Friday, September 24, 2004
Online Magazine - Update by CILIP
Update is delivered to all CILIP members and is also available by suscription to non-members.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
eBooks - UNESCO
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| Copyright 1998-2001 UNESCO Bangkok, Thailand. All rights reserved. Copyright © UNESCO| Disclaimer | |
Monday, September 13, 2004
Book - Advances in Research on Networked Learning
| Advances in Research on Networked Learning
Series : Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Series , Vol. 4 Goodyear, P.; Banks, S.; Hodgson, V.; McConnell, D. (Eds.) 2004, Approx. 260 p., Hardcover ISBN: 1-4020-7841-2 |
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Networked learning is learning in which information and communications technology (ICT) is used to promote connections: between one learner and other learners; between learners and tutors; between a learning community and its learning resources. Networked learning is an area which has great practical and theoretical importance. It is a rapidly growing area of educational practice, particularly in higher education and the corporate sector. This volume brings together some of the best research in the field, and uses it to signpost some directions for future work. The papers in this collection represent a major contribution to our collective sense of recent progress in research on networked learning. In addition, they serve to highlight some of the largest or most important gaps in our understanding of students' perspectives on networked learning, patterns of interaction and online discourse, and the role of contextual factors. The range of topics and methods addressed in these papers attests to the vitality of this important field of work. More significant yet is the complex understanding of the field that they combine to create. In combination, they help explain some of the key relationships between teachers' and learners' intentions and experiences, the affordances of text-based communications technologies and processes of informed and intelligent educational change. This volume will prove very valuable to researchers and teachers working in (higher) education and corporate education.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Online Journal - JEO
The Journal of Educators Online (JEO) is an online, double-blind, refereed journal by and for instructors, administrators, policy-makers, staff, students, and those interested in the development, delivery, and management of online courses in the Arts, Business, Education, Engineering, Medicine, and Sciences. Welcome to the first issue!
Volume 1, Number 1, Summer 2004
Online Article - Finding the Right Blend
A Pilot Study by Dr. Peter Saunders & Dr. Kenneth Werner
Western Michigan University
A Move to Blended Learning
Determining the Right Blend
Shifting Paradigms and Selecting the Right Blend
Selecting Our Technology Blend
Centra Symposium
Web-Resource
Pilot Study
Ethical Dilemma
Pilot Design
Learner Profile and Findings
Learning with the Blend
Implications
Blending Learning and the Seven Elements
Screen Shots
While there has been growing speculation concerning the growth and impact e-learning is having on business and academe, and in particular on in-class training, the 2000 ASTD Benchmarking Service of over 950 organizations suggests that there is a growing movement away from e-learning in favor of in-class training and teaching. E-learning projections have actually fallen from 23.0 percent for 2000, to 19.8 percent for 2001 and 18.2 percent for 2002. In contrast, classroom training continues to grow from 77.6 percent in 1997 to 79.9 percent in 1999 (pp.8-9 quoted in Blending E-Learning: The Power is in the Mix, Karen Mantyla, ASTD, 2001). Learners still prefer a live instructor to learning via a system without a mentor, facilitator, or instructor.
However, if we look closer at this study we find that learning with technology and learning in classes may be merging or blending. Blended learning has been defined as "learning that employs multiple strategies, methods, and delivery systems" (The Node's Guide to Blended Learning, p.5, 2001, The Node Learning Technologies Network). The blend may be a single instructional method combined with a presentation and distribution method, or a combination of multiple methods.
This shift to blended learning raises key questions: · Why is blended learning increasing in popularity? · What is the right blend of technologies and methods of instruction? Given the great variety of instructional, presentation, and distribution methods available today, determining the right blend can be an enormous task. Where does one begin? How do we know if the blend serves learning and learners well, and not just the delivery of teaching and training? While we do not believe that one size (model/solution) fits all, we do believe that the answers to both questions have to do with a cultural shift which is occurring, a shift away from teaching and training and toward learning and the motivation of learners.
This short paper discusses why we chose a particular blend of instructional, presentation, and distribution methods, how we implemented the blend, and how learners responded to the blend.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Online Journal - European Journal of Open and Distance Learning
This journal has been relaunched!
The European Journal of Open and Distance Learning (EURODL) has been relaunched. It publishes the accounts of research, development and teaching for Europe in its most inclusive definition. Besides, it explores the potential of electronic publishing and thus leads the way towards a new concept of what a journal may be in the future. Furthermore, EURODL presents scholarly work and solid information about open, distance and e-learning, education through telematics, multimedia, on-line learning and co-operation.
It will also be interactive - a place where you may comment, find links to interesting sites, prepare for conferences or look up conference documentation. We need your ideas and imagination to help us develop EURODL.
Please note that the new journal sites are being finalised in March 2004 and hence some services may be temporarily incomplete.
Online Article - Cognitive Style
Martin Graff, Jo Davies and Maggy McNorton
email: MGraff@Glam.ac.uk / JDavies2@Glam.ac.uk / MMcnorto@Glam.ac.uk
School of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences, University of Glamorgan
Abstract
One of the challenges facing instructional designers is in producing e-learning systems, which take account of individual differences such as nationality, gender and more importantly from an educational perspective, cognitive learning style. Accordingly, it would seem pertinent to investigate such individual difference factors with respect to computer use generally, as a means of informing e-learning instructional design. 170 undergraduate students (103 Chinese and 67 UK) completed the Cognitive Styles Index (Allinson and Hayes, 1996), a computer attitude scale (Smalley, Graff and Saunders, 2001), and also a questionnaire on their knowledge of the Internet and how effectively they used the Internet. The results revealed that Chinese students displayed a more favourable behavioural attitude than the UK students. Also, Chinese participants reported higher Internet usage than UK participants. Nationality also interacted with age on attitude scores, with the greatest variation between age groups in the Chinese sample. The results are discussed in terms of the implications of this research for the design of e-learning systems.
Key WordsCognitive style, computer attitudes, Internet use, cross-culture
Online Article - Interface
Karen Swan (kswan@kent.edu)
Research Center for Educational Technology
Kent State University, Kent OH 44242
This paper was shortlisted for the 'Best paper award' at the
Third EDEN Research Workshop, Oldenburg, Germany, 2004
Abstract
Although online learning no longer entails the kinds of interface barriers it once did, recent research is making very clear that interactions with interfaces significantly affect other interactions in online courses. This paper reviews the current literature on online learning to see what it can tell us about the mediating effects of differing interfaces on the three kinds of interactions described by Michael Moore [1] - interactions with course content, interactions with instructors, and interactions with classmates. The results point to the need for further serious research in this area.
Keywordsonline learning, interactions, interface issues
Online Articles - Quality in E-Learning
(Best Paper Award at the Third EDEN Research Workshop 2004, Oldenburg, Germany)
Ulf-D. Ehlers (uehlers@wi-inf.uni-essen.de)
University of Duisburg-Essen (http://wip.wi-inf.uni-essen.de)
Campus Essen; Universitaetsstr. 9; 45141 Essen; Germany
Abstract
When you really get down to analysing it, the promises of E-Learning often have yet to materialize. The question how e-learning can be successful becomes more urgent as we move from an 'early adopter' stage to a more general offering. In the discussion about the best strategy for e-learning it becomes more an more clear that e-learning has to be based on the learner. This includes the necessity to postulate in a clear way that the needs of the learners have to be determined in a concrete manner before starting the project. Important aspects are therefore the awareness of the learning biography, of individual learning preferences and of social needs.
It is important to acknowledge that quality of a learning process is not something that is delivered to a learner by an e-learning provider but rather constitutes a process of co-production between the learner and the learning-environment. That means that the product/ outcome of an educational process is not exclusively a result of the production process of an educational institution. Quality therefore has to do with empowering and enabling the learner. It has to be defined at the final position of the provision of the learning-services: the learner. The article describes learners preferences in e-learning based on empirical results of today's largest survey in this field [1]. It thus facilitates the construction of learner oriented services portfolios in e-learning.
Online Journal - EJEL
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The journal contributes to the development of both theory and practice in the field of e-Learning. The journal accepts academically robust papers, topical articles and case studies that contribute to the area of research in e-Learning. |
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Online Article - Cognitive Style and Attitudes Towards Using Online Learning and Assessment Methods
| Cognitive Style and Attitudes Towards Using Online Learning and Assessment Methods
Martin Graff, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Glamorgan, UK, Mgraff@Glam.ac.uk | 
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| 1. Introduction There are numerous clear theoretical advantages of online instructional methods. Firstly, such methods provide for flexible learning, meaning that the student can progress at his or her own pace; secondly, such methods provide the facility for student centred learning, making the student responsible for his/her own learning. Finally, implementing online methods of instruction, means that material can be made available on demand from anywhere at any time provided the learner has the facility for taking advantage of such a system. A variety of different online learning paradigms are now being utilised across higher education and therefore it would now seem timely to evaluate such systems in terms of their effectiveness. Three online methods are utilised in this paper. These are a literature search, an online discussion and an online assessment system. These three methods were chosen as being representative of the types of tasks students typically engage in through the medium of e-learning. It is also suggested that individual difference factors such as attitudes towards computer-based learning and cognitive learning style may be relevant to include in this investigation. The rationale for this is given below in sections 1.2 to 1.4. However, firstly a description of cognitive style is given. | |
Online Articles - Evaluating Virtual Learning Environments
| Evaluating Virtual Learning Environments: What are we Measuring?
Mary C Dyson and Silvio Barreto Campello Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, The University of Reading, UK M.C.Dyson@rdg.ac.uk S.B.Campello@rdg.ac.uk. |
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| 1. Introduction Institutional strategies for the development and use of ICT in Higher Education in the UK are now in place, as recommended by the Dearing Report. At the University of Reading, one of the principles of the strategy is that new technologies should encourage rethinking of pedagogical aspects of teaching, learning and assessment. The Virtual Learning Environment Blackboard was purchased in August 2000 and there are currently approximately 100 courses online. The Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) in Brazil, the home university of the co-author, has developed their own system, VirtusClass. Evaluation provides feedback for course developers on teaching and learning and is an important part of quality assurance. However, constraints on time and possibly expertise preclude most developers from detailed studies. Whilst it is still important to carry out evaluations of individual courses, looking for more general principles derived from experiments can provide guidance in the design and development of VLEs. Such research may also address issues that are not covered in many evaluations. | |
Online Articles - Supporting Staff using WEBCT
| Supporting Staff using WEBCT at the University of Birmingham
Tracy Kent Learning and Research Support Division, Information Services, University of Birmingham, UK t.k.kent@bham.ac.uk |
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| 1. Introduction The JISC Managed Learning Environments Information Pack (1) suggests that "the implementation of a VLE [Virtual Learning Environment] without significant investment in developing staff will almost certainly not produce good results". At the University of Birmingham these sentiments formed the basis upon which a Virtual Learning environment was implemented. The University had adopted WebCT as a tool underpinning the learning and teaching strategy and to support developments in e-Learning. Staff within Information Services, Staff Development Unit and the Learning Development Unit have been working together to invest in developing appropriate skills and training for University staff to ensure that the quality of the content and the communication tools within the WebCT environment were fully exploited to enhance the student learning experience. In order to move to this position a number of developments took place to ensure the benefits of e-Learning were fully realised. These developments included the establishment of an e-Learning module, team-based projects from the Learning Development Unit and a WebCT training and support pathway. | |
Online Articles - Navigation and Ownership for Learning in Electronic Texts
Navigation and Ownership for Learning in Electronic Texts: An Experimental Study
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| 1. Introduction Electronic texts are an essential component of any e-Learning environment. The way that the user interface is designed to support navigation in electronic texts is critical since it determines the way that the texts can be traversed and it is vital that navigation problems, such as ‘feelings of lostness’ (e.g. Conklin 1987), are avoided. In e-Learning environments, a key question is how navigation affects learning, and one important aspect of the learning process is that learners feel ownership for their learning (e.g. Cunningham et al 1993). Previous research has demonstrated that navigation aids affect the way users interact with educational electronic texts and this, in turn, influences the achievement of learning outcomes (e.g. McDonald and Stevenson 1999). We extend this by hypothesising that different navigation aids will also impact upon users’ feelings of ownership for learning and we present two experiments designed to investigate these effects. The first experiment examined the effects of the level of navigational freedom offered by a navigation aid on feelings of ownership for learning. The second experiment examined the effects of allowing learners the opportunity to create their own navigation aids on feelings of ownership for learning. ‘Electronic text’ is used here as a generic term to refer to any text presented in an electronic medium. These texts may be presented in a variety of ways including WWW and stand-alone CD-ROMs. Examples include hypertext documents (nodes of text connected by embedded links), text organised in menu structures, or linear text organised as a set of sequential nodes or as a single scrollable document. We define ‘navigation aids’ as elements of an interface that allow the user to access and traverse electronic texts; examples include embedded links, menus, interactive maps, and bookmarks. | |
Online Article - Social Shaping of a Virtual Learning Environment
The Social Shaping of a Virtual Learning Environment: The Case of a University-wide Course Management System
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| 1. Introduction: The diffusion of courseware in Higher Education Likely outcomes of e-learning innovations in higher education using information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been hotly debated, with utopian excitement about the new media matched by critical concerns over their appropriateness in many contexts (Dutton and Loader 2002). With notable exceptions (Hara and Kling 2000), this debate has been illustrated more by anecdotal evidence than empirical research on the actual role of ICTs in higher education. This study seeks to develop an empirically-anchored perspective on the implications of e-learning through a case study, informed by work on the social shaping of technology (SST) that highlights organizational, cultural, economic and other factors influencing the process of technological change and innovation (Williams and Edge 1996; Kling 2000). It provides evidence centred on an in-depth analysis of one e-learning innovation, in order to surface patterns and themes of potential relevance to a wider range of e-learning initiatives. The innovation we focused on was an institution-wide virtual learning environment (VLE) designed to support the management and operation of most aspects of an online course: the distribution of multimedia material (such as readings, lecture notes, assignments and images); student-teacher and group discussions; exam and grade administration; and other teaching and administrative tasks. We chose to study a VLE because such course management ‘courseware’ systems appear to be among the most rapidly diffusing e-learning technologies across the world.[1] The adoption of this kind of environment has become a symbol of innovation, with many higher-education institutions not wishing to be left without their own system. A VLE can also create incentives to invest further in electronic content, create links to other ICT applications within the university, such as wireless networks and services, and generally enable institutional innovations in learning and education. Our study seeks to answer questions such as: § What is the actual experience of implementing VLEs? § Which main social, cultural, psychological, economic, technical and other factors facilitate or constrain the uses to which the VLE is put? § To what degree does a VLE complement or replace traditional learning environments? § What kinds of VLE-based teaching and learning approaches are most effective? § Which VLE capabilities lead to difficulties or are underused? § How easily can a VLE be tailored to the needs of particular contexts, teachers, students, administrators, etc? § Who in educational institutions are likely to be the winners and losers from the introduction of a VLE? § What kinds of policies and resources are needed to make a VLE effective? § What are the implications of the way a VLE can be used to reconfigure how faculty, administrators, students and others in an educational institution gain access to people, services, information and technologies (Dutton forthcoming). The following sections describe our methodology, the patterns of eClass adoption and use we identified, and our findings on the main factors shaping these outcomes. | |
Online Articles - Students' Use of Online Learning Environment
Expected and Actual Student Use of an Online Learning Environment: A Critical Analysis
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| 1. Introduction Online learning environments (OLEs) can be an extremely effective way of delivering course content to students and supporting them in their studies. By enabling access to a range of materials, learning tools and communication facilities, OLEs can be ideal constructivist learning environments that allow students to become more actively involved in developing their knowledge and understandings. However, this is still a relatively new field of study, and research increasingly shows that students do not always use online environments in the ways designers and tutors expect or desire. This paper examines the findings of the Computer-Based Learning in Petroleum Engineering (CBLPET) project, which developed online modules for Masters-level, workplace-based students of Petroleum Engineering and evaluated their usage and effectiveness. The students who participated in the research did not use the environment entirely as anticipated, especially in how they progressed through the course materials and in their use of communication facilities. While some of these findings were not particularly surprising, they are certainly worthy of reflection and discussion. The evaluation of the CBLPET environment described the ways in which students worked online, and is discussed in Beasley et al. (in press). This paper takes the findings of this research a stage further and reflects on the possible reasons why students used the environment in the ways they did by drawing on the formal evaluation, other recent research, and informal discussion with the student participants. A number of limitations in the design and implementation of the course are identified, and the ways in which the online environment could be improved to encourage or enable students to make fuller use of the various online resources are considered. | |
Online Articles - Students' Use of Online Learning Environment
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Lessons Learned from Students’ use of an Online Learning Environment by N. Beasley Nicola Beasley, Academic Development Adviser, Educational Development, Napier University (Edinburgh) | |||||
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Friday, September 03, 2004
Online Guide - Visual Arts Data
