ICEM 1999 1 Principles of Pedagogy and Evaluation for Web-Based Learning Dr. Charalambos Vrasidas Dr. Marina S. McIsaac ICEM 1999, Slovenia Early draft of the manuscript: Vrasidas, C., & McIsaac, M. (2000). Principles of pedagogy and evaluation of Web- based learning, Educational Media International, 37(2), 105-111 Abstract The authors have designed a number of courses at Arizona State University, which were delivered on the Internet and supported with computer conferencing software. In this paper the authors will present an online course, discuss issues relating to online learning environments, reflect on their experiences from teaching online, and discuss the findings of the course evaluation. Emphasis of the discussion will be on the pedagogical principles for effective teaching and evaluation of learning in an online environment. Introduction Few would contest that the use of electronic networks and the Internet in education shape in new ways how we interact, share information, and communicate with each other. During the last four years the authors have designed a number of courses at Arizona State University, which were delivered on the World-Wide-Web and supported with computer conferencing software. In this paper we will present an online course, reflect on our experiences from teaching online, discuss principles of pedagogy and evaluation of web-based learning, and provide suggestions for educators interested in designing their own online course. When talking about online courses we are not referring to courses that have a syllabus online and meet regularly face-to-face. Online courses are those courses that are completely online or have several scheduled online meetings. There might be some face- to-face meetings but the majority of instruction takes place online. Online courses that use extensively text-based conferencing systems have both advantages and disadvantages. Specific examples of advantages and disadvantages of computer conferencing will be discussed as they relate to our experience. One of the biggest advantages of online courses is the fact that they allow for interaction in both synchronous and asynchronous modes. That is, they allow for place and time independence. People can interact at their own time and have the flexibility to take courses without physically walking in the classroom. Because of its synchronous and asynchronous nature, computer-mediated communication (CMC) allows for self- paced learning and reflection. The real strength of CMC lies on the premises of constructivist epistemology.