Online Learning Update

January 31, 2013

Krug – don’t make online learners think (about structure & navigation)

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:08 am

by Donald P. Clark, Plan B

Steve Krug has had a huge influence on web design through his best-selling book Don’t Make Me Think. Krug’s prescriptions are even more important in online learning than in web design, as learning’s great enemy is cognitive overload and dissonance. If learners have to work hard to understand, navigate and read online learning, they have less sustained attention for retentive learning. Most online learning, like most offline learning, is too long winded and needs to be seriously edited to avoid cognitive overload. Keep navigation simple and consistent, use de facto conventions, avoid deep hierarchies and write for the screen not the page. And don’t forget to test – a few iterations with experts.

http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2013/01/krug-dont-make-online-learners-think.html

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NMC Horizon Report Preview – Considering MOOCS, Flipped and Mobile Online Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:04 am

By the New Media Consortium

The NMC Horizon Report > 2013 Higher Education Edition is a collaborative effort between the NMC and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), an EDUCAUSE Program, and is slated to be released in February 2013. The tenth edition will describe annual findings from the NMC Horizon Project, a decade-long research project designed to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have an impact on learning, teaching, and creative inquiry in higher education. Six emerging technologies are identified across three adoption horizons over the next one to five years, as well as key trends and challenges expected to continue over the same period, giving campus leaders and practitioners a valuable guide for strategic technology planning.

http://www.nmc.org/horizon-report-2013-higher-education-edition

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Learning Online: The moot point of MOOCs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by the e-learning provocateur

Some people are head-over-heels in love with MOOCs. Or perhaps more accurately, the idea of MOOCs. They believe the new paradigm will democratise – and even revolutionise – education. Others, however, consider MOOCs a passing fad, an unsustainable business model, yet another a buzzword destined for the scrapheap like so many before it. I happen to stand somewhere in the middle. I believe MOOCs will democratise education to some extent, and they will revolutionise the delivery of education. Importantly though, I don’t think they will revolutionise the science of education; after all, a MOOC is arguably an extensible version of what we’ve been doing all along – albeit on a massive (and free) scale. I also think the business model will become sustainable, as soon as the providers adopt a freemium model. By that I mean the content is free, but the formal assessment and certification attracts a premium.

http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/the-moot-point-of-moocs/

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January 30, 2013

St. Mary’s University: It’s graduate school online learning on the iPad, and it’s spreading

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:07 am

By Christopher Magan, Twin Cities Pioneer Press

Marcel Dumestre, vice president of graduate and professional programs at St. Mary’s, taught these types of online courses. Although he thought they were effective, he wanted to do something different: a complete experience in which students from around the world could study and interact anywhere, anytime.

“What is different about these programs from others online is they are built to be native to the iPad,” said Dumestre, who believes the university’s approach is unique. Educators across the nation have put Apple’s tablets into the hands of tens of thousands of students. Like many of the devices champions, Dumestre thinks the device has the power to enhance the learning experience like no other.

http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_22405221/st-marys-university-its-graduate-school-ipad-and

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Online Learning: Duke professor’s logic class has 180,000 friends

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By Jane Stancill, News Observer

Duke University philosophy professor Walter Sinnott-Armstrong has unusual interactions with his students these days. One contacted him with an excuse for why she was behind in class. She had suffered a personal calamity: Her home in Fiji had been hit by a cyclone. Another claims to be a goat farmer in Afghanistan. And two students – a 12-year-old and her mother – sent the professor a Christmas card from Germany. They are among the 180,000 students who registered for a class called “Think Again: How to Reason and Argue,” co-taught by Sinnott-Armstrong and Ram Neta, a philosophy professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/01/19/3798851/in-a-duke-logic-class-with-180000.html

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Cleveland’s law schools venture into online learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer

Cleveland’s two major law schools are about to broaden their reach through Web-based teaching and by answering a demand for legal training of non-lawyers. The initiatives to be launched in the fall by Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Case Western Reserve University School of Law are aimed in part at combating a drop in applicants for law degrees.

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/01/clevelands_law_schools_venturi.html

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January 29, 2013

Online Learning: Managing High-Enrollment Online Courses

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:09 am

By: Rob Kelly, Faculty Focus

Online instructors are being asked to accommodate an increasing number of students in their courses. The challenge is to manage the workload associated with these high-enrollment courses. Susan Fein, eLearning consultant/instructional designer at Washington State University, offered some advice on how to do this.  Replace written activities with objective knowledge checks…. Use peer review.  (see article for much more)

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/managing-high-enrollment-online-courses/

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The nature of online learning in Australia

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by hollymacdonald, Spark Your Interest

According to the latest Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index, a whopping 76% of Australians own a smartphone. Furthermore, 38% own a tablet, and another 33% are planning to purchase a tablet within the next 12 months. Our love for our devices may be matched by our infatuation with social media. According to the 2012 Yellow Social Media Report, 62% of Australian internet users visit social networking sites (36% do so daily), while 79% of large businesses have a social media presence. The implication of these statistics is clear: the future of e-learning in Australia will be social and mobile. The latter part of that prediction is supported by The New Media Consortium’s Technology Outlook for Australian Tertiary Education 2012-2017, which identified the following emerging technologies as having a time-to-adoption horizon in this region of one year or less:

Cloud computing

Learning analytics

Mobile apps

Tablet computing

http://sparkyourinterest.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/the-nature-of-e-learning-in-australia/

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Online Learning: The Need for Student Inclusion in MOOC Decision Making

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by ANJNEY MIDHA, Stanford Review

The ability of students to count online classes toward their major and graduation requirements is a double edged sword, offering unprecedented freedom and choice in academic selection, while simultaneously fragmenting what is likely the most unifying tenet of the Stanford experience; interacting with fellow students in common classes. This problem does have its workarounds, but none that involve discounting student involvement in the planning and implementation of creditable MOOCs. Unfortunately, a void in student inclusion seems to be the current status quo in Stanford’s agenda on online education.

http://stanfordreview.org/article/credit-crisis-the-need-for-student-inclusion-in-mooc-decision-making/

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January 28, 2013

Infographic: A Roadmap to Online Learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:09 am

by Blackboard

Colleges and universities of all types continue to expand their online learning offerings, professional institutions continue to lead the way in adopting the latest technologies to enhance the educational experience. So, we asked some of our cutting-edge professional college and university clients about their journeys into online learning, and what ‘best practices’ and ‘lessons learned’ they uncovered along the way. In our new infographic, we explore some of these findings, questions, tasks, and ‘bumps in the road‘ schools often face as they develop and execute an online learning strategy, such as:

Creating a business plan

Avoiding mission creep

Knowing your market and how to reach it

Preparing your faculty

http://blog.blackboard.com/professional-education/infographic-a-roadmap-to-online-learning/

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US News “Best” Online Programs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by Daniel Luzer, Washington Monthly

Pace University’s online program might have a 3-year graduation rate of 49 percent, but it also only has 212 students. Graceland University (number five) has 132. Lawrence Technological University only has only 50 students. St. John’s University’s online program (the third best program in America!) only enrolls 37 people. So yes, these schools might technically be the “best” online academic programs in the country, but the reality is that most of these programs are so tiny as to be statistically meaningless. No wonder they have high student engagement and can boast extensive personal interaction; the programs themselves are smaller than the introductory lecture courses offered to most college freshmen.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/blog/best_online_programs.php

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Online learning course offerings at California colleges could soon expand

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

by Joe Henke, 23ABC News

Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget plan includes $16.9 million for online courses at community colleges and another 10 million for online courses at the University of California and California State University campuses. That would help with expanding online offerings at campuses around the state, something that state Assemblymember Dan Logue (R, Chico) has been advocating for through his own proposed legislation. “Technology has changed drastically in the last 50 years,” Logue said. “I think the universities have to change with it. I think it offers more students the ability to get an education at a better price. As long as the quality is good I think it’s a step in the right direction.” Bakersfield College spokeswoman Amber Chiang says BC has noticed it takes a certain type of student to succeed in an online setting. “The student has to be motivated,” Chiang said. “They have to be disciplined and they have to be ready to work on their own for the majority of the class.”

http://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/online-course-offerings-at-california-colleges-could-soon-expand

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January 27, 2013

Online courses create new learning methods

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

By Stephanie Mc Feeters, The Dartmouth

When considering how to implement new online technologies, administrators must reflect on the College’s institutional goals, which include providing an intimate education experience, Kim said. “We’re somewhat different, so it’s really appropriate for Dartmouth to think hard about how we want to participate in this larger education movement,” he said. The College is approaching the trend cautiously, according to classics professor Roger Ulrich, a member of a newly formed committee organized by the Provost’s Office to examine opportunities for online learning at Dartmouth. The College considers itself a “high-touch” learning environment, and values student-faculty interaction, Ulrich said. Administrators aim to use technology to enhance classroom experiences. Hanlon said that information technology has the potential to improve the College’s undergraduate offerings.

http://thedartmouth.com/2013/01/18/news/online

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Is Online Learning the wave of future in California?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

by ABC 23 Bakersfield

Brown’s budget proposal would give $16.9 million to community colleges for courses offered through virtual classrooms. UC and CSU campuses would also receive $10 million to increase the number of course offered online. San Jose State just launched a pilot project offering low cost online math classes. The project is a partnership with SJSU and the tech company Udacity inc. to encourage more students to pursue careers in the math field. “Technology has changed drastically in the last 50 years,” said assemblyman Dan Logue. “I think the universities have to change with it. I think it offers more students the ability to get an education at a better prices. As long as the quality is good I think it’s a step in the right direction.” Logue believes online learning is the wave of the future. The Chico lawmaker sponsored a bill that creates a pilot program for some California students to earn a $10,000 bachelors degree .

http://www.turnto23.com/news/state/are-online-college-classes-the-wave-of-future-in-california

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Rutgers signs deal with Pearson eCollege to increase online degree programs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

By Kelly Heyboer, The Star-Ledger

After years of resisting jumping into the booming world of online learning, Rutgers University has signed a seven-year deal with Pearson eCollege to dramatically increase the school’s online courses and degree programs. The agreement, which aims to add tens of thousands of cyberstudents to Rutgers’ rolls by 2020, will allow students around the world to earn Rutgers degrees without ever coming to campus. Rutgers and Pearson, a Colorado distance learning company that partners with dozens of colleges, will split the tuition revenue.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/rutgers_signs_deal_with_pearso.html

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January 26, 2013

University of California wants more classes through online learning

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

by the Associated Press

University of California leaders on Wednesday called for an expansion of online courses to help the 10-campus system contain costs, broaden access and hold down tuition rates. UC President Mark Yudof said the university plans to launch several online education initiatives in the next few months, including an incentive program to encourage faculty members to create digital versions of high-demand, entry-level courses.  “It’s no secret that UC has hit a wall with regard to traditional instructional methods,” Yudof said at the UC Board of Regents meeting. “The finances simply no longer exist to support the old model of instruction in many ways.”

http://newsok.com/university-of-california-wants-more-classes-online/article/feed/487610

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Online Learning Brings New Challenges, Expands Access

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By ED MOORE, Sunshine State News

Options for both initial and continuing education have expanded rapidly in the 21st century. Students have new options not dreamed of a decade ago, especially with the rapid growth and expansion of online degree programs, online classes and e-teaching tools. The 31 members of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida have nearly 300 full-time online degree programs. Florida’s students are able to instantly connect with other students across the globe in virtual classrooms by conveniently completing coursework online.

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/online-learning-brings-new-challenges-expands-access

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Online Learning: Is 2013 Year Of The MOOC?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

by Ellis Booker, Information Week

Massive open online courses are forcing institutions to consider how to offer course credit and verify student identities. Coursera and other MOOCs are working with the American Council on Education (ACE), which is evaluating credit equivalency for these courses. ACE’s College Credit Recommendation Service, started in the 1970s, certifies training courses offered outside of traditional colleges. In 2011, StraighterLine became one of the first online institutions to be included in the ACE program.

http://www.informationweek.com/education/online-learning/is-2013-year-of-the-mooc/240146431

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January 25, 2013

Online learning set to expand and become a core function in Ontario’s universities and colleges

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

BY TONY BATES, Online Learning and Distance Education Resources

Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities requested in August 2012 that each post-secondary education institution in the province submit a strategic mandate agreement (SMA) proposal. Each institution was asked to provide a brief submission identifying three priority objectives, and a vision of how the institution plans to implement the objectives, using a template provided by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. (The documents submitted by each institution are available online.) Contact North, Ontario’s publicly-funded Distance Education and Training Network, has published a ‘non-exhaustive’ analysis of the institutions’ proposed priority objectives to highlight the key patterns related to educational access, flexibility, student success, and university and college cooperation – and the central role to be played by technology in the future of postsecondary education in Ontario.

http://www.tonybates.ca/2013/01/14/online-learning-set-to-expand-and-become-a-core-function-in-ontarios-universities-and-colleges/

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DISTANCE EDUCATION, ACCESS, QUALITY, OPPORTUNITIES and CAUTIONS

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

by Dr. Paul Jay Edelson, Stony Brook University

Assessing the impact of widely distributed learning opportunities now accessible through distance education must take into account the re-imposition of values and motives long associated with traditional education. The expectations of new higher education consumers should be tempered by institutional acknowledgement of preexisting value structures and economics, constituting possible limitations on the utility of credentials thereby earned. Nevertheless, a re-affirmed confidence in higher education as a beneficial, public good can reverse current trends of diminished state support which will, in turn, further participation and social equality.

http://www.stonybrook.edu/spd/dean_papers/hawaii2013.pdf

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Online Learning: California State U. Will Experiment With Offering Credit for MOOCs

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:01 am

By Jeffrey R. Young, Chronicle of Higher Ed

State universities in California, looking for creative ways to reduce education costs at a time of budget stress, are turning to MOOCs to offer low-cost options for students. On Tuesday, San Jose State University announced an unusual pilot project with Udacity, a for-profit provider of the massive open online courses, to jointly create three introductory mathematics classes. The courses will be free online, but students who want credit from San Jose State will be able to take them for just $150, far less than the $450 to $750 that students would typically pay for a credit-bearing course.

http://chronicle.com/article/California-State-U-Will/136677/

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