Online Learning Update

by Chris Inman, Vivian H. Wright & Julia A. Hartman, JIOL

This study reviewed empirical research conducted in Second Life by educators since Second Life’s launch in 2003. The study’s purpose was to identify how Second Life is being used in both K-12 and higher education. The methodology, findings, and recommendations of 27 research studies were analyzed. Researchers identified potential problems when using Second Life in education, including issues with the Second Life software and hardware requirements, a steep learning curve, and the possibility of students becoming exposed to distractions or inappropriate content. Researchers discussed potential uses of Second Life including role-play, game and simulation creation, implementation within distance education programs, and the ability to encourage student-centered learning activities. Analysis also revealed several recommendations for educators intending to use Second Life.

http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/PDF/9.1.3.pdf

by Palitha Edirisingha, David Hawkridge, and John Fothergill, EURODL

In this paper, we urge practitioners to consider the potential of podcasting for teaching, learning and assessment. Our perspective is drawn from research on IMPALA (Informal Mobile Podcasting And Learning Adaptation), which showed that there is a range of successful podcasting approaches for students on campus. After briefly surveying the background literature, we provide examples of three approaches, from three different universities: 1) helping students to prepare presentations and assessed work, 2) offering feedback from staff on students’ assessed work, and 3) assisting undergraduates to make the transition from school or college to university. Finally, we would like readers to consider how podcasting approaches like these can be converted for distance education. On the evidence available to date from IMPALA and other studies, we feel confident in predicting that podcasting will be integrated more and more into distance education, to the immense benefit of the long distance learner.

http://www.eurodl.org/?p=current&article=393

by David Hawkridge & Matthew Wheeler, EURODL

Research into tutoring at a distance has a fairly long history and the functions of tutors in distance education institutions are well understood. Over the past 20 years research into online tutoring has advanced significantly as such institutions have ‘gone electronic’: in this paper we cite published research from the UK Open University. Recently, blogs, wikis and podcasts have arrived to supplement established systems like email, virtual learning environments (VLEs, such as Blackboard) and computer conferencing. Little research has been published so far, however, on tutoring distant students in three-dimensional multi-user virtual environments (3-D MUVEs). Distance educators may well ask whether the best practices from tutoring at a distance and online tutoring can be transferred to these environments, which do not resemble VLEs. To clarify what may or may not be feasible in a prime example of a 3-D MUVE, this paper elucidates tutoring by and through avatars on a Second Life Island created by the Beyond Distance Research Alliance at the University of Leicester (which has 7,000 students learning at a distance). It analyses what can be done in Second Life by way of meeting students’ needs for tutoring, and discusses some of the opportunities and challenges inherent in asking students and tutors to meet in such an environment.

http://www.eurodl.org/?p=current&article=395

Online Degrees has named the Online Learning Update as one of the top 25 e-Learning blogs online.  The blog is described: “With an abundance of informative articles, this blog has been publishing daily posts since 2001. The site is geared towards the more intellectual reader, specifically college and university students or professors.”

http://www.onlinedegrees.org/the-top-25-e-learning-blogs/

by Lori Kupczynski, Phil Ice, Randy Wiesenmayer & Frank McCluskey, NCOLR

The Community of Inquiry Framework posits teaching, social and cognitive presence interact to create the learning experience in online environments (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2001). To date, considerable research has been conducted which employs the framework with promising results (Akyol et al., 2009). However, significant work is needed to understand the interactions of the three presences and the impact of specific indicators on learning outcomes. This study uses a mixed methods approach to explore student perceptions of the impact of the indicators of Teaching Presence on their success in online courses. Analysis revealed that level may be a significant factor in determining which of the 13 indicators are considered most critical to success. Suggestions for application of results are included.

http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/PDF/9.1.2.pdf

by Terumi Miyazoe and Terry Anderson, EURODL

This paper reports on an empirical research on the Interaction Equivalency Theorem posited by Anderson (2003a), consisting of the three elements of teacher-student-content interaction. Using an author-developed survey, the paper reports the priority order of interaction elements to assure learning quality with two parameters of learning modes and subject orientations. The inventory was tested in four universities with a total of 236 students. The results revealed that student-teacher interaction for face-to-face (F2F) and language-oriented course, and student-content for online and knowledge-oriented course were prioritized in students’ perceptions to obtain higher satisfaction. In addition, the experience of increased asynchronous online written interaction with peers in the blended course design produced a change in the students’ perceptions towards the necessary interaction elements. The research therefore adds empirical validity of the Theorem. Further research directions regarding the Theorem are also provided.

http://www.eurodl.org/?article=397

by M S Balaji & Diganta Chakrabarti, NCOLR

The present study contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of online discussion forum in student learning. A conceptual model based on ‘theory of online learning’ and ‘media richness theory’ was proposed and empirically tested. We extend the current understanding of media richness theory to suggest that use of multiple media can enrich the communication context and perceived learning. Hierarchical regression was applied to investigate the relationships between antecedent factors, interaction and perceived learning. The results show that the perceived richness of online discussion forum has significant positive effect on student participation and interaction, and learning, when used along with traditional classroom lecture. Implications of these findings are discussed as they provide important guidelines for management educators.

http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/PDF/9.1.1.pdf

by Josh Keller and Marc Parry

Online education is booming, but not at elite universities—at least not when it comes to courses for credit. Leaders at the University of California want to break that mold. This fall they hope to put $5-million to $6-million into a pilot project that could clear the way for the system to offer online undergraduate degrees and push distance learning further into the mainstream. The vision is UC’s most ambitious—and controversial—effort to reshape itself after cuts in public financial support have left the esteemed system in crisis.

http://chronicle.com/article/In-Crisis-U-of-California/65445/

by Geek.com

Efforts to digitize books and put them online have either run into legal hurdles or don’t include some of the most popular works. When they do get online many books are not in formats that are accessible by those who are visually impaired or dyslexic. A new initiative by the Internet Archive plans to change that. The intiative has led to the creation of a new online catalog of downloadable books for the disabled which are available through the new Open Library website.

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/over-1m-books-online-for-those-visually-or-learning-impaired-2010056/

by Mary Helen Miller, Chronicle of Higher Ed

Students give the same responses on paper as on online course evaluations but are less likely to respond to online surveys, according to a recent study. The study was conducted at Kansas State University’s IDEA Center, a nonprofit group that tries to improve how colleges use course evaluations. It examined data that the center collected from classes at nearly 300 institutions between 2002 and 2008, of which 89.9 percent used paper surveys and 10.1 percent posted surveys online. The study analyzed student ratings data from 271,727 classes that used paper surveys and 13,101 classes that used online surveys.

http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Online-Evaluations-Show-Same/23772/

by Thanos Hatziapostolou and Iraklis Paraskakis, EJEL

Formative feedback is instrumental in the learning experience of a student. It can be effective in promoting learning if it is timely, personal, manageable, motivational, and in direct relation with assessment criteria. Despite its importance, however, research suggests that students are discouraged from engaging in the feedback process primarily for reasons that relate to lack of motivation and difficulty in relating to and reflecting on the feedback comments. In this paper we present Online FEdback System (OFES), an e-learning tool that effectively supports the provision of formative feedback. Our aims are to enhance feedback reception and to strengthen the quality of feedback through the way feedback is communicated to the students. We propose that an effective feedback communication mechanism should be integrated into a student’s online learning space and it is anticipated that this provision will motivate students to engage with feedback. Empirical evidence suggests that the developed system successfully addresses the issues of student engagement and motivation and achieves its objectives. The results of using the system for two years indicate a positive perception of the students which, in turn, encourages us to further explore its effectiveness by extending its functionality and integrating it into a an open source learning management system.

http://www.ejel.org/Volume-8/v8-i2/v8-i2-art-7.htm

by Tanya Roscorla, Converge

The social platform Ning, used by many in online learning, has announced new service plans and prices for its networks, including word that a major education company will sponsor entry-level networks for educators. Ning’s decision prompted debates on Twitter about whether educators should rely on tools without paying for them, how to control their information in these online spaces and whether teachers should be entitled to “free” tools. And those discussions continued today during a weekly education conversation on Twitter using the hashtag “edchat.”

http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/Ning-Price-Plans-Give-Educators-Reason-to-Tweet.html

By Linda Trimble, News-Journal

Online classes are soon expected to replace classes taught over the telephone and some personal visits that helped hundreds of Volusia County students a year keep up with schoolwork when they had to stay home because of prolonged illness or discipline problems. School district officials say the move will broaden course offerings for homebound students while trimming annual costs by $200,000. But a teacher in the program that serves about 300 students a year worries it will isolate students and sever the close bonds some developed with instructors at the other end of the phone line.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2010/05/05/homebound-student-changes-raise-concerns.html

by Dennis Carter, eSchool News

Nearly seven in 10 students pass Test Drive College Online’s competency exam. Prospective students returning to college after a lengthy layoff can gauge their basic English and math skills beforehand to make sure they’re ready for online classes with a new program designed to find the most qualified and disciplined students for web-based courses. Test Drive College Online, launched May 5 at no charge, matches applicants with online institutions that best suit their academic goals after the student passes a 20-question College Competency Exam, which includes freshman-level math and English questions that help advisors identify students who aren’t yet ready for higher education.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/05/05/exam-lets-prospects-test-drive-online-education/

by Maya T. Prabhu, eSchool News

An online instructional resource for students in grades 8-12 that has been available to schools free of charge since December 2008 soon will include content for sixth and seventh graders as well. SAS Curriculum Pathways, from North Carolina-based SAS Institute, a leading maker of business analytics software, provides web-based lessons and activities in the core subjects of English, math, social studies, science, and Spanish.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/05/06/free-online-curriculum-expanding-to-middle-grades/

UMassOnline, the online learning division of the University of Massachusetts, today announced that for its fiscal year 2010 it achieved a 20.1% increase in revenue and a 14.4% increase in enrollment. Compared to the previous year, revenues increased from $46.8 million to $56.2 million while enrollments increased from 40,020 to 45,815. This is the ninth consecutive year in which UMassOnline, founded in 2001, has seen double digit growth in both enrollments and revenues.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100504006616&newsLang=en

by James Vaznis, Boston Globe

The schools would have no desks or lockers, not even a cafeteria to trade gossip over a plate of chicken nuggets. Instead, students could take classes from the comfort of their homes or a neighborhood coffeehouse, as teachers convey lessons via the Internet. This is a snapshot of virtual public schools in Massachusetts, which could open as soon as this fall, enabling hundreds of students to take all their classes online.

http://bit.ly/bm89qh

by Erin Brown, Daily Kansan

For the first time, students looking to get ahead with classes over the summer can do so from their own homes. The University will offer summer classes online this year, instead of holding only traditional on-campus classes. The old system doesn’t leave many options for students who can’t stay in Lawrence over the summer, said Jim Peters, director of program coordination for Continuing Education at the University.

http://www.kansan.com/news/2010/may/05/university-begin/?news

by Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti, Distance Learning

In its early days web-based instruction was seen as a solution to a problem: students who were separated from campus either by geography or schedule would be able to take advantage of web-based instruction to get the training or degree they desired. Dana Tesone, assistant professor in the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, and Peter Ricci of Barry Kaye College of Business at Florida Atlantic University, set out to learn more about the way that students perceive online education today. Their work shows the equality of student perceptions of online versus face-to-face courses, and it has implications for how we think about these two delivery approaches.

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/distance-learning/how-do-students-think-online-courses-compare/

by Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed

Professors, particularly those in the senior ranks, might have a reputation for being leery of social media. But they are no Luddites when it comes to Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook and YouTube, according to a new survey scheduled to be released today. The data suggest that 80 percent of professors, with little variance by age, have at least one account with either Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Skype, LinkedIn, MySpace, Flickr, Slideshare, or Google Wave. Nearly 60 percent kept accounts with more than one, and a quarter used at least four. A majority, 52 percent, said they used at least one of them as a teaching tool.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/05/04/socialmedia

by Laura Devaney, eSchool News

Studying online in a collaborative learning environment can motivate students. Aiming to engage students who are multitasking with different forms of technology, companies are creating collaborative learning spaces online where students can help one another solve homework problems and study—all while building important 21st-century skills. One such social-networking study site is Grockit, which currently offers test-prep services and is expanding its focus to include math and English for students in grades 8-12, with history and science soon to follow.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/05/03/like-facebook-but-for-learning/