Developing the “virtual” classroom: a business school example

Distance education and the concept of the virtual classroom is an area of considerable interest to educators and trainers alike. Charts the develop‐ment of a distance learning provision in an undergraduate School of Business Administration and discusses how the new teaching and learning strategies are now firmly part of the school. Discusses the mix of traditional teaching and distance learning and provides suggestions on how to use the technology in a broader context of training and professional development. Concludes with a discussion of the ways to overcome the barrier that students are taught rather than helped to learn. By relying almost exclusively on the case method of instruction, students or participants are forced to move from dependency to engage in problem solving, critical thinking, and experiential group exercises that will help them make decisions not only in the classroom session but also in business settings.