Young, J. (2010) Reaching the Last Technology Holdouts at the Front of the Classroom Chronicle of Higher Education, July 24

An interview with Chris Dede, one of the authors of the U.S. National Educational Technology Plan issued in draft form in March.

Although Chris Dede gives some useful tips, there is nothing in this article [...]]]>

Young, J. (2010) Reaching the Last Technology Holdouts at the Front of the Classroom Chronicle of Higher Education, July 24

An interview with Chris Dede, one of the authors of the U.S. National Educational Technology Plan issued in draft form in March.

Although Chris Dede gives some useful tips, there is nothing in this article that will come as a surprise to most readers of this blog, except that it does provide some stats on how few professors in the USA are using even the most elementary classroom tools (blogs, videoconferencing, clickers). What comes over is the appalling state of the teaching profession in universities in the USA, although I suspect the same is true in many other countries, Canada included. How long will we go on not requiring training in teaching for tenure and appointment?

A summary of the various initiatives taking place this fall semester in universities trialling iPads. The article looks at the strengths and weaknesses of e-books such as the Kindle and analyses how the iPad may compare. Conclusion:

The iPad can certainly address [...]]]> Foresman, C. (2010) iPad gets the university treatment this fall Wired, July 24

A summary of the various initiatives taking place this fall semester in universities trialling iPads. The article looks at the strengths and weaknesses of e-books such as the Kindle and analyses how the iPad may compare. Conclusion:

The iPad can certainly address the speed and input issues that students complained about, and offers accessibility features for vision-impaired users. However, the device may suffer from similar problems with loading documents over the air and viewing more than one text at a time. But by combining its speed with the multitasking capabilities that will come in a fall update to iOS 4, the iPad may still prove to be a workable solution. If it works as well as expected, carrying an iPad would sure beat lugging 40lbs of books and a laptop all over campus.

This article looks at whether institutions should focus primarily on local markets for online students, or should seek to recruit from outside their normal catchment area.

Note that unlike the Columbia University study cited below, the Kolowich article assumes (correctly in my view) that the main [...]]]> Kolowich, S. (2010) Buying local, online Inside Higher Education, July 23

This article looks at whether institutions should focus primarily on local markets for online students, or should seek to recruit from outside their normal catchment area.

Note that unlike the Columbia University study cited below, the Kolowich article assumes (correctly in my view) that the main market for fully online courses are lifelong learners/working adults, not high school leavers.

Reference

Smith Jaggars, S. and Bailey, T. (2010) Effectiveness of Fully Online Courses for College Students: Response to a Department of Education Meta-Analysis New York: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.

An interview with Jerome Waldron, Salisbury University, on how to engage and support faculty in using emerging technologies.

See also:

From the abstract:

Proponents of postsecondary online education were recently buoyed by a meta-analysis sponsored by the U.S. Department of [...]]]> Smith Jaggars, S. and Bailey, T. (2010) Effectiveness of Fully Online Courses for College Students: Response to a Department of Education Meta-Analysis New York: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.

From the abstract:

Proponents of postsecondary online education were recently buoyed by a meta-analysis sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education suggesting that, in many cases, student learning outcomes in online courses are superior to those in traditional face-to-face courses. This finding does not hold, however, for the studies included in the meta-analysis that pertain to fully online, semester-length college courses; among these studies, there is no trend in favor of the online course mode. What is more, these studies consider courses that were taken by relatively well-prepared university students, so their results may not generalize to traditionally underserved populations. Therefore, while advocates argue that online learning is a promising means to increase access to college and to improve student progression through higher education programs, the Department of Education report does not present evidence that fully online delivery produces superior learning outcomes for typical college courses, particularly among low-income and academically underprepared students. Indeed some evidence beyond the meta-analysis suggests that, without additional supports, online learning may even undercut progression among low-income and academically underprepared students.

Comment

This is a study that should be read by all those proposing to research the differences between online and face-to-face teaching. It is a very nice dissection of the U.S. Department of Education study:

Means, B. et al. (2009) Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies Washington, DC: US Department of Education

The Columbia University researchers found that of the 28 ‘rigorous, scientific studies’ that compared online vs face-to-face teaching in the Department of Education study, only seven looked at ‘typical’ semester-long courses, and these were all in universities. Close examination of these seven studies by the Columbia University group found (p.10) that ‘Overall, then, the online courses showed no strong advantage or disadvantage in terms of learning outcomes among the samples of students under study.’

More interestingly, Smith Jaggers and Bailey argued that the U.S. Department of Education study produced no evidence to indicate that online learning is widening access to low-income or other disadvantaged learners, nor is there anything else in the literature to support this argument for online learning (a dangerous conclusion, because it only needs one study to come to light to challenge the Columbia University conclusion – in other words, never say never in research. Does anyone know of such a study that looks at whether online learning widens access to disadvantaged groups?).

None of this is surprising. Anyone wanting to do comparative research between face-to-face and technology delivered teaching should say over and over again what Wilbur Schramm said as long ago as 1974: we should not ask whether one means of delivery is better than another, but what are the conditions that determine the appropriate choice of technology.

My view of meta-analysis research is that it should be dumped in the garbage, as far as education is concerned. The in-condition variables are always greater than the between-condition variables, and these are lost in meta-analyses. In other words, it depends on how well the teaching is done, whatever the medium.

So, coming back to the Smith Jaggers and Bailey conclusion: can online learning widen access to disadvantaged groups? Well, first, this may be a bit of a straw man. I don’t recall much of the rationale for online learning in the literature being that it can recruit students from high school who can’t get into college – or don’t want to go. This is a tough market to reach, by any means, and often these students do not have the confidence or independent learning skills to study wholly online. The main justification from my perspective for fully online learning (apart from the skills it develops) is that it suits best adult and lifelong learners who cannot otherwise access college, but have pretty good learning skills already (and may well already have a conventional community college or university education). Online learning may be used to help some kinds of high school drop-outs, but it would need to be combined with a whole range of other strategies, such as personal counselling and one-on-one learner support.

So can online learning widen access to disadvantaged groups? Yes, probably, if the right conditions are there, such as quality learner support, subsidized programs, etc. However, the same conditions could equally apply to face-to-face programs – or different conditions. Neither the U.S. Department of Education nor the Columbia University study provides any evidence on this question, and trying to make this sort of comparison is a waste of time. So focus on the conditions that support teaching and learning, accepting that there likely to be some conditions where online teaching is more or less appropriate than other conditions.

Now try to explain this to your professor who wants a simple answer to the question as to whether online teaching is ‘as good as’ face-to-face teaching. The answer is of course, ‘Yes, provided that…..’ or ‘it all depends….’

See also:

Wojciechowska, I. (2010) Continuing debate over online education Inside Higher Education, July 16

This article suggests a change in corporate tactics regarding the commercialization of online learning. The article argues that due to the increased pressure from the US Department of Education on for-profit online institutions such as Kaplan and [...]]]> Parry, M. (2010) Outsourced Ed: Colleges Hire Companies to Build Their Online Courses Chronicle of Higher Education, July 18

This article suggests a change in corporate tactics regarding the commercialization of online learning. The article argues that due to the increased pressure from the US Department of Education on for-profit online institutions such as Kaplan and the University of Phoenix, investors are turning to companies that will outsource e-learning for not-for-profit private and public campus-based institutions, such as the University of Southern California, Northeastern University and Boston University.

Comment

For many who work as learning technology support staff in public universities, this is often a nightmare scenario. How do you deal with a VP Development or VP Academic who thinks the outsourcing of online learning is a great idea? (I know, because I worked for one where this happened).

For a start, for some institutions without any previous track record of developing online learning, it may be a sensible option, particularly for continuing education or extension departments that are expected to generate revenue, but don’t have experience in this area. It may even make sense where there is a history of online teaching, but it’s not been a good one, in terms of quality or student satisfaction.

However, here is a set of questions that need to be asked before any ‘deal’ is signed:

1. Will online learning remain a peripheral activity in this institution, or is it likely to become a core part of our teaching? The more integral online learning becomes to an institution, the weaker the case for outsourcing. (Another way of putting this is: would it make sense for an institution to outsource its teaching so it can concentrate on research? If not, then why outsource online learning, which is just one way of teaching?)

2. How important is it for the institution to develop its own expertise in online learning, from a teaching and learning perspective? If the institution is to remain entirely classroom or campus based in all its programs, outsourcing may make sense. In this case, though, will the outsourced online courses have the same status and respect as the campus-based programs?

3. Is online learning a way to gain market share and enhance the reputation of the university, or is it seen mainly as a way to generate extra revenues? If extra revenues are the main goal, outsourcing may make sense, but then:

4. If the aim is to make money from online offerings, will we make more money by developing our own in-house expertise than by outsourcing? Do we have business cases for both options? What is the best business case over the long-term compared to the short-term (one to five years)?

5. If the aim is to increase market share or enhance the reputation of the university, what impact will outsourcing have on the control and management of teaching? What role if any will tenured faculty play if online learning is outsourced? What impact will that have on the reputation of the university?

6. How are key stakeholders (faculty, students, employers, the board, the government) likely to respond to outsourcing? Will they support or oppose it?

7. What controls will the institution have over the quality of the outsourced teaching? For instance, who will select instructors to teach in the program and on what basis?

I am not arguing against outsourcing on principle. Some outsourcing companies are flexible enough to develop contracts that will ensure high quality and a good return to the institution, and there are situations where this will make sense. The key question though is: what is your ‘core’ mission? Are we a teaching and learning institution, and if so, why would we contract this out to someone else? If they can do teaching and learning better than us, why are we doing it? Or is our mission to become just an accreditation agency that also does research?

Underlying all this is the belief that online teaching is second rate and therefore can be contracted out without loss to the institution. Big mistake.

Reference

Bok, D. (2003) Universities in the Marketplace: The Commercialization of Higher Education Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press

CDW is a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government and education. Now in its third year, the CDW-G 21st-Century Campus Report examines the role of technology in higher education. CDW-G surveyed more than 1,000 college students, faculty and Information [...]]]> CDW-G (2010) 21st Century Campus Report Vernon Hills ILL: CDW-G

CDW is a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government and education. Now in its third year, the CDW-G 21st-Century Campus Report examines the role of technology in higher education. CDW-G surveyed more than 1,000 college students, faculty and Information Technology (IT) staff members to understand their perceptions of campus technology. The survey collected information from three sources: IT professionals on campus; faculty; and students.

Main findings

Overall, the level of satisfaction of students regarding technology availability and use on campus was relatively high. Three out of four students say colleges understand how they want to use technology as a learning tool.

About two thirds of the students also considered technology a factor in selecting college, and in particular expected to be able to access services and faculty through technology when both on and off campus.

Nevertheless IT professionals thought much greater use could be made of technology for teaching than did faculty.

There were several other areas covered, such as the number of institutions using digital content, virtual learning, etc. For these and other findings, you are recommended to read the full report (25 pages).

Comment

The sample base is quite small. It would have been helpful to have known how many institutions were involved in the study, and what the response rate was. I suspect that a more broadly based sample might have produced different figures. Nevertheless this is a useful annual survey that supplements the much larger Campus Computing Survey conducted by Kenneth Green which presents a view from the perspective of CIOs.

For another, more comprehensive discussion of this report, see John Glaser’s posting at the Center for College Affordability and Productivity

The University of California Board of Regents have agreed to the university developing a fully online undergraduate degree program, and endorsed a pilot program to test it. One regent said: ‘UC has the brainpower – and the motives – to [...]]]> Asimov, N. (2010) UC regents endorse test of online instruction San Francisco Chronicle, July 15

The University of California Board of Regents have agreed to the university developing a fully online undergraduate degree program, and endorsed a pilot program to test it. One regent said: ‘UC has the brainpower – and the motives – to develop the nation’s first highly selective, Web-based degree program for undergraduates. The university expects to raise $6 million in private donations so faculty can begin designing dozens of rigorous online classes this fall.

Fusch, D. (2010) Integrating e-portfolios in your assessment strategy Academic Impressions, July 16

Chen, H. and Light, T. (2010) Electronic Portfolios and Student Success: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Learning Washington DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities

Trent Batson provides a critique of existing testing practices, with their emphasis [...]]]> Batson, T. (2010) The testing straightjacket Campus Technology, July 7

Fusch, D. (2010) Integrating e-portfolios in your assessment strategy Academic Impressions, July 16

Chen, H. and Light, T. (2010) Electronic Portfolios and Student Success: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Learning Washington DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities

Trent Batson provides a critique of existing testing practices, with their emphasis on memorization, and suggests that e-porfolios provide a more authentic form of assessment. David Fusch interviews Tracey Penny Light, of the University of Waterloo, who offers several steps for integrating e-portfolios into an instructor’s assessment strategy.

Helen Chen and Tracey Light have just published a short handbook (44 pp) that ‘presents an overview of electronic portfolios and ways individuals and campuses can implement e-portfolios to enhance and assess student learning, recognizing that learning occurs in many places, takes many forms, and is exhibited through many modes of representation. It is organized around eight issues central to implementing an e-portfolio approach: defining learning outcomes; understanding your learners; identifying stakeholders; designing learning activities; including multiple forms of evidence; using rubrics to evaluate e-portfolios; anticipating external uses of evidence; and evaluating the impact of e-portfolios. This work is illustrated through multiple campus case study examples.’

This article takes a broad look at the use of wikis, particularly for academic scholarship/research, compared with student applications, and asks why greater use has not been made of wikis by faculty for this purpose. One reason seems to be the relative anonymity of a wiki [...]]]> Kolowich, S. (2010) Whither wikis? Inside Higher Education, July 14

This article takes a broad look at the use of wikis, particularly for academic scholarship/research, compared with student applications, and asks why greater use has not been made of wikis by faculty for this purpose. One reason seems to be the relative anonymity of a wiki – academics don’t get individually recognized for their contributions, which says a lot about the rewards system and culture of universities. However, there also seem to be more valid issues around ‘credibility’ and ‘authority’ of open wikis (such as Wikipedia).

Within the topic of e-learning, there are at least two wikis that I think have been very successful, but both were developed by recognized ‘experts’, at least in their initial formation, although both are openly published, i.e. anyone can read, but only ‘experts’ contribute.

The first is the Re.Vica wiki on virtual campuses. This has developed an extensive wiki on virtual campuses around the world, and provides an excellent reference source on what is happening in different countries. The other is the Penn State Online Learning Global Snapshot, where several teams of people, both from within Penn State’s World Campus team, and other interested parties, built a picture of online learning in each of six continents (North and South America have different teams). The Online Learning Global Snapshot was slightly more open to contributors, as those from outside Penn State who were interested were encouraged to contribute, without any overt selection process (as far as I know). I have found both these projects extremely valuable in getting up to the minute overviews of what’s happening in different countries regarding e-learning.

In summary, in terms of getting rapid updating and knowledge of developments in a particular academic field, wikis are probably the least well exploited yet most promising of all web 2.0 tools. There are certainly ways in which issues of credibility and authority can be addressed without losing the uniqueness of the format. I see wikis as a half-way house between individual blogs and peer-reviewed academic journals. Each has their value, but each also needs their own minimum standards and practices to ensure quality and reliability.