Online and Distance Education Commons^™

State Of The Nation: K–12 Online Learning In Canada, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

A variety of initiatives are driving online and blended learning in each of Canada’s provinces and territories. From teachers’ unions in Nova Scotia fighting to ensure online learning is an accepted method of educational delivery, to Ontario’s College of Teachers creating an e-learning endorsement for teachers or the British Columbia government creating policies to expand the growth and opportunities online learning provides, there are multiple, isolated initiatives happening across the country.

State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada is now in its fourth year of publication and can be seen as a national guide for understanding the field …

Everything You Wanted To Know About Teaching And Learning With Technology But Were Afraid To Ask: An Online Facilitators' Inquiry-Based Investigation Group, Sarah Brennan, Sandy Figueroa, Sherese Mitchell

Touchstone

No abstract provided.

The Promise And The Reality: Exploring The Research On Virtual Schooling, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

The first web-based distance education programs at the K-12 began in the early 1990s. Unlike distance education and online learning in general, much less is known about virtual schooling – even less of which is based on systematic research. What is known is often based solely on practitioner experiences. Regardless, the growth and practice of virtual schooling has far outpaced the production of reliable and valid research. This paper will focus upon describing the evolution of K-12 online learning in Canada and the United States, how that evolution has impacted rural schools, and what lessons can be learned from the …

An Exploratory Study Of Students’ Perception Of Their Online Learning Experiences In A Midwestern University, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Online learning programs and online courses have seen a rapid rise in recent years; however, how to improve those online programs to enhance student learning often remains an issue. This study seeks to gain insights into learners’ perceptions of online learning and investigate problems that take place in online learning. 33 students enrolled in online courses offered by a Midwestern university participated in this study. A survey instrument of ten questions targeted three major domains, including course design, instructor facilitation, and social presence. Most students reported positively with course design and instructor facilitation. Interestingly, students demonstrated a relatively ambiguous and …