Here is an extensive list of resources on various aspects of distance learning.The best way to find information on these or any other topics is to conduct a search using the search tool below. You should also visit our site Journals, Links and Resources for more resources. Categories include:
• academic advising
• academic resources - business,
humanities, math, sciences,
social science
• accessibility issues
• accreditation
• best practices
• blended/hybrid learning
• broadband
• career and technical education
• case studies
• cheating and plagiarism
• computer software
• copyright and fair use
• corporate e-learning
• costs for distance learning
• course management
• the digital divide
• digital libraries and learning object repositories• effectiveness of e-learning
• e-books
• e-portfolios
• faculty compensation and support
• faculty training and education
• gaming and simulations
• Higher Education OpportunitiesAct (HEOA Authentication)
• instructional design
• intellectual property issues
• interactivity and teaching online
• K-12 technology
• marketing
• national data and statistics
• online student orientation
• open source
• quality assessment
• rural distance education• science labs/courses
• second life
• security
• social networking
• statewide virtual colleges
• strategic and policy plans
• student retention
• student services
• students and technology
• technologies
• testing and assessment
• Twitter
• videoconferencing/ITFS
• Web design
• Web tools
• wireless
• wikis
• women and the Web
Browse the glossary using this index
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Unleashing The Tribe: Small Passionate Communities:“This is the 25-minute keynote, Unleashing The Tribe, which I delivered at the Tipperary Institute in May this year, a shorter version of the 90 minute marathon I was invited to give at Redbridge Council the same week. It’s a “here’s where we are now” on what makes communities tick online, on mobile, in face-to-face settings, and why understanding this is so important for learning, borrowing unashamedly from Clay Shirky, Danah Boyd, a plethora of the hundred or so research reports that have crossed my browser this past 12 months and all the conversations I’ve had, blog posts written. Not bad for less than half-an-hour of audio and slides.” Website | |
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UNT Professors Use Simulated Classrooms to Train Teachers, Boost New Teacher Retention:“Less than 50 percent of first-time teachers remain in the field for more than three years, according to Dr. Tandra Tyler-Wood, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of North Texas. Retention of teachers is essential in the ongoing battle against the national shortage of special education teachers. Tyler-Wood and her colleagues in UNT's College of Information are working to develop teaching methods that will produce more qualified teachers, and subsequently improve beginning teacher retention.” “Tyler-Wood and her colleagues are evaluating simSchool, an on-line classroom simulator that allows students to practice their skills in a low-pressure environment. Tyler-Wood says that getting students acclimated to the classroom environment earlier than their senior year is essential to improving teacher quality.” . . . Web site | |
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Untangling a Tangled Web: An Overview of Web-based Instruction Programs:(1999) by Scott Fredrickson, University of Nebraska, for the THE Journal. Sections describe the program, key features, and perceived strengths and weaknesses of several Web-based programs. Web Site | |
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Unweaving The Tangled Web:(Sept. 16, 2009) MindHacks . . . “You need to understand social network analysis because it is becoming one of the most powerful method to understand human behaviour. As we've discussed before, the fact that digital communications technology is so common means that we're constantly creating data trails that can reveal surprising amounts of intimate information with relatively simple methods. For example, the BPS Research Digest just covered a study that could infer about 95% of friendships just from looking at location data from mobile phones - something that is one of the most basic information trails in the rich data stream automatically produced by social media.” “This approach to understanding human networks is also likely to be increasingly important for human science. The last few decades have seen a massive increase in understanding on how genetics influences our minds and behaviour and social network analysis will see us increasingly linking individual discoveries from biology and cognitive science to the role of our relationships in our lives.” Web site | |
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Updated and Theoretical Rationale for Interaction:(2002) by Terry Anderson. An attempt to define a theoretical rationale and guide for instructional designers and teachers interested in developing distance education systems that effectively and efficiently meet diverse student learning needs. Web Site | |
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Updating Web Sites with Google Spreadsheets:(Aug. 31, 2009) by Alan Levine, CogDogBlog “I’ve done a handful of web projects this year where it made sense to store data in Google Spreadsheets, and then use a bit of PHP code to make them be dynamically displayed on a web site. In many cases, these are tables of data that are parsed and presented nicely in the web site, but for a few NMC projects, it made sense as a way for a staff person to update data on our web pages w/o having to touch the pages. "As a first example, I am cleaning up an older WordPress site I use for logging my running/training; in the past, I kept a spreadsheet on my desktop for keeping a run log and then manually transferred the totals/averages/graphs to my web site by pasting into some text files (they are embedded with a PHP include). It worked, but it did have that tedious manual smell for something that should be more automated.” . . . Web site |
Use and Users of Electronic Library Resources: An Overview and Analysis of Recent Research Studies:(August 2003) Web Site | |
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Use of Instructional Dialogue by University Students in a Distance Education Chemistry Course:(2004) by Inbal Tuvi-Arad, Avner Caspia, and Paul Gorsky. The authors investigated the kinds of dialogues Open University students engaged in and resources they used while studying an intermediate-level chemistry course. Research objectives document students' study strategies, the types of dialogue they used to overcome conceptual difficulties; and how chemistry students used resources and dialogues compared to those studying other sciences. Web Site | |
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Using a Framework to Engage Faculty in Instructional Technologies:(2004) by Nancy Chism. A conceptual framework enables faculty development planners to better estimate the potential effectiveness of various strategies. Web Site | |
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Using a Web-based System to Estimate the Cost of Online Course Production:(Fall 2009) by Stuart Gordon, Old Dominion University, Wu He, Old Dominion University, and M'hammed Abdous, Old Dominion Unversity “The increasing demand for online courses requires efficient and low cost production. Since the decision to develop online courses is often affected by financial factors, it is becoming increasingly important to determine, upfront, the cost of online course production. Many of the programs and educators interested in developing online courses underestimate the costs involved in developing and producing an online course. Efficient and reasonable cost estimates can assist institutions and educators to realize the costs of putting a course online and thus can improve strategic planning and budgeting processes. In an effort to facilitate, streamline, and improve the cost estimation process for online course development, the Center for Learning Technologies at Old Dominion University (ODU) has designed a web-based cost estimate system. This online tool enables our institution to determine the estimated costs involved in online course development.” Web site |
Using ALN to Reach On-Campus Students During an Off-Campus Summer Session:(2001) by X. Christine Wang, Alaina Kanfer, D. Michelle Hinn, and Lanny Arvan. Transferring from a traditional face-to-face classroom to the online summer session requires strong motivation, self-discipline, good time management skills, and a comfortable learning environment with a stable Internet connection. Students' learning outcomes were closely related to their satisfaction with online communication, technical support, and the course design. Prior experience and a positive attitude toward technology were important factors for successful online learning. Web Site | |
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Using ALNs to Support a Complete Educational Experience:(1999) by Melody Thompson and Jean McGrath. Examples of online strategies used at the Penn State World Campus to enhance: access to high-quality course content, faculty/student interactions, interaction among students, access to information and instructional resources, flexible access to support services, and developing students’ feeling of "belonging" to the institution. Web Site | |
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Using Asynchronous Audio Communication (AAC) Across Academic Disciplines to Increase Instructor Presence and Enhance Students’ Engagement, Learning Outcomes, and Overall Satisfaction in the Online Classroom:Facilitating learning online requires an evolving set of teaching skills that embrace Web 2.0 technologies. Asynchronous Audio Communication (AAC) may bridge the virtual “communication divide” between instructors and students. The purpose of this study was multi-faceted: first, to assess students’ and instructors’ satisfaction with asynchronous audio instructor feedback as a teaching strategy in the online courseroom; second, to determine the perceived effect of AAC on student satisfaction, learning outcomes, student engagement, and perceived instructor presence; and third, to examine whether there was a significant difference in the way AAC was perceived by undergraduate and graduate students attending two southern state universities. Asynchronous Audio Communication in the form of instructor feedback was utilized in graduate and undergraduate online courses in the areas of reading, health education, and family studies across a 9-month period. The total sample included 156 participants. Instructors sent out both group and individual audio communication throughout the course. At the end of the semester, students completed an online survey that collected quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive, inferential, and qualitative data analyses demonstrated that the majority of students and instructors reported that AAC can improve online students’ perceptions of instructor presence, student engagement, knowledge of course content, and the instructor-student interaction. Website | |
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Using Asynchronous Learning in Redesign: Reaching and Retaining the At-Risk Student:(2004) by Carol A. Twigg. Research proves that the first year of college is the most critical to a college student's success and to degree completion. In this article, the author examines the weaknesses attributing to the myriad of students contributing to an increase in the drop-failure-withdrawal rates at postsecondary schools. Web Site | |
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Using e-Portfolios at Penn State to Enhance Student Learning Status, Prospects, and Strategies:(February 2002) by David DiBiase. A summary of findings from a series of seminars the e-Education Institute of Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences held in Fall 2000 and 2001 on portfolio assessment. Recommends actions to provide every Penn State student with the opportunity to create an e-portfolio as a means to plan and showcase his or her university career. Web Site | |
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Using Multiple Intelligence Theory in the Virtual Classroom:(2003) Margie Meacham writes that the best way to engage as many learners as possible is to use different techniques to appeal to multiple intelligences. Learning Circuits, June 2003. Web Site | |
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Using Social Psychology to Motivate Contributions to Online Communities:(2005) Kimberly Ling, Gerard Beenen, Pamela J. Ludford, Xiaoqing Wang, Klarissa Chang, Xin Li, Dan Cosley, Dan Frankowski, Loren Terveen, Al Mamunur Rashid, Paul Resnick, and Robert Kraut. The authors found individuals often contributed more when they were reminded of their uniqueness and given specific and challenging goals. However, some participants offered more when they were given group, rather than individual, goals. The article offers suggestions and challenges for deriving design implications from social science theories. Web Site | |
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Using Technology in Remedial Education:(1999) by Jennifer Rinella Keup. A discussion of two computer-aided instruction systems used in remedial education programs at two-year colleges in the "United States and Canada: SYNERGY and INVEST. Includes general observations regarding the student outcomes. (Eric Digests ed421180) Web Site | |
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Using Technology to Improve the Cost-Effectiveness of the Academy: Part 1:“Is e-learning failing in higher education? In previous blogs, I have discussed whether e-learning is failing in higher education. To answer the question, I have examined the expectations or goals for e-learning, and whether they are being achieved. Finally, I come to the last goal or expectation: that e-learning will increase the cost-effectiveness of higher education. I will argue that this is the most important and valuable of all the goals for e-learning, but is the one that is furthest from being achieved.” “Summary of the problem: In Part 1, I argued that the challenge for universities today is that - Student numbers have increased dramatically, - Students are much more varied in abilities, age, and culture, - Quality of teaching, as expressed in overlarge classes, as a result has dropped and continues to drop, despite the addition of technology - The cost per graduate is increasing - The teaching and organizational models though have not changed fundamentally to adapt to these other changes.” Web site | |
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Using Technology to Improve the Cost-Effectiveness of the Academy: Part 2:“Identifying the problem with higher education in the 21st was the easy part (Using technology to improve the cost-effectiveness of the academy: Part 1). Much more difficult is finding solutions to the problem. . . . My view is that technology is a useful tool for creating a new kind of university, but much more important are structural and cultural changes in which technology will play a supporting role. Without these cultural and structural changes, technology cannot change the university on its own. . . . The next step is to move from the vision to the practical implications. So here are some of the implications from my vision.” . . . Steven Downes summarizes Bates’ model: - Abolition of the semester system - Courses will be built around learning outcomes - Strong emphasis on collaborative learning - Focus on getting students to do the work: finding material, organizing it (etc) - Large undergraduate courses will be designed and delivered by a team - Classes will be broken down into small groups of 20-30 students - Assessment methods will be through ‘proof of learning' - Ph.D. students will receive up to six months training in teaching and learning - Most universities will belong to consortia to allow for automatic credit transfer - Costs will be driven down Web site | |
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Using the SECTIONS Framework to Evaluate Flash Media:(2005) Jim Boyes, Sandra Dowie, and Ismael Rumzan. The authors xplore Bates and Poole's SECTIONS framework (Effective Teaching in Higher Education 2003), a set of criteria comprised of students' needs, ease of use, cost structure, teaching and learning uses, interactivity, organizational issues, and novelty, as a tool for instructors and support staff to evaluate the suitability of a given technology to the classroom. Web Site | |
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Using the World Wide Web with Adult ESL Learners:(1998) by Kathleen Flannery Silc. Reasons for using the Web in adult ESL instruction, addresses preparing learners to use the Web with activities that use authentic learning experiences to enhance skills. (Eric Digests ed427555) Web Site | |
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Using Virtual Lectures to Educate Students on Plagiarism:(2005) Laura A. Guertin. Plagiarism is a concern on all university campuses. Some of the main issues pertaining to plagiarism violations are student misunderstanding or inconsistent and lack of instruction. Virtual lectures are an electronic resource available to students throughout the semester to aid them in proper citation and avoiding academic integrity violations. Web Site | |
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Videoconferencing Cookbook, Version 4.1:(March 2005) Best uses for videoconferencing, popular collaborative technologies, emerging technologies, basic requirements, best practices, practical examples, network matters, a glossary, and more. From the Video Development Initiative. Web Site | |
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Videoconferencing for Learning:(1995) from SBC Pacific Bell’s Education First Initiative. Links to sites on presentation skills and room design, technologies, Internet-based videoconferencing, streaming technology, distance learning and research, and projects. Web Site | |
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Videoconferencing K-12: The State of the Art:(2005) Scott Merrick. Interactive videoconferencing (IVC) is gaining support among a growing number of teachers, administrators, and technologists. The author examines the benefits and potential uses of IVC in the K-12 classroom. Web Site | |
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Virtual Advising: Delivering Student Services:An examination of best practices in online academic advising. (2001) by Linda Wagner. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration. Web Site | |
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Virtual College & University Consortia A National Study:(August 2003) by Rhonda Epper and Myk Garn. In fall 2002 and spring 2003, the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) and the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET) surveyed 51 virtual colleges and university consortia to “examine the goals, functions, challenges, and outcomes of statewide virtual universities across the United States.” Web Site | |
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Virtual Pig Dissection:This site allows users go inside the pig to learn about its various systems, via a set of high-quality color photographs, which can be viewed at different angles and perspectives. Includes study guides and quizzes on anatomical references, sexing your pig, with information on the digestive, excretory, circulatory, reproductive, respiratory, and nervous systems. Web site | |
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Virtual Resource Site for Teaching with Technology:from the Center for the Virtual University and the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Maryland University College. A great resource for faculty who want to use Web-based technologies to accomplish key learning strategies in their online courses. Web Site | |
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