Category: Online Learning

Moving a Face-to-Face Course Online without Losing Student Engagement | Faculty Focus

The rapid growth and popularity of online learning is necessitating the creation of online courses that actively engage learners. Research has shown that effective integration of multimedia that is content relevant and pedagogically sound can be a valuable teaching tool for facilitating student learning Mandernach, 2009.

In the Master of Finance program at Penn State World Campus, one of the faculty who teaches a very successful, popular foundational course was tasked with authoring an online course. As instructional designers, we worked with the faculty and our design team, including our in-house multimedia staff, to replicate the course for an online adult student audience. The use of multimedia was a necessary component in re-creating the dynamic aspects of the course that made it such a successful face-to-face class.

via Moving a Face-to-Face Course Online without Losing Student Engagement | Faculty Focus.

Ontario is creating a Centre of Excellence for Online Learning

Ontario is creating a Centre of Excellence for Online Learning to give students across the province one window of access to high-quality, transferable online courses, while reducing course duplication.

To launch in time for the 2015-16 school year, Ontario Online will improve collaboration between colleges and universities by minimizing duplication — allowing students to take the same, centralized online course. The online platform will also give students the flexibility to receive world-class instruction wherever and whenever works best for them. It will operate through three inter-related hubs:

  • The course hub will offer state-of-the-art online courses that are fully transferable between participating colleges and universities, giving students more options to earn credits and complete their education.
  • The instruction hub will allow institutions to develop and share best practices, research, and data on how best to teach online courses.
  • The support hub will provide academic and technical assistance to students, instructors, and institutions.

Supporting a world-class postsecondary education system that is a leader in innovation and online learning is part of the Ontario government’s economic plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure, and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.

via Newsroom : Province Improving Online Learning.

A Conversation About Online Course Quality – OnlineColleges.net

Get Involved in Quality Discussions

No matter your role in online education, the need to create and ensure high levels of value is a critical part of what we do. From my perspective, it’s all about making the most of the opportunity that online education allows, creating a best possible environment for students in any given course or program. How can you get involved in conversations about quality?

Students

  • Research accreditation. Know what type of accreditation your institution and program may have, as well as which agencies grant the status. Be prepared to describe the quality level of your courses and program to employers in terms of accreditation as well as your learning experiences.
  • Ask about quality measures. Were your online courses and programs designed using specific rubrics or other guidelines? How is your institution taking quality into consideration?
  • Complete your course evaluations. This is just one way you can provide input on the course design process, informing your instructors and designers about suggested revisions. Help them to improve the quality of your courses for future students.
  • Look for ways to be part of design and development activities. It’s still rare for students to join design teams and curriculum committees, but it does happen. During the Sloan conference session, instructional designers expressed an interest in getting more students involved in what they do.

Instructors

  • Participate in course review and revision process. Use the opportunities provided by your institution to provide feedback on what is working and not working from your perspective. Whether it’s serving as a subject matter expert to help create a new course, providing periodic evaluation of an existing course, or preparing your face-to-face course for online delivery, keep quality in mind.
  • Review course evaluations. Take time to consider the comments and suggestions submitted by your online students, and identify specific improvements that may be possible to implement after each term.
  • Connect with your institution’s instructional support providers. Faculty development, technical support, and other resource teams are often available to assist in the design, review, and revision of your courses. Explore existing quality standards and how they might be used to further enhance the experience for students.

As the nature of online learning and online learners changes, so will the ways in which we measure what instructional strategies and components are most effective in our courses. We may never have one cohesive definition of quality, and I think that’s okay, but it is possible to develop an approach that conveys an institution or program’s priorities and promotes a valuable learning experience.

What does quality mean to you? Share your ideas and elements you might add to the existing frameworks.

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2013/11/26/conversation-online-course-quality/

Understanding the Building Blocks of Online Learning Series – pt1

This is an excellent series from a leader in educational technology and the affect on post-secondary institutions. I will will post a blog entry as these are published on the Contact North website. I encourage discussion!

For almost 50 years, Tony Bates has been a consistent, persistent and influential voice for the reform of teaching and learning in post-secondary education, notably through the effective use of emerging technologies. Author of 11 books and 350 research papers in the field of online learning and distance education, Tony Bates is also an advisor to over 40 organizations in 25 countries, and publisher of what is arguably the most influential blog on online learning with over 20,000 visits a month.  A Contact North | Contact Nord Research Associate, Dr. Bates has helped educators, academic administrators and policy makers grasp key concepts, trends and challenges in online learning. This posting is one of a series that looks at Tony’s perspectives and advice on key issues in online learning.  

This series was researched and developed by Contact North | Contact Nord Research Associates, Dr. Jane Brindley and Dr. Ross Paul.     

“Adapting technology for effective learning is the mantra for Tony’s entire career – technology for accessibility, for flexible response to diverse needs, for improved quality and cost control, and for institutional accountability.

His constant message is that most institutions are under-exploiting the potential of technology to respond to the growing pressures for change in post-secondary education. For meaningful improvements, major changes are needed in the prevailing institutional cultures and the way they are managed. Online learning, which harnesses the power of the Internet, multimedia resources and Web-based tools, is taking post-secondary education by storm.

For Bates, the change is starkly different from that of earlier technologies mainly used to broadcast content. In the opportunities it provides to engage students, enhance quality, widen access and be cost efficient, and the radical changes it requires for the effective organization and rethinking of post-secondary education practices and processes, online learning is a game changer.”

Understanding the Building Blocks of Online Learning: | Contact North.