Voces ex machina: a literature review of the key elements necessary for success in online courses

This paper begins with a description of the architecture of an online teacher education course the evolution of which was informed by this critical review. The course structure is described; links between online learning and teacher education are outlined; key research questions are identified; a synoptic overview of the online course is provided and finally a critically review of key literature is given in relation to the factors affecting success in online platforms. The review itself is contextualised using the three online learning domains identified in the seminal work of Garrison, D.R, and Anderson, T. (2003): Teacher-student interaction (T-S), its reverse, (S-T), and finally, Student-Design interaction (S-D) in which the student interacts with the course design itself. Ultimately, the findings are amplified in the conclusions section and success vectors identified