This page provides links to articles that look at online teaching and learning with particular emphasis on the FE and HE environments.
Articles in date order, most recent first.
Social Software in Academia
“Considerable buzz has appeared on the Internet over a group of new tools labeled social software. These tools can expand discussion beyond the classroom and provide new ways for students to collaborate and communicate within their class or around the world.” Todd Bryant, Educause Quarterly, Vol 29 No 2
Added: 18 May 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
Social software tools can support students and staff beyond the classroom
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Coming of Age: an introduction to the new World Wide Web
“Featuring case studies and how-to articles by leading practitioners in the world of education” By Terry Friedman (Ed), ICT in Education
Added: 29 April 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
Reviewer’s Note 2 Mb, 20 chapters, 92 page PDF to download for free
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Academic MP3s - is it time yet?
“Are campus educators and administrators prepared to make full use of the iPod’s educational potential? Our intrepid reporter gets the inside story from faculty, students, and administrators at three schools on the vanguard.” Mikael Blaisdell, Campus Technology
Added: 8 March 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
A good look at the use of podcasting in higher education
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Has elearning revolutionized education?
“Does eLearning have the ability to ease many of the pressures that educators are currently facing? As we entered into the 21st century, leaders in this field argued that eLearning could respond to accelerating global competition, increase the quality of learning experiences, remove situational barriers, and be more cost effective.” Heather Kanuka, Embassy Report, 22 February 2006
Added: 22 February 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
Conclusion: “while eLearning has not delivered on the promises made by technologists at the turn of the century, it does have great potential to widen access, cost effectively, under certain circumstances.
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E-Learning - a financial and strategic objective
“Institutions can consider different options in shaping a long-term strategy for achieving acceptable financial returns from e-learning.” Stephen R Ruth, Educause Quarterly, Vol 29, No 1, 2006
Added: 17 February 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
Stephen’s conclusion - “My suggestion is simply to look at the possibilities for changing the e-learning model to one potentially more profitable than the traditional, heavily subsidized model in place on many campuses today.”
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ICT and e-learning in Further Education
“This is the full report of the ICT and e-learning in Further Education survey 2005. This study is the sixth in a series that assesses progress in the provision of ICT within further education and sixth form colleges since 1999.” Becta, September 2005
Added: 16 February 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
It also forms part of the evidence base that will inform the development of the post-16 e-learning programme by examining the integration of this provision into the teaching and learning process
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The future of course design and the National Center for Academic Transofrmation: An interview with Carol Twigg
“Carol A. Twigg, founder, president, and chief executive officer of the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), is an internationally recognized expert in using information technology to transform teaching and learning in higher education.” William H Graves and Carol A. Twigg, Innovate, Vol 2 Issue 3, February/March 2006
Added: 1 February 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
The interview describes how course redesign can simultaneously reduce costs and improve the quality of education. Twigg outlines the main tenets of course redesign and gives us a glimpse into NCAT’s ongoing projects and where they are headed next.
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Reflecting the Future e-Content Development Evolution in Higher Education
“This presentation reflects the potential future e-content development and learning paradigm in higher education, exploring some interesting e-learning tools, content repositories, and models of e-Learning.” Zaid Ali Alsagoff, UNITAR
Added: 11 January 2006
Reviewer’s Note:
Presentation in Breeze format
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Learning environment design for learners and teachers
“This paper proposes that for elearning to be taken up widely by teachers and learners, a broadly purposed or designed elearning environment of essential educational elements needs to be available. It suggests that the work of preparing online learning programs involves seven different elements which can be organised into seven distinct digital online services layers.” Gerry White, education.au ltd, 17 November 2005
Added: 23 November 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
An integrated suite of online services which includes seven digital layers for planning learning programs and caters for the four different types of users would seem to be most appropriate for elearning use.”
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Do You Want Ketchup With Your Degree, Or Can You Beat McEducation?
“The paper discusses 2 different approaches to remote education: development of standartized courses versus customized courses that set University / College apart from others. What strategy wins?” Dr. Alex Heiphetz, Delta L Printing
Added: 21 November 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
Conclusion - Technology allows you to take competition out of realm of commoditization (”who can provide me with the cheapest degree”) into the realm of value (”what education is most valuable for me”). Experience shows that this is not the field where McEducators want to compete.”
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ICT and e-learning in Further Education: the challenge of change
“This is the full report of the ICT and e-learning in Further Education survey 2005. This study is the sixth in a series that assesses progress in the provision of ICT within further education and sixth form colleges since 1999. It also forms part of the evidence base that will inform the development of the post-16 e-learning programme by examining the integration of this provision into the teaching and learning process.” Steve Davis, November 2005, available from Ferl
Added: 15 November 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
Available as PDF or Word document
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The really really rough guide to e-learning benchmarking in Higher Education
“Here’s a different type of Auricle post from my normal offering. As well as being a repository of information I’ve started to gather, the post is also a kind of thought lab I’m using to articulate and test out ideas, issues, and concerns related to benchmarking and e-learning.” Derek Morrison, Auricle, Bath University,
Added: 21 October 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
As Derek states: “The post is a work-in-progress and so is pretty unrefined, but it may still be of some use to others contemplating work in this area”
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Brain-Based Learning: Possible Implications for Online Instruction
“As higher education institutions push for more online courses instructors are faced with issues and challenges related to teaching in the online learning environment. Regardless, of whether higher education’s impetus is fueled by cost-saving measures, or the belief that online courses answer the challenge of rapid tuition increases or changing student body, one issue that continues to resurface, concerning online courses is to how best to deliver the information and facilitate learning for the student.” Stephanie A. Clemons, International Journal of Insructional Technology and Distance Learning, September 2005
Added: 26 September 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
Conclusion - “Online educators who seek to base practice on the sciences should assess recommendations stemming from these theories and ideas to determine if they can improve delivery and course content. Keeping cautionary advice in mind, brain-based learning makes some good sense
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The myth about e-learning: “We don’t need to worry about e-learning anymore”
“A few years ago, college and university presidents often remarked: “We’re going to develop an e-learning program. The train is leaving the station. We’ve got to be on it.” In those years of hype and hyperbole, many felt that millions of dollars could be made by putting courses online. Numerous grandiose claims and promises were made. Few were fulfilled. The dot-com era had a sobering end. Few of the “virtual universities” have survived, much less struck it rich. As a result, educators now often say there is no need to worry about e-learning anymore.” Diana Oblinger and Brian Hawkins, Educause Review, Vol 40, No 4, (July/August 2005)
Added: 24 July 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
Conclusion: “It’s true: we no longer need to worry about the e-learning train leaving the station. But now is the time to worry about whether we are using the technology to improve quality, increase access, and enhance the flexibility of learning programs. Learning is the issue; “e” is simply a mechanism.”
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Freedom and Empowerment: An Essay on the Next Step for Education and Technology
“Despite the relative stasis that we are currently experiencing in the development of online education … I am convinced that dramatic changes will occur, sooner rather than later. Online instruction has grown about as much as it possibly can within current educational structures. We are at the point where something has to give: Either schools will stay the same and leave online efforts at a standstill, or our concept of school will change and allow online instruction to grow.” James Shimabukuro, innovate, June/July 2005, Vol 1 Issue 5
Added: 6 June 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
You will need to set up a (free) account to view this article
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Software agents to assist in distance learning environments
“Software agents can act as teaching assistants for distance learning courses by monitoring and managing course activities.” Sheung-On Choy, Sin-Chun Ng, and Yiu-Chung Tsang, Educause Quarterly, Vol 28, No 2, 2005
Added: 3 June 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
The authors conclude: “We are convinced, however, that software agents offer good support of distance education. Still, the developer of a tool no doubt finds it helpful and easy to manage when others might not enjoy the same experiences, so we know the potential difficulties facing us in promoting the use of software agents in our university. The institution-wide adoption of software agents to assist distance learning teaching requires institutional policy to emerge during the evolution of this new technology”
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HEFCE Strategy for e-learning
“This document sets out our strategy and implementation plan for supporting higher education institutions to develop and embed e-learning over the next 10 years. It reflects responses to the consultation on our draft strategy, and has been developed jointly with the Higher Education Academy and the Joint Information Systems Committee.” HEFCE, March 3005
Added: 12 March 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
Their goal is “goal is to help the sector use new technology as effectively as they can, so that it becomes a ‘normal’ or embedded part of their activities. That does not mean telling universities and colleges what their aims for e-learning should be, nor how they should go about reaching them. But it is about describing overall aspirations for how e-learning can transform learning and teaching, and about supporting institutions in setting their own visions and plans. “
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Matrix for the Learning and Skills sector
“The matrix is an online tool, developed by NCSL and Becta, which facilitates self-evaluation and action planning. Use the matrix to review your current position against a set of levelled statements. There are exemplars available that place the statements into helpful scenarios and context. As you complete the matrix, an action plan, based on your results, is produced. This action plan contains helpful support and guidance, which you may wish to consider. Some matrices may have links to online resources, which open up a new window, allowing you to return quickly to the matrix.”
Added: 28 January 2005
Reviewer’s Note:
If you register, the matrix will automatically save your results, allowing you to come back to them in the future. You can also edit the action plan if you register.
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The Buntine Oration: Learning networks
“This is Stephen Downes at his best - provocative, challenging, and enlightening. He leads us with passion and conviction into a future of education and the internet that is diametrically opposed to the approach taken by publishing companies. He raises serious questions about “member only” systems of learning. Stephen Downes’ benchmark for open learning is Google speed, power, and selection criteria. Through the magic of the Internet, here is the entire 40 minutes of his presentation in Australia.” International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Vol 1, No 11, Nov 2004
Added: 28 November 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
This is the text of the Buntine Oration, delivered by Stephen Downes to the Australian College of Educators (ACE) and the Australian Council of Educational Leaders (ACEL) conference in Perth, Australia, October 9, 2004.
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Implementing elearning programmes for Higher Education: a review of the literature
“This paper is a consideration of the issues associated with the infrastructural aspects, pedagogic considerations and the need to associate the usefulness of technology to enhance the learning experience. This technological path will potentially enhance the learning process, not replace the lecturer or tutor.” Kaye O’Neill, Gurmak SIngh and John O’Donaghue, Journal of Information Technology Education, Vol 3, 2004
Added: 27 November 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
“Growth in eLearning is rapid as institutions race to compete for a share of the increased and changing demand for HE. Research suggests that universities failing to embrace technological progress made during the 1990s will be unable to meet the needs of knowledge based societies and as a result will not survive the change in the paradigm of education. However, the implementation of eLearning brings forth implications for all stakeholders in HE, and poses a number of risks which can not be overlooked.”
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Entering the Mainstream: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States, 2003 and 2004
“This study represents the second annual study of the state of online education in U.S. Higher Education. This year’s study, like last year’s, is aimed at answering some of the fundamental questions about the nature and extent of online education. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and based on responses from over 1,100 colleges and universities, this year’s study addresses the following key questions: Will online enrollments continue their rapid growth? Are students as satisfied with online courses as they are with face-to-face instruction? What role do schools see online learning playing in their long term strategy? What about the quality of online offerings, do schools continue to believe that it measures up?”
Added: 12 November 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
The complete report is available as a free download in PDF format (27 pages, 695K)
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What are the levels?
“What are the levels? forms part of the interactive version of the NLN Self-assessment Tool in Demonstrating Transformation. Based on a model produced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a matrix from NCET, it will help you to determine the current level and type of e-learning in any curriculum area or across your organisation as a whole. Also use this in conjunction with the interactive version of the NLN Self-assessment Tool in Demonstrating Transformation to plan for future use of e-learning.” FERL, 8 November 2004
Added: 11 November 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Document available in Word format
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The real story behind the failure of the UK eUniversity
“The picture behind the public failure of UKeU is more complex, interesting, and salutary than many reports would suggest.” Richard Garrett, Educause Querterlty, VOl 27 No 4, 2004
Added: 5 November 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Author’s conclusion -”Participating institutions will have learned many valuable lessons from the UKeU experience, despite what many regard as a waste of money and resources.”
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The Academic Culture and the IT Culture: Their Effect on Teaching and Scholarship
“A year ago, my colleague Charles Grisham and I wrote an EDUCAUSE Review article entitled “Why IT Has Not Paid Off As We Hoped (Yet).” In short, we argued that information technology has not yet transformed higher education because the areas of teaching and scholarship, the “heart” of colleges and universities, have remained relatively untouched by the new technologies. In this article, I’d like to continue the discussion and also go further, exploring not only why these two areas continue to be, for the most part, resistant to the changes but also how technology can successfully address these core missions of higher education. “Edward L. Ayers, EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 39, no. 6 (November/ December 2004): 48-62.
Added: 1 November 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
The author concludes “Information technology has not made the impact on higher education-or at least on the core missions of higher education-that it has made on many other aspects of society … I think we’re ready for the next stage: building tools that can be carried into the heart of the academic enterprise.”
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Tips and tricks for teaching online: How to teach like a pro!
“This paper summarizes some of the best ideas and practices gathered from successful online instructors and recent literature. Suggestions include good online class design, syllabus development, and online class facilitation offering hints for success for both new and experienced online instructors.” Kaye Shelton and George Saltsman, International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, October 2004
Added: 24 October 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
“Effective online learning requires careful preparation, design, implementation, and follow-up. This article combines best practices from a variety of resources - research studies, publications, and discussions among online instructors. The analogy of a garden is used to reinforce practices that will ensure a successful “harvest!”.
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Change Management
“The introduction of technology, increasing needs of society and the growth of ‘global’ organisations trading in goods, knowledge and expertise has increased the need for, and frequency of, change. Although the majority of people are resistant to change, more and more are finding themselves affected by it and having to come to terms with the issues and benefits it brings. Effective change management cannot therefore be underestimated and its implementation needs considerable thought and commitment by senior managers.” Bill Lockitt, 3T Productions Ltd, available on FERL website
Added: 12 October 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
This paper discusses some of the issues surrounding change management and highlights some simple techniques commonly used.
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Personalisation in presentation services
“The report concludes that personalisation is effective and feasible in situations where data is controlled and where there is a clear rationale or business case. It identifies several impediments to using personalisation with uncontrolled data, including immature technology and lack of metadata.” Nicky Ferguson, Neil Smith, and Seb Schmoller, Report commissioned for JISC, 4 August 2004
Added: 29 September 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
“The report is aimed primarily at those involved in strategy and provision, including developers and implementers. It is not a survey of the latest breaking research in the area and is not aimed at active technical researchers developing new personalisation technologies. We have been concerned more with focussing on the potential for provision, development and application in the short to medium term.”
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Driving Higher Ed institutions to an enterprise approach
“For many institutions, linear expansion of e-learning-adding a program, a person, or a larger server to an existing model-cannot scale to meet current needs or future demands. Moving e-learning to an enterprise level requires institutions to re-think the way they currently support technology-enhanced instruction. Adopting an enterprise approach to e-learning results in systems and processes that are powerful, reliable, and, most of all, flexible enough to support all stakeholders and provide benefits across the institution.” Barbara Ross, Learning Circuits, September 2004
Added: 27 September 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
“Institutions must take decisive steps toward developing a successful enterprise strategy that responds to growing student demands and expectations, provides a high level of service and support for all users, and drives the continual improvement of the learning environment.”
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E-Learning Framework and Tools: Is it too late?late?late?late? The Director’s cut
“This article provides a summary of the paper I presented at ALT-C 2004 on 15 September. The hyperlinks at the end of the article provide access to an extended version of the paper as well as the slides I used during my presentation.” Derek Morrison, Auricle, 15 September 2004
Added: 27 September 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
The paper is available either in Word or PDF format
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Enabling distributed learning communities via emerging technologies - Part 1
“Emerging devices, tools, media and virtual environments offer opportunities for creating new types of learning communities for students and teachers. Examples of learning communities include a national mix of kids working together to create an online encyclopedia about Harry Potter’s fictional world, or groups of mentor and novice teachers in Milwaukee sharing ideas about effective instruction.” Chris Dede, THE Journal
Added: 15 September 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
“Both opportunities and challenges arise in applying this model of learning communities to the instruction of students and to the preparation, induction and professional development of teachers.”
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ICT and e-learning in Further Education: embedded technology, evolving practice
“This is the full report of the 2004 ILT Survey. This study was carried out in January and February 2004 on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council. The survey seeks to assess progress in the provision of information and learning technology within the sector along with the extent to which this provision is integrated into the teaching and learning process.” FERL, 25 August 2004
Added: 2 September 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Available as a Word document to view or download
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Student Inductions: how ICT can help
“This article suggests ways in which ICT can help with student inductions and gives examples of how colleges are using technology to support the process.” FERL, 25 August 2004
Added: 2 September 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
“Providing student inductions online via an intranet or VLE means information and support is available whenever it is required and is available wherever students are studying.”
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Five principles for procuring an enterprise e-learning solution
“If your institution is thinking about moving to an enterprise e-learning solution, having a solid plan in place that sets priorities, establishes a realistic timeline, involves key constituents, and ensures necessary funding is critical to achieving success. Having worked with diverse institutions around the world in the selection and implementation of their enterprise e-learning solutions, WebCT has put together some basic guidelines and practical tips to help your institution identify and procure an enterprise e-learning solution that will meet your immediate and long-term needs.” Karen Gage, VP Marketing, WebCT In Converge, June 2004
Added: 30 July 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
5 principles are: Begin with a business case tied to your institution’s mission; Secure funding early; Structure your selection process; Define explicit roles; Understand the roles of procurement and contracting
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Thwarted Innovation: What happened to e-learning and why
“Thwarted Innovation is a major new study from the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Thomson Corporation, which answers the question: “Why did the boom in e-learning go bust?” Researchers Robert Zemsky and William F. Massy used elearning Weatherstations at campuses across the country to decipher precisely what happened and why. In the end, they trumped three of elearning’s most troubling assumptions..” Robert Zemsky and William F Massey, The Learning Alliance, June 20004
Added: 28 July 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Assumptions are: If we build it they will come - not so; The kids will take to e-learning like ducks to water - not quite and e-learning will force a change in the way we teach - not by a long shot.
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Students surf to class but there’s no online deluge
“Once expected to revolutionize higher education as the Internet transformed mass media, online education has disappointed its early enthusiasts but has found a valuable niche serving working adults, educators say.” Lisa M Sodders, LA Daily News, 11 July 2004
Added: 12 July 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
“Nearly a decade after the Internet became a household fixture, the University of California system does not offer a single online course for undergraduates during the regular school year.”
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Mixed skies ahead: what happened to e-learning and why?
“To the dismay of many, e-learning’s reality never matched its promise-by a long shot. There has been no pedagogical revolution or financial windfall. … There has been no real burgeoning of distance education-emerging successes have been limited and owe more to their past market triumphs than to new technologies. What happened to e-learning’s potential? While all innovations make exaggerated claims, why was the forecast for e-learning so far off the mark?” Change, The Learning Alliance for Higher Education, March/April 2004
Added: 11 July 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
This issue of The Landscape sets out to address this question, using research conducted to provide a practical way of estimating e-learning’s current and future trajectory
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Online course development: what does it cost?
“Does it cost less to design and develop online teaching and learning today than it did a few years ago? Are the categories of cost different today from the past and from what the costs might be in the future? The costs of developing online programs are significant, yet there are few resources to help planners.” Judith Boettcher, Syllabus Magazine, July 2004
Added: 2 July 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Here, Judith Boettcher proposes a few guidelines for predicting the costs involved in the design and development of online instruction.
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GlobalEducator.com
“Building an extensive collection of peer-reviewed articles and resources for the new breed of Global Educator.”
Added: 18 June 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
The GlobalEducator vision is to create a community of practice for Global Education professionals.
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Proceedings of the Networked Learning Conference 2004
“Networked Learning 2004 Conference Proceedings - a research based conference on networked learning in higher education and lifelong learning. Jointly organised by University of Sheffield and Lancaster University, 5-7 April 2004. Over 100 recent research papers on the theory and practice of networked learning available online.”
Added: 9 June 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
The Proceedings can also be purchased as a book or a CD-rom - further details on the web site.
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When the cows come home: a proven path of professional development for faculty pursuing e-learning
“As higher education continues the rush to embrace technology-delivered learning opportunities, one imperative is to find ways to prepare faculty for what life will be like on the other side of the transformation. Independent of how great a teacher, scholar or researcher an individual may be, he or she needs to have accurate expectations of how roles change, a modicum of technological mastery, and a set of instructional strategies appropriate for the new domain. ” Gary W Kidney, THE Journal, June 2004
Added: 8 June 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
This article examines the professional development approach followed by the University of Houston System in preparing faculty for the e-learning transformation.
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Moving from Face-to-face Tutorials to Synchronous Online Alternatives
Institutional decisions to change elements of instructional delivery from face-to-face modes to technically advanced solutions will necessarily be dogged by the realisation that mistakes can be costly, not only in terms of software and infrastructure, time and human resources, but more importantly in terms of learning outcomes and institutional reputation” Graeme Daniel, 16 May 2004
Added: 18 May 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
This edition of WWWTools for Education presents a collection of resources which may be useful to anyone involved in such decision making processes.
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Theory and Practice of Online Learning
“Theory and Practice of Online Learning, edited by Terry Anderson and Fathi Elloumi, is concerned with assisting providers of online education with useful tools to carry out the teaching and learning transactions online. It presents, in an easily readable form, the theory, administration, tools, and methods of designing and delivering learning online.” Athabasca University, 2004
Added: 24 February 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Available to download as a PDF for free or to purchase from the website
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Connectivity in education
“In this issue of WWWTools for Education we explore different sorts of connectivity, its importance in modern educational practice, problems and issues, current situations and future trends.” Graeme Daniel, 10 February 2004, wwwtools for teachers
Added: 10 February 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Looks at different types of connectivity with particular emphasis on broadband
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A prescriptive study of early trends in implementing e-learning in the UK Higher Education sector
“Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are widely implemented in the UK Higher Education (HE) sector and many institutions are engaged in implementing e-learning. The drivers for this rapid technological change consist of a combination of persistent external pressures and the enticing prospect of improvements. This paper examines whether the benefits of e-learning have materialised and how this relates to organisational change, policies and strategies. Post-Fordist models of management and prescriptive approaches to implementing technological change provide the theoretical framework. This qualitative investigation focuses on the significance in the implementation process of institutional policies, staff incentives for development, quality control processes, inter-departmental collaboration, the need to re-evaluate teaching methodologies, and the importance of feedback mechanisms. ” Nicos Souleles, Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Instructional Technology Forum, February 2004
Added: 31 January 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
Quite a lot to digest in this paper and certainly worth a read
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e-Learning SeriesSeriesSeriesSeries
“The Generic Centre e-learning guides are the first fully comprehensive guides on e-learning aimed at specific audiences within UK higher education. They address issues that are key to senior managers, teachers, support staff, learning technologists, heads of department and students, but the same message emerges from all: e-learning is learning, providing us with useful tools not only to deliver an enhanced learning and teaching experience, but also to push the boundaries of learning and teaching through creative use of technology.” Higher Education Academy
Updated: 4 May 2004
Reviewer’s Note:
A useful set of guides on e-learning for HE
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What keeps universities from embracing e-learning?
“E-learning can potentially transform education at every level. It can make high-quality educational experiences available to those whose location, economic, and personal constraints have prevented them from pursuing their educational goals. These learners also represent a wider student market for universities and other education establishments. With all of these potential benefits, and a willing and interested market, why has e-learning made so little apparent progress in the education market?” Peter Cheese, Learning & Training Innovations Magazine, 5 November 2003
Added: 7 November 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
A hard hitting look at why e-learning has not taken off in universities.
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New models for online learning: improving learning and reducing costs
“Every college and university in the United States is discovering exciting new ways of using information technology to enhance the process of teaching and learning and to extend access to new populations of students. For most institutions, however, new technologies represent a black hole of additional expense … By and large, colleges and universities have not yet begun to realize the promise of technology to improve the quality of student learning and reduce the costs to a minimum.” Carol Twigg, Educause Review, September 2003
Added: 13 September 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
“All five models treat the course not as a “one-off” but rather as a set of products and services that can be continuously worked on and improved.
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Distance education leadership for the new century
“A new role for the professoriate in the new millennium has been recognized and encouraged, especially as technology-assisted instruction has proliferated and changed the way teachers and students interact, as well as the manner in which educational entities must now do business to meet the demands of a digitized society … Schools and colleges in the new millennium need leaders who have reflected on their experiences and internalized understandings about their own capacity to lead. This should apply no less to those in leadership roles in distance education settings within those institutions. The intended purpose here is to better understand the role and impact of leadership in distance education settings, examine recent research and writing in this area, and identify research lacunae needing further investigation; offer insights and suggestions for “Best Practices” to those involved in, or aspiring to leadership roles; and generate increased interest in the study of distance education leadership.” Michael F Beaudoin, University of New England
Added: 3 August 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
Summary - “It is essential that veteran as well as emerging leaders be prepared for these new roles”
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Carving your slice of the virtual education pie
“Thinking about going virtual? Better bone up on the for-profits to see what you’re up against.” Rebecca Sausner, University Business
Added: 25 July 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
Includes some “tips for virtual success” including this one: “If you can’t do it well, don’t do it until you can.”
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Boomers, Gen-Xers & Millenials: Understanding the New Students
“An essential component of facilitating learning is understanding learners. The learning styles, attitudes and approaches of high school students differ from those of eighteen - to twenty-two-year old college students. .. How well do college and univrsity faculty administrators and staff understand these differences? Diana Oblinger, EDUCAUSE Review, July 2003
Added: 11 July 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
There is a “disconnect” between what students expect and what they get
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Build and teach a successful online course
“Whether you’re putting a new twist on your high school math class or developing the perfect training for time-pressed teachers, our experts’ tips and techniques will help you get started.” Alese Smith and Raymond Rose, techLearning, 15 April 2003
Added: 10 May 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
A good summary of the key points to be considered when designing and delivering an online course.
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Guidelines for converting existing courses into web-based
“The paper is divided into four parts. The first part makes an introduction to Distance Education (DE) and Web-Based Instruction (WBI) which combines features from both face-to-face classroom instruction and DE. The second part discusses current Instructional Design (ID) models for WBI. In the third part, findings from the literature on converting existing courses into Web-based format are discussed. This part includes information in the following categories: How to start the conversion to the WBI, student and instructor support, design issues, interaction among people, and assessment. In the last part, a model proposing an orderly process for converting courses into Web-Based format will be explained.” Hakan Tuzun, (Indiana Universit), ERIC Clearning House on Information & Technology, 25 April 2003
Added: 26 April 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
The nice part about this paper is the Proposed Design Model - it provides a model for an “orderly process for converting courses into web-based format”.
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Six factors to consider when planning online distance learning programs in Higher Education
“The Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) have made the process of obtaining an education without regard to time or location easier for the student. At the same time, they have provided more challenges for the colleges providing this education. In online distance learning, not only does the instruction occur via a computer system, usually over the Internet, but other educational processes occur via the computer as well. These educational processes are student services, training, and support. The transition to online distance learning, primarily driven by social change, is creating a paradigm shift in the way colleges are viewing teaching and learning (Rogers, 2000). Administrators, faculty, staff, and students realize that in order to successfully implement ODL, their colleges will need to reassess their programs. These six areas are: vision and plans, curriculum, staff training and support, student services, student training and support, and copyright and intellectual property.” Suzanne Levy, Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Spring 2003
Added: 17 April 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
“These six areas are: vision and plans, curriculum, staff training and support, student services, student training and support, and copyright and intellectual property.”
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Teaching in the wireless cloud
“Students with mobile devices are slowly redefining some fundamental campus rules.” Bryan Alexander, The Feature, 7 April 2003
Added: 12 April 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
“m-learning shifts the educational center of gravity towards students, raising fundamental and practical questions about learning for every instructor and campus.”
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Is there a future for online ed?
“Just a few years ago, almost every college and university announced that it was going online. But from Fathom and Harcourt Higher Education to Pensare, many noble experiments are finished, and some have asked, “Is anyone making money on online learning?” The implied answer is, “No,” and yet, several organizations have demonstrated viability …” Jack M Wilson, University Business, March003
Added: 3 April 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
The conclusion: “The e-learning revolution is not over. It is just entering a more intelligent and less self-indulgent phase.”
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Five obstacles to technology integration in a liberal arts university
“By 2003 one would think that incorporating new technologies into undergraduate instruction and the regular use of computers in the classroom would be an accepted, widespread practice at a majority of U.S. higher education institutions. However, recent statistics show that this is not the case.” Edwina Spodark, THE Journal, March 2003
Added: 22 March 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
Identifies the 5 obstacles for integration: lack of vision, lack of leadership, lack of critical mass, lack of incentive and lack of staff participation
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Chief Learning Officers for Universities
“Why would a university of all places need a chief learning officer? Isn’t that like bringing coals to New Castle? Or disciples to MIT? Are not all or most professors CLOs? But looking more closely, and especially from the inside, there are at least three reasons and benefits.” Irving H Buchen, Chief Learning Officer Magazine, January 2003
Added: 16 February 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
This might put the cat among the pigeons in some places!
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Putting a Faculty Face on Distance Education Programs
“Good distance learning programs can range from well-designed and well-written text to streaming video and accompanying media of various types. But media alone does not offer guidance and personal engagement. A blended or hybrid approach, using faculty facilitators or mentors, adds a human touch to distance learning.” William H. Riffee, Syllabus, February 2003
Added: 10 February 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
The value of a facilitator in a distance learning course
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You’ve got gym: school offers PE classes online
“It’s a self-contained punch line, much like ”jumbo shrimp” or “business ethics.’ Online physical education. Yet 180 Broward and Miami-Dade county high-school students say they’re working on their stamina, strength and flexibility through an Internet class proctored by the state. Besides taking a dozen written quizzes on fitness and nutrition, they submit logs that chronicle their running, stretching and weight lifting.” Steve Harrison, The Miami Herald, 5 January 2003
Added: 7 January 2003
Reviewer’s Note:
Just shows what can be taught online!