Higher Education | Distance-Educator.com

Archive for the ‘Higher Education’ Category

Student and faculty outcomes of undergraduate science research projects by geographically dispersed students

Senior undergraduate research projects are important components of most undergraduate science degrees. The delivery of such projects in a distance education format is challenging. Athabasca University (AU) science project courses allow distance education students to complete research project courses by working with research supervisors in their local area, coordinated at a distance by AU faculty. […]

Which Instructional Design Models are Educators Using to Design Virtual World Instruction?

The purpose of this study was to identify which instructional design (ID) models are currently used in designing virtual world instruction and why. The goal was to identify specific ID elements being used to develop virtual world instruction that enable effective utilization of the technology to support desired learning experiences for students. A review of […]

What if You Blended Adaptive Learning With MOOCs?

MOOCs and adaptive-learning software are often billed as two of the most potentially game-changing technologies in higher education. The White House, for one, is excited to see what might happen if and when those two technologies meet. Wired Campus Full Article

Introduction to The Special Section on Integrating Accessibility Into Online Learning

This special section of the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Integrating Accessibility into Online Learning, is a compilation of articles, interviews, and webinars that provide an overview of the broad spectrum of issues related to accessibility, online learning, and student success. The proliferation of technology and online learning have transformed higher education in terms of […]

Lumen Learning

Co-founded by open education visionary Dr. David Wiley and education technology strategist Kim Thanos, Lumen is dedicated to facilitating broad, successful adoption of OER. After years of pioneering work in open education as individuals, David and Kim collaborated on the Next Generation Learning Challenges grant-funded Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative in 2012 to replace textbooks with OER […]

Enabling the Future of Learning, By Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education

I can’t predict the future, but as I wrote back in July, I can say that learning in the future ought to be more personalized. Teachers should have up-to-the minute information that will help them tailor instruction for each student. They should be able to connect and collaborate with other teachers to tackle common challenges […]

Report: Online Completion Rates Only Trail On-Campus Rates Slightly

Completion rates for on-campus courses are only slightly higher than those for online courses, according to a new report from the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET). Campus Technology Full Article

The Teacher as Leader: Effect of Teaching Behaviors on Class Community and Agreement

This article examines the effects of teaching behaviors in online university classes, focusing on the agreement among class members. Literature on group leaders’ effects on group agreement about workplace climate is reviewed. Hypotheses are generated about the effects that teachers of online courses, as class leaders, have on both the level and agreement about the […]

Introduction to Distance Education: Approaching the 21st Century

Dr. Farhad (Fred) Saba, Ph. D. Founder, Distance-Educator.com As the 21st Century approached several events dramatically changed the environment of business and education in the US, as well as elsewhere in the world. In June of 1997, Allen Greenspan, then the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board testified in the Congress, that the US economy has […]

“I’d be so much more comfortable posting anonymously”: Identified versus anonymous participation in student discussion boards

Academic staff members encourage university students to use online student discussion boards within learning management systems to ask and answer questions, share information and engage in discussion. We explore the impact of anonymity on student posting behaviour. An online survey was completed by 131 second year undergraduate psychology students (91% response rate). Overall, students reported […]