Teacher-student interactions and learning outcome in distance environment.

This paper describes a distance learning project that enables talented high school students in geographically isolated and underdeveloped areas to participate in an introductory university course without leaving the supportive framework of their high schools. The rationale behind the project is described as well as a model in which university faculty work together with high schools in order to achieve broad educational goals. The online collection of student-related data is described, together with how this helped us to identify and solve problems experienced by high school students in a distance learning environment. The collection and implementation of teacher-related data used in order to increase the effectiveness of instruction during the course is described. Finally, some significant results of this research are presented, with a description of how they can be implemented not only to solve but also to prevent potential obstacles to effective distance learning in future projects.