This article looks at the similarities and differences of U.S. and non-U.S. faculty in their perceptions of developing online course materials. Resources, demographics, and other factors will be considered. College faculty must believe that developing online materials has academic value in order to assure that online courses become a permanent feature of higher education and not merely a fad of the "dot com" era.
Schell, George, "Preliminary Results on U.S. Versus Non-U.S. Perceptions of Online Course Materials " (2005). SAIS 2005 Proceedings. 34.