A framework for developing and managing information technology online laboratories at institutions of higher education

This dissertation develops a framework for implementing and managing information technology online laboratories at institutions of higher education (IHEs). The impetus for this research is the need for enhancement of course offerings with online laboratories using advanced instructional technologies. Faculty have achieved high levels of teaching and professional development success by introducing first-generation technologies (multi-media, e-mail, and the Web) into the classroom. These technologies support constructivist's learning practices and benefit lifelong learners enrolled in face-to-face (F2F) and distance education (DE) courses. However, educators teaching in both venues must transition from current tools and technologies to more advanced methods, e.g., online labs using modeling and simulation.; This discourse presents the researcher's documentation of the development and delivery of a simulated online laboratory for two information assurance (IA) courses. The researcher tracks the project, from inception through execution of a proof-of-concept, by monitoring tasks performed by a team of dedicated educators interested in improving the laboratory offerings for technology courses in the DE and F2F arenas. Using participatory action research, the investigator monitored the project documenting its "ebbs and flows" to uncover a catalog of typical and unique issues arising during such undertakings.; Several noteworthy online laboratories exist but a literature search revealed a paucity of information relative to managing their implementation. This research fills that gap as a study of the intrinsic complexities of online laboratory deployment, implementation processes and concomitant project issues. It is an account of a software package implementation process using OPNET RTM IT Guru, a popular network simulation tool.; Feedback from research project resources and data analyses support the hypotheses that online simulated laboratories are achievable, enhance the learning experience and can support the needs for scalable online laboratories. The research concludes with an evaluation of factors essential to the successful delivery of online laboratories at IHEs and development of an implementation framework tool.; The result of this research inquiry, undergirded by actual participation, surveys, interviews and a case study is a reliable framework that can assist stakeholders in coping with the implications of introducing and managing online laboratories in the classroom.