Virtual Universities and Virtual Campuses: Working Group 3.6

摘要

This report considers several issues that relate to virtual universities. Firstly a typology is considered to cover the main types of virtual university and their distinguishing features. One can distinguish several types of institutions: pure virtual universities, extension of current universities, outgrowth of current distance learning institutions, integrating the internet and purely commercial ventures. Following on from the typology, we consider how such universities are funded and how this might influence the curriculum. The curriculum is considered in a section on educational effectiveness, followed by issues related to accreditation and competitiveness. Finally, we comment on research in a virtual environment.