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May 10th, 2006
Not everyone is impressed with the caliber and convenience of online higher education. In fact, some educators–and students–want to abolish it completely.
The Harvard Crimson recently published an article with such a view: Online Education, Even At Harvard, Is Inadequate. Author Marc Callis makes the case that extension courses provided by Harvard through online access can in no way replace the classroom atmosphere crucial for a 'true' college experience.
One thing the article doesn't consider: what about the classes filled with hundreds of students crammed into lecture halls? Are they at all better than online courses in the area of professor interaction?
Be sure to check out the article, as it's an interesting read. And please let us know: is this exposure to an 'academic community' truly necessary? Are online students missing out, or are traditional students being close minded?
(Photo: Harvard Classroom)
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May 10th, 2006
As part of our Succeeding in Online Courses series, we're bringing you the latest information and tools we can find to make your educational experience the best it can be.
Many students wonder if online higher education is a good idea: will the convenience be an asset or a detriment? Will they be able to self-motivate? Can they get along with less professor interaction?
If you're asking yourself these questions, you may want to take this quiz. Your responses to questions detailing three categories crucial to student success will help you decide. Go ahead and take the quiz. It's nice to know where you belong.
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May 10th, 2006
Some terrific news for fans of online higher education: it's getting better and more common every day. Did you know that there is virtually no increase in 'traditional' college enrollment, but that online course and degree enrollment increase hugely every year?
While overall higher-education enrollment in the U.S. is virtually stagnant, online enrollment is skyrocketing, and the recent repeal of a federal rule requiring colleges to provide at least half of their instruction on campus will boost it more. By early 2008, one out of 10 college students will be enrolled in an online degree program, Boston-based market research firm Eduventures estimated last year.
With options such as increased financial aid, degree programs of all varieties and reputations, and daily-improving technology, online education shows no sign of stopping. Be sure to check out this inspirational article and consider your multitude of options.
(Photo Source: USF)
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May 8th, 2006
Many students who sign up for online courses are, understandably, technically savvy: numbers and keystrokes are child's play to them. But for many of these students, communication skills– so dependent upon good writing in online courses– terrify them.
As an online teacher myself, I've seen my students often struggle with this problem. In online courses, your only way to relate ideas and information is through writing, so lack of writing skills is a serious problem. One professor has found a way to help.
And Grohens has found a way to encourage students to write — and write well — by using a wiki (rhymes with 'tricky'). A Hawaiian word for "quick,"wiki is defined as a Web site that permits visitors to edit the pages and that encourages collaborative writing and editing.
"The wiki enables me to give them lots of assignments and for them to write frequently, making it kind of a regular habit," Grohens said. "The students feel like, 'Oh, I can get started with something small and it's not too painful, and I can come back to it later.' "
Grohens believes that the quality of students' writing improves as a result of using the wiki because drafting and revision is so easy, and because they know that someone besides the instructors — their classmates — will be reading and critiquing nearly every assignment.
I myself created a document to help my students which you can find here, though I really like Grohens' blend of language and technology. As an online student or professor, what methods are you using to promote communication?
(Photo Source: Homework Help)
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May 8th, 2006
Soon, the language, culture, and
learning opportunities of China will be at your fingertips, no matter where you reside in the world.
Realizing that the demand to learn the Chinese language and take advantage of other opportunities could not be satisfied in the traditional classroom, Chinese scholars and academic professionals launched e-learning and online degree programs that now reach to more than 191 countries.
"With the number of Chinese learners across the world rising rapidly, modern information technology and multi-media online instructions will be used more extensively to meet the learning demand," he said.
Sponsored by NOCFL, the website aims to integrate quality Chinese teaching resources offered by premium Chinese universities and colleges. It will offer online learning, training, volunteer help and information search services and various learning resources.
A higher education online truly does offer you the world.
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May 8th, 2006
The 2006 Sidewalk Arts Festival, sponsored annually by the Savannah College of Art and Design, attracted its usual crowd of the creative, outlandish, and eclectic. It also featured…the magic of online education? That's right; online learning isn't just about technology or a degree. It's also a testament to how people who may have never otherwise had the chance to meet and exchange ideas can enrich
each other's lives.
Among the many student entries completed during the 2006 Sidewalk Arts Festival, one team was unique. The SCAD e-Learning team — three students living in two different states — had only communicated virtually until meeting in person April 28. Buddy Hill, a graphic design graduate student from Forks Township, Pa.; Kate Morgan, an interactive design graduate student from Allentown, Pa.; and Kristina Arntz, a graphic design graduate student from Atlanta, all came to compete in the chalk drawing competition and to attend the first annual SCAD e-Learning Spring Social Weekend.
Fittingly, the team's design depicted a lighthouse shining a spotlight across an immense expanse of water, guiding ships much as online education guides far-away students to educational opportunities.
(Photo: Dennis Burnett)
