Online Learning Update

Online Learning: Bookless Libraries? - Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed

2009-11-09T00:10:00.003Z

What started as a debate over whether brick-and-mortar libraries would survive much further into the 21st century turned into an existential discussion on the definition of libraries, as a gathering of technologists here at the 2009 Educause Conference pondered the evolution of one of higher education�s oldest institutions. �Let�s face it: the library, as a place, is dead,� said Suzanne E. Thorin, dean of libraries at Syracuse University. �Kaput. Finito. And we need to move on to a new concept of what the academic library is.�

�People,� she told the audience, of whom many were librarians, �the world has changed, and so have your students, and so have your faculty!�

Danish pupils use web in exams - Judy Hobson, BBC News

2009-11-09T00:05:00.001Z

In Denmark, the government has taken the bold step of allowing pupils full access to the internet during their final school year exams. A total of 14 colleges in Denmark are piloting the new system of exams and all schools in the country have been invited to join the scheme by 2011.
Greve High School, south of Copenhagen, is one of the pilot schools. On the morning of the exam, the exam room the floor is covered in cables. IT experts are busy helping the teenagers set up their laptops, making sure they all work.

'Convergent education' online learning comes together - Gregg W. Downey, eSchool News

2009-11-09T00:01:00.001Z

As I was saying last month, an avalanche of change is rumbling towards our field. I propose we call this cascading phenomenon "convergent education." Here's what I mean: A new species of education is emerging that artfully aggregates up-to-the-minute instructional technology, sophisticated pedagogy, robust and standards-based educational content, and web-based delivery that requires a computer or other personal digital device but no fixed address. Under most circumstances, convergent education certainly can amplify the impact of traditional instruction, but it is not necessarily dependent on face-to-face encounters between teacher and student.

IBM helps students online, learning to put their heads in the cloud - Dave Rosenberg, CNet cnet.news com

2009-11-08T00:10:00.003Z

IBM on Wednesday announced a program designed to help educators and students pursue cloud-computing initiatives and better take advantage of collaboration technology in their studies. The IBM Cloud Academy, announced at the Educause annual conference, includes a global roster of educational institutions as initial participants. Educause is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. IBM will provide the cloud-based infrastructure for the program, with some basic collaboration tools available at the outset. IBM's LotusLive service provides the basis for the new offering. Participants will immediately be able to do some very basic tactical functions on the new system

Online Learning: Grant creates shared library for Georgia's colleges - Laura Diamond, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

2009-11-08T00:05:00.001Z

Georgia Tech received $857,000 to create a digital library to be shared by colleges in the University System of Georgia. The grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Science matched the nearly $857,000 raised by the participating institutions to allow shared access to research and other scholarly work. When complete, a user will be able to log onto one site and search databases from all participating colleges, organizers said.

Mobile subscribers to hit 5.9 billion in 2013, driven by China, India, Africa - Infonetics Research

2009-11-08T00:01:00.002Z

�The global recession did not prevent people from using communication services, but it clearly accelerated the pace of wireline-to-mobile substitution. China, which had half a billion mobile subscribers in 2008, and India together make Asia Pacific the world�s largest mobile subscriber region, now and into the future. The EMEA region is next, with strong growth driven by Africa. Mobile subscriptions will continue to grow strongly over at least the next five years, driven mainly by basic voice service needs in these regions, particularly in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China),� projects St�phane T�ral, principal analyst for mobile and FMC infrastructure at Infonetics Research.

Online Learning Tool?: Next wave may sweep all aside - Adam Turner, the Age

2009-11-07T00:10:00.001Z

Every now and then, someone develops a new way of thinking about an old problem. Email has become so bogged down with spam and other problems that for many people it's all but useless. Attempts to make email more secure have struggled to make headway because the email system was never designed with such things in mind. The boffins at Google � well, actually Lars and Jens Rasmussen, who brought us Google Maps � asked "What would email look like if we set out to invent it today?" Their answer is Google Wave, a free service that has the potential to change the face of the internet.

Scotland Flu outbreak pupils to net online learning classes - Edingburgh Evening News

2009-11-07T00:05:00.001Z

School pupils are expected to turn to online learning this winter if the swine flu pandemic intensifies as predicted. Heriot-Watt University's online programme Scholar, which helps Scottish pupils studying for Highers and Advanced Highers, is already gearing up to accept a much greater volume of hits. Professor Phillip John, Dean of Science and Engineering at Heriot-Watt and executive chair of the Scholar forum, said: "The Scholar team is aware of the Scottish Government planning exercises concerned with school closures.

Online Learning Fast Becoming a Valued Tool in Papuan Universities - Jakarta Globe

2009-11-07T00:01:00.001Z

Distant learning over the Internet that has been developed with the standardized competence-based curriculum, is contributing to improvements in education quality, especially in universities in Papua, an expert says. �E-learning, or online study, makes use of electronic technology that facilitates the students and instructors in communicating with each other in an atmosphere unencumbered by protocols like class schedules,� Suaib Halim, a professor of informatics technology, said in Jayapura on Monday. �However, the programs used in e-learning should be based on national education standards [or KBK],� Suaib said.

Most College Students To Take Classes Online by 2014 - David Nagel, Campus Technology

2009-11-06T00:11:00.003Z

Nearly 12 million post-secondary students in the United States take some or all of their classes online right now. But this number will skyrocket to more than 22 million in the next five years, according to data released recently by research firm Ambient Insight. According to Ambient Insight Chief Research Officer Sam S. Adkins, already some 1.25 million students in higher education programs take all of their classes online, while another 10.65 take some of their classes online. The two groups are still outnumbered by students who take all of their courses in physical classrooms, which Ambient Insight reckoned at 15.14 million as of 2009. But this situation will change drastically by 2014, at which time, Adkins forecast, only 5.14 million students will take all of their courses in a physical classroom, while 3.55 million will take all of their classes online, and 18.65 million will take some of their classes online.

Swine Flu School Closings Drive Students to Online Learning and Tutoring

2009-11-06T00:04:00.000Z

As concerns over the Swine Flu virus continue to mount across the country, an increasing number of schools may opt to take matters into their own hands, sending kids home to wait out what they perceive will be the peak of the flu pandemic. The U.S. Department of Education recommends that some districts, schools, and states have some of the resources and capabilities for the distribution of instructional content via the Internet. Moreover, it urges the provision of audio-visual learning supports that can be made available on the Internet using online learning and other Learning Management Systems.

Online learning offerings keep Yakima students in school - ADRIANA JANOVICH, Associated Press

2009-11-06T00:01:00.001Z

Carolyn Kondor completed her freshman year at Yakima's Eisenhower High School. But it was a struggle. At Ike, the teen says, there were too many students, too many distractions, too much stress. There was just "too much of everything." So, about three months into her sophomore year, she transferred to the newly formed Yakima Online! She's a senior now, 17, and still enrolled in the online high school. Her sights are set on graduation in June. "It's a good fit for me," she says. "I love the people here. It's easygoing, but it keeps you on track."

More high school students are taking online learning courses - Julie Hubbard, Macon.com

2009-11-05T00:10:00.002Z

Mary Persons High School is too small to hire someone to teach Chinese to the lone senior who wanted to take the course this year. But the school managed to work around it. During second period, senior Christopher Kennedy takes the class online via the state�s �virtual school.� He watches taped lectures and listens to audio of the language on a computer in the media center. "It�s not the most exciting way to do it, but it gets the job done,� said Kennedy, who hopes to major in international business one day.

iNACOL's Susan Patrick on Trends in eLearning - David Nagel, THE Journal

2009-11-05T00:05:00.001Z

At last count, there were more than 1 million enrollments in K-12 online schools in the United States. And according to recent research, the number of students taking courses online will jump to more than 10 million in the next five years. But even with this rapid growth (up from zero enrollments in the mid-1990s), online education is only beginning to address the needs of American students. What's standing in the way of even more widespread adoption? What have we learned so far in these early years? And can any of what we've learned be applied in traditional classrooms? To address these questions, we spoke with Susan Patrick, president and CEO of iNACOL, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. iNACOL is an advocacy and research organization that focuses on issues in K-12 online schooling.

Georgia Colleges expanding online learning - Daniel Bell, Rome News-Tribune

2009-11-05T00:00:00.000Z

Three of Rome, Georgia�s higher learning institutions have joined in online learning, and administrators say they have plans to expand their online offerings and take learning beyond the classroom.At Georgia Northwestern Technical College, students have a variety of choices for online learning. The college offers courses that are taught entirely online, courses that are considered hybrid, meaning that about 50 percent are taught in a classroom, and courses that are Web enhanced, meaning only parts of the classes, such as testing, would occur on the Internet. Georgia Highlands College has been offering online courses for a few years. This semester Highlands has 948 students taking 37 entirely online classes and 204 students taking 12 hybrid classes. Offering online courses is part of Shorter College�s strategic plan, says Sean Butcher, director of online programs for the institution.

Analysis: Mo. cuts could unplug online learning school - DAVID A. LIEB, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

2009-11-04T00:05:00.001Z

Budget cuts could force a Missouri school to close midway through the academic year, leaving students with half-earned credits scrambling to complete their education. Some students, just a few credits shy of graduation, could wind up as high school dropouts. Others, struggling with cancer, could miss their only chance to earn a degree. The school in question is the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program, which offers Internet-based online learning courses for everyone from kindergartners to high school seniors. The online public school began just three years ago and already has served a couple thousand students. About half the children are taking courses to supplement their education in traditional public or private school classrooms. For the other half, the online school is their only school.

10.5 Million PreK-12 Students Will Attend Classes Online by 2014 - David Nagel, THE Journal

2009-11-04T00:02:00.002Z

More than 2 million preK-12 students take some form of schooling online right now--whether attending a virtual school for all their classes or just taking one or more courses via the Internet. But while the vast majority of students will continue to take all of their courses in physical classrooms over the next five years, the number of students taking courses online will jump to more than 10 million by 2014, according to data released recently by research firm Ambient Insight.

The genius brothers behind Google Wave - John D. Sutter, CNN

2009-11-04T00:01:00.001Z

Lars and Jens Rasmussen were broke and jobless -- with only $16 between them -- when they made it big in the Web world by selling their idea for Google Maps. Years later, after finding cushy employment at Google Inc., the Rasmussen brothers flew in May from Sydney, Australia, to California where they would debut their sophomore product, a Web application called Google Wave, which they say, quite audaciously, will kill e-mail and forever change online communication.

CMC's teleweb and online learning enrollment virtually explodes - John Stroud, Aspen Times

2009-11-03T00:10:00.001Z

Colorado Mountain College has seen a 14 percent increase in enrollment districtwide this fall, but many of those students can't be found in the classroom. That's because they're enrolled in the college's various distance learning courses � classes taken via high-tech delivery modes such as Teleweb, interactive video systems and on the Internet. Enrollment in CMC's distance learning courses has jumped 41 percent this semester, compared to last fall. That's in line with trends at other colleges in Colorado and around the country, said Daryl Yarrow, CMC's vice president overseeing distance online learning.

Using online learning technology to teach technology - Betsy Friedrich, Omaha World-Herald

2009-11-03T00:05:00.001Z

Keeping one high school class on track can be hard enough, but try teaching many classes at once and things can get tricky. Corliss Dixon, Pleasanton High School's former business and computer teacher, came out of retirement this year to teach a technology class using the school's distance-learning room. Students from 14 schools around the state watch Dixon live on their computers while she teaches in front of a camera and monitor in Pleasanton.

New Online Distance Learning Database Focuses On International Development - Medical News Today

2009-11-03T00:01:00.002Z

An online database of more than 140 distance learning courses was launched by Distance Learning for Development (DL4D), a project of the London International Development Centre (LIDC). The website www.dl4d.ac.uk provides information about the University of London's high-quality international development-related postgraduate courses, including Climate Change and Development, Globalisation and Health, Education and Understanding Poverty. The courses are primarily designed for international development practitioners, involve up to 240 hours of study and can be used towards acquiring higher-level qualifications. They are delivered using a range of media, including the latest online learning tools, CD-Rom and print-based materials.

Incorporating Social Networking in a Programming Course based on Learning Styles and Technology Preferences - Nauman Saeed, et al; JETS

2009-11-02T00:10:00.003Z

The adoption level of emerging web technologies is on the rise in academic settings. However, a major obstacle in the practice of web-based instruction is the limited understanding of learners� characteristics and perceptions about technology use. Thus there is a need to understand the relationship between students� learning styles and their preferences for instructional strategies, including the use of emerging web technologies. Since learning styles provide information about individual differences in learning preferences they can suggest how instruction can be best designed to support the learning preferences. In this paper, a research framework has been proposed to incorporate emerging web technologies into higher education based on students� learning styles and technology preferences and a case study has been carried out to validate the proposed framework. An action research methodology has been adopted to carry out the study, which comprises of conducting a survey about students� learning styles and technology preferences; incorporating a combination of emerging web technologies based on the survey findings; and analyzing key achievements and shortcomings of the study to redefine research objectives. The study provides support for the proposed framework by highlighting the significant relationships

Against all Odds: A Video-Based Study of Learner-to-Instructor Interaction in International Online Learning - Jean-Marie Muhirwa, IRRODL

2009-11-02T00:05:00.002Z

Distance education and information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been marketed as cost-effective ways to rescue struggling educational institutions in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study uses classroom video analysis and follow-up interviews with teachers, students, and local tutors to analyse the interaction at a distance between learners in Mali and Burkina Faso and their French and Canadian instructors. Findings reveal multiple obstacles to quality interaction: frequent Internet disconnections, limited student access to computers, lack of instructor presence, ill-prepared local tutors, student unfamiliarity with typing and computer technology, ineffective technical support, poor social dynamics, learner-learner conflict, learner-instructor conflict, and student withdrawal and resignation. In light of the near death of the costly World Bank-initiated African Virtual University (AVU), this paper concludes by re-visiting the educational potential of traditional technologies, such as radio and video, to foster development in poor countries.

Missouri Expands Statewide Online Education Offerings - Scott Aronowitz, THE Journal

2009-11-02T00:01:00.001Z

The Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP) has moved to expand substantially its online course offerings to Missouri public school students with its new membership in the National Repository of Online Courses (NROC). The NROC courses are now available to all public school students, teachers, and administrators in the state of Missouri. In addition, a partnership between the group eMINTS (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) and MoVIP will provide professional development training to educators how to use the NROC courses in conjunction with their own curricula and integrate them into their students' long-term educational plans.

Applying Multimedia and Virtual Reality for Online Learning Environments - Paulo N. M. Sampaio,et al, i-JET

2009-11-01T00:10:00.002Z

Most of the tools and languages for modeling Virtual Reality environments, such as VRML, X3D, Java3D, etc. do not provide means of describing the synchronized presentation of multimedia content inside these environments. Multimedia has demonstrated its capabilities of motivating users and capturing their attention, which are important characteristics when we want to provide a higher degree of immersion and learning capabilities inside Virtual Reality applications. This paper presents a robust and generic solution for the integrated presentation of different kinds of media objects inside virtual environments based on the Graphical Engine OGRE and how this solution can be applied broadly for providing customizable multimedia andvirtual learning environments.