August 13th, 2009
Did you know that “…on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instructions”?
Or that: “Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.”
These, according to a 2009 study published by the US Department of Education entitled: “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning“.
The study was based on a “meta” analysis of historical published online learning studies. The study’s goal was to measure the impact of online learning for K-12 students. It found no empirical studies on this area; rather, the studies found applied to college-age and adult learners.
We have observed that K-12 learners are more techno-savvy than older learners and that K-12 learners need more face-to-face reinforcement in learning than older learners; thus, we would hypothesize that K-12 learners would achieve superior (to pure classroom) learning results with a blended learning approach.
What say you?
-Richard-
Posted in Learning Theory | 1 Comment »
August 11th, 2009
Distance Learning traditionally has included correspondence courses, educational television and video conferencing. But, the advent of the internet has brought online training. Online Learning is the fastest growing segment of distance learning.
Is there any doubt that this will continue to be case for the foreseeable future?
We don’t see anything that will stop this trend.
In fact, there is continued evidence to the contrary. Bad economic times breed the need for greater education, as people hone their skills to improve their job position. And then there’s the need to hone skills as some jobs, such as traditional media jobs, disappear. How about the increase online learning taking place in the K-12 classroom, where there is an ever increasing need for younger learners to learn new things as they prepare for tomorrow’s workforce? Add to this the inevitable squeeze on education budgets on towns and cities.
Growth in online learning is inevitable.
-Richard-
Posted in Industry Status and Trends | 1 Comment »
August 10th, 2009
Distance Learning has made it to the main street (Source). It’s no longer a stepchild to the onground experience. In fact, it’s a growth business. Over 4 million students were learning online last year.
Two factors driving this, according to the article, are convenience and lower (than onground program) cost.
We agree.
But, the real drive in growth occurred when fast internet connections combined with WEB2.0 (”Social networking”) technology. The former made an online learning experience widely available. The latter (”Twitter” and “Facebook” type sites) have taught people how to use the internet in a user friendly mode.
And more growth in Distance Learning is on the horizon.
-Richard-
Posted in Industry Status and Trends | 2 Comments »
August 5th, 2009
A recent news article notes the convenience of distance learning for the learner. It is, after all, “anytime-anywhere” education.
As an instructor, I’ve also noticed the convenience. I can sit down at my desk at home and “do my thing” whenever I want.
One of the disadvantages is that I can do it anytime! I can even do it all of the time. In fact, I could make it a compulsion; as in, “I better check the site to see how the conversations are going” even when I checked it an hour ago.
In other words: The convenience of distance learning combined with its ubiquitous access can make a good thing not so good.
What say you?
-Richard
Posted in Industry Status and Trends | 1 Comment »
July 29th, 2009
How do we know that the individual taking the course is the same individual who is completing the course work?”
Well, we don’t.
In a degree based environment, especially where scholarships and funding are involved, it is critical that integrity be mainained.
A news article we linked to the other day entitled “Online Coursed Guard Against Cheating” [The Daily Texan Online] discusses increasing integrity of online courses.
The article discusses a system that links with “Blackboard” (one of the many online learning environments) that “… uses a database of public information to form “challenge questions” specific to the account of the user. During the course of an assignment or test, the program asks the student sensitive information such as a former zip code or a prior street where they have lived. A wrong answer will not lock the student out of an assignment, but instead the program will form a report about the suspicious activity.”
Now, assuming that one receives this “report”, what, indeed is someone to do with it?
-Richard-
Posted in Learning Systems and Technology | No Comments »
July 28th, 2009
One of the great challenges for distance learners, both instructors and students, is developing the “habits” required to learn online. Unlike classroom learning, where students have a specific time and date to appear before the instructor, online leaning is, by definition, an anytime, anywhere adventure.
So, you ask, are there some special distance learning best practices regarding timeliness?
Here’s one we’ve used.
Require students to meet specified learning outcomes throughout the course.
This is accomplished by the instructor assigning specific outcomes to each portion of the course. For example, assign the student the task of oulining a chapter and then requiring the student to summarize what they have learned from reading the chapter. This requires the student to read and then write about their learnings at a specific time during the course.
It builds discipline into the student’s routine.
Posted in Learning Best Practices | No Comments »
July 27th, 2009
This is our first blog posting.
Our plan is to build this blog with everything that relates to distance learning… from software.. to services… to distance learning techniques and theory.
All of it.
All in one place.
Posted in Learning Best Practices | 2 Comments »
