Abstract
Distance Learning (DL) initiatives are proceeding full speed ahead, both within traditional universities and in "virtual" institutions specializing in on-line course delivery. Much has been written about the virtues and limitations, the obstacles and enablers, and the "Do's" and "Don'ts" of DL. However, considerable work remains in determining actual learning outcomes of the various approaches to DL. This paper describes a useful framework for designing and evaluating DL course delivery that is based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs model applied to virtual learning communities. The results of analyzing preliminary outcomes from a set of virtual courses in Introduction to Information Systems provide some initial support of the framework. Includes one figure: Maslow's hierarchy of needs and two tables: online hierarchy of needs and course evaluation results. (Contains 15 references.) (Author)