The purpose of this study was to examine how the mode of instructional delivery, campus face-to-face or online, affected dropout relative to students’ academic and demographic characteristics. A quantitative study was conducted to analyze the academic and demographic characteristics of newly admitted, matriculated degree-seeking students (N = 640) from Fall 2002 to Fall 2004 in the Master’s of Business Administration and Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders at a national research university in the southeastern United States. Demographic variables analyzed were age, gender, and ethnicity. Academic variables analyzed were program delivery mode, undergraduate grade point average, graduate grade point average at time of dropout or completion, admission test scores, and number of terms to degree completion or number of courses completed at time of dropout.

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Source: Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration

This paper addresses how one university has partnered with a corporation to work on the verification of online student identity and describes ongoing efforts to best verify online student identity. Through this collaboration, the university seeks to enhance the credibility of its online evaluation process by employing data forensic techniques commonly used by today’s financial services industry. Detail is presented on how user authentication strategies are being applied to verify remote learner identity during formal online performance appraisals. Additional details on how the existing strategies will be enhanced toward multi-faceted user authentication are discussed.

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Source: MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching

This paper presents findings related to how the nature of class changes when asynchronous online courses are used rather than classrooms. The qualitative study involved interviews with 32 university professors who have taught both in-class and online courses. The findings provide insight into how when the medium of teaching changes, there is also significant change in the composition and indeed the very nature of class. Such change occurs as the students attracted have more work experience and groups such as those living in rural areas, older students with work experience or those living outside the province are more likely to be included in the composition of class. Also, the medium itself changed the dynamics of class interactions, not only those between students and professor, but also the interaction between students themselves.

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Source: FirstMonday.org

E-Portfolios are a new type of software and it is still relatively vague to determine, which functions are obligatory - that is which functions constitute characteristic features - and which functions are just optional ("nice to have"). This article describes the concept and the preliminary results of a research project which was conducted to evaluate E-Portfolio software, and aims at providing decision guidance for implementing E-Portfolios in higher education - first and foremost from the pedagogical perspective. Which recommendations can be made to an institution which now wants to implement electronic portfolios with a certain objective?

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Source: Online-Journals.org

Your students have created ePortfolios that reflect their academic progress and offer samples of their work. But how can you be sure a potential employer will be able to access the ePortfolios? And will the information survive future technology changes? CT asked Phil Ice (at left), American Public University System director of course design, research and development for his thoughts on ePortfolio standards.

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CampusTechnology.com

While the majority of Americans see their country falling behind other nations economically, they also believe the nation can improve its standing with more college degrees, according to a new survey from Kaplan. The Kaplan University Education Insights Survey found 83 percent of adults in the United States agree that the country is falling behind, with seven in 10 saying that the nation can improve its standing if more people earn college degrees.

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Source: Campus Technology

Faculty opposition has forced the University of Toledo to scrap talks with a private company to develop graduate online programs, The Blade, a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, reported yesterday.

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Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

Shai Reshef has a big goal for his new venture: He wants to offer low-cost, quality higher education all over the world, and particularly in countries where options are limited and students have relatively little money. His solution is the University of the People, which would offer free online degrees.

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Source: Inside Higher Ed

If a tree doesn't fall in the forest, online technology could deserve some of the credit.

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Source: montrealgazette.com

Enrollment in distance-learning programs at the University of Cincinnati has increased 15 percent since last year, reflecting a national trend of increased reliance on Internet learning.

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Source: The News Record