Once all the initial theory and design issues are put to the side, then comes the moment of truth — how does the subject matter expert actually put her/his material online in the most effective manner possible? The answer to that question, in part is determined by by variables such as individual teaching style, subject matter, and course design. In an attempt to deal with this important step, this article presents a guide/worksheet for subject matter experts to follow when putting their content online. Continue reading ‘A Template Approach to Course Development’
Archive for June, 2004
Henry Jenkins at MIT has a great blog article this week about which viewers really count most in the TV industry.
At the heart of the difficulties surrounding ratings are two questions: What is the best method for determinig who is watching TV, and which viewers are most important? Media scholars argue that Nielsen ratings and technologies have built in biases which overcount groups valued by advertisers and undercount groups who are not seen as demographically desirable. And, as Jenkins points out, “each time the ratings technology changes, there are abrupt adjustments in network programming to reflect where the new center of gravity is — from rural to urban, from older to younger viewers.”
An article this week about reduced giving by the public to universities drives home some realities that are affecting the development of the elearning technology space in Higher Education.
While giving for causes such as international affairs and religion was up, charitable donations to education were down by 3%.
Continue reading ‘It Takes Money, or at Least Free* Software to Build a Village’
This article discusses the psychological processes occurring in e-learning, with special emphasis on socialization processes, both positive and negative. While it deals with processes occurring in an Internet environment, and it suggests underlying reasons, it also asks the designers and administrators of e-learning programs to take a look at the underlying ethical issues, and to view learning in light of the process of development of “the whole person” not simply as the acquisition of knowledge and facts. Course facilitators should manage socialization processes occurring in e-learning, and to develop a protocol for effective mentoring in an online environment. Continue reading ‘Fatal Attractions?: Identity Construction in Online Courses’
This article addresses the issue of interactivity, independent research, and psychological issues, which are central to online curriculum design and course content selection. While it is easy to take superficial measurements of online courses and their effectiveness, it is essential to go beyond traditional testing methods to rate their real value to students. Here., we will help you develop a set of questions for use in deciding how a course can build in interactivity in a number of ways, and to develop a set of guidelines for use in assessing the effectiveness of the course. Continue reading ‘The Basics of Achieving Effectiveness in Online Learning’
The Role of Relevancy in Online Courses
Introduction
Relevancy is central to online curriculum design and course content selection. This paper provides an overview and understanding of relevancy and can serve as a starting point for developing questions for use in deciding how a course can be relevant to a student’s career, personal, or academic goals, and for developing guidelines for use in helping the student make connections between course content and the ultimate career, personal, and academic goals he or she may have. Continue reading ‘The Role of Relevancy in Online Courses’
Identity Construction in Online Courses
Introduction
This unit discusses the psychological processes occurring in e-learning, with special emphasis on socialization processes, both positive and negative. This unit discusses processes occurring in an Internet environment, and it suggests underlying reasons. It also asks the designers and administrators of e-learning programs to take a look at the underlying ethical issues, and to view learning in light of the process of development of “the whole person” not simply as the acquisition of knowledge and facts. By the end of this unit, course developers should be ready to manage socialization processes occurring in e-learning, and to develop a protocol for effective mentoring in an e-learning environment. Continue reading ‘Identity Construction in Online’
Introduction
Part 1 of this paper addressed the manner in which the human mind evolves by arranging perceptions by means of connections. This section deals with the implications of that “perception” in terms of the reality that is created through user interactions with the Internet, and in terms of the resulting significance of individual perception.
Continue reading ‘How the Mind Makes Meaning in E-Learning, Part II’
Introduction
The human mind evolves by arranging perceptions by means of connections. Applied to learning, this means that it is important to understand how the mind makes connections, at different moments in time, and to develop tasks and learning experiences that complement the connection patterns and preferences. This paper outlines some of the categories around which adults perceive and to develop connections, and offers practical applications for online learning within the framework of those categories.
Continue reading ‘How the Mind Makes Meaning in E-Learning, Part I’
I have been through four cell phones in the past three and-a-half years because I either lose them or I get bored with them. It just seems like there are always cooler ones coming out. Two years ago, that would have been considered wasteful, but with cell phone companies busting at the seams with new features, these handhelds are becoming a dime a dozen.
Continue reading ‘My Cell Phone Needed a Garage’
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