XplanaZine

Updates on: blended learning, the Virtual School Symposium, and TutorVista

A new book, Blended Learning in Higher Education: Framework, Principles, and Guidelines (Wiley, 2008), summarizes the current theory behind blended learning but offers practical guidelines (with examples) on how to transform existing courses into the new framework. In this article, the authors answer some critical questions about blended learning.  — Inside Higher Ed

Educator Rick Tanski reflects on the Virtual School Symposium sponsored by the North American Council for Online Learning. He describes how educators must leverage the power of online education to improve the learning of students, and how technology should be integrated with the human experience. — Rick Tanski Blog

The most recent trend in tutoring is coming from India. Along with jobs for telephone operators, financial advisers and medical analysts, jobs for tutors are being outsourced. Companies like TutorVista, a two-year-old Indian tutoring company, use the Internet to communicate with customers all over the world. Students can receive tutoring in subjects such as English, calculus or economics, as well as help for standardized tests, such as the SAT or GRE. — The Lariat Online