All those involved in Higher Education are under pressure to familiarise themselves with the newest developments in Information Technology, and to understand the ways in which they can make use of these resources. The purpose of this book is to help academics from all disciplines to take full advantage of IT. Anticipating a future in which distance learning and virtual reality tutoring systems play a central role in university teaching, Roy Rada provides guidelines for making use of such technological opportunities. The chapters cover:

• distance learning for individual students

• groups in classrooms - focusing on interactive technology

• the university as a whole

• emerging market forces in Higher Education and training for industry

Unlike competing books that focus on specific aspects of the subject, Understanding Virtual Universities combines managerial, social and technical issues, to provide a comprehensive approach to Information Technology for Higher Education.