Online Learning Update

by Emily Appelbaum and Asaf Shalev, San Francisco Bay Guardian

Last week, UC was awarded a $750,000 Next Generation Learning Challenges grant, moving it one step closer to a curriculum composed of words that barely existed a decade ago. But some fear — with good reason — that online education will become a low-cost, high-return alternative to traditional instruction. And the students will be the losers. UC’s Online Instruction Pilot Program grew out of recommendations to explore online learning discussed by the UC Commission on the Future over the past two years. This spring, a subcommittee of faculty and administrators selected 29 courses to be developed over the next two years.

http://www.sfbg.com/2011/04/12/online-learning-challengev

by David Simmons, Daily News

A revolutionary online learning service optimizes peer-to-peer instruction by bringing together in the field experts with willing students. Learnable is like the university of life online. Learnable believes that everybody is an expert at something. Learnable.com invites people to take their passion and teach it to other – on any topic, any skill. Lessons on Learnable.com are created by individuals outside of the website either from their homes, gardens or office – wherever the lesson plan takes them. Ordinary people take their knowledge and break it down into digestible learnable chunks and they disseminate them to the world.

http://www.thinking-clearly.com/online-learning-new-social-service-for-learning-launched/114518/

by Eureka Alert

Solving problems for clients in any field usually requires gathering information and creative thinking that leads to practical and inventive solutions. A new computer interface developed at Iowa State University is helping students use what they’ve learned in the horticulture classroom and apply it to problems they’ll face when they are on the job site. The project, called ThinkSpace, is led by a group of ISU faculty including Ann Marie VanDerZanden, professor of horticulture and associate director of ISU’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. ThinkSpace has many different features that make it an effective way to teach using ill-structured problems. This type of problem allows students to choose from multiple paths to arrive at a solution.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/isu-col041111.php

by Seth Odell, Higher Ed Live (YouTube)

Gagan Biyani, co-founder of Udemy, a site that lets you teach and learn online, talks with us about open online learning, OpenCourseWare and the future of edu. As technology leads to an increasing democratization of learning, many traditional institutions are failing to keep up. Innovation is coming from the outside and the tech world has truly sets its sights on disrupting education forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9e5lxPGpYQ&feature=youtube_gdata

by Stock Market Review

Grambling University offers students to enroll in their distance education program and pursue their studies, irrespective of their location or religion. The university promises quality education through access to different web-enhanced academic course programs. There are namely 3 to 4 e-learning programs at GSU for distant learners; online courses, blended course, web enhanced course and video conferencing course. Online courses are given through the internet with blackboard system. While the other courses also use Moodle course management system and include campus teachings. With support features such as distance learning technology will further help pupils enroll for blended or separate courses such as Human resource management, Design and development, Child development, advanced statistics, language studies like Latin, German, etc.

http://www.stockmarketsreview.com/realestate/2011/04/14/distance-learning-prospects-at-grambling-state-university/

by Ben Walker, Trail Blazer Moorehead State University

Cars can now be plugged into a power outlet to charge, computers fit in a pants pocket, and a business transaction can occur between strangers who live thousands of miles away. Technology has opened up doors that seemed unimaginable just a few years ago and education is reaping the benefits. Educators now have a number of tech tools they can use for instruction as well as to communicate with their students. From SMART Boards to online integration, many professors are finding that the changes are for the better. Dr. Rebecca Sexton, an MSU instructor of English, has been teaching for 35 years. She said the inclusion of more students through ITV classes is welcome when it means classrooms are getting filled.

http://www.trailblazeronline.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2342:face-to-face-vs-online-classes&catid=53:life-and-arts&Itemid=72

by Wayne State University

The Keeywaytinook tribe in northern Ontario, Canada, couldn’t afford a high school, and its youth, some as young as 13 years old, had no option but to live in unfamiliar communities to attend school. But this option sparked a culture shock among some students that impeded their ability to learn and was even fatal in some cases. To address the issue, the tribe developed an online high school to provide its youth with distance learning that actually kept them closer to home. Michael Barbour, Ph.D., assistant professor of instructional technology at Wayne State University’s College of Education and a resident of Windsor, Ontario, has spent the past three years conducting an ongoing study to evaluate ways in which Canadian students, like those in northern Ontario, are benefitting from the use of technology as a tool to provide distance learning. The purpose of the study is to examine the legislation, policy and regulations that govern K-12 distance education in Canada. During this three-year period, he has been awarded two grants from the International Association for K-12 Online Learning to support his research.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/wsu–twt041311.php

by Russ Poulin, WCET blog

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) released a new ‘Dear Colleague’ letter on the ‘state authorization’ regulation. The USDOE is to be commended for demonstrating that it heard the distress of the distance education community. The letter seems to go about as far as it could in trying to assist institutions on this issue. Even so, it leaves the institutions with much work to do. This is very positive as institutions will receive some relief from the pressure of trying to comply in such a short timeframe. That’s the good news.

(see Russ Poulin’s blog post for the important details)

http://wcetblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/second-dear-colleague-letter/

By Scott Manning, US News

More Artists, musicians, carpenters and professionals in a wide variety of other fields may be surprised to learn that a growing number of institutions are offering online learning opportunities in their industries. As web-based learning becomes more popular, educators are aiming to provide students with an array of nontraditional course offerings. For example, Edward Weiss, a pianist and composer, recently launched a website on which users can access New Age piano lessons, according to a press release. The genre of music, which was most popular during the mid-1980s, is making a comeback, notes Weiss.

http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/more-unique-online-courses-being-offered-in-a-vari_11412.aspx

by Gina Glaros, WTHI

With gas almost four dollars a gallon, students make arrangements to make their trip to class less expensive. With gas prices more expensive by the day, Ivy Tech students make adjustments. Online classes more than doubled in the last two years in Indiana.

http://www.wthitv.com/dpp/news/local/students-take-more-online-courses

by Leena Rao, TechCrunch

What differentiates Coursification from other course management and online learning platforms is that it helps teachers offer a tailored, personalized curriculum to each student based on their performance and learning schedule. Each online course begins with a diagnostic assessment that identifies student learning gaps (specialized to the subject). After the diagnostic test, each student receives a personalized study schedule, which the teacher can simply import into the platform. The schedule is customized based on student proficiencies and the duration of the course.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/28/prepmes-coursification-offers-a-personalized-online-learning-platform/

By Jamie Littlefield, About.com Guide

Once eyed suspiciously as a low-quality version of classroom learning, online programs are now widely accepted and often work in tandem with traditional university offerings. Until now, the online learning movement has seemed to slowly gain momentum, becoming more acceptable as each year passes. But, perhaps a bigger shift is coming. As online schooling develops its own best features (for example, the ability for students to learn independently, rather than watching pre-recorded lectures), we may one day see online learning become even more popular than traditional college.

http://distancelearn.about.com/b/2011/03/25/online-learning-as-disruptive-innovation.htm

by the UK Virtual College

The Apple iPad will come to play a major part in online learning technology, according to one e-learning provider. Online training courses supplier emPower claimed the product has the potential to become a significant element in children’s education in the future because it is a convenient device that is well-liked by adolescents. “The iPad … serves to be the perfect device for comfortable online learning and acts as a useful tool for referencing, collaborating and content creation,” the company said.

http://goo.gl/1jidX

As the demands for public accountability increase for higher education, institutions are seeking methods for continuous improvement in order to demonstrate quality within programs and processes, including those provided through online education. To support the needs of its member institutions with regard to quality measurement and improvement, the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) today announced its endorsement of the “Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Education Programs.” “We are committed to championing quality in online education and providing our members the resources they need to be successful,” said John Bourne, Ph.D., executive director of the Sloan Consortium. “We believe the Quality Scorecard is a breakthrough tool for standardizing the industry and for enabling online learning institutions not only to measure and report on the quality of their programs, but to identify areas for improvement.”

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sloan-c-endorses-quality-scorecard-for-measuring-quality-of-online-college-education-programs-119246729.html

by Stephanie Schende, The Daily Evergreen

Online-based classes continue to increase in enrollment and popularity at WSU due to the flexibility and convenience it offers students in fulfilling their General Education Requirements (GERs). Enrollment in online courses and in WSU’s distance degree program rises an average of 10 percent each year, said Debbie O’Donnell, director of marketing and student experience for the Center for Distance and Professional Education. “It’s a national trend that WSU will also be participating in,” O’Donnell said. “I think that the institution can expect growth in the online programs.” In addition to online GER courses for on-campus students, WSU also has numerous online degree and certificate programs for students who are unable to attend an actual university campus. “Overall, the appeal is the flexibility online courses offer,” O’Donnell said.

http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/34270

by Fox Chapel Area School District

Physics teacher, Tom Moul, discusses establishing and maintaining cognitive presence within a Community of Inquiry in a hybrid online physics course for high school students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6e65e6eI00&feature=youtube_gdata

by Nashua Telegraph

Three New Hampshire high schools showcased their strategies for teaching in the 21st century at a conference held in Nashua last week. High School Redesign in Action was held at the Radisson Hotel on Thursday and Friday. Goffstown High School, Timberlane Regional High in Plaistow and the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School were invited to represent New Hampshire at the conference, which included high schools from other New England states. The focus of the conference was high school innovation. Presenters came from schools that had seen gains in student achievement, graduation rates and college enrollment.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/915374-196/updating-education-for-new-century.html

By Laurie Welch, Times-News

Jennifer Reddington will face an important etiquette question in late May: Is it OK to put two tassels on one mortar board? The Minico High School senior is counted among the burgeoning number of Idaho scholars taking advantage of a program that offers college credits for courses they take during their high school years. And while enrollment in the College of Southern Idaho’s dual credit program has more than doubled since 2005, Reddington is part of a rarer breed of Gem State student. She’ll graduate this spring with a Minico diploma and an associate degree from CSI.

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/mini-cassia/article_bffd9df3-cf3b-56b8-b130-c2bdcc640b5c.html

By Kristen A. Graham, John Sullivan, and Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer

Naveda Walker, 14, does work for Agora Cyber Charter School on a home computer in Overbrook as mother…First, Naveda Walker was assaulted by a classmate at Beeber Middle School in West Philadelphia last year. Then, the teen was jumped leaving school while her mother helplessly listened on the other end of a phone conversation. Days later, a group of youngsters went to the Walkers’ Overbrook rowhouse and announced they were there to fight Naveda. Fed up with the violence her daughter faced and the Philadelphia School District’s inability to stop it, Wanda Walker said, she pulled her daughter from the district. Now, Naveda is a ninth grader at Agora Cyber Charter, an online school.

http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-10/news/29403554_1_agora-cyber-charter-online-courses-students

by: WENDY LEE, Star Tribune

A Minneapolis start-up aims to take advantage of the latest Internet trends to enhance the educational experience. Students who struggle with math homework may have a devil of a time trying to get help from their parents. They could turn to the Internet, but how would they know which websites are accurate? The Minneapolis start-up Sophia hopes to provide a solution. The company, named after the Greek word for wisdom, has an online platform that allows people to upload educational videos, lectures and slide shows on topics that range from U.S. history to chemistry. Each piece of information is rated by Sophia’s users. A page gets an extra endorsement if three users who say they have master’s degrees deem it accurate.

http://www.startribune.com/business/119489794.html

By Dennis Carter, Assistant Editor, eCampus News

Android-based tablets will make up 39 percent of the market in 2015, Gartner predicts. Apple’s iPad will maintain tablet supremacy for the next four years, but higher education soon could see an influx of tablets that operate with Google’s operating system (OS) during the same period, according to an April 11 report from IT research company Gartner. After changing the tablet market the way the Apple iPhone “reinvented” the smart-phone market, the iPad and its iOS—Apple’s operating system—account for almost 70 percent of media tablets, while Android-based tablets account for 20 percent of the market, according to Gartner.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/technologies/google-tablets-expected-to-challenge-ipad/