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Online Learning News and Research
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Saturday, May 07, 2005
New Web site feature allows students to study together online - Stephanie Szuda, Northern Star
Students now have one more option to aid them in their studies, as pickaprof.com has added a new feature to its Web site called Study Buddy. Study Buddy allows students to communicate with each other outside the classroom about homework, tests or notes, said Karen Bragg, director of university relations at Pick-A-Prof. The new tool also provides a forum for group project collaboration or the opportunity for professors and teaching assistants to hold interactive review sessions. Study Buddy is one tool that differentiates them from other similar Web sites, Bragg said. No downloads are required to use the forums; the student logs on under the course they are enrolled in, Bragg said. (0) comments
Online master's course gives students more choices for part-time education - R. Yogo, Hustonian
The college of criminal justice at Sam Houston State University will offer the online Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership in 2005. This online course, designed by Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership, is for the students who request part-time educational programs. The need to provide convenient access has increased by providing them with the flexibility and convenience of learning anywhere an Internet connection is available. The unique point of this course is to actively encourage the students to interact with each other, although there is some criticism that distance isolates the students in many cases. (0) comments
Parents can check out virtual school Saturday - MARIJA B. VADER, The Daily Sentinel
Imagine getting your kids an education without the need to leave the confines of your home. It’s called virtual learning, and it’s available for students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Colorado Connections Academy, one of the leading providers of virtual education in Colorado, will host an education expo in Grand Junction for parents interested in educating their kids in a virtual school environment. (0) comments Friday, May 06, 2005
Designing for the Virtual Interactive Classroom - Judith V. Boettcher, Campus Technology
We’ve all talked about synchronous online collaboration, but new tools may allow us to truly “know” this kind of collaboration for the first time. Over the years, faculty have creatively adapted to the asynchronous, text-based environment of the Web and the online classroom. As a community, we’ve learned that while e-mail and discussion boards aren’t the same as the live classroom, they have their own unique instructional effectiveness. And, indeed, for some interactions and purposes, the online space actually is better. The shy students seem to talk more; students often graciously engage and support each other; they seem to reflect and express more thoughtful ideas in online forums; and busy students can learn anytime, anywhere. (0) comments
USDLA Announces 2005 Call for Nomination for Distance Learning Awards - Business Wire
The United States Distance Learning Association, today announced its Annual Call for Nominations for the 2005 Distance Learning Awards. According to Dr. John G. Flores, Executive Director of USDLA, "the USDLA Awards program is the distance learning industry's premier awards event recognizing the best of the best for both education and training distance learning markets." This year's awards highlight the deployment of various distance learning technologies and include online, satellite and videoconferencing components. The USDLA prestigious award recognition is presented to organizations and individuals. Included for the first time this year will be a new 21st Century Best Practice Award, as well as the Best Practice Awards for Distance Learning Programming and the Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching Awards. (0) comments
Corporate class in cyberspace - Shobhana Subramanian, Rediff
Two years ago, a couple of software engineers at Patni Computers had to be urgently trained for a critical application assignment. With no skilled personnel in India, the only trainer Patni had available was in Singapore. But with the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic raging there, there was no way he could wing his way down. So what happened? Thanks to the e-learning systems installed by Patni, he could train the engineers in time so that they could complete the work for their client. Patni isn't the only company that is taking recourse to e-learning. Today, e-learning encompasses all aspects of life, and is used for induction programmes, sales training or softskills, computer applications, medical courses for nurses and paramedics or to work towards a degree in law or history. (0) comments Thursday, May 05, 2005
The Future of Integration, Personalization, and ePortfolio Technologies - Susan LaCour, Innovate
Most educators accept the premise that, in an ideal world, learning would be delivered in the manner and environment that best suit the needs and learning styles of individual learners. In the future, technologies like personalization, integration, and electronic portfolios will progress toward this ideal by broadening the learning universe. (0) comments
Higher Education Outreach Project - Newswise
Today, a memorandum of understanding creating the Higher Education Outreach Project among the United Nations, acting through its Department of Public Information (DPI), Fairleigh Dickinson University and the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) was signed. The three organizations have agreed to develop the Higher Education Outreach Project, using videoconferencing as a communications and learning tool. Students at Fairleigh Dickinson and other colleges and universities in the United States — if they possess the required technical capabilities — will be able to follow and participate in discussions among U.N. ambassadors, diplomats and other distinguished individuals. Fairleigh Dickinson University is the only organization or institution with which the United Nations DPI has a memorandum of understanding regarding video-conferences. (0) comments
Georgia Virtual High School Officially Opens for Online Learning - The Weekly, Peachtree Corners, Georgia
Students in Ms. Whitney Neufeldt’s AP Government class at Winder-Barrow High School witnessed firsthand the successful conclusion of a bill becoming law when Governor Sonny Perdue signed legislation today creating the Georgia Virtual High School. Governor Perdue visited Winder-Barrow High School to highlight the official opening of the Georgia Virtual High School. This internet-based public high school will give students in any region of the state access to Advanced-Placement courses, summer school courses, and other advanced science and math courses. “In this era of information technology, we can provide our students with the AP and other advanced courses they need to succeed,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “The Georgia Virtual High School will help offer an excellent education to all Georgia students regardless of where they live.” (0) comments Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Students Choose to Take their Classes Online - Yessenia Rojas, LaVoz
Online classes give students many opportunities that they don't have in traditional classrooms. Without them, many students wouldn't be able to finish school. These courses are so helpful for full-time working students and for those who have other commitments. With full plates it is almost impossible to fit everything into jam-packed schedules. Online courses give the needed flexibility to fit education into busy lives. But some people question whether students are learning at the same level in online courses as in regular courses. One side thinks that the lack of instructor presence would not give students the opportunity to ask questions to make sure they understand the material. Or that there is not enough student to student interaction to help them shape their understanding of a subject. Brent Muirhead, in his article in the USDLA Journal, a refereed journal of the U.S. distance learning association, said, "Interactivity research studies involving online classes reveal that students value their opportunities to communicate with their peers and instructors." (0) comments
Distance Education on Rise in U.S., Study Shows - Kate McGreevy, School Reform News
A new survey from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reveals approximately one-third of the nation's school districts offer distance-learning courses and 72 percent of them plan to expand their offerings. Students in rural districts represent the majority of children taking advantage of distance-learning options, according to the report, titled "Distance Education Courses for Public Elementary and Secondary School Students: 2002-2003." The report was released March 2 and provides the first national data available on distance education in public schools. "Distance learning is expanding the offerings for many of our nation's high schools," said Susan Patrick, director of the department's Office of Educational Technology. "It is not replacing courses, but adding to the curricular offerings. It is another way to bring courses to areas with highly qualified teachers, at any time and any place. Small and rural schools are finding distance learning a viable solution for offering advanced placement courses, [and] rigorous math, science, and foreign-language courses not otherwise available at the school." (0) comments
Report Shows Widespread Use of E-learning Among Nonprofits - Isoph
The first-ever Nonprofit and Association E-learning Survey shows wide and growing adoption of e-learning among nonprofit organizations and associations, with more than 54 percent of total respondents either using e-learning or planning to in the next 12 months. Sponsored by Isoph (http://www.isoph.com) and N-TEN (http://www.nten.org), the survey provides the first broad data on mission-based organizations’ use of e-learning technologies. From August 24 through September 15, 2004, 697 individuals responded to the Web-based survey, offering important insight into how nonprofits and associations develop and use e-learning. (0) comments Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Role Playing in Online Education: A Teaching Tool to Enhance Student Engagement and Sustained Learning - Tisha Bender, Innovate
Discovering new ways to inspire students is a worthy teaching goal. When students love what they are learning, the process feels meaningful, they retain the information better, and the experience motivates them to learn more. Encouraging a love of learning can be a particular challenge in an online class, however, since the teacher does not see the students face-to-face and therefore lacks the visual cues that typically indicate how much students understand, what excites them, and what they still need to know. As online education escalates, it is important for instructors to explore teaching techniques that engage students and enhance learning at a profound level. To achieve this goal, instructors must look at the primarily text-based environment of the online class not as a limitation, but as an opportunity. Attentive and highly personal teaching that generates enthusiastic interaction, collaboration, and engaged dialogue among students is desirable in any educational setting. But it is all the more crucial in an online classroom, for it enables teachers to gain knowledge of their students that would not otherwise be available within such an environment. (0) comments
UNCG's online master's program named best in state - Business Journal
UNC-Greensboro's initiative for students to take master of arts classes over the Internet has been named the top online program by the N.C. Distance Learning Association. This is the second year in a row that UNCG has garnered the top spot from the statewide organization. "This program clearly provides educational opportunities to individuals that would not have had access to traditional face-to-face classes, and it has a curriculum that is extremely innovative and diverse," Kenneth M. Elliott, chair of the association's awards committee, said Monday. "It has the potential to be the best example of the use of distance education both in North Carolina and in the nation." (0) comments
Learning from a Distance Brings it Home - Barbara Bray, techLearning
A student in Kenosha, Wisconsin commented "If we didn't have school when it was 19 degrees, we wouldn't have school all winter!" Videoconferencing and other online opportunities allow learning anytime from anywhere no matter what the weather. Teachers can sign up for online courses and develop collaborative projects using a variety of interactive tools. Joan Roehre, the Distance Learning Specialist for Kenosha Unified School District, shared with me how she divides Distance Learning into four main categories: Credited cours: 1)ework 2)Virtual field trips 3) Interactive one-time videoconferences 4) Collaborative on-going projects . (0) comments Monday, May 02, 2005
The Development of Socialization in an On-line Learning Environment - Norah Jones and Paul Peachey, Journal of Interactive Online Learning
The paper investigates interactions on five online courses involving staff that currently lecture or support learners in further and higher education at the University of Glamorgan, and its partner colleges throughout Wales. The qualitative research involves an ethnographical study of the ethos of the online communities of students. The findings suggest that if Stage 1 of the model is effectively designed and facilitated then socialization occurs at this stage. The design of Stage 2 of the ‘Model of teaching and learning online through online networking’ is problematic. The paper calls for a review of the relationship between the strategic objectives and their relative tasks in these important early stages of development. (0) comments
Students turn to web for textbook deals - eSchool News
Armed with her class list for the upcoming semester, graduate student Lindsay Hendricks always treks first to the campus bookstore at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. But if they don't have what she's looking for, Hendricks' next stop is her computer. There are great deals to be had searching for college textbooks over the internet, Hendricks said.... "It's the wave of the future," said Al Greco, a Fordham University marketing professor who follows trends in the college textbook industry for the Book Industry Study Group. And it's a trend that college bookstores will have to answer if they expect to remain in business. Sales of textbooks over the internet are growing because students have figured out they can save as much as half of the book's cost by shopping around in cyberspace, Greco said. (0) comments
E-learning good way to keep employees keen - New Zealand Herald
More people want to study using e-learning schemes, says recruitment firm Chandler Macleod. General manager John Harland says training and further education are among the most effective employee retention techniques "and because one of the main barriers to further study is time, we have seen a parallel increase in demand for e-learning". E-learning involves using the internet as a classroom and training facility rather than attending traditional lectures and tutorials. Hundreds of courses are available online that can be accessed at work or at home using a PC with an internet connection. Courses include learning software programs such as Powerpoint. (0) comments Sunday, May 01, 2005
Bringing Law Schools Into The 21st Century - Werner George Patels, Blogger News Network
....California has a number of virtual law schools, which are recognized by the California bar, but not necessarily by the American Bar Association (ABA). Canada’s bar associations also frown upon any non-traditional law-school program. England’s law society, however, fully endorses such programs (e.g., University of London, Nottingham University) and, in fact, deems such graduates to be extremely valuable. In Australia, too, studying law through correspondence courses is an acceptable option. (0) comments
OADL Gains Momentum - Fatou Sanyang, the Independent of Banjul Africa
Open And Distance Learning has been a utilitarian and divers delivery form of education for life long learning and human resource development. This method of education has open up the scope for access and exchange of global knowledge at a distance. It has also led to strengthening local capacities, improving livelihoods, and connecting large number of people within a short period of time. In this regard, a three-day national forum on Open And Distance Learning has been organised by the Commonwealth of Learning. The conference, which was held in Senegambia hotel, has brought together representatives from the Commonwealth of Learning and the staff of the DoSE. (0) comments
Teachers look to computers to critique student writing - MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press
Stacks of student essays riddled with flaws - the thought alone was enough to make Ed Brent look to pass on the work of his Introduction to Sociology class. Students in Brent's course at the University of Missouri-Columbia now submit drafts of their papers through an online interface he developed. It identifies how many points Brent wanted included that actually were, and how well concepts were explained. Within seconds, students have a score. (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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