The two articles I read this week were the Koustourakis (2008) and Simonson (2007) articles on the topic of distance education evaluation. I liked the Simonson article the best, even though it had little new information on the topic, because it was very concise in the way it addressed the topic of distance education evaluation. All five steps: reactions, learning, transfer, results, and return on investment are important in the evaluation of any educational program. However, the description of these steps in the article doesn't seem as complete as it ought to. While I enjoyed the simplicity of the article, it did lack the depth needed to help someone make a complete and thorough evaluation of distance education programs.
Also, this was another spectacular week of presentations on distance learning tools. I learned a lot and plan to utilize both of them as extensively as possible. The first was iTunes and the second was Google Sites.
I have had the opportunity to use iTunes regularly for music and have heard of some of its other features, but have not really explored anything else. I am interested in further exploring podcasts, international radio, video, audiobooks, educational games, and iTunes U. I had never thought of it as an educational tool, but I can now see it has much to offer on a wide variety of subjects.
As for Google Sites, this presentation was very excellent. The emphasis on its use as an educational tool in distance learning was especially helpful. I have had the opportunity to explore Google Sites a little in another distance education course, and I never cease to be amazed with its instructional capabilities. I hope to be involved with the creation of similar instructional websites in the future. Google Sites is truly one of the most powerful tools available to us in distance learning.
This has been a very rewarding class as I now feel much more prepared to work in distance education armed with a greater knowledge of some of the best tools available in facilitating student learning at a distance.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Week 11
This week we read about disabilities and accessibility to the Internet. I think this is a topic that receives far too little attention. The Badge and Introduction to Web Accessibility articles reminded my of the importance of making web sites accessible to those with different disabilities. While the Badge article did little more than expose some different facets of the problem, I appreciated how the Introduction article offered some suggestions on making web sites more accessible.
Some suggestions include: providing alternate text, ensuring links make sense out of context, and providing headings for data tables, etc. For me, these suggestions were the most valuable thing I took away from the two articles.
I do understand that it does take more time to modify content. However, it is a very valuable thing that can help those with disabilities receive whatever important message is being communicated through the web site. Particularly in education, this would be very valuable as we want to work with all students.
Also, this week, we learned about two more technologies useful in distance education, wiki tools and Google Chrome. I really enjoyed the wiki tools presentation. I was reminded of the great possibilities that exist with wiki tools. Not only can wikis be used with students in the schools, but also among faculty. I think it would be an excellent way to share ideas and build curriculum in a collaborative manner.
As for the Google Chrome presentation, this was very interesting because I have not had much experience with Google Chrome. I like that it is fast, simple, and secure. It may not be quite up to the level of Mozilla, but knowing how Google has already done so much to better the Internet with its other software, I'm sure their browser is not far behind. The presentation was easy to understand and I like how the differences between Chrome and other browsers were explained.
We have been introduced to so many exciting technologies this semester, and I am looking forward to being able to see what I can implement this next school year.
Some suggestions include: providing alternate text, ensuring links make sense out of context, and providing headings for data tables, etc. For me, these suggestions were the most valuable thing I took away from the two articles.
I do understand that it does take more time to modify content. However, it is a very valuable thing that can help those with disabilities receive whatever important message is being communicated through the web site. Particularly in education, this would be very valuable as we want to work with all students.
Also, this week, we learned about two more technologies useful in distance education, wiki tools and Google Chrome. I really enjoyed the wiki tools presentation. I was reminded of the great possibilities that exist with wiki tools. Not only can wikis be used with students in the schools, but also among faculty. I think it would be an excellent way to share ideas and build curriculum in a collaborative manner.
As for the Google Chrome presentation, this was very interesting because I have not had much experience with Google Chrome. I like that it is fast, simple, and secure. It may not be quite up to the level of Mozilla, but knowing how Google has already done so much to better the Internet with its other software, I'm sure their browser is not far behind. The presentation was easy to understand and I like how the differences between Chrome and other browsers were explained.
We have been introduced to so many exciting technologies this semester, and I am looking forward to being able to see what I can implement this next school year.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Week 10
This week we had the opportunity to explore an article of our own on a topic that has not been covered in class. The article I chose is:
Valk, J., Rashid, A., & Elder, L. (2010). Using mobile phones to improve educational outcomes: An analysis of evidence from Asia. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1), 117-140. Retrieved from ERIC database.
This article reviewed the role of mobile phone-facilitated learning in the following Asian countries: Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand, India, and Bangladesh. The projects reviewed in the article reveal a positive outcome of using mobile phones "as a tool to either access educational materials or deliver more learner-centred curriculum" (p. 135).
However, an area for further research not addressed by the article would be the cost of employing such technologies and whether or not the educational benefits support such costs. We must consider how these educational benefits stack up against those of traditional learning to evaluate whether or not the cost is worth it. Because of the lack of studies in this area, for the time being, it is difficult to tell.
In addition to the article, the distance learning technology workshops presented this week were on Jing and Moodle. As for Jing, I really liked how this presentation seemed to emphasize how Jing can be used as an instructional tool. The ability to use it to share a desktop and create and share videos instantly can be of great importance in a distance learning situation. I particularly like the idea of creating videos to eliminate the need to re-teach lessons. This is a great tool I plan to use in the future. The presentation was very informative and and easy to follow.
The Moodle presentation was very interesting to me knowing that next semester, we will have the opportunity to use it extensively and gain a thorough understanding of how it can be used in developing an online course. I am always very interested in useful open source programs. I think the handout for this presentation was especially helpful and will be a good resource as I experiment with it more in the future. Moodle appears to be a very affective way to create online learning sites. I especially liked the explanation of how students can use it to download lesson plans from missed days.
All in all, a great week. It's hard to believe this course is coming to a close so soon. I am very grateful for all I have learned about these exciting technologies and their application to distance learning.
Valk, J., Rashid, A., & Elder, L. (2010). Using mobile phones to improve educational outcomes: An analysis of evidence from Asia. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(1), 117-140. Retrieved from ERIC database.
This article reviewed the role of mobile phone-facilitated learning in the following Asian countries: Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand, India, and Bangladesh. The projects reviewed in the article reveal a positive outcome of using mobile phones "as a tool to either access educational materials or deliver more learner-centred curriculum" (p. 135).
However, an area for further research not addressed by the article would be the cost of employing such technologies and whether or not the educational benefits support such costs. We must consider how these educational benefits stack up against those of traditional learning to evaluate whether or not the cost is worth it. Because of the lack of studies in this area, for the time being, it is difficult to tell.
In addition to the article, the distance learning technology workshops presented this week were on Jing and Moodle. As for Jing, I really liked how this presentation seemed to emphasize how Jing can be used as an instructional tool. The ability to use it to share a desktop and create and share videos instantly can be of great importance in a distance learning situation. I particularly like the idea of creating videos to eliminate the need to re-teach lessons. This is a great tool I plan to use in the future. The presentation was very informative and and easy to follow.
The Moodle presentation was very interesting to me knowing that next semester, we will have the opportunity to use it extensively and gain a thorough understanding of how it can be used in developing an online course. I am always very interested in useful open source programs. I think the handout for this presentation was especially helpful and will be a good resource as I experiment with it more in the future. Moodle appears to be a very affective way to create online learning sites. I especially liked the explanation of how students can use it to download lesson plans from missed days.
All in all, a great week. It's hard to believe this course is coming to a close so soon. I am very grateful for all I have learned about these exciting technologies and their application to distance learning.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Week 9
The effectiveness of distance learning was this week's topic for our course readings. I have always felt like distance learning and traditional classroom learning can be equally effective. The Simonson (2003) article entitled In Case You're Asked: The Effectiveness of Distance Education confirmed this feeling I've had. If both are well-rooted in solid teaching techniques and a facilitated interaction among students and staff, they can be equally affective (an emphasis on the word "can").
However, I also think that sometimes some students' personalities make them better candidates for traditional classroom learning, and it is in this environment, that they will be most successful. For some, distance learning affords them more freedom in an environment that allows them to thrive. Others, could be successful in either environment. In other words, I think personality and learning style play a role in the effectiveness of any type of learning and should not be overlooked.
The two presentations I reviewed this week were on Facebook and YouTube. Honestly, my experience with Facebook is minimal. I appreciated the information on the privacy settings and how it can be used in an educational context. I can see how it could be very helpful to math students and students in all other subject areas when discussing solutions to a particular problem. I think this is where Facebook could really excel in education--as a discussion board.
As for the YouTube presentation, I enjoyed the presentation. I think YouTube is definitely one of the most valuable tools the Internet has to offer. It is true that students grow up accustomed to getting much of their information from television, so YouTube seems like a natural way to approach instruction. The examples of teacher-created YouTube videos were great and also the discussion of subscriptions and YouTube navigation. Another great week for learning about distance education tools!
However, I also think that sometimes some students' personalities make them better candidates for traditional classroom learning, and it is in this environment, that they will be most successful. For some, distance learning affords them more freedom in an environment that allows them to thrive. Others, could be successful in either environment. In other words, I think personality and learning style play a role in the effectiveness of any type of learning and should not be overlooked.
The two presentations I reviewed this week were on Facebook and YouTube. Honestly, my experience with Facebook is minimal. I appreciated the information on the privacy settings and how it can be used in an educational context. I can see how it could be very helpful to math students and students in all other subject areas when discussing solutions to a particular problem. I think this is where Facebook could really excel in education--as a discussion board.
As for the YouTube presentation, I enjoyed the presentation. I think YouTube is definitely one of the most valuable tools the Internet has to offer. It is true that students grow up accustomed to getting much of their information from television, so YouTube seems like a natural way to approach instruction. The examples of teacher-created YouTube videos were great and also the discussion of subscriptions and YouTube navigation. Another great week for learning about distance education tools!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Week 8
This week we read articles on the topic of the cost of distance learning. I read Costs and Effectiveness of Online Courses in Distance Education by Kwok-Chi Ngi (2000) and Counting the Costs of Distance Education by Mary Lou Santovec (2005).
I found it very interesting to see the contrasting views concerning the cost-effectiveness of online learning in the Santovec and Ng articles. The Ng article pointed to the uncertainty of cost-effectivenss in distance learning stating that it is a complex issue. Although this may be true, the Santovec article discusses the fact that there are obvious financial advantages from that of a traditional brick and mortar school. What I really liked about the Santovec article was that it also mentioned some practical ways that can be employed to reduce the costs of distance education such as negotiating with vendors and acquiring sponsorships.
Also, this week I learned something about the program Audacity that I hadn't ever thought of before. I had never thought of using it for recording lessons or using the edit features to make recordings more school appropriate. I have used Audacity on projects before, but never for educational use. This workshop was a great experience for me.
I found it very interesting to see the contrasting views concerning the cost-effectiveness of online learning in the Santovec and Ng articles. The Ng article pointed to the uncertainty of cost-effectivenss in distance learning stating that it is a complex issue. Although this may be true, the Santovec article discusses the fact that there are obvious financial advantages from that of a traditional brick and mortar school. What I really liked about the Santovec article was that it also mentioned some practical ways that can be employed to reduce the costs of distance education such as negotiating with vendors and acquiring sponsorships.
Also, this week I learned something about the program Audacity that I hadn't ever thought of before. I had never thought of using it for recording lessons or using the edit features to make recordings more school appropriate. I have used Audacity on projects before, but never for educational use. This workshop was a great experience for me.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Week 7
This week we read an article entitled Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration by Yoany Beldarrain (2006). This article explores the benefits of emerging technology tools "to foster student interaction in online learning" (p. 139).
The last couple of lines in the article really made me think: "The demand for distance education will only continue to grow. The ever-evolving nature of technology will continue to push distance educators to use new tools to create learning environments that will indeed prepare students to be life-long learners, who can problem solve through collaboration with global partners" (p. 150). Upon reading these lines I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility as a teacher to effectively utilize technology in student learning, but also a great enthusiasm to be a part of something as great as distance education. The tools of distance education are evolving at a very quick rate and will continue to do so--this could make any teacher feel overwhelmed. However, I think it is important to remember that rather than trying to use every technology that comes along, we should only use technology to augment those things that already need to be taught. This will certainly be my approach to using technology in education.
Also, we viewed presentations on both Google Docs and PowerPoint. Google Docs is relatively new to me so this was a very helpful presentation. I was impressed with the overall completeness of the presentation. It reinforced a few things I knew and provided some new information as well.
As for PowerPoint, the presentation was great. I agree with the presenter that PowerPoint should be a tool used by the teacher and not the teacher itself. I once had a professor that relied entirely upon PowerPoint for each of his lectures, so I understand this point completely. I also appreciated the the fact that the presentations commented on how to use PowerPoint in a learning environment as well as how to construct a PowerPoint presentation.
This was a great week. The aforementioned article was particularly thought-provoking.
The last couple of lines in the article really made me think: "The demand for distance education will only continue to grow. The ever-evolving nature of technology will continue to push distance educators to use new tools to create learning environments that will indeed prepare students to be life-long learners, who can problem solve through collaboration with global partners" (p. 150). Upon reading these lines I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility as a teacher to effectively utilize technology in student learning, but also a great enthusiasm to be a part of something as great as distance education. The tools of distance education are evolving at a very quick rate and will continue to do so--this could make any teacher feel overwhelmed. However, I think it is important to remember that rather than trying to use every technology that comes along, we should only use technology to augment those things that already need to be taught. This will certainly be my approach to using technology in education.
Also, we viewed presentations on both Google Docs and PowerPoint. Google Docs is relatively new to me so this was a very helpful presentation. I was impressed with the overall completeness of the presentation. It reinforced a few things I knew and provided some new information as well.
As for PowerPoint, the presentation was great. I agree with the presenter that PowerPoint should be a tool used by the teacher and not the teacher itself. I once had a professor that relied entirely upon PowerPoint for each of his lectures, so I understand this point completely. I also appreciated the the fact that the presentations commented on how to use PowerPoint in a learning environment as well as how to construct a PowerPoint presentation.
This was a great week. The aforementioned article was particularly thought-provoking.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Week 6
This week's readings and discussion were especially interesting. The readings discussed open courseware and MIT was cited as an excellent example of successfully implemented open courseware. I had heard of MIT's open courseware before and even navigated their web site to explore some of their offerings. More than 2,000 courses on the web! I found many courses that I would be interested in taking myself. I think they have opened the gateway to the enormous potential of open courseware to educate people on a variety of subjects all over the world. I think one important thing MIT has accomplished with this courseware is that it stands as a great example to other universities and learning institutions as to how they can soundly structure online learning courses.
One thing I had mentioned in my class group discussion is the desire for free online degrees from institutions such as MIT. In this discussion, I learned that a few universities in the Netherlands do have such programs. However, an issue that was brought up concerning free online degrees in the U.S., was one of funding. I guess even with good ideas, everything comes back to money one way or the other.
Overall, I am curious to see how open educational resources evolve over the next several years. To think of the potential not only in providing individual courses, but also in teaching individual concepts that can aid student learning and growth. I think such resources could be vital even in aiding parents to help their children with their homework in understanding difficult or misunderstood concepts.
This week we were introduced to two technologies that I had never heard of before--UStream and Slide Rocket. UStream has great potential as an educational tool. I can see where it would be particularly beneficial in broadcasting lectures, workshops, or tutorials. The only thing of concern would be the visibility of inappropriate content on the web site. However, it really all depends on the students who will be viewing the broadcast.
As for Slide Rocket, what I really like about this program is the ability to create some really sharp looking slide shows. There are many options here that aren't available with many other presentation programs. I enjoyed the presentation of this program and look forward to exploring more of it for myself.
One thing I had mentioned in my class group discussion is the desire for free online degrees from institutions such as MIT. In this discussion, I learned that a few universities in the Netherlands do have such programs. However, an issue that was brought up concerning free online degrees in the U.S., was one of funding. I guess even with good ideas, everything comes back to money one way or the other.
Overall, I am curious to see how open educational resources evolve over the next several years. To think of the potential not only in providing individual courses, but also in teaching individual concepts that can aid student learning and growth. I think such resources could be vital even in aiding parents to help their children with their homework in understanding difficult or misunderstood concepts.
This week we were introduced to two technologies that I had never heard of before--UStream and Slide Rocket. UStream has great potential as an educational tool. I can see where it would be particularly beneficial in broadcasting lectures, workshops, or tutorials. The only thing of concern would be the visibility of inappropriate content on the web site. However, it really all depends on the students who will be viewing the broadcast.
As for Slide Rocket, what I really like about this program is the ability to create some really sharp looking slide shows. There are many options here that aren't available with many other presentation programs. I enjoyed the presentation of this program and look forward to exploring more of it for myself.
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