Online Learning Update

by Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed

In a move that could shake the e-learning industry, the company today unveiled a new learning management system that colleges will be able to use for free, without having to pay any of the licensing or maintenance costs normally associated with the technology. Pearson’s new platform, called OpenClass, is only in beta phase; the company does not expect to take over the LMS market overnight. But by moving to turn the learning management platform into a free commodity — like campus e-mail has become for many institutions — Pearson is striking at the foundation of an industry that currently bills colleges for hundreds of millions per year.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/10/13/pearson_announces_free_learning_management_system

by the Virtual College

As reports surface about the instability of the job market for young people, employment seekers could turn to e-learning to boost their skills. The number of young people struggling to find work has topped an estimated one million as employers are often cutting back and outsourcing work to other companies to save money, the Independent reports. According to latest figures, half of 16 to 24-year-olds are classed as economically inactive – meaning they are out of work and not in education. Online learning courses could help those that are unemployed keep busy as well as build up their qualifications database to make themselves more appealing to potential employers.

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/Elearning-could-help-improve-skills-for-the-unemployed-newsitems-800757716.aspx

By Amber J. Leonard, Gulf Coast Eagle News

After more than seven years of use, the many students and faculty members who have hated using the university eLearning Management System ANGEL will finally see the program dismantled. By the summer semester of 2013, ANGEL will be completely phased out, and a new LMS will be in use. Some students may be wondering: Why the change? “ANGEL won’t exist anymore; we have no choice but to change,” said University Provost Ron Toll. ANGEL was bought out by Blackboard, and Blackboard will discontinue the program after 2014. The contract that FGCU has had in place with ANGEL since July of 2004 expires in June of 2012. FGCU will renew the contract for one year while preparations for the implementation of a yet-to-be-determined new program are made. “We will go out and look for more options in the market,” Toll said.

http://www.eaglenews.org/angel-gone-by-2013-1.2650712

by Clayton M. Christensen and Michael B. Horn, Washington Post

This year’s math classes for many students in the Los Altos School District in California look radically different from those in the past. Powered in part by the Khan Academy—a non-profit that offers free educational resources such as online lessons and online assessments—the school district is expanding the “blended-learning” pilot it ran last year. The district’s fifth, sixth and seventh graders learn online for a significant portion of their in-class math periods at the path and pace that fit their individual needs. Meanwhile, teachers will coach the students to keep up with their math goals and help them apply the math concepts in small-group and class-wide projects. Online learning isn’t just grabbing the imagination of educators in Silicon Valley. In the nation’s capital, D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson has expressed interest in bringing one of the more successful blended-learning school models, Rocketship Education, to the district. And in Florida, entering ninth graders will now have to complete at least one online course during high school in order to graduate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-innovations/the-rise-of-online-education/2011/09/14/gIQA8e2AdL_story.html

By Andrew Giambrone, Yale Daily

“Yale alumni are among the most committed and connected anywhere, and this collaboration adds more connection to educational resources,” University Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer said in the Tuesday press release. “Yale itself has been at the forefront of expanding digital access through online courses and making digital assets from our libraries and museums available freely to the public.” In the past, alumni could only access Yale’s licensed JSTOR content if they were physically present on campus and were using one of Yale’s computer stations, said Daniel Dollar, the University Library’s head of collections development.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/oct/12/online-resources-extended-to-alumni/

By Catherine Wood, US News

Technological innovation and online access are key to the survival of public universities facing record-low funding. Leaders from more than 100 state universities gathered in Dallas, Texas on October 6-7th at the Future of State Universities Conference. Hosted by Former Governors Jeb Bush (Florida) and Jim Hunt (North Carolina), the conference brought together thought leaders from across the country to discuss solutions to help public universities succeed in a faltering economy and changing educational landscape. At the forefront of conversations was the financial strain that public universities are facing given the deep federal and state budget cuts that higher education has suffered over the past year. The budget that President Obama proposed in February cut federal funding for higher education by $89 billion over the next 10 years. The new budget will reduce 2012 higher education funding by $10 billion.

http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/university-leaders-and-public-officials-urge-state_11808.aspx

By Toni Fuhrman, Campus Technology

Looking to improve access for its global student body, Northeastern University College of Business Administration was willing to undergo the hardships of being a beta partner to get the mobile-optimized site it wanted. With the launch of its mobile-optimized website early last month, Northeastern University College of Business Administration (MA) took a step closer to fulfilling its vision of fully supporting a student body that is scattered around the world. The new site, optimized for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry devices, gives students access to contact information, degree-program offerings, college and faculty overviews, and upcoming events. “Mobile devices make boundaries disappear,” explained Acting Dean Harry Lane, who is also a professor of international business and strategy. “For us, education is increasingly taking place where it makes sense for our students to be. We see this trend accelerating and we are positioning ourselves to be accessible to our students wherever they are, and however they want to communicate with us.”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/10/05/beta-and-better-for-biz-school-gone-global-and-mobile.aspx

By Jennifer Skelly, Campus Technology

Even as many institutions grapple with their cloud strategies, faculty are taking advantage of cloud-based services to rev up their classes and engage students. In the broader debate about the opportunities–and challenges–presented by cloud computing in higher education, its potential within the classroom has largely been overlooked. Cloud-based LMS solutions have created some ripples, but even then the focus has largely been on the enterprise side. Hiding in the cloud, however, are some terrific classroom tools that faculty can use to engage students and improve learning. John Kuglin, a retired senior education consultant at the University of Montana, is on a mission to publicize the advantages of a cloud-based approach to teaching. At the recent CT Forum 2011 in Long Beach, CA, he highlighted a slew of tools that can make an immediate impact in a classroom setting.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/10/05/hiding-in-the-cloud-are-great-classroom-tools.aspx

by Julie Willems, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

What are the differences in learning styles between students and educators who teach and/or design their e-learning environments? Are there variations in the learning styles of students at different levels of study? How may we use this learning styles data to inform the design in e-learning environments? This paper details mixedmethods research with three cohorts teaching and learning in e-learning environments in higher education: novice undergraduate e-learners, graduate e-learners, and educators teaching in, or designing for, e-learning environments (Willems, 2010). Quantitative findings from the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) (Felder & Silverman, 1988; Felder & Soloman, 1991, 1994) reflect an alignment of the results between both the graduate e-learner and e-educator cohorts across all four domains of the ILS, suggesting homogeneity of results between these two cohorts. By contrast, there was a statistically significant difference between the results of the graduate and educator cohorts with those of the undergraduate e-learners on two domains: sensing-intuitive (p=0.015) and the global-sequential (p=0.007), uggesting divergent learning style preferences. Qualitative data was also gathered to gain insights on participants’ responses to their learning style results

http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet27/willems.pdf

By Catherine Ho, Washington Post

Georgetown University General Counsel Stephanie Tsacoumis leads the school’s 20-lawyer in-house team that this year completed a massive two-year project: the creation of an online nursing degree program, Georgetown’s first distance learning program. The program contracts with 26 hospitals and clinics in 11 states, where students do hands-on training. The program, which began in February, is generating buzz among local in-house lawyers, snagging Tsacoumis an award for chief legal officer last month from the Washington Metro Area Corporate Counsel Association. Tsacoumis joined Georgetown in 2009 after leading Gibson Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington office for six years. She spoke with Capital Business about what made the nursing program a unique legal endeavor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/georgetowns-general-counsel-talks-about-creating-the-schools-first-online-graduate-degree-program/2011/10/04/gIQAX4PfYL_story.htm

By Elena Kadvany, Daily Trojan

Online education is on the rise, pitting those who support the idea of a virtual university for its ability to increase access and revenue against those who believe there is no substitute for real-time, traditional educational experiences. There’s one thing wrong with the entire conversation, however: Viewing online education as a new higher education business model that must supplant the current system is a close-minded view. Why not look at it as a means by which we can strengthen and innovate education by blending digital and traditional elements?

http://dailytrojan.com/2011/10/09/online-education-needs-connection/

by Alex Campbell, Chronicle of Higher Ed

For his marketing course at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Daniel Flint wanted his students to read a white paper on public relations, a couple of case studies, an industry report, and a chapter of a forthcoming book. So he created a textbook with just that—more than 100 pages of material in one customized package for his students. Mr. Flint, a professor of marketing at the university, used a new build-your-own-textbook service called AcademicPub, which arranged payment of royalties and compiled the material for publication. His students were given three options for buying the book: Download a digital edition for $14.95, get it in paperback for $27, or go for the hardcover for $45.

http://chronicle.com/article/New-Digital-Tools-Let/129309/?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

by Dan Klamm, Mashable

For universities, deciding to use social media is a no-brainer. The 18- to 24-year-old college student demographic is all over the social web, and its younger counterpart (the high school crowd) is equally immersed. With so many key populations embracing social media, universities almost have no choice but to integrate these platforms into their marketing and communications plans. Already, many schools have leveraged social media in a big way. In fact, a recent study showed that an astounding 100% of universities have a social media presence. From luring in potential new students with admissions blogs and creative use of location-based services like SCVNGR, to keeping alumni engaged via dynamic, content-rich Facebook and Ning communities, to informing students about campus offerings through Twitter feeds and YouTube videos, it’s clear that universities recognize the importance of social media.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/10/universities-social-media/

by Leah Bornstein and John Haeger, Arizona Central

Business as usual is an outdated concept in today’s tough economic times. Most likely, it has never been an effective concept in a fast-changing world. The same thing can be said about higher education. Adapt to today’s students and today’s budget realities or find yourself mired in a outdated past, struggling for survival. Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College each began adapting years ago. But in an era when a bachelor’s degree is the new high-school diploma, we believe that strong working partnerships among higher-educational institutions are the most responsible way to serve the students and the taxpayers.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2011/10/09/20111009bornstein-haeger-college-partnerships10.html

By Tanya Roscorla, Converge

In Pennsylvania, cyber charter schools are popping up all over the commonwealth. These schools give students more education choices. And that’s what Gov. Tom Corbett wants. Palisades School District wants to be one of those online choices. This year, Palisades High School in Kintnersville started a cyber academy with district students and teachers. Director of Online Learning Rich Kiker said he hopes to show other school districts that they can create their own online schools. And district teachers play an important role in this process. Rather than outsourcing instruction to teachers in other states, Palisades Cyber Academy has six teachers from the high school each teach a core course. That way students in the community can talk to their teacher in person. Traditionally, educators teach for three of the high school’s four periods. In the fourth hour and a half block, they have a duty and prep period. The Cyber Academy instructors will teach in-person classes for two periods and use the third period to develop high-quality online content and communicate with students in their online courses.

http://www.convergemag.com/training/Great-Online-Teachers-Have-to-Be-Radical-Collaborators.html

By Kanoe Namahoe, Campus Technology

College students believe that technology has a direct impact on their academic performance, according to findings from a new student-driven study out of the Lone Star College System. In “The National Lone Star Report on Aligning Technology with Student Success,” 78 percent of college students reported that their grades and learning experience are improved when technology is effectively and consistently implemented on their campus. The Report is a compilation of survey data collected from more than 6,000 students on 36 campuses across the country. Focused exclusively on two-year colleges, the study also included analysis of more than 1.5 million helpdesk inquiries from 55 institutions. The student-led initiative is the first of its kind, according to LSCS vice chancellor and CIO Shah Ardalan.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/10/03/new-study-reveals-student-perspective-on-technology-use-in-higher-education.aspx

by Genevieve Marie Johnson, NCOLR

Widespread adoption of the Internet during the past two decades has produced the first generation of digital natives. Ninety-five children (M age = 10.4 years) completed a questionnaire that measured three clusters of variables: 1) Internet use at home and school, 2) peer, school, and home self-esteem, 3) and cognitive abilities (planning, attention, and simultaneous and successive processing. There were no gender differences in school-based Internet use and only one gender difference in home-based use. Girls were significantly more likely than boys to report using email at home. Cognitive scores predicted girls’ email use at home and website access at school. Self-esteem and cognitive scores predicted boys email use at home and school and online gaming at school. From a developmental perspective, Internet use may benefit girls more than boys because of gender differences in orientation to the Internet (i.e., accomplishment versus recreation). Although girls used email more than boys, of the current sample of digital natives, boys who used email were brighter and more popular than boys who did not use email.

http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/10.2.1.pdf

By Mike Cassidy, Mercury News

I’m coming around to the view that big, important, disruptive — and positive — changes are coming; and they’re coming faster than many might think. I’ve concluded that those who see online learning as a part of the solution to crumbling school budgets and lackluster student performance are right. I now believe that the education world is on the brink of a revolution that will come about not because of politics and policy, but despite them. The potential is so compelling that if the education establishment does not encourage the move to smart online learning, parents, students, teachers and innovative administrators will lead the charge. They will engineer the shift. And they’ll do it in a matter of years, not decades.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19007797?nclick_check=1

By Jeffrey R. Young, Chronicle of Higher Ed

George Siemens, who leads Athabasca University’s Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute, makes the case for why colleges should experiment with inviting tens of thousands of students to participate in their courses free online. The model poses challenges to traditional education models, but it will it work for teaching Chaucer?

http://chronicle.com/blogs/techtherapy/2011/10/06/episode-88-why-universities-should-experiment-with-massive-open-courses/

By Josh Fischman, Chronicle of Higher Ed

The National Center for Education Statistics has released a report on online-learning growth between 2000 and 2008, showing that the percentage of undergraduates enrolled in at least one online class went from 8 percent to 20 percent during that time. Computer-science and business classes were the most popular. This expansion has also been documented in a series of Sloan Consortium reports.  (http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/index.asp)

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/quickwire-online-learning-growth-is-confirmed-by-education-dept-report/33537

by Lorraine Stefani, Higher Education Teaching and Learning Review

It is a challenge to ‘engage’ students of today if we live in the past ourselves using predominantly what students consider to be outdated modes of teaching. Part of the challenge in developing and providing an e-learning environment and learning experience which is designed to excite and engage students in learning is to address the silo-ed and hierarchical nature of higher education institutions. Too many institutional strategic plans still treat the learning and teaching strategy as a separate entity from e-learning, whereas e-learning should constitute an integral aspect of the overall learning and teaching strategy. There is insufficient communication between different stakeholders in the educational enterprise.

http://hetl.org/2011/08/29/enriching-the-student-learning-experience/#more-1840