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Online Learning News and Research
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Saturday, September 11, 2004
Student Motivation for Learning at a Distance: Does Interaction Matter? - Kathleen D. Kelsey, Alan D'souza, JDLA
Abstract: The case study evaluated a distance education program offered by a land-grant university agricultural college. The study used Holmberg's and Moore's theoretical frameworks of didactic conversation and multiple interactions to determine the importance of interaction on the efficacy of distance learning. The mixed methods approach used an original survey instrument and long faculty interviews. While students found the technology manageable, the faculty perceived technology as a barrier to effective instruction. Both, students and faculty were satisfied with the nature of interactions between them, although the faculty had individual preferences and faced some barriers to interaction. The study supported Holmberg's and Moore's contention that interaction may be a predicating factor for the success of distance education courses. The study also found that student-student interaction was not considered critical to learning. More research is necessary in the direction of curriculum modification to suit distance student needs. (0) comments
Rethinking Scholarly Communication - Herbert Van de Sompel, et al; DLib
There is growing dissatisfaction with the established scholarly communication system. This dissatisfaction is the result of a variety of factors including rapidly rising subscription prices, concerns about copyright, latency between results and their actual publication, and restrictions on what can be published and how it can be disseminated. The result is a global debate on how to remedy the system's deficiencies, and that debate has inspired concrete initiatives aimed at reforming the process. These are concerned mainly with access issues and seek to alleviate two longstanding problems. The first, known as the "serials crisis," addresses the often prohibitive prices of journal publications that impede access to scholarly materials. The second, known as the "permissions crisis," addresses the restrictions on use of publications once access has been obtained. The "Open Access" movement focuses primarily on these two problems with two different strategies. The self-archiving school strives for a scholar's right to make traditional journal publications freely available in an open repository. The journal-reform school promotes the emergence of new types of journals that are free at the point of use. (0) comments
Library Web Accessibility at Kentucky's 4-Year Degree Granting Colleges and Universities - Michael Providenti, DLib
Web sites designed to be accessible to all, using the principles of Universal Design, are not just a good idea, they are mandated by law. While Web accessibility has become a well-established topic in library literature, reaching back to at least 1996, there seems to be a disconnect between recommendations for and implementation of accessible design [1]. Many articles on the topic of Web accessibility refer to Universal Design (UD), which seeks to produce "products and environments useable by all people, to their greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design" [2]. According to the principles of UD, this outcome should be accomplished with little or no additional expense. For Web designers, the nuts-and-bolts of implementing UD are defined by the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that, when implemented completely, result in sites as accessible as user agents allow. (0) comments Friday, September 10, 2004
From Campus to Web: The Changing Roles of Faculty from Classroom to Online Teaching - Gila Kurtz, Michael Beaudoin, Journal of Educators Online
Abstract: The first objective of this research is to study the transition and self-perception of a sample group of Israeli faculty currently integrating online teaching within campus-based teaching. The authors studied the faculty’s perceptions of their new role, rewards and challenges of this role, their students' and their colleagues' perceptions of online teaching and how their institutions facilitate or impede this process. The second objective of this research is to compare findings from Israeli faculty to North American faculty, based on a similar study by Beaudoin (2002). The third objective is to provide ideas and insights to distance education administrators who are responsible for the recruitment, training and support of faculty. The last objective of this research is to contribute to faculty related research by exploring their new and changing role as online educators. (0) comments
Teaching and Learning in a Hybrid World: An Interview with Carol Twigg - Susan Walsh Veronikas and Michael F. Shaughnessy, Educause Review
.... Carol Twigg has published and presented widely on such topics as improving productivity in higher education, engaging faculty in the use of instructional technology, and managing information technology in a distributed environment. In 1995, she was named by Newsweek as one of the fifty most influential thinkers in the information revolution, and in 2003, she received the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize, awarded to individuals making a difference in education. Recently, Susan Walsh Veronikas and Michael F. Shaughnessy talked with Carol Twigg about her work in course redesign and her thoughts about learning objects, online standards, and the educational market, among other topics. (0) comments
Ball State University's MBA program grows despite national pattern- Valerie Janowski, BSU Daily News
While schools around Indiana have seen as much as a 29 percent drop in applications to MBA programs, Ball State University's program has continued to grow. Ball State's number of applications has risen over the past five years, with a total of 609 applications for 2003-04, Inga Hill, assistant to the dean for graduate programs in the Miller College of Business, said. "Ball State's enrollment is rising because of a program revision in fall 2003 that made courses more convenient for students to take," Hill said. "We also allow more students to take classes over the Internet so that if they are traveling for business, they can participate in classes from anywhere in the globe." (0) comments Thursday, September 09, 2004
Blended Learning and Sense of Community: A Comparative Analysis with Traditional and Fully Online Graduate Courses - Alfred P. Rovai and Hope M. Jorda
Abstract: Blended learning is a hybrid of classroom and online learning that includes some of the conveniences of online courses without the complete loss of face-to-face contact. The present study used a causal-comparative design to examine the relationship of sense of community between traditional classroom, blended, and fully online higher education learning environments. Evidence is provided to suggest that blended courses produce a stronger sense of community among students than either traditional or fully online courses. (0) comments
MIT iCampus Outreach
The MIT Outreach Initiative seeks to disseminate innovative educational technology tools that can make a significant, sustainable difference in how well and quickly students learn, how much they remember, and how fast they can shift from absorbing facts and concepts to creating new ideas and solutions themselves. With generous support from Microsoft Research, MIT iCampus Outreach seeks faculty and institutions looking to adopt new educational tools. The Outreach project will provide the software tools, supporting documentation, and guidance to assist higher education institutions to successfully implement these tools. (0) comments
Debate rages between on-line versus classroom - Elizabeth Wilson, Paulo Verde Times
Judging by recent news coverage, online learning seems to be all the rage right now — that is to say, at least the controversy keeps raging. Over the summer I’ve read a flurry of pieces, some supporting e-learning, others crying out against it.... It seems that many people have already made up their minds about online education, and they fall into one of two very separate camps. While I guess this isn’t surprising, I find it unfortunate, because if the Internet has done anything for us in the last 10 years, it’s opened our minds. Through it we’ve learned about the world-culture, science, news, art-not to mention that on the Web we can work and play, find religion, pursue a career and order a pizza. In the last decade, we’ve seen the literal melding of virtual and reality. So I have to wonder: why isn’t the same thing happening in our schools? Currently, Arizona parents have to choose between online schools and traditional ones, and we’re expending a whole lot of energy debating which is better. Why? (0) comments Wednesday, September 08, 2004
NCA Evaluations made for distance learning: Report suggests continued off-campus course development - Kimberly Robinson, Ball State Daily News
During the reaccreditation report issued by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the evaluation team made recommendations in the area of distance learning. The School of Extended Education offers a variety of graduate and undergraduate credit courses for several certificates or degrees. Distance learning is geared toward offering off-campus options to students who are challenged with other time obligations. "We mainly serve adults who want to further their education," Frank Sabatine, dean of the School of Extended Education, said.... The team suggested shorter time-frames for courses, citing the appeal to off-campus students of receiving a degree in a shorter amount of time. The team recommended programs offering three five-week courses or two eight-week courses in a single semester. Sabatine said he sees no problem with shorter semesters, and there is no university policy on the length of these courses. He said he relies on the faculty's judgment in the length of classes. (0) comments
Comcourse and University of California Extension, Santa Cruz at Silicon Valley, Sign Agreement to Deliver IT Programs - eMedia Wire
Comcourse announced today that it has entered into an IT Course Delivery Agreement with the University of California Extension, Santa Cruz in Silicon Valley. UCSC Extension is the recognized leader providing of IT training courses in Silicon Valley. Because of their proximity to Silicon Valley, UCSC and Comcourse offer some of the best IT programs in the world. Through this agreement, Comcourse will expand UCSC's curriculum by initially hosting courses in the areas of Network Operating Systems and Wireless Networks. The agreement also enables Comcourse, in partnership with UCSC Extension, to offer customization services to corporations seeking to tailor IT programs to their environments and corporate cultures. In addition, Comcourse has created a new product, included in the UCSC course, called The Learning Bridge™. The subscription program will enable the authors and experts who develop the courses, many of which are highly technical, to be accessible to the students during the programs, as well as after graduation. (0) comments
New Web-Based Education Resources Platform for China - Converge
China Ventures Inc. is testing a new Web-based education resources platform to provide a variety of products and services aimed at the kindergarten to grade 12 market in China. Initially the platform will be tested for six months in 542 schools in 3 Beijing districts, a district in Tianjin City and in Hebei City, with an aggregate enrollment of 474,000 students and 20,800 teachers. The education authorities in each of these areas have signed an agreement with CVI's subsidiary, Today's Teachers Technology and Culture Ltd. ("TTTC") which designates the platform as the exclusive online distributor of educational content developed by the research department of these authorities and will designate a number of schools in each area to participate in the test. The objective of the test is to gauge market acceptance of the platform and better estimate what the education sector will pay for the products and services offered by the platform. (0) comments Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Death of the Classroom? And, Thank You—It’s Been Great Fun - Phillip D. Long, Syllabus
In 1999 Roger Schank, then at Northwestern University, said,“Classrooms are out! No more classrooms! Don’t build them!” Prof. Schank, now at Carnegie Mellon University West, was making the point that learning through active engagement and failure—learning by doing—connects our affective and intellectual experiences in a way that’s essential for effective learning. This doesn’t happen often enough in the contemporary classroom. At that time he advocated the “rule of 1/3”—children (and adults) should spend a third of their time talking with each other in face-to face-interaction, a third of their time doing something (building things), and a third of their time engaged in computer-based instruction. (0) comments
Online learning - KUSHAGRA SHRINATH, Ocala Star-Banner
With every facet of society becoming computerized, it's hard not to imagine that schooling wouldn't follow. Florida Virtual School (FLVS) offers a free schooling service, via the Internet, to all Florida residents. The courses are geared for high school students, but a few courses are available for middle school students as well. Along with learning the valuable information, FLVS also provides the respective credits for your transcript. Students can take classes for various reasons: to catch up with their peers, to get ahead, for early graduation or to make up for failing grades. For home-schooled students, FLVS can account for their primary courses, whereas for public or private school students, the courses are usually taken in addition to the courses taken at school. (0) comments
Bid to merge online education with classroom studies - Shireena Al Nowais, Gulf News
An integrated learning experience with students sitting for either online or face-to-face instruction was the message from the e-merging, e-learning conference that ended yesterday. The conference, which was held at the Abu Dhabi Men's Colleges, was held under the theme Blending the Future Creating Quality Education. According to Dr Tayeb Kamali, director of the Abu Dhabi Men's College (ADMC), students of the Higher Colleges of Technology will have the opportunity for a new learning experience since the overall plan is for blended learning to be an integral part of learning. During his opening address, Dr Kamali presented a study that showed that the majority of academic leaders are opting for online education rather than face-to-face instruction. "ADMC has three significant ways for the delivery of online courses: They are either in class or blended with students spending some time in class or they are fully online and students don't spend any time in their classrooms." Interactivity is essential for the success of e-learning and online courses must be attractive, interesting and collaborative, he said. (0) comments Monday, September 06, 2004
A Smart Learning Environment - Howard Strauss, Syllabus
....A smart learning environment can be used best by smart learners. While the infrastructure for a smart learning environment would be distributed, every smart learner needs to own an appropriate learner’s workstation. Since a learner’s workstation is not useful unless students have one, the workstation must be small, light, and wireless, run for a long time without being recharged (solar, fuel cell—who knows?), and support TV, radio, music, DVDs, games, and other forms of electronic entertainment that will bond the device to the student. (0) comments
Grid Computing a reality: UK trial this week - Public Technology
This week, UK particle physicists will demonstrate the world's largest, working computing Grid. With over 6,000 computers at 78 sites internationally, the Large Hadron Collider Computing Grid (LCG) is the first permanent, worldwide Grid for doing real science. The UK is a major part of LCG, providing more than 1,000 computers in 12 sites. At the 2004 UK e-Science All Hands Meeting in Nottingham, particle physicists representing a collaboration of 20 UK institutions will explain to biologists, chemists and computer scientists how they reached this milestone. (0) comments
UAE on verge of embracing high-tech mode of learning - Shireena Al Nowais, Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: The UAE is on the brink of a revolution in higher education that will make use of the full potential of the Internet. Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), told Gulf News the UAE would move ahead with such innovations as online learning. "Technology has become an integral part of education. Many countries are offering programmes online," he said, adding that e-learning was destined to "shape the future." "Through e-learning, you can educate yourself in your own time and at your own pace. You don't have to leave your country to pursue your education anymore and it is cheaper for people who can't afford to study abroad." (0) comments Sunday, September 05, 2004
Breaking the online barriers - Diaa Hadid, Gulf News
Dubai: E-learning will be needed the most in countries least able to afford it, while it will revolutionise the way universities teach, a US media expert visiting Dubai said. Dr Mario Garcia, CEO and founder of Garcia Media, the organisation which conceived last year's redesign of this newspaper, spoke to Gulf News about the pros and cons of e-learning.... "In the future, there will be tremendous growth in module, online learning. There'll be an emphasis on attention spans. I see students learning in 10-15 minute modules, they'll grab it, apply it and move on. The day of the rambling lecture is over." (0) comments
Bede College uses innovative IT to teach sign language - Public Technology
Bede College in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, is pioneering an innovative way of teaching British Sign Language through the use of new technologies. Students at the college are learning to master sign language, used throughout the UK to communicate with deaf people, through the combination of digital video clips with computer technology. The college uses this technology to create interactive learning materials that are fun to use as well as effective in teaching sign language. Students can return to the materials as many times as they like to check on things they are unsure of and can access them whenever they like over the Internet. This new approach to teaching sign language has been developed by staff at Bede College with with the help of funding through a national scheme called “Q projects”, which are designed to help teachers get to grips with IT in a way that will benefit learners. The Q projects scheme is run by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), a national organisation that supports teachers in post-school education, and is based on national standards for the use of technology by teachers. (0) comments
Go online for course in sustainable development - News Today Chennai, Sept 5
Madras University's online programme of M.A in Sustainable Development in partnership with Staffordshire University, United Kingdom, was launched by Stuart Innes, Deputy British High Commissioner, Southern India, here yesterday. Stuart Innes, Deputy British High Commissioner, Southern India and S P Thyagarajan, Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras, at the launch of the online programme of M. A in Sustainable Development at a function in Chennai yesterday.... The course is a shining example of what can be done through international collaboration which draws on the relative strengths of United Kingdom and India with new technologies like web-based learning, online tutorials and combining them with the more traditional learning systems, he said. (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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