Online Learning Update

by Kristen Betts, Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration

Faculty members play a central role in the development, implementation, and long-term sustainability of online and blended education programs. Therefore, faculty recruitment and retention strategies for these programs must align with the needs of the faculty. This article highlights the results of an institutional study conducted at a public comprehensive university in 2012 that examined factors influencing faculty participation and retention in online and blended education. This article also provides a comparative overview of the results of a similar institutional study conducted at The George Washington University (GWU) in 1997 that examined factors influencing faculty participation in distance education. The original surveys from the 1997 GWU study were updated for the 2012 Armstrong study. The results revealed that while technology and learning platforms have continued to evolve over the past 15 years, many of the needs and concerns of faculty are relatively similar. The results also revealed that faculty involvement is quintessential in the development and expansion of online and blended programs as well as in the design of faculty development initiatives.

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring171/betts171.html

by Business Because

“The development of the social web is enabling levels of interaction, engagement and collaborative working online that we couldn’t have imagined even five years ago – and we are only at the start of that revolution,” says Simon Nelson, chief executive of Future Learn, the online course provider. Now, top schools in the United States, such as Kenan-Flagler at the University of North Carolina, which has an online-based MBA@UNC program, are backing the online mode of delivery. Business schools announce a new online MBA program on an almost weekly basis. Imperial College Business School will launch a new online MBA in January 2015, and Baylor University in Texas will be teaching its MBA program online from May this year.

http://www.businessbecause.com/news/mba-distance-learning/2442/new-tech-energizes-online-mba-revolution

By Gayle Christensen and Brandon Alcorn, Slate

The University of Pennsylvania conducted a survey of more than 400,000 active students in courses offered by the university through Coursera—the biggest MOOC provider—and received nearly 35,000 responses. The results provide much-needed information on who is participating and why. At least in their early stages, these courses are not providing the revolution in access that proponents claim. Two-thirds of participants come from the developed world—the United States and other members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the club of leading industrialized countries. This is despite the fact that these 34 countries only account for 18 percent of the world population. And 83 percent of MOOC students already have a two- or four-year diploma or degree, even in regions of the world where less than 10 percent of the adult population has a degree. Meanwhile, 69 percent of them are employed.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/new_scientist/2014/03/mooc_survey_students_of_free_online_courses_are_educated_employed_and_male.html

By Carl Straumsheim, Inside Higher Ed

The question has so far gone unanswered (though not undiscussed) even at some of the earliest entrants into the massive open online course market, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since MOOC providers have gotten out of the intellectual property rights debate by saying they will honor whatever policy their institutional partners have in place, it falls on the universities to settle the matter.  Almost two years after Harvard and MIT jointly launched the MOOC provider edX, Sanjay E. Sarma, director of digital learning at MIT, said his institution has “figured it out.” “Faculty have always had certain expectations and rights, and we want to respect them,” Sarma said. “In other words, we don’t want any new policy to change any rights they have right now.”

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/03/18/if-mooc-instructor-moves-who-keeps-intellectual-property-rights

by Tom Snyder, Huffington Post

Many make the mistake of assuming that an online class will be easier than one taken in a traditional classroom. Often online instructors assign more reading materials than required in a regular classroom to ensure that students are engaged. Motivation is key to an online student’s success as is his ability to reach out to both instructors and fellow students using software such as Blackboard. That software program seamlessly integrates social media, making it possible to create online communities that are course specific. Blogs, tweets, podcasts, webcasts, online chats, discussion boards, and virtual study jams are all part of the online mix. Success in an online course often depends on how connected a student feels to his instructor and fellow students. I believe that online learning has the potential to revolutionize higher education. Students will be able to learn at their own pace and problems as simple as finding a place to park on campus will be eliminated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-snyder/the-benefits-of-online-le_b_2573991.html

By MICHAEL V. ROTHBERG, Harvard Crimson

Columbia University announced Thursday that it has joined edX, the online education platform co-founded by Harvard and MIT, becoming the organization’s 33rd “charter member.” Columbia is the third Ivy League institution to join the platform, in addition to Harvard. The university will operate as ColumbiaX and plans to launch its first three courses later this year. ColumbiaX’s first courses will center around American Civil War history and be taught by Columbia history professor Eric Foner. Foner is the author of “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery,” which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for History, and a professor at the university.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/3/14/columbia-joins-edx/

by Harry Slater, the Guardian

From keyboards that recognise your typing style to university honour codes – course providers are finding new ways to stop plagiarism among students. And while there isn’t any data to suggest whether students are more or less likely to commit plagiarism when learning online, Jisc, which specialises in digital education, says a large online cohort size and distance learning – where students aren’t based on campus – can make foul play harder to spot. Michael Dunn, a senior lecturer at the University of Derby and expert in electronic plagiarism, says that before seeking to identify why students cheat, universities should ask if students know what constitutes cheating in an academic context. A report by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, which deals with student complaints, found a steep rise in complaints from UK students about harsh treatment by their universities over cheating.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/14/students-cheating-plagiarism-online

by Steven Loeb, Vator News

Now comes Smart Sparrow, a company that really wants to change the way that people learn online, opening the possibilities for anyone to create an adapted learning course in any subject. The company has raised a $10 million round of funding to put that plan into action. Smart Sparrow’s mission is to empower education, said Dr. Dror Ben-Naim, the company’s founder, in an interview with me. The company’s platform has three characteristics that Ben-Naim points that separate it from other online education companies. First, it features rich content. Second, it is interactive. And third, it is adaptive, meaning that “the feedback you get as you interact guides the pathway through the lessons.

http://vator.tv/news/2014-03-13-adaptive-learning-platform-smart-sparrow-raises-10m

by the Digital Journal

Digital Learning Now!, a national initiative of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), has released its 2013 Digital Learning Report Card. The Report Card measures and grades K-12 education policies in each of the nation’s 50 states against the 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning. “It’s encouraging to see the number of states that are working toward breaking down policy barriers that prevent students from being the center of our education system,” said Jeb Bush, former Florida Governor and Chairman of ExcelinEd. “As this Digital Learning Report Card highlights, more states are allowing students to customize their education in a way that best meets their learning style, and empowers them with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college and the workplace.”

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1790914

By Eric Fredericksen and Mark Zupan, Business Week

Here’s what we have learned. Perhaps the chief benefit of MOOCs is simply the visibility it provides to help reach new customers, untethered from geographic restrictions. While enrolling in these online classes through Coursera involves less of a commitment than enrolling in (and paying for) an on-campus course, we have had more than 20 times more students sign up for our online courses than are taking classes in person. Of our 200,000-plus virtual enrollees, who hail from 150 different countries, 44 percent never heard of us, while another 52 percent had, but that was the extent of their connection to us. Enrollment in a MOOC is not equivalent to taking a traditional on-campus course. It is more analogous to bookmarking a Web page.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-12/what-massive-online-courses-do-well-and-where-they-falter

By MICHAEL V. ROTHBERG, Harvard Crimson

The Graduate School of Education launched its first course through the online education platform HarvardX on Tuesday. The new course—GSE1x: “Unlocking the Immunity to Change: A New Approach to Personal Improvement”—will focus on helping people achieve their personal goals through online videos, interactive elements, and forums. It is taught by two members of the Graduate School of Education faculty—professor of adult learning and professional development Robert Kegan and lecturer Lisa L. Lahey. In 2009, Kegan and Lahey co-authored a book that presented the “Immunity to Change” theory, which uses the immune system as a metaphor to explain how humans resist change. The book also offers a set of psychological tools that, according to Kegan and Lahey, facilitate change.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/3/13/gsd-edx-couse-self-help/

by CNN Money

Oversight of for-profit colleges and universities by the U.S. Department of Education — which declined to discuss the case, or to talk about for-profit colleges — has been thwarted by the colleges’ lobbying and legal challenges. But now, states and other federal agencies are stepping in. Attorneys general from across the country are investigating for-profit colleges accused of leaving students with heavy loan debt and without marketable job skills. At least 32 states are working together to investigate the schools, while several more are working independently on similar cases. California Attorney General Kamala Harris filed suit against Corinthian Colleges in October. And last summer, New York announced a $10.25 million settlement with industry giant Career Education Corp. over claims it inflated graduates’ job-placement rates.

http://www.ketknbc.com/news/states-federal-government-cracking-down-on-for-pro

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

These days, so much of the research students do is of the online variety. There’s less time spent in the library, requesting materials, and reading through print journals. Online research enables students (and teachers) to get the information they need quickly and efficiently. But just because there is a lot of information out there, a simple Google search isn’t necessarily going to yield you the best results. The handy infographic linked below takes a look at how to get the most out of Google when you’re doing online research.

http://www.edudemic.com/get-more-out-of-google/

by Perry D. Drake, Educause Review

Although teens use social media heavily — and many freely post sensitive personal information — instructors must be careful about how they use social media in classrooms.  Because use of digital media for student communications and interactions isn’t specifically covered by FERPA, instructors must be extra careful to ensure that they don’t violate FERPA rules related to student records and privacy. Several scenarios and real-world examples offer tips and guidelines that both protect student privacy and allow instructors to take full advantage of social media for engaging students in course work and discussions.

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/your-use-social-media-ferpa-compliant?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email+marketing&utm_campaign=EDUCAUSE

by Harper College, Trib Local

Knowing how to properly care for someone in cognitive decline can be overwhelming, so Harper College’s Continuing Education department is launching a new online class, “Dementia for Family Caregivers.” The class, which runs April 7 through May 2, is designed for family caregivers dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia or other conditions that cause significant memory problems. “Our instinct is to treat these adults like children, which should be avoided,” instructor Pamela Atwood said. “This class is really designed to teach family caregivers practical applied strategies and how to be advocates.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/palatine_rolling_meadows/community/chi-ugc-article-spike-in-dementia-spurs-new-class-2014-03-11,0,3189095.story

by Open Culture

In recent months, we’ve enhanced what’s now a list of 875 Free Online Courses from top universities. Here’s the lowdown: Our big list of free courses lets you download audio & video lectures from schools like Stanford, Yale, MIT, Oxford, Harvard and UC Berkeley. Generally, the courses can be accessed via YouTube, iTunes or university web sites.

http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/a-big-list-of-875-free-courses-from-top-universities-27000-hours-of-audiovideo-lectures.html

By Sam, Pad Gadget

Proving that they are still the leader in offering massive open online courses (MOOCs), Coursera has released a beautiful native iPad app that provides access for learners on the move. The internet continues to change education and freely available MOOCs are just one example of a thriving open community. Coursera is not alone but is the best funded and most the popular company in this field. They reportedly have raised over $80 million from a variety of business and education partners. It’s never enough to have money, but certainly it helps support a visionary team and fund an iOS app which is elegant and very functional.

http://www.padgadget.com/2014/03/11/education-update-coursera-releases-ipad-app-with-600-free-courses/

by Skills Maintenance Online

E-Learning is here to stay – are you in or out? It’s a fact that E-Learning is rapidly embedding within the Australian business landscape and is transforming the way organisations manage and build internal skills and talent. With this in mind, it is now more important than ever for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to get online and expand their offline offering with an online component. Whilst some providers have taken this important step, skillsmaintenance.com CEO Peter Spinda says that there are many RTOs Australia wide who have either yet to make the transition, or who have made a start but are well behind when it comes to the quality of content and design that can be achieved today.

http://prwire.com.au/print/training-providers-get-online-or-get-left-behind

BY KATHLEEN J. SULLIVAN, Stanford

Higher education is in a “period of great experimentation” in the field of online learning, President Hennessy told an audience in Berkeley last week, adding that he is confident its successes and failures will lead to new approaches to teaching that will benefit students. “We’re going to invent the future,” Hennessy said, speaking during the opening Q&A of an online summit held March 7-8 at the University of California, Berkeley, “How Technology Impacts the Pedagogy and Economics of Residential Higher Education.”

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/march/online-stanford-cal-031114.html

By Jared Whitehead, Edudemic

In 2012, most of the pedagogical and technological community were taken by storm from a report by One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) that laptops dropped off in rural Ethiopia had been learned from in ways the contributors never imagined. Not only did the children who received the laptops, many of whom were pre-literate and had no prior exposure to digital technology, make use of the programs the developers uploaded, they began to hack the Android-based operating system that the laptops used, reenabling the webcam and modifying the laptop desktops—an application that was previously blocked by the developers working on the specialized laptops. I think a key step towards promoting renewed efforts at government revitalization is to introduce students to the open source community as quickly as possible. This community is a valuable, productive environment for inculcating in a new generation a commitment to collaboration. The following are just four reasons why open source is the right choice for our children.

http://www.edudemic.com/open-source-in-education/

By ALEXANDER H. PATEL, Harvard Crimson

As Harvard Business School prepares to launch its first online learning platform, known as HBX, later this spring, the initial success of the Business School faculty’s growing involvement in undergraduate education reflects the opportunities and limits of expanding the case method pedagogy to a broader audience.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/3/10/HBS-undergrad-course-offering/