A research framework for the study of a campus-wide Web-based academic instruction project

The use of the Internet as an instructional tool in higher education is rapidly increasing. The author provides a research framework for the study of campus-wide academic instruction using the Web. This framework consists of three levels: (a) the macro level, which focuses on the diffusion process of the Internet on the campus instruction from the institutional perspective; (b) the mezzo level, which focuses on the emergence of new pedagogies and learning paradigms in courses that integrate the Web into traditional instruction; and (c) the micro level, which concerns the actual usage of the Web in the teaching and learning process of specific courses. First, a background and description of the research framework is provided. Second, the author describes how this framework serves as the research agenda for the study of Virtual TAU—a campus-wide implementation project aimed at integrating the Internet into the traditional instruction of Tel-Aviv University (TAU). Finally, a preliminary discussion of the issues and concerns raised by this research effort is provided. D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.