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Online Learning News and Research
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Saturday, June 25, 2005
Network-Based Learning and Assessment Applications on the Semantic Web - David Gibson, Innovate
Today's Web applications are already "aware" of the network of computers and data on the Internet, in the sense that they perceive, remember, and represent knowledge external to themselves. For example, search engines like Google prescan the Web and store a record of page contents. That image, not the real Internet, is then searched when a user makes a request. As an image, Google's internal representation of the Internet is similar to a memory formed from perception. But Web applications are generally not able to respond to the meaning and context of the information in their memories. As a result, most applications are insensitive and unresponsive to users' teaching and learning needs, and they are unable to decide when to abstract from interactions in order to synthesize new knowledge. As the Web becomes a distributed computing environment for eEducation applications that can dynamically share and update one another's information, however, future network-based learning and assessment applications have the potential to fill in these gaps. (0) comments
Student Attitudes to Learning Business Statistics: Comparison of Online and Traditional Methods - Pannee Suanpang, Peter Petocz, Walter Kalceff, ETS
Worldwide, electronic learning (E-learning) has become an important part of the education agenda in the last decade. The Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (SDRU), Thailand has made significant efforts recently to use Internet technologies to enhance learning opportunities. The results reported here are part of a pioneering study to determine the effectiveness of a new online learning course in the subject “Business Statistics”. This paper compares two groups of students, one studying using a traditional lecture-based approach, and the other studying using e-learning. The comparison is based on students’ attitudes towards statistics measured using a validated questionnaire, both before and after the 16-week course, and for each of the modes of study. Comparisons are also made with students studying by distance, although the numbers in these groups are too small for sensible statistical analysis. The questionnaire data are augmented by material from interviews and other student reports of their experience. The results showed highly significant differences in attitudes towards statistics between the students studying online and the students using a traditional approach. (0) comments
UNITAR Offers Experience In Blended Learning To IDB Delegates - Santha Oorjitham, Malaysian National News Agency
Learning online or e-learning is increasingly proving to be more productive, enabling students to absorb more and allowing adults to work and study at the same time. As a result, "blended" learning" -- combining e-learning with conventional learning -- works well as part of a life-long learning culture in what is a rising trend and one many should embrace. Students at Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR) in Kuala Lumpur learn at least 30 percent of their lessons online, and this has been bearing more fruit. "The more they use e-learning, the more they learn," Dean of UNITAR's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Professor Datuk Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid told Bernama Sunday. (0) comments Friday, June 24, 2005
U.S. Public Libraries Providing Unprecedented Access to Computers, the Internet, and Technology Training
Nearly every U.S. public library offers free access to computers and the Internet, but overall libraries are challenged to provide enough workstations to meet demand, pay for ongoing Internet connectivity costs, and plan for necessary upgrades to the technology, according to a report released today at the opening of the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference. The report was conducted by the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at Florida State University (FSU) and commissioned by the ALA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. New data shows that 98.9 percent of all public libraries offer free public access to computers and the Internet -- a growth of more than 400 percent since 1996, when just one in four libraries did.Millions of Americans use computers in public libraries to access government services, research health information, enroll in distance-learning classes, and start small businesses. (0) comments
Ireland can be an e-learning leader - John Kennedy, Silicon Republic
With more than 60 companies engaged in the e-learning sector, Ireland is poised to capitalise internationally on the e-learning phenomenon. However, a conference heard earlier today, there is some way to go before the benefits of e-learning are fully exploited in the interests of Ireland’s society and economy. Brendan O’Sullivan, chief executive of Thirdforce plc, speaking at the national eLearning New Frontiers conference in Dublin this morning, organised by Hibernia College, cited the UK as a prime example of a country that has placed a high priority on upskilling entire population groups with initiatives to provide technology, literacy and numeracy skills through the medium of online learning. “The United States has also grasped the power of e-learning with a market that is currently at over 3.5 billion dollars in 2005. (0) comments
Promoting Distance Learning in Nigeria, the RDI Module - Roland Ogbonnaya, All Africa
At a time when many Nigerian universities cannot take the number of students yawning for tertiary education, a number of them, whose parents have the resources have decided to go abroad for such Golden Fleece. A large number of others who cannot muster the resources are left to sulk for their misfortune. To the ignorance of this set of students many Nigerians are acquiring foreign universities degrees while in the country and spend less of what those who made to, say United Kingdom (UK) are paying in terms of school fees and travelling expenses. To provide students the services and facilities to study for degree programmes of some of these foreign UK universities while working in the country has been the business of Resource Development International (RDI) Nigeria office.... Presently RDI Nigeria partner with a number of UK universities including University of Leicester, Staffordshire University, University of Sunderland and Liverpool JohnMoores University providing distance learning programmes designed to also provide the flexibility and versatility the students require with their busy schedule. (0) comments Thursday, June 23, 2005
Online phys ed? It's not for couch potatoes - Associated Press
It might not sound too strenuous, but some Minneapolis students are taking physical education courses online through a program developed by teachers in the district. Jan Braaten, the district's lead teacher for physical education and health, said her staff was leary of the idea at first. "It's kind of an oxymoron to have online PE," she said. But Braaten and others who developed the class are proud of their creation and say it's drawing interest from around the state and beyond. Online phys ed is being offered this summer as well. (0) comments
Virtual Textbook Offers Interactive Real-Life Scenarios for Advertising and Marketing Communication Students - Yahoo Business
"Forward-thinking professors are looking for a complete package in this market, but until now publishers have done little to distinguish themselves beyond the book," says Katie Stevens, Acquisitions Editor at Pearson Prentice Hall, the nation's leading secondary educational publisher. "The simulation that complements the book will introduce real-life problem solving to the classroom environment." The new course solution differentiates itself from traditional textbooks by embedding a completely integrated presentation of advertising and IMC problems and solutions via the Gronstedt Group's unique multimedia role-play methodology. According to Dr. Li, the online simulation casts the student in the role of a marketing communications manager for a consumer brand and poses a series of progressively more advanced cases which can be solved through the insightful application of concepts and lessons from the book. (0) comments
Drexel eLearning, Inc. Receives "Webby Worthy" Distinction for the Ninth Annual Webby Awards - Kenneth Hartman, Drexel
The Webby Awards, the leading international honor for Web sites, today recognized www.drexel.com as Webby Worthy, a distinction made for the first time this year to recognize sites exhibiting remarkable achievement. The site, which assists students in choosing an online Bachelor's, Master's, or Certificate program, is produced by Drexel eLearning, Inc., the online subsidiary of Drexel University.... "Our website reflects our commitment to using technology to deliver quality education online," states Dr. Kenneth E. Hartman, academic director at Drexel eLearning. "Our students are increasingly more mobile and tech savvy," states Hartman, "and, therefore, our Web site must deliver information in a format that responds to their needs and complements their lifestyles." (0) comments Wednesday, June 22, 2005
East Carolina Univ. Chemistry Laboratory Preparation - Dorothy Howse Clayton, Laurie Godwin, Chia Li, Joyce Joines Newman, Syllabus
The creation of an online Chemistry laboratory preparation Web site at East Carolina University was a collaborative project between faculty members in the Chemistry Department, the Harriot College of Arts and Sciences’ Instructional Technology Consultant, Director and staff of the University Multimedia Center, and the Coordinator of the Center for Faculty Development.... Faculty interest in the project was broad based, including senior tenured faculty members and fixed-term instructors. They wanted to go beyond a literal translation of the printed manual to create a more effective online learning experience that incorporated multimedia and interactive components. Together with the ITC and Multimedia Center staff, they explored best practices and guidelines for creating such materials. (0) comments
Technology allows for school and big wages - LeAnn Eckroth, Williston Herald
In wake of the surge of oil rig activity, Williston State College officials say young people need not be forced to choose between school and generous wages. Neil Westergaard, director for WSC's Distance Education System, said students can achieve both through the latest Internet technology and some flexibility on the school's part. "Our concern is people thinking they have to make a choice between school and work. There are 200 oil jobs open between western North Dakota to eastern Montana," Westergaard said...."Courses can be taken through distance education with technology not available 20 years ago. A person can work during the day and work on an associate degree at night," explained Ken Quamme, dean of technology for WSC. Distance education is used by students only blocks away or those that are far from the city limits. Users like it because of the flexibility it allows them around their daily schedule. Like anything, a student will draw from the class depending on how much effort goes into it. (0) comments
Microsoft Research Awards New Faculty Fellowships for 2005 - Campus Technology
In an effort to help outstanding new faculty buck the trend of shrinking research dollars, Microsoft Research University Relations, a division of Microsoft Research established a program to identify and support exceptional first-, second-, and third-year professors whose research will substantially advance computer science research. Each winner will receive a $200,000 cash grant to support their work. (0) comments Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Search Engine Interfaces - Donny Smith, Kairos
Even though Internet search engines occupy a huge space in students' lives, there seems to be little examination of the effect of search engines on students. The interfaces of popular search engine such as Yahoo and Google simulate annotated bibliographies, a very abstract form. Information does not have to be presented as title lists. This review will present a few of the search interfaces currently available and briefly analyze the rhetorical limitations of input and output displays. (0) comments
How to stay the course - Gavin Moodie, the Australian
Online learning can be the most challenging way of studying, but it can also be the most convenient and even inspirational. Here are some hints: Get set up well before you get started. Online learning depends on technology and there's nothing worse than having your progress interrupted by technological glitches. While you may plan to do most of your study during evenings or early mornings, it's ideal if you can use your online learning at any time. So make sure that your technology works where you plan to use your online learning, at work and home. If you plan to study at home try to set up in a room with few distractions. Long download times can be frustrating, so if you have a slow line speed investigate upgrading. You may find it doesn't cost much more to upgrade as there are many special offers and you will free up your phone line. You may also need to extend the memory of your computer, improve your system for backing up or expand your capacity to store files offline. (0) comments
Special Libraries Association Launches Click University
At the June Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference in Toronto, SLA unveiled its new online learning system -- designed specifically for library and information professionals. SLA's Click University (clickuniversity.com) is an online learning community expressly designed for the professional development and continuing education needs of librarians and information professionals around the world. It is exclusively for SLA members. "In the past, the options for 'info pros' pursuing career development were limited and they required travel, tuition, and fees that often were cost- prohibitive," said Executive Director Janice R. Lachance. "Click University obliterates those barriers. Every member can get top-notch, university-level courses anywhere, anytime; complete the work at their own pace; and at a price that's right for them." (0) comments Monday, June 20, 2005
Summer School Goes to the Beach: Virtual classes give high school kids flexibility - Anne McGrath, US News
Ingenious teenagers can find every manner of reason to take a pass on summer school: There's the two-week family vacation in the middle of the four-week session, not to mention the potential for a day job scooping ice cream--or the fear that they might bomb at cramming a semester's worth of work into a month. In the digital age, however, none is reason enough. The rapid spread of online learning at the secondary level--experts estimate that more than half of all school districts offer some virtual coursework, up from just 30 percent two years ago--is now creating "anywhere, anytime" flexibility for summer students, too. While the total numbers are still small, many hundreds of students around the country will be signing on in the next week or two for everything from U.S. history to human space exploration. (0) comments
Distance learning at home helps students catch up or get a jump on credits - but no slacking allowed - Susie Gran, Albuquerque Tribune
Between baseball tournaments, Eldorado High School catcher John Ciepiela is attending summer school in his basement. No longer just a hangout for pingpong and cards with friends, the basement is a study den during the hours when he's allowed to log on to Nova Net, a computer curriculum he paid for at Albuquerque Charter Vocational High School. Ciepiela is among thousands of students trying distance learning - online and correspondence courses offered by New Mexico charter schools, Texas Tech University, Brigham Young University and Indiana University, to name a few. (0) comments
Can’t go to class? Learn virtual way - Megha Prasad, Express India
In a class, the lecturer is holding an interactive session. You don’t pay attention, and he quizzes you. A regular classroom? We are not talking direct learning here. This is a virtual classroom, the new way of distance learning. A boon for working people who cannot afford to attend regular courses, it’s like any other normal programme. The only difference — your teacher may be at any of the IIMs or any other premier educational institution far away interacting with you on a computer screen. Acting as a link between the institutes and students is Direcway Global Education (DWGE) which has its virtual classrooms spread in 32 cities across the country and offers a host of interactive onsite learning programmes from institutes like the Indian Institute Management, XLRI Jamshedpur, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Narsi Munji Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai and many more. (0) comments Sunday, June 19, 2005
Prisoner Education: Should More Be Done? - Brooke Van Dam, Further Education
It is one of those topics that sometimes makes people squirm. What, if anything, should be done to educate prisoners? Are they simply there to be punished for their crime or should rehabilitation and training be involved to help integrate them back into society? The government, except for in the extreme cases, has chosen the latter and is introducing new plans to make sure prisoners have access to further education in the UK.... The access to the internet for the prisoner is another issue that the LSC [Learning and Skills Council] is willing to tackle. Gamble says, “The application of e-learning is an increasingly popular and powerful medium for learning, and the LSC supports extending this opportunity to offenders. Clearly, however, there are issues of security and accessibility to be considered, which are being worked through as part of the Offenders Learning and Skills Service Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategy.” (0) comments
More students going to school online - WDBJ7
It's hard to believe but some teenagers are so busy these days they don't have time to go to school. So they're turning to the internet. Chris Hincker is a 16-year-old who truly loves tennis. Two years ago, he ranked 85th in the nation in his age group until an injury set him back. Trying to bounce back requires him to play tennis full-time, which means it's nearly impossible for Chris to attend school everyday. Through the Keystone National High School website, Chris writes papers, takes exams, and corresponds with his teachers through e-mail. It's convenient because Chris can log on and complete the work anytime of the day. (0) comments
All I Really Need to Know I Learned Online - eMarketer
According to Feedback Research, most online adults who have looked into online education feel it is just as good or better than traditional, face-to-face learning. The survey was conducted in April and May 2005 among almost 500 US adults who had visited distance education Web sites. Solid majorities felt that online education was at least equal to traditional schools, with 67% saying the overall quality of the education was equal, and 68% feeling the quality of the degree is just as good. (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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