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Online Learning News and Research
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Saturday, June 26, 2004
Defining and Measuring Quality in Online Discussions - Alexandru Spatariu, Kendall Hartley, and Lisa D. Bendixen, NCOLR
Abstract: In support of research examining relationships between learner characteristics and the quality of online discussions, this paper surveys different methods for evaluating discussions. The paper will present coding methods used in our own research as well as methods used by others interested in quality online discussions. Key topics include what constitutes quality in online discussions and how that quality can be measured? With the rapid evolution of communication technologies, distance education is becoming more prevalent in postsecondary settings. According to the U.S. Department of Education (2003), 89% of public, four-year institutions offered distance education courses during the 2000–2001 academic year. Of those offering distance education courses, 90% offered Internet courses. Online discussions, as a component of Internet courses, have become common activities in postsecondary education. While many embrace these activities, we currently know very little about the intricacies involved. In some ways these online discussions mirror face-to-face discussions. (0) comments
Kerry Plan to Create Millions of High-Tech Jobs - US Newswire
Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry Thursday unveiled his plan to unleash the productive potential of the American economy by investing in technology, research and education.... building a high-tech workforce is needed for economic growth. Kerry will build the workforce of the future by investing in K-12 math and science education, rewarding colleges for increasing the number of science and engineering degrees and creating state-of-the-art online learning technologies. (0) comments
University of Wisconsin team creates learning games - DeeDee Wojtal, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Educational Psychology has teamed up with the UW System’s Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Lab to create new worlds in which people can learn by exploring and doing. "The Department's Learning Sciences Program studies how human beings learn best," said James Gee, professor in UW-Madison's School of Education. "We have made digital learning technologies, which include video games, one focal point of that program." The Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Lab, established in January 2000, specializes in competency-based modules for worldwide learning that can be utilized anytime and anywhere —in the classroom, in the field and online. (0) comments Friday, June 25, 2004
Successful online learning – the five Ps - Jim FLOOD, TOJDE
Many of you will be familiar with the three (or more) Ps of marketing and even if not, as trainers or teachers you are likely to have used mnemonics as an aid to retention and recall. Mnemonics are especially useful when you need to get the key points to ‘stick’ in the minds of your audience. With this in mind I offer you the 5 Ps of online learning: Presentation, Pedagogy, Promotion, Preparation and Props. What I offer is not new; in fact much of it results from the eleven years of online teaching and learning at The Open University, the £22 million it has spent on research and evaluation 1, and the worldwide community that have been sharing experience in recent years. You can therefore consider these 5 Ps to be a convenient re-packing of the information and experience that can be found in abundance on the Internet. (0) comments
Florida Virtual School Partners with Stetson University to Increase Access to Online Courses - Converge
A new partnership announced today by Stetson University and Florida Virtual School means increased opportunities for students throughout the country to take award-winning courses online via the Internet. By offering this education venue for all students in grades 8 to 12, Stetson University and FLVS are striving to increase student achievement in underserved communities beyond the state of Florida. (0) comments
Supporting Students by Telephone: a Technology for the Future of Student Support? - Anne Gaskel and Roger Mills, EURODL
Abstract: Student support by telephone has a long tradition in open and distance learning, but most recent research and discussion has concentrated on support by electronic means. Some recent findings however provide evidence that the telephone is still a particularly effective medium for student support. Four types of telephone contact are discussed which indicate that the appropriate and timely use of telephones can aid student retention, provide excellent opportunities for dialogue and is perceived as particularly encouraging by students. The use of the increasingly common mobile phone for student contact, particularly in countries without reliable landlines, also has huge potential; and textmessaging can be used by both institutions and tutors to support students. (0) comments Thursday, June 24, 2004
HHS Announces Innovative Partnerships With Universities to Make Courses Available Through 'HHS U'
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced agreements with five universities to provide in-state priced courses to HHS employees through the Department's new HHS University (HHS U), which serves all 67,000 employees of the Department and its agencies. The institutions agreeing to offer their courses through HHS U are American Graduate University, the University of Maryland University College, Boise State University, Bethune-Cookman College, and Penn State. All of these institutions offer a large amount of E-learning coursework available on the web to allow availability online, anytime, anywhere. "These academic partnerships are a new tool and benefit for our employees, to help them access the latest in their fields of interest as well as the latest in education and training technology," Secretary Thompson said. (0) comments
UW-Madison to lead expansion of online health care education
The threat of national nurse shortages and the growing promise of convenient online learning, especially for working-adult students, are continuing to change the way nurses are educated. The UW-Madison School of Nursing is leading six nursing schools in a national project to take online education in health care to a higher level. The Nursing Education and Technology, or NEAT, project creates a nationwide team to identify common challenges in distance health care education and then to develop and test academic content "building blocks," or learning objects, that can be shared among different courses, institutions and educational settings. "The Internet and other educational options using technology are very appealing to people already in the workforce but interested in moving into health care or moving up in the health career they already have," says Jeannette McDonald, the NEAT project director at the UW-Madison School of Nursing. (0) comments
Study debunks online courses; local schools disagree - ROBERT L. STEINBACK, Miami Herald
A study concludes that the predicted boom in online college study has fizzled -- but local colleges report that the popularity of 'e-learning' is soaring. The popularity and potential of online college courses -- the so-called ''virtual college'' -- has fallen far short of lofty early predictions, according to a study released today by a University of Pennsylvania research group. But the booming enrollment in online courses offered by South Florida colleges suggests reports of the failure of ''e-learning'' are premature. ''What I understand is that for community colleges across Florida, it's booming,'' said Kristi Lozano, director of distance learning at Miami Dade College. ``My program has almost doubled every year.'' (0) comments Wednesday, June 23, 2004
The Role of Tutors as a Integral Part of Online Learning Support - Maggie McPherson and Miguel Baptista Nunes, EURODL
Abstract: This paper discusses the changing roles of tutors when engaging with e-learning. Understanding the importance of these roles and identifying necessary tutoring skills is paramount for the success of e-learning solutions. Since online tutors play a critical role in e-learning, as the main agents responsible for the delivery of the courses and the support of the learners, they must be equipped with an appropriate set of skills and attributes in addition to subject matter expertise. This paper discusses four main types of roles (pedagogical, social, managerial and technical) and proposes Online Learning Support (OLS) as computer-mediated approaches to support and facilitate learning, using a combination of skills that encompass information and IT expertise, as well as expertise in the educational uses of online learning resources, environments and communication technologies. Therefore, the process of online tutoring is probably the most important critical success factor in learner acceptance of e-learning. (0) comments
Support Services in E-Learning - an Eevaluation Study of Students' Needs and Satisfaction - Torstein Rekkedal and Svein Qvist-Eriksen, EURODL
English Abstract: The article reports from an evaluation study among NKI Internet students. The main aim of the study was to examine students' need for support services in Internet based distance study and examine the students' satisfaction with support services. The study was carried out as part of the project, Student Support Services in e-Learning, supported by the Socrates Minerva Programme of the EU Commission. The other partners of the project have carried out similar evaluation studies. For reasons of comparison between different countries, institutions and systems, the quantitative part of the evaluation instrument was, except for language differences, identical with the one used in the studies conducted by the other four project partners, Ericsson Competence Solutions and Cork Institute of Technology in Ireland, FernUniversität in Germany, University of Rome III in Italy. The NKI evaluation study was designed to supply results to form the basis for planning quality developments of the learning management system, organisation and counselling services. (0) comments
Porter Memorial nurse earns bachelor's degree via Internet program - AZURE COLLIER, Northwest Indiana Times
Linda Hazelgren earned her bachelor's degree in nursing without sacrificing time away from her home, family or job. Hazelgren, 42, a nurse at Porter Memorial Hospital, completed her degree online through a program at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The program has students from 30 states and four countries. "It's nice to have it done. It's a personal goal that's been fulfilled," said Hazelgren, who lives in Valparaiso. Hazelgren is a registered nurse, and works in the intensive care unit at PMH. She had graduated from the California Hospital School of Nursing in 1982 and has worked as a nurse for 22 years. (0) comments Tuesday, June 22, 2004
PBS TeacherLine(R) Debuts National Program With New Online Courses to Help Schools Meet 'Highly Qualified' Teacher Mandates of NCLB
Gearing up to meet the explosive demand for teacher training courses, PBS TeacherLine(R) today launches a national professional development program. PBS TeacherLine, the nation's trusted provider of facilitated, online professional development for preK-12 educators, offers 80 courses. These courses aim to enhance teacher quality and address competency requirements under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. "We've researched and developed these courses in collaboration with PBS member stations during a four year pilot period," said Rob Ramsdell, senior director of PBS TeacherLine. "Our goal is to provide superior professional development experiences to teachers nationwide. We know the American public trusts PBS to provide award-winning educational programming to our nation's schools. PBS TeacherLine offers high-quality professional development to our nation's teachers because the better our teachers are prepared, the more effective students will learn." http://teacherline.pbs.org/teacherline/ (0) comments
Texas A&M University Deploys Next Gen Broadband Wireless Network - TMCnet
Orthogon Systems™ and DS3 Computing Solutions (DS3), today announced the successful deployment of a broadband wireless distance learning/video conference network for Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The network covers over 235 miles and connects Texas A&M’s Kingsville campus to 24 school districts in Southeast Texas using Orthogon’s OS-Gemini point-to-point broadband wireless solution. It is the result of a partnership between Texas A&M University-Kingsville, DS3, the school districts, and several government agencies that enables high school students to earn dual college credits, teachers to obtain certification and higher education, and workforce training to be conducted within the communities. (0) comments
Switching on to a new start - Eric Wilson, The Age (Australia)
If you have been unemployed for a while, the biggest challenge is to stay motivated and confident. Yet Jobfind Centres, an employment agency with 15 branches, is discovering that e-learning can cure the unemployment blues - and get people back to work. At the beginning of the month, some of the organisation's clients who have been struggling for about a year were offered free e-learning to improve their chances. More than 70 per cent accepted the challenge - about 250 went into the first intake. Jobfind training services co-ordinator Julia Kennedy says that the move has already paid off for two of these clients after only two weeks in the program. (0) comments Monday, June 21, 2004
7 Time-Saving Tools - Amy Poftak and Stephanie, techLearning
When instructional technology coordinator Bill Burrall gave us his "10 Time-Saving Tools" in March, it got us thinking about the relationship between time and money. Imagine if a technology could shave an hour off your day-or even 15 minutes. How much would that be worth to you? And what value would it bring for your district? With those thoughts in mind, we asked selected administrators to weigh in on technologies they can't live without. Their personal favorites, featured below, represent an eclectic mix of tools that help with multiple jobs, from managing student data to streamlining communication with other staff members. (0) comments
Cultural competency program for physicians available by computer - Damon Adams, AMNews
A training and research organization hopes to expand a computer-based program that teaches doctors and other medical professionals about cultural competence. Manhattan Cross Cultural Group, formed by three internists, said it had trained more than 1,500 Aetna physicians and nurses through its program, "Quality Interactions: A Patient-Based Approach to Cross-Cultural Care." The program is not yet available to other physicians, but the group is working on agreements to offer the interactive course to more doctors.... In September 2003, Aetna began offering the e-learning program to its medical professionals. So far, about 95% of Aetna's physicians and nurses on clinical staff have completed the required course. (0) comments
Saint Leo adjusts for growth - MOLLY MOORHEAD, St. Petersburg Times
Growth in east Pasco County hasn't eluded Saint Leo University, and the school is trying to keep pace as its enrollment climbs.... The school had long intended to establish a presence in Dade City, and it bought the old nursing home with no immediate plans for its use. But by late July, the building, next to the Pasco County administration building, will serve as a home base for the school's approximately 10,000 distance-learning students. (0) comments
E-learning claimed to be the future - New Zealand Stuff
Keeping down a fulltime job is no longer an excuse for ignoring your education. A growing number of education providers are rapidly branching out into on-line teaching, with many claiming it is the future of learning. The Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) has just partnered with a United States university, the Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), to offer a masters degree in information design and communication. Students can enrol in CPIT's on-line graduate diploma in information and when they have finished the year-long course, can sign up with SPSU to complete an on-line degree. (0) comments Sunday, June 20, 2004
Best Practices in Online Conference Moderation - Adrienne De Schutter, Patricia Fahrni, Jim Rudolph; IRRODL
Abstract: Facilitation by a moderator is crucial to a purposeful and productive conference. The moderator keeps the session focused, and ensures that all participants receive feedback regarding their contributions to the discussion. These functions are particularly important in the otherwise impersonal context of online discussion. The current report reviews recent literature regarding the moderator’s roles regarding participant access and motivation, online socialization, information exchange and knowledge construction. A synchronous audio conference situation is assumed. Principles of online teaching and learning identified by Salmon (2002) are discussed, as well as the direct personal experiences of the report’s co-authors. (0) comments
Web-based tutoring gives students study aid 24/7 - Cara Branigan, eSchool News
A commercial, web-based tutoring service is helping high schools and colleges make live instructors available 24-hours a day, seven days a week to tutor students in mathematics. At the moment, this round-the-clock tutoring service is available only for math help, but the company says on-demand assistance is available in additional subjects for nine hours each day. Gallaudet University, a school for deaf and hard of hearing students in Washington, D.C., will begin offering the 24-hour, web-based tutoring service this fall. University representatives say tutoring at Gallaudet requires a diverse approach, because some of the school's students are born and reared with sign language, while others are new to their hearing loss and are better at reading than at using sign language. (0) comments
Nursing students to learn online - Dave Dreeszen, Sioux City Journal
Some nursing students at Western Iowa Tech Community College will interact with their instructor and classmates without leaving homes this fall. A new program, the first of its kind in Iowa, will allow 16 practical nursing students to complete some of their coursework online. "They're not going to be on the college campus as much as the regular students,'' said Gloria Stewart, chair of Nursing and Allied Health at WITCC. "They'll spend one to two days a week here. The rest of the time, they're going to be out in cyberspace.'' Faced with lengthy waiting lists for nursing programs, the college decided to try the online option to get more students enrolled, said Dr. Verlyn Fick, vice president, Instruction and Student Services. Having students do some of their work off campus takes fewer classrooms and gives college officials more flexibility with its lab space. (0) comments Online Learning News Blog Archives OTEL - Ray's Home Page - Notebook - UIS Online - U of I Online - UIS Home Fair Use |
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