New Virtual "Island" for Second Life Educators

The popular virtual community Second Life continues to be an arena for online educators not afraid of experimenting with new technology. Now, a new collaboration between Angel Learning and the Second Life Educators community has designed an island (a virtual work-area) for educators interested in trying out online learning in Second Life. What can educators do on "Angel Learning Isle"? A Digital Communities article explains:

"After gaining basic navigational skills Angel Learning Isle contains spaces to practice those skills. Standing on a virtual boardwalk educators simply press a button to generate a virtual classroom complete with slideshow tools. In the "SLED Educators Gallery" instructional designers and educators will find a variety of tools created by members of the SLED community along with instructions on how to copy them for their own use. A "hub" experience lists other islands built by educators for those interested in touring Second Life."

The Second Life educational island will be open to the public beginning May 15. For more information see: "Learning Island" Launched for Second Life Educator's Community.

10 Reasons Not to Buy Plagiarized Term Papers

Everyone knows cheating is wrong. But, when an online student is sledging through the hours of work required for final term papers, the morality sometimes seems a little blurry.

Don't be fooled. Not only is submitting someone else's paper unethical, cheating students are also regularly "caught." The About.com Study Tips Guide explains:

"People who write papers to sell often use the same phrases or sentences in many different papers. You could buy a paper that is guaranteed to be "one-of-a-kind," but that paper could still contain phrases from other papers. plagiarism software will pick up on this!"

For a quick reminder of why plagiarism is not ok, see: 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Even Think About Buying a Research Paper.

Unique Ideas for Online Student Graduation Celebrations

For students completing an online degree in the coming weeks, graduation can be a sore spot. One of the biggest accomplishments of your life is finished – but, your school is halfway across the nation and you won't recognize anyone at its ceremonies.

I know the feeling…One of my biggest regrets from my college years is not attending my own graduation or at least inviting friends out for a night on the town. Sappy as it is, I wish I had taken the time to celebrate my hard work.

So, don't put away the streamers and party hats. An About.com article explains:

"Graduating from an online university can be surprisingly depressing. You've worked hard, done well in your classes, and have truly earned your degree. Without the traditional cap-throwing, gown-wearing, sappy music-playing graduation ceremony, finishing coursework can sometimes feel anticlimactic. But, don't let that get you down. Many online graduates find their own way to celebrate."

For a list of graduate-worthy ideas see: Unique Ways to Celebrate Graduation. Happy celebrating.

$10,000 Art Institute Online Scholarship Competition

The Art Institute Online recently announced a $10,000 art scholarship for online studies. According to their website:

"You can use the $10,000 scholarship to learn graphic design, Interior Design, Game Art & Design, Web Design and more. You can choose from our 13 creative arts online programs to find one that inspires you."

Applicants must submit an image that demonstrates their creativity and a brief description of how they would live their "creative passion." After May 14, web users will vote on submissions. The entries receiving the most votes will be judged by a panel of art experts.

For more information see: Live Your Creative Passion Scholarship Competition

Should Online Classes be Mandatory?

Many colleges provide online classes as a service to students with tight work schedules and family responsibilities. But, at least one school believes that online learning teaches students skills they can't get in the classroom. Beginning in the fall semester, students attending Ohio's Northwest State Community College will have to take at least one online course to graduate. Inside Higher Ed explains:

"More than 60 percent of last year's graduates already took one or more online courses, but administrators and college trustees want all students to be well versed in independent research and discovery – skills that employers demand, they say – and feel that online education is one way to accomplish that."

Northwest State Community College has a unique position here. Some colleges treat online programs with a bit less respect than traditional programs. But, Northwest State is telling students that learning via the internet is a positive way for enrollees to become independent learners.

For more information see: Making Online Learning Mandatory.

Geek Dream School Announced: O’Reilly School of Technology

This month, O'Reilly and the University of Illinois announced the launch of a new online school – the O'Reilly School of Technology. According to Ars Technica:

"The online-only course offerings cover programming, Unix, and web development, and can help coders in need of some résumé-buffing do so from the comfort of their favorite browser."

The new online technology school offers five Professional development certificates and over eighteen online courses for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students.

For more information see the O'Reilly School of Technology Course List.

Choosing a Distance Learning Program Based on Your Learning Style

Online classes vary as much as traditional classes. There are self-paced classes that ask students to turn in work and an exam at the end of several months. There are structured online courses that hold students to strict bi-weekly deadlines. And, there are classes for everything in between.

Consider this entry from 44-year-old eLearner blogger Steve. After enrolling in two self-paced online classes, Steve procrastinated completing his assignments, until he found himself short on time:

"While these two LSU offerings are self-paced programs, there is still a limited time to complete each class. That time ends in just over a month. Between tuition and books, I've invested about $600 in these two classes, I believe, and if I don't pass them with at least a "C" for a final grade, I won't get reimbursed for the tuition by my employer. Of course that's as it should be, no employer should pay for underperforming in a college class…

Of course I have absolutely no one to blame for this particular condition except myself. I know that college is about learning, and in this case I think I've learned a very valuable lesson: don't enroll in wide open, self-paced, free form classes any more. Instead, make sure I had better make sure that I'm in a structured, deadline-driven program."

Clearly, not every student can be successful in every class. When selecting online classes, it's essential that virtual learners choose programs that meet their personal learning styles. Different strokes for different folks.

Need Financial Aid? Research Student Loans Yourself

The recent student loan scandal has shocked college students, many who signed student loan contracts believing that financial aid officers were there to help them (not get kickbacks for themselves). A recent NPR episode explains:

"In a developing student loan scandal, Johns Hopkins University has placed a financial aid official on leave after it was disclosed that she received fees from Student Loan Express, a company that has been accused of giving incentives to a number of financial aid officers around the country.

New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says the conflicts of interest are widespread through the student loan industry."

Sadly, the lesson here is to avoid putting your financial future in the hands of anyone else – even school officials. If you want to get the best Student Loans for your situation, research programs on your own.

UMassOnline Enrollments Grow

According to a recent press release, online learning programs from the University of Massachusetts have grown this year – as have program revenues:

"Program revenue grew by 32.1 percent and enrollment increased by 25 percent, in fiscal year 2007 (July 2006 – June 2007), the largest growth rate recorded in more than three years. Revenue from online programs was $28 million, up from $21 million in fiscal year 2006. Enrollments reached 26,627, up from 21,202 recorded in the previous fiscal year, and 17,661 in fiscal year 2005."

For more information, see: UMass Online Reports Record Enrollment and Revenue Increases for Fiscal Year 2007

How to Participate in Online Class Chats

Have you ever logged-on to an online class chat and found yourself with nothing to say? An About.com article explains the difficulties of educational chat rooms:

"Online chats for distance learning classes can be nerve-wracking. Students are expected to respond to instructor questions and interact with other students in the chat room, without much time to prepare responses. Unlike traditional classrooms, virtual chat rooms don't give you the chance to see the physical cues or hear verbal inflections during a discussion. Additionally, chatters can be held back by a slow typing speed or embarrassed by poor spelling. Often, students' grades will be determined, in part, by their chat room participation. But, never fear. There is a way to enter distance learning chat rooms with confidence and cool."

To learn more, see: 5 Online Class Chat Room Techniques That Will Impress Your Professors and Peers.