You are invited to participate in a new survey, which responds to the fact that new ways to assess quality in the development and implementation of online courses must continuously be developed. The goal of this survey is two-fold: to provide a checklist of current standards, and to gauge shifts in attitudes and ideas about the importance of items. In doing so, emerging trends and practices will reveal themselves, broken down geographically, demographically, as perceived by the various decision-makers in the online course development, implementation, and administration process. Continue reading ‘New Quality Benchmarks for Online Courses: A Survey’
Archive for November, 2003
J. Haworth and C. Conrad, as well as others have created lists of attributes of effective, high-quality programs in higher education. What differentiates them from previous ideas that centered on content of the programs, Haworth and Conrad’s ideas pivot on interactive, learner-centered work. This article applies the findings detailed in Emblems of Quality in Higher Education as well as other works to online education. Continue reading ‘Engagement Theory Applied to Online Educational Programs’
By Elaine Bontempi and Leslie Warden-Hazlewood
Studies in the realm of individual learning have frequently demonstrated that the most effective teaching processes are those that rely heavily on constructive practices to motivate individuals. Since motivation has been recognized as a crucial factor in the learning process, it is naturally logical to apply the knowledge we have about motivation to one of the more contemporary and most promising modes of education, instruction via computer, or Computer-Assisted-Instruction (CAI). Continue reading ‘Factors in Effective Computer-Assisted Instruction’
Design interface can have a large influence on how motivating a software program is. Aside from general guidelines and the incorporation of motivational models such as Keller’s (1987) ARCS or Deci and Ryan’s (1985) suggestions for self-determination, there are cultural considerations. Some general guidelines for motivation in interactive multimedia instruction include suggestions for typography, graphical images, color, animation/audio, integration, and motivation (Heum Lee & Boling, 1999). Continue reading ‘Influence of Design Interface on Motivation of Learners’
Motivation and Distance Learning: What We Know So Far
By Elaine Bontempi
Understanding what motivates learners has been a topic of much research over the past quarter of a century. So far, there have been some excellent theories on what motivates learners, including those formed by Keller, Maehr, Csikszentmihalyi, Deci & Ryan, Dweck, and Bandura. Although these theories suggest that there are many elements that influence learners such as gender, SES, peer influence, age, etc., these theories have focused on the traditional learner rather than the distance learner. This paper is an attempt to discuss the existing research on the topic, although more research needs to be conducted.
Much of the existing research on motivation and learners discusses factors which contribute to the development of the learners’ intrinsic motivation. In the event a student lacks motivation, several theories suggest ways to increase this through extrinsic reinforcement, learning goals, student expectations, etc. This paper reviews factors that influence learners’ motivational levels both going into distance programs as well as elements in the design which are present or lacking and that further influence motivation. Some influences include demographics of the distance learner, study conditions, support, semiotics and interface design, faculty barriers, organizational issues and course considerations. Continue reading ‘Motivation and Distance Learning: What We Know So Far’
In their highly influential work, Emblems of Quality in Higher Education, J. Haworth and C. Conrad respond to conventional assessments of quality and argue for a learner-centered approach rather than one that focuses on resources and credentials of faculty. This article applies their findings to online education. Continue reading ‘Quality Markers in Online Educational Programs’
In addition to the services and programs that characterize most such state-wide consortia, the University of Texas system actively encourages institutions within the system to collaborate and develop jointly-offered degree programs. This optimizes resources, knowledge, and encourages collaborations and pooled ideas, creating (ideally) excellent economies of scale as well as better service to all participants, faculty, students, and support staff. While they are offering multiple higher education options, the UT TeleCampus, the centralized support system, is also developing K12 test readiness programs and professional development modules for teachers.
Continue reading ‘Best Practices Profiles: University of Texas / UT TeleCampus’
Perhaps what makes UMUC unique is its combination of proprietary course management system, WebTycho, and its impressive history in providing distance education (onsite, hybrid, and online) to ten of thousands of students throughout the world, who have been affiliated with large DOD contracts. This is part of a series of profiles of e-learning programs and initiatives in colleges and universities selected as exemplary, innovative, or otherwise ground-breaking in the area of online and technology-enhanced learning. The information provided here is based on interviews, articles, reviews, correspondence, and the institutions’ own websites. It is possible that it is not complete and there may be unintentional inaccuracies, although strenuous attempts have been made to avoid errors or distortions. This is intended to be helpful and to serve as a point of departure, a jumping-off point for discussion, debate, and idea exchange. Please let me know if I’ve made egregious errors. They will be corrected. (The minor ones will be, too.) Thank you for reading. Continue reading ‘Best Practices Profiles: University of Maryland University College’
This is the first in a series of profiles of e-learning programs and initiatives in colleges and universities selected as exemplary, innovative, or otherwise ground-breaking in the area of online and technology-enhanced learning. The information provided here is based on interviews, articles, reviews, correspondence, and the institutions’ own websites. It is possible that it is not complete and there may be unintentional inaccuracies, although strenuous attempts have been made to avoid errors or distortions. This is intended to be helpful and to serve as a point of departure, a jumping-off point for discussion, debate, and idea exchange. Please let me know if I’ve made egregious errors. They will be corrected. (The minor ones will be, too.) Thank you for reading.
Continue reading ‘Best Practices Profiles: Florida Community College at Jacksonville’
A theme that evolved when conducting research in effective museum distance education was that of design interface. It was identified as one of the key elements that contribute to the effective design of distance learning programs within museums. Continue reading ‘Online Education in Museums: Design Interface and Limitations’
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