Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 18, 2011
Across the nation, state university systems are making necessary budget cuts which means many students may not have access to certain courses. The University of California system officials reached an agreement that online education would help reduce spending and open up space for students in the most popular courses. According to an article in The San Jose Mercury News, the UC system will offer students online courses developed by the faculty in the freshmen and sophomore level courses. While the undergraduate students are interested in this possibility, the faculty and some graduate students are not.
Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 16, 2011
With a new school year beginning for many students, teachers are looking for new ways to incorporate technology and online learning programs into their lesson plans. These teachers know that the lecture based learning does not always engage students especially in the areas of Math and Science. For many students, the classroom lecture and homework system does not address their learning needs. According to the Fort Worth Journal and Gazette, the Khan Academy, which specializes in video tutorials, offers teachers a free tool to help students engage with the material.
Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 9, 2011
With the increasing popularity of online education, several states have or will soon require all high school graduates to take an online course. This innovative pedagogical tool can accommodate various learning styles, incorporate new technology media in the virtual classroom, and allow students to work at their own pace. The question remains: can online education really change the educational system if it operates under the same course and pedagogical objectives? According to an article in the Huffington Post, Andrew K. Miller voices this concern that online education may simply repeat the mistakes of the current education system.
Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 5, 2011
With the increasing popularity of online learning courses, instructional course designers must account for the ever expanding global reach of online courses and the cultural needs of a diverse learning population. Traditional classroom learning environments could address these cross-cultural issues during class discussions and open dialogues with the instructor; however, online learning and its course design has not always openly acknowledged that there are cultural learning differences amongst its students. According to a case study conducted by Mamta Sazena entitled Learner Analysis Framework for Globalized E-Learning: A Case Study, Sazena interviews several online course designers to see how they have or could possibly address the cultural needs of the students.
Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 4, 2011
In the state of South Carolina, online learning and virtual public schools have helped ease the education budget crunch and helped students through challenging courses. South Carolina currently has five fully online public schools which any student in the state can access. According to an article in The Cheraw Chronicle and The Chesterfield Advertiser, online learning programs have the potential to increase graduation rates, keep budget costs down, and allow students more access to courses.
Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 2, 2011
When the University of Southern California partnered with 2tor Inc., this online learning collaboration has garnered praise from those still skeptical of this new advancement in education. Others have been more cautious when it comes to online learning. According to an article in The Chronicle for Higher Education, Frank Donoghue addresses some lingering concerns that he has for the future of higher education and this new pedagogical tool of online learning. Donoghue posits that the streamlined nature of online learning may make the courses too sterile and devoid of the creative uncertainty that fosters meaningful learning.
Posted by: Sarah
on Aug 1, 2011
With the sluggish economy not improving as quickly as once hoped, college graduates are weary of the uncertain job market and perhaps their choice to attend a traditional four year college or university. Tuition increases and the decrease in funding have some students concerned that a college education may not be an option for them. According to an article in The Columbia Daily Tribune, online learning gives students more affordable higher education options while providing these students with a comparable education to students who went a more traditional route.
Posted by: Sarah
on Jul 21, 2011
When evaluating student success in courses, many researchers have relied upon self-reported study times, projected end grades, and a student's grade point average as indicators of a course design's overall success. Studies have found that these criteria may not be the best method for determining how students will perform in a class because students may not be completely honest on the self-evaluation forms. This same method has also been used to evaluate the success of online courses. According to the research of Hilde Patron and Salvador Lopez in their article Student Effort, Consistency, and Online Performance; Patron and Lopez use different research variables such as time logged online to determine the effort and student performance.
Posted by: Sarah
on Jul 7, 2011
As the Baby Boomer generation nears retirement, many economic experts fear the decreasing working population coupled with the increasing lack of equally educated workers. The current workforce does not hold as many post-secondary degrees as the retiring Baby Boomers which could have a significant impact on the economy as more of those Boomers retire. While many adult workers have attempted some post-secondary education, many are finding the rigors of full-time employment, family obligations, and traditional course schedules too overwhelming. According to the research of Erik C. Burns in his paper entitled The Adult Learner: A Change Agent in Post-Secondary Education, Burns cites online education as the key factor for educating the current working population and providing an alternative to the traditional post-secondary education experience.
Posted by: Jason
on Jul 1, 2011
The big news of the day is that Blackboard, arguably the Microsoft of learning management systems, has been purchased by private equity firm Providence Equity Partners for $1.64 billion.
