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 3, 2011
For each college student, textbook costs garner a sizable portion of education related expenses. Whether the student enrolls in an online learning courses or a traditional classroom environment, each student must acquire the textbook to complete the course successfully. Decreases in financial aide and other funding may affect how many students can afford their textbooks which could lead to a decline in students' success in the classroom. According to a case study conducted by John Hilton III and David Wiley entitled Open Access Textbooks and Financial Sustainability:A Case Study of Flat World Knowledge, Hilton and Wiley researched this open source textbook company in its beta phase to see if students would welcome open source e-textbooks and if this model could be sustained.
Posted by: Sarah
on May 23, 2011
Most universities incorporate a version of a learning management system or LMS such as Blackboard or Moodle. These systems have allowed professors and students to access learning materials for the course; however, both professors and students are limited to the static nature of many LMS providers. According to an article in The Chronicle for Higher Education, the company TechChange has developed a multi-layered learning management system that incorporates more social media features and builds a more dynamic hybrid course website. Many of these features are available via open source software which can be incorporated into other LMS providers.
Posted by: Sarah
on May 18, 2011
For many community college students, the prospect of earning a two year degree is exciting. These students look forward to better jobs, better life circumstances; however, many of these students do not finish these degree programs. In March 2010, President Obama encouraged lawmakers to increase funding substantially to community colleges to increase the percentage of students graduating. While this measure did not pass, both the Departments of Education and Labor collaborated on a new federal funding program for community colleges. According to an article in The Chronicle for Higher Education, community colleges can receive federal funding if those schools will develop more open education resources or OER's.
Posted by: Sarah
on May 17, 2011
Debuting this summer, a new computer base learning program dubbed Knewton will be introduced into several mathematics classrooms on the Arizona State campus. Knewton provides students with almost instantaneous feedback on their progress, speeds up the material if the students understand the concept, and signals to the professor if students are not grasping course objectives. According to an article in The Chronicle for Higher Education, Knewton and other open source computer based learning programs have the potential to assist students struggling with the course material and reward students who are grasping key concepts in the course.
Posted by: Sarah
on Apr 20, 2011
With the availability of online platforms such as Moodle and Blackboard, universities have used these tools to connect both students and faculty with each other and the course material. For online courses, personal connections to the material, other students, and even the facilitators demonstrate the complexities of creating an interactive learning community. According to Rita Kop's article The Challenges to Connectivist Learning: Experiences during a Massive Open Online Coursein International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Kop studies three challenges with connectivist pedagogy as it relates to online learning.
Posted by: Jason
on Jan 28, 2011
The Online Learning Task Force, convened by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, released a report this month recommending that £100 million be invested over five years to enhance online learning in the UK.
Posted by: Sarah
on Jan 25, 2011
With the online education movement gaining popularity, Open Education Resources or OER's could be the newest learning trend funded by a “2 billion dollar grant from the Obama administration.” According to the article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, federal funds could be available for those developing open courses online. Essentially, these open courses would offer students access to valuable job training and career development options, and prestigious universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have also pioneered successful open course learning programs.
