Posted 7:11 AM by George Siemens

eLearning Resources and News

5 minutes of elearning related issues...twice a week.

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May 30, 2002

Cam (from Keewatin Community College) contacted me after Tuesday's edition of ERN...he suggested that the requirements of learning, and the dimensions of interaction could be linked as follows:

Accessibility----------------------------Learner with learner

Engagement----------------------------Learner with instructor/facilitator

Time on task----------------------------Learner with content

Format of learning materials-----------Learner with interface

Makes sense...

123 Things I've Learned about Teaching & Learning at a Distance

Comment: A fellow student posted this link in an online course I'm taking...I love it!! Some excellent thoughts listed here...this is one of those resources that can be revisited and added to over time.

U of Phoenix Learning Model


University of Phoenix is the poster child for online learning...110,000 students (37,000 online)...rapidly growing, for-profit education. Aside from the arguments that could be formed relating to the place of for-profit education, U of Phoenix does many things right. Here is their learning model:

• Practitioner faculty member
  
• Working adult student
  
• Simply created curriculum
  
• Small group process
  
• Heavy amount of interaction - student to student, student to instructor
  
• A great deal of collaboration
  
• Heavy emphasis on practical application
  

Coincidentally, U of Phoenix is also one of the few online schools that takes attendance. I was surprised at that...is that a good idea online? Don't many students take online courses because they are flexible? On the flip side, I've found for myself that deadlines are critical online...or nothing gets done. Open-ended enrollment and flexible course completion is only suitable for very motivated students...For the sake of improving student success, I think I would consider taking attendance...Any thoughts?

Convergence of Work-based and Campus-based Learning


Quote: "There is a strong technological and economic push for higher education providers to adopt online learning strategies. This is driven, in part, by the requirement of industry for lifelong learning on a flexible, just-in-time basis...Technology and pedagogy begin to converge when: (1) pedagogical assumptions are identified early; (2) flexible learning is not confused with on-line learning; (3) intrinsic and external motivations of stakeholders are aligned; (4) there is broad ownership; and (5) a sustainable development strategy is adopted."

Comment: Good article...in particular, review "Figure 3" (Aligning work and learning...looks like a bit of merging between co-op education and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)). The listing of "Nine Dimensions in Flexibility" is also worth reviewing...the dimensions are: access, structure, content, media, mix, methods, interaction, WWW, assessment.

Academics: the Forgotten Resource in the Rush to New Technologies

Quote: "The rush to the use of advanced learning technologies has left many academics dazed and confused...there has been comparatively little written about the most important (and costly) resource of all, the academics."

Comment: This article doesn't deliver on what it promises - to explore how to increase academic staff interest in online learning...i.e. to involve them more in new directions being undertaken by institutions...actually, I think the title is the best part of the article...:). With that said, four revisions are listed that are worth exploring:

1. Complete re-think of what academics do
   
2. Comprehensive revision of the methods of course delivery
   
3. Streamlining of administrative procedures
   
4. Greater use of group work
   

IT Link
Wild and Wireless Future


Quote: "There are a lot of people who think the Internet happened in the '90s," says Kahn. Actually, its history is far more extensive...All great inventions take years to be explored and appreciated, he says. The age of this technology has only just begun."

Comment:Wireless technologies are just now beginning to receive recognition...but in reality, they have been developing for quite a while...once the ground swell hits mainstream, it will explode (think how rapidly cell phones and messaging diffused into every day life). As I've said in previous issues of ERN...wireless is going to impact higher education significantly - both financially and socially (i.e. how we communicate, connect, collaborate).