Rena M. Palloff is a core faculty member at Capella University in the School of Education and adjunct faculty at the Fielding Graduate Institute. Keith Pratt is core faculty in the School of Education at Capella University and also teaches at the Fielding Graduate Institute. Palloff and Pratt have been appointed to the faculty of the Center for Excellence in Education and are managing partners of Crossroads Consulting Group. They are the authors of Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace and Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom, both from Jossey-Bass.

• List of Figures, Tables, and Exhibits xiPreface xiiiAbout the Authors xxiPart One: A Profile of the Virtual Student1 Who is the Virtual Student? 32 The Student Side of Online Learning Communities 153 Learning Styles 294 Gender, Culture, Lifestyle, and Geography 395 What the Virtual Student Needs 51Part Two: A Guide to Working With the Virtual Student: Issues, Concerns, and Strategies6 Designing a Good Student Orientation 657 Time and Commitment 778 Assessment and Evaluation 899 Legal Issues and the Virtual Student 10310 Attrition, Retention, and Group Size 11211 Becoming Truly Learner-Focused: Best Practices in Online Teaching 124Introduction to the Toolkit for a Successful Online Student 139Resource A: Faculty Tools 143Resource B: Student Tools 161References 179Index 185

"…an especially useful resource…" (Teaching Theology and Religion) "The Virtual Student deserves a spot on every university educator's bookshelf." (University Business, August 2003)