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
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WCET Guide to Developing Online Student Services:See the section, "Good Practice Recommendations for Academic Advising." Web Site | |
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We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint:(April 26, 2010) by Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times "Like an insurgency, PowerPoint has crept into the daily lives of military commanders and reached the level of near obsession. The amount of time expended on PowerPoint, the Microsoft presentation program of computer-generated charts, graphs and bullet points, has made it a running joke in the Pentagon and in Iraq and Afghanistan.” . . . “Brig. Gen. H. R. McMaster, who banned PowerPoint presentations when he led the successful effort to secure the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar in 2005, followed up at the same conference by likening PowerPoint to an internal threat. 'It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control,' General McMaster said in a telephone interview afterward. 'Some problems in the world are not bulletizable.' ” . . . “Commanders say that the slides impart less information than a five-page paper can hold, and that they relieve the briefer of the need to polish writing to convey an analytic, persuasive point. Imagine lawyers presenting arguments before the Supreme Court in slides instead of legal briefs.” . . . Web site |
We Shall Remain:From the award-winning PBS series American Experience comes We Shall Remain, a provocative multi-media project that establishes Native history as an essential part of American history. At the heart of the project is a five-part television series that shows how Native peoples valiantly resisted expulsion from their lands and fought the extinction of their culture -- from the Wampanoags of New England in the 1600s who used their alliance with the English to weaken rival tribes, to the bold new leaders of the 1970s who harnessed the momentum of the civil rights movement to forge a pan-Indian identity. We Shall Remain represents an unprecedented collaboration between Native and non-Native filmmakers and involves Native advisors and scholars at all levels of the project. Web site |
Weaving a Personal Web: Using Online Technologies to Create Customized, Connected, and Dynamic Learning Environments:(Spring 2010) by Jessica McElvaney and Zane Berge, Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology Abstract: This paper explores how personal web technologies (PWTs) can be used by learners and the relationship between PWTs and connectivist learning principles. Descriptions and applications of several technologies including social bookmarking tools, personal publishing platforms, and aggregators are also included. With these tools, individuals can create and manage personal learning environments (PLEs) and personal learning networks (PLNs), which have the potential to become powerful resources for academic, professional, and personal development. Web site |
Web 2.0 and Emerging Learning Technologies:From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection, a collaborative effort of students from universities in China , Taiwan , Malaysia , and the United States all collaborating during the fall of 2007. “Anyone is welcome to join us in our efforts here.” Here is the table of contents. - Part I: Foundations: Introduction and Historical Background Information: What is the Web 2.0? What does emerging technologies mean?, Legal, Cultural, Social, and Political Issues in the Web 2.0, Nontraditional, Alternative, and Informal Learning with the Web 2.0, Global and International Education and Interaction, Overcoming the Digital Divide (e.g., One Laptop Per Child, The Global Text Project) - Part II: Learners: The Next Generation of Learners, Learning Styles and Diverse Learners, Web 2.0 Learning Styles - Part III: Instructional Design and Pedagogical Issues: Innovative Pedagogies with Technologies, Emerging Web 2.0 Related Learning Theory: Student Generated Content, Peer-To-Peer Learning, Connectionism, etc., Instructional Design Models and Emerging Learning Technologies, Assessing and Evaluating the Impact of Web 2.0 and Emerging Learning Technologies, Research on the Impact and Effectiveness of the Web 2.0 and Emerging Learning Technologies, Professional Development and Overcoming Instructor and Administrative Assistance - Part IV: Environments and Tools: Cool Web 2.0 Tools: Virtual Worlds, Language Learning, Podcasting, Wikis, Blogs, Social Networking, Online Communities, Emerging Learning Technologies: Mobile, Wireless, Collaborative, Interactive, Virtual, Ubiquitous, etc, Use of Geographic Information Systems, Visualization Tools, and Online Maps, Technologies for Different Sectors: Business, Higher Education, Schools, Military, and Government, The Role of Online Books and Libraries - Part V: Fostering Successful Learning with Personalized Learning Environments (PLEs): Introduction of PLE, Definition & History of PLE, Facilitative Tools of PLE, Methods of Personalized Learning Environments (PLE), Case Study of Personalized Learning Environments (PLE), Social Network Analysis - Part VI: The Future: Emerging Technology for Special Needs, Technology Tools Currently in Development and Beta, The Future: Tools, Technologies, and Trends in the Coming Decade. Website | |
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Web 2.0 and Your Own Learning and Development:(June 2007) by Stephen Downes. In this 22-minute video, Stephen Downes discusses how one can create one’s own learning network using simple social tools. Looks at three principles: interaction (e-mail, Weblogs, instant messaging, Skype, online forums), usability and relevance. Web site | |
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Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM):A project from Utah State University's Center for Persons with Disabilities, funded by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, that aims to improve accessibility to online learning opportunities by disseminating materials, providing a systematic model for training, raising awareness and helping higher education institutions identify and solve Web accessibility problems. Web Site | |
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Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0:Guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium on how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities. Intended for those who develop Web content and authoring tools (1999). Web Site | |
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Web Services Help Professors Detect Plagiarism:(1999) by Dan Carnevale Web Site | |
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Web Squared: Web 2.0 Five Years On:. . . “From Google and Amazon to Wikipedia, eBay, and craigslist, we saw that the value was facilitated by the software, but was co-created by and for the community of connected users. Since then, powerful new platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have demonstrated that same insight in new ways. Web 2.0 is all about harnessing collective intelligence. Collective intelligence applications depend on managing, understanding, and responding to massive amounts of user-generated data in real time. The "subsystems" of the emerging internet operating system are increasingly data subsystems: location, identity (of people, products, and places), and the skeins of meaning that tie them together. This leads to new levers of competitive advantage: Data is the "Intel Inside" of the next generation of computer applications.” . . . “With more users and sensors feeding more applications and platforms, developers are able to tackle serious real-world problems. As a result, the Web opportunity is no longer growing arithmetically; it’s growing exponentially. Hence our theme for this year: Web Squared. 1990-2004 was the match being struck; 2005-2009 was the fuse; and 2010 will be the explosion.” . . . “The Web is no longer a collection of static pages of HTML that describe something in the world. Increasingly, the Web is the world – everything and everyone in the world casts an "information shadow," an aura of data which, when captured and processed intelligently, offers extraordinary opportunity and mind bending implications. Web Squared is our way of exploring this phenomenon and giving it a name.” . . . Web site | |
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Web Strategies That Cater to Customers:(June 2007) by Jessi Hempel for Business Week. “Blogs. Podcasts. Video-sharing sites. Social networks. Here's a word of advice for companies scrambling to become a part of these conversations. It's not enough to build a hub in Second Life or create a profile on MySpace.com (NWS ). It's time to shift your focus away from trying out every high-tech platform that comes across your in-box. Instead, home in on your customers. Almost every demographic group you can think of is engrossed in the Web these days, and users are getting smarter about their tools. It won't take long to find the consumers who care about what you're doing—and tune in to what they're doing.” Web site | |
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Web-Based Academic Support Services: Guidelines for Extensibility:(2005) by Holly McCracken. This paper addresses the provision of student support services to distant students within the context of development and expansion. Specific issues for consideration include: integrating student support functions with institutional technology and information systems; determining developmental concerns and their impact on scalability; and, identifying barriers related to systematic program expansion. Web Site | |
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Web-based Distance Learning: Substitute or Alternative to the Traditional Classroom: Making the Delivery Method Decision:(2005) by David Marshall Hunt. When a distance learning program administrator makes the critical choice of delivery methods, she/he needs to consider factors such as program developer centrism, international experience, cultural similarity, and desired level of control which will all be elaborated on in this article. Web Site | |
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Web-Based Instruction:(1997) Edited by Badrul Khan, 59 articles from instructional designers, technologists, distance learning faculty and staff. Discusses Web-based learning environments and critical issues, designing and delivering Web-based courses, with case studies from various institutions. (Amazon, hardcover $59.95) | |
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Web-based Learning Resources Library:A Web site created for educators' resource for delivery and management of education via the Internet. Web Site | |
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WebABLE!:A directory of disability-related Internet resources. Web Site | |
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WebJunction:An online community for library staff. “We build and support collaborative environments (like this one!) where library staff come together to connect, create, and learn. We are driven by the vision of relevant, vibrant, and sustainable libraries in every community. WebJunction is hosted by the Online Computer Library Center , OCLC. We're slightly different from other OCLC products and services because we started with support and investment from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Our ambition is to be a fully self-sustaining online community service for the library field by 2012.” Website | |
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Webliography of Articles and Resources on Plagiarism:(2002) by Sharon Stoerger. A directory of resources on plagiarism for instructors, administrators and students. Web Site | |
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What Academic Administrators Should Know to Attract Senior Level Faculty Members to Online Learning:(2003) by D.L. Gianonni. The findings from a focus group study to determine factors that inspire senior faculty members to participate in online course delivery. Web Site | |
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What Adjunct Impact?:(May 3, 2010) by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed “One of the more controversial topics in the debate over the use of adjuncts has been the question of whether they have a negative effect on the student educational experience. Several recent studies have suggested such an impact, angering many adjuncts. They have argued that any gaps are as likely to reflect gaps in resources (which faculty members get paid for office hours? Or even have offices? Or have manageable course loads?) In fairness to the authors of those studies, it should be noted that their research projects have noted such issues, but the findings have still stung many an adjunct. On Sunday, research presented here at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association challenged those findings, and found no impact at all on student outcomes of having adjunct instructors. Notably, the research did find a correlation that might explain why people may associate adjuncts with less successful student outcomes. And the research also challenges some conventional wisdom about enrolling part time.” . . . Web site |
What Can K-12 School Leaders Learn from Video Games and Gaming?:(2005) Richard Halverson. The author also contends that valid learning principles inform successful video games and discusses how they might be integrated in educational contexts. He distinguishes between exogenous and endogenous games and argues that the latter offer the greatest potential for educators. Web Site | |
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What Can You Learn from a Cell Phone? Almost Anything!:(2005) by Marc Prensky. The author encourages educators to reconsider their view of mobile technology—and to imagine a pedagogy that embraces its potential. Web Site | |
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What Do Online MBA Professors Have to Say About Online Teaching?:by Shijuan Liu, Kyong-Jee Kim, Curtis J. Bonk, and Richard Magjuka. Online MBA programs have grown exponentially in recent years. Yet, the prevailing literature indicates that research on online MBA education remains extremely limited. This article summarizes 28 instructor interviews from those teaching online courses in an online MBA program at a Midwestern public university. Instructors were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the benefits and barriers of teaching online, as well as their suggestions for improvement of the online courses and the overall MBA program. The results are expected to help better understand issues related to online teaching and learning, and provide implications for designing and delivering online MBA courses. Web site | |
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What is Corporate Learning: Trends and Innovations?:(November 2007) You can access the following presentations from this online conference at no charge. Elearning 2.0 - Introduction And Implication: Tony Karrer, TechEmpower From Lessons Learnt To Learning Lessons: David Snowden, Cognitive Edge Learning without a Foundation: Jay Cross Towards The Perfect Storm - A Golden Age for e-Learning?: Richard Straub, IBM Europe, Middle-East and Africa ; European Learning Industry Group; European Foundation for Management Development Strategic eLearning: From Tactics to the Performance Ecosystem: Clark Quinn, Quinnovation Let’s Get Real About the Virtual: Steve Mahaley, Duke Corporate Education Getting Going with Web2.0 Based Learning in the Enterprise: Gaurav Rastogi and Jai Ganesh, Infosys Technologies It's Not Innovative If It Doesn't Educate: Keith Resseau, PricewaterhouseCoopers Capability Management: Opportunity , Threat or Hot Air for L&D?: Donald H. Taylor, InfoBasis Corporate Learning Today: How Organizations Are Implementing Ideas: Janet Clarey, Brandon Hall Research Talent and Workforce Performance: The Fractured Reality: David Wilson, Elearnity Funeral for a Friend: Industrial Age Learning (1965-2000): Rae Tanner, and Cindy McCann, Custom Performance Solutions, Inc. Increasing Speed to Proficiency: A Blended Approach: Bill Bruck, Q2Learning Designing Your Organizational Learning Architecture: George Siemens, Learning Technologies Centre, University of Manitoba; Complexive Systems, Inc. Web site | |
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What to do with a Visually Noisy Blog:Part 1: Eye tracking studies have shown people tend to read in an F shaped pattern online. Christine Martell critiques and shows how to modify a design template for a blog. Part 2: Martell provides ideas for visually simplifying a blog. | |
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What Works Clearinghouse (WWC):National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance | |
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What Would a State of the Art Instructional Video Game Look Like?:(2005) J. P. Gee. The author opens the issue with a key question: "What would a state of the art instructional video game look like?" Gee's response focuses on the commercial game Full Spectrum Warrior in order to reveal the "good theory of learning" that should inform the design of video games produced specifically for instructional purposes. Web Site | |
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What's In It For Me? Incentives for Faculty Participation in Distance Education:(1999) Wolcott, L. and K. Betts. This article addresses the question: What incentives are there for faculty in distance education? Answers to this question are based on findings from two independent studies that examined faculty reward and incentive issues. Web Site | |
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What’s the Difference? A Review of Contemporary Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Learning in Higher Education:(1999) by Ronald Phipps and Jamie Merisotis. A review of 10 years of research and articles comparing the effectiveness of distance vs. traditional education. Phipps and Merisotis find numerous research gaps that render the results questionable and inconclusive. Web Site | |
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When E-Mail Is Outsourced:(November 2007) by Andy Guess for Inside Higher Ed. “In 1998, Dartmouth College was considered at the forefront of campus e-mail. Its homegrown system, BlitzMail, continued to reflect the college’s reputation for being ahead of the curve on technology. Dartmouth students still rely on BlitzMail today, downloading their messages with a traditional Windows- or Mac-based client. But nearly 10 years later, even David L. Bucciero, the director of technical services, calls the service “archaic.” It lacks some of the “bells and whistles,” he said, that most students take for granted with the personal Web-based e-mail accounts they take with them to college. Such features might include the ability to view and compose messages in HTML, which allows the customization of fonts and colors, or virtually unlimited storage space.” Web site | |
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