Online and Distance Education Commons^™

Learning Transformations Through Cross-Cultural E-Mentoring: Perspectives From An Online Faculty Development Forum, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, Jennifer Linder-Vanberschot, Deborah Lapointe, Kerrin Barret, Julia Mummert, Marlie Saligumba Cardiff, Jason Skinner

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Employing qualitative research methods, this study discusses the learning transformations of e-mentors from the United States and protégés from Sri Lanka who engaged in online problem solving tasks that were part of a faculty development forum.

Who’S Researching Virtual Schools?: A Case For Instructional Technologists, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Over the past 11 years, virtual schooling has gone from isolated experiments to a reliable alternative to a brick and mortar education. However, during this time, little research has been conducted into how these learning opportunities are and should be provided to their adolescent audiences. Even more troubling is that very few of these researchers are from the field of instructional technology. In this article, I discuss those who have been involved in this early research and then make a case for the value that instructional technologists can bring to this emerging field.

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report 2005, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Chris Freeman, Ministerial Council On Education, Employment, Training And Youth Affairs (Mceetya)

ICT - Digital Literacy

Australia's national goals for schooling assert that when students leave school they should be: confident, creative and productive users of new technologies, particularly information and communication technologies, and understand the impact of those technologies on society. The Australian National Assessment Program includes the systematic assessment of the extent to which this goal is being achieved through triennial sample surveys of students in Years 6 and 10. This report is based on the assessment of ICT literacy conducted in October 2005. It describes the development of a computer-based tool for assessing ICT literacy among school students and the application of that …

Space Matters: An Institutional Critique Of Distance Learning Within The University Of Central Florida English Department, Lori Mumpower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines distance learning within a local, particular context: UCF's English department. In order to fully examine distance learning in this specific environment, I employ institutional critique as my methodology, a rhetorical and spatial approach that allows me to map distance learning within UCF's English department. Drawing upon the work of David Harvey, I examine the experienced, perceived, and imagined spaces of distance learning in our department. Through an examination of the history of naming UCF, rhetorical analyses of institutional documents that reference technologies, analysis of survey results noting faculty attitudes and perceptions of online learning, and postmodern mapping …

An Analysis Of Ranks And Factors Contributing To K-12 Website Accessibility And Usability For People With Visual And Auditory Disabilities, Frank A. Cappelle

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Measuring Faculty Perceptions Of Blackboard Using The Technology Acceptance Model, Leila Halawi, Richard Mccarthy

Publications

Web-based education offers the combination of self-paced learning and interactivity. We are just now beginning to empirically assess the differences between online education and traditional classroom based instruction. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been widely used in Information Systems research to analyze user perceptions of technology. This paper describes the results of an empirical study of faculty perception of Blackboard usage, utilizing TAM as its theoretical basis.

Managing A Distance-Learning Eet Laboratory Course Using Collaboration Software, Steve Hsiung, John Hackworth, Richard Jones, June Ritchie

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Methods of managing various distance learning EET laboratory courses using collaboration software are detailed. Particular emphasis is given to different types of collaboration software, advantages and disadvantages of each, and student and faculty feedback on the effectiveness of each.

A Comparative Study Of Hybrid And Internet-Based Educational Technology Course Modules, Nilly Adnan Al-Banna

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ attitudes and performance toward the teaching methods in an educational technology course. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Educational Technology course ETEC 2002L at the University of Arkansas had been exposed to both on-line modules and in-class instruction. The sample size for this study was 155. The results included 110 valid surveys completed by the students on paper. The data collected from the survey were analyzed using percentages, means, and t test of paired samples to find if there was a significant difference in students’ attitudes toward on-line versus hybrid instruction. Four …

Collaborative Role Of The Academic Librarian In Distance Learning - Analysis On An Information Literacy Tutorial In Webct, Xiaoli Shirley Fang

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

This article profiles a project to expand our general Information Literacy Tutorial into WebCT for students taking online courses. The Tutorial has provided online learners with a grasp of information competencies. The process of the project has confirmed the importance of academic librarians’ collaborative role in distance learning community. It presents both opportunities and challenges for academic librarians to collaborate with faculty and educational technology specialists in integrating information literacy education into the course management system. More active multi-aspect collaborations are required to ensure effective teaching information literacy via the courseware.

Virtual Schools: Planning For Success, By Zane L. Berge And Tom Clark, Eds. (Book Review), Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Book review by Michael K. Barbour.

Berge, Z. L., & Clark, T. (Eds.) (2005). Virtual schools: Planning for success. New York: Teachers College Press.

ISBN 9780807745724; 9780807745717 (pbk.)

Technological Literacy – Not Just You And Your Computer, Joseph Scarcella, Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

One might argue that the word technology is one of the most misunderstood and misused terms in common usage today. Many believe technology to be synonymous with computers, the internet and other high-tech media. This is limited and short sighted view indeed! Technology encompasses both simple and complex artifacts used daily. Pencils, toothbrushes, zippers and toothpicks – not to mention Velcro (!) – for instance, are all examples of what might be considered relatively modern examples of technology. Often, the wonder of “everyday” invention is lost in our current notions of technology. Yet, it is an investigative inquiry into the …

Teaching Courses Online: A Review Of The Research, Mary K. Tallent-Runnels, Julie A. Thomas, William Y. Lan, Sandi Cooper, Terence C. Ahern, Shana M. Shaw, Xiaoming Liu

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This literature review summarizes research on online teaching and learning. It is organized into four topics: course environment, learners’ outcomes, learners’ characteristics, and institutional and administrative factors. The authors found little consistency of terminology, discovered some conclusive guidelines, and identified developing lines of inquiry. The conclusions overall suggest that most of the studies reviewed were descriptive and exploratory, that most online students are nontraditional and Anglo American, and that few universities have written policies, guidelines, or technical support for faculty members or students. Asynchronous communication seemed to facilitate in-depth communication (but not more than in traditional classes), students liked to …

Children And Grief: Understanding The Grieving Process And Counseling Strategies Of Elementary School Children To Ensure Academic Success, Georgia Fielding, Jacob Crowder

Perspectives In Learning

The 2005 U.S. Bureau of Census states that more than 2 million children and adolescents under the age of 18 have experienced the death of a parent. One of the most stressful events for children and their families is the death of a parent or other loved one. The surviving parent may have difficulty coping with the loss of his or her partner, and this difficulty in coping may affect how the children work through the grieving process. If the children do not deal with grief effectively, they may have to deal with major psychiatric problems and social dysfunctions throughout …

Using The Film Crash To Promote A Multicultural Identity In Students, Richard P. Long

Perspectives In Learning

This review demonstrates how the film Crash can be used in the classroom to show students a nonthreatening way to reconsider stereotypical views of racism. Until the film Crash was released in 2005, Hollywood timidly made movies such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? and To Kill a Mockingbird, in which the underlying theme was that other people are racists, not us. Crash, literally and figuratively, questions that stereotypical view of racism. Crash suggests that each of us is indeed racist and, when placed in a threatening situation, these prejudices control our behavior. Using selected scenes from the film, …

The Beast: A Book Review, Tim Bolen

Perspectives In Learning

In vivid and candid detail, Tracy Thompson’s The Beast is an honest attempt to pull back the curtain on depression. This reveal gives both clinician and layman a behind the scenes look at the destructive and debilitating effects on a life suffering with illness that the brain can’t quite understand. Tracing her roots and upbringing, Thompson discloses that mental illness has always been a part of her family. As a teenager she would write the word depression in her journal, not knowing that the “beast” would unfortunately accompany her throughout the rest of her life. As the title suggests, this …

Where Are We Now?: A Study Of Gifted Program Availability By Region, Urbanicity And Ses, Elizabeth A. Romey

Perspectives In Learning

There is considerable diversity among gifted programs and program availability in the United States. This is at least in part due to the fact that there is no national mandate for gifted programming, despite the existence of the Javitts Act. Instead, decisions about gifted programming are left up to the individual states, which may then choose to allow individual counties or districts to set their own standards. This in turn creates a situation in which parents and teachers of the gifted have no ready access to information about the type of gifted programming options available in their area. Many of …

If It Is Intellectual, Can It Be Property?, Michael Simonson

Faculty Articles

Carol Twigg, executive director of the Center for Academic Transformation, has written and spoken extensively in the area of intellectual property and ownership of online courses and course materials. A reading of the abstract of her excellent monograph Intellectual Property Policies for a New Learning Environment is a requirement for any serious distance educator (Twigg, 2000). It is well written, informative, and thought-provoking.

Assessing Students’ Online Learning: Strategies And Resources, Patricia Comeaux

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Explore key strategies used by experienced online instructors, and learn about the wealth of resources for designing assessment instruments integral to online learning.

Transferring A Face-To-Face Course To Online Instruction At A Community College, Brenda Heitmeyer

Graduate Research Papers

This paper is a literature review of research related to the differences between developing an online class and a face-to-face class. Differences include how the course material is presented, how to engage the learners, and how students are learning in an online environment. Research is presented from various sources regarding considerations for online instruction and includes statistics on online student learners. The literature states that the instructor assumes a different role as a facilitator for online collaboration in a learning environment.

Instructors need to consider the differences presented by distance education when creating online instruction. The advantages and disadvantages of …

E-Learning Enhances Both Student Achievement And Career Change Options, Rochelle P. Ripple

Perspectives In Learning

It seems as if everyone is using e-learning (online learning) these days. There are many options available, including self-paced courses, skills-based courses, virtual classrooms (and their cousins, live web seminars), web-enhanced courses, and asynchronous courses. There is a plethora of technological methods that can be utilized for course delivery. Which of these technologies and methods of use will maximize e-learning’s effectiveness? In other words, for the university, the instructor and students, which seems to work the best? In a nutshell - all of them. The beauty of e-learning is that there are so many options that can be tailored to …

Career-Related Issues In Secondary Schools: A Literature Review, Jennifer E. Mcghee

Perspectives In Learning

The career counselor’s role over the past 100 years or so has evolved from being a placement tool in the industrial revolution to that of providing a more holistic approach to meeting both the career and personal concerns of individuals. More and more counselors are beginning to focus on the person as a whole, including values, interests, abilities, skills, and work-life experiences, as they counsel on career-related issues (Zunker, 2006). As a focus on human development and the whole person enters the counseling field, school counselors are faced with developing comprehensive school guidance systems that meet the needs of students …

Alcohol And Drug Use: The Negative Effect On Health And Academic Achievement, Judson Mccarley, Heather Holloway

Perspectives In Learning

Most know the damaging and lethal effects that drugs and alcohol pose upon our children and young people today. Parents and schools work hard at limiting these terrible and devastating results. However, is this effort enough and what is the latest research on alcohol and drug use by school age children? Although there are significant effects from drug and alcohol use on health and academic achievement, there are a variety of interventions used in keeping children clean. Alcohol and drug use by school-age children poses serious health and safety risks. The three leading causes of death for 15-24 year olds …

Curriculum Alignment Matrix: A Systematic Framework For Aligning Educational Leadership Program Curriculum, Martha C. Hall

Perspectives In Learning

The emphasis on educational accountability and the necessity of training highly qualified administrators and leaders, prompted changes to Columbus State University’s Educational Leadership programs. Curriculum alignment was the foundation of this initiative. There has been an evolution in thinking about the important ingredients and benefits of curriculum for the 21st Century leader. Lashway (2002) advanced the idea of totally revamping the leadership preparation program to stay current with the ever-changing world. Jacobs (1997), through her work with curriculum, saw a need for obtaining course overviews. Cunningham & Cordiero (2000) envisioned futurist thinking for the practitioners and purported changing the pedagogical …

Charting A New Course: Professional Development Strategies For Improving Literacy Education Across The Curriculum, Vikki K. Collins, Dawn Upshaw, H. Marguerite Yates

Perspectives In Learning

This paper reviews the effects of a program of professional development for literacy teachers in an urban, southeastern elementary school. During academic year 2002-2003, only 67% of fourth grade students met or exceeded state standards for achievement in reading as measured by the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT), and only 77% of fourth grade students met or exceeded state standards for achievement in English/language arts as measured by the CRCT (Georgia Department of Education, 2005).

Student Achievement Through Early Truancy Reduction, Nanette K. Jackson, Susan Taylor

Perspectives In Learning

Truancy is a concern for all grade levels of all schools. According to Capps (2003) the average student misses thirteen days of school each year. Many students entering middle school have already accumulated 180 days of questionable absences, the equivalent of a full year of school. Studies of school dropouts show students begin distancing themselves from school at an early age. These students are absent more often than other students as early as the first grade (Epstein & Sheldon, 2002). There is a pattern of increasing absenteeism throughout a student’s entire school career. It is not too early to begin …

The Trouble With Ed Schools: A Book Review, Justin M. Finney

Perspectives In Learning

American schools of education, whose two primary objectives are to prepare highly qualified teachers and to conduct valid and reliable education research, are often decried as “weak institutions” by many in academia and society in general. American schools of education are very often scorned by scholars and academia as intellectually inferior, referred to by teachers in the field as the “ivory tower” and considered to be out of touch and completely unrelated to what really transpires in schools, perceived by political leaders at all levels to be a primary contributing factor to the substandard state of contemporary public education. These …

Support Groups For Children Whose Parents Have Deployed To Iraq, James Blount

Perspectives In Learning

Findings among army researchers, many of whom have published their work on Army Knowledge Online (AKO), have consistently shown that children are affected negatively by the deployment of their parents to Iraq or, for that matter, any war. This is cause for great concern as the War on Terror could go on for many, many years to come. However, since it is known in general what the negative effects on children are, strategies and techniques have been formulated to offset the damage done to children. Some of the questions that remain to be answered follow: At what ages are children …

Assessment Of Emotional Competencies In Educational Leaders: Applying Daniel Goleman’S Work In Emotional Intelligences As A Means Of Evaluating Dispositions Related To The Work Of The School Leader, Paul T. Hackett, James W. Hortman

Perspectives In Learning

The study of best practices related to educational leadership is an emerging area for universities with programs training leaders in school improvement. Practices taught in educational leadership programs have long been related to the technical issues of school operations with emphasis in the areas of finance, law, organizational theory, and strategic planning. More recently, educational leadership programs have begun to focus on the skills required of a leader of instruction (Hallinger, 2003; Jason, 2001). Among areas of concentration for the instructional leader are assessment, collaboration, professional development, and curriculum design. Although the focus of educational leadership programs has changed, the …

Introduction To School Counseling Services Articles, Lisa Shaw

Perspectives In Learning

Introduction to School Counseling Services Articles

Piecing Together The Diversity Puzzle, Rochelle Ripple, Jose' Villavicencio

Perspectives In Learning

Current literature focuses on the importance of listening to students’ voices and the insights they have on their experiences. According to Dewey (1916/1944), having interactions with other groups helps in the process of democratic growth because one is better able to understand other perspectives. Freire (1985) added another layer of richness to Dewey’s ideas about reflection and experience. He believed that people exist “in and with the world.” Fraser (1994) describes the need for different voices and different views in educating children in a public sphere of critical inquiry and multiple voices (different genders and people of all colors). In …