Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:20:44 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/ ezNetPublisher en-us http://www.distance-educator.com/images/logo.gif http://www.distance-educator.com/ nospam@distance-educator.com http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16257 This study had three purposes: Firstly, to develop a categorization of research areas in distance education; secondly, to identify the most important research areas in distance education; and thirdly, to identify the most neglected research areas in distance education. Based on a literature review and a Delphi study, three broad levels or perspectives with 15 research areas were derived to organize the body of knowledge in distance education. Prospective researchers can use the results to identify gaps and priority areas and to explore potential research directions. Read the Full Article Source: The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:20:44 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16256 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. Read the Full Article Source: Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:18:52 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16255 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. Read the Full Article Source: MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:16:24 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16254 Learning objects have quickly become a widely accepted approach to instructional technology, particularly in on-line and computer-based learning environments. While there is a substantial body of literature concerning learning objects, very little of it verifies their efficacy. This research investigated the effectiveness of learning objects by comparing learning outcomes using a learning object with outcomes using a traditional textbook-based method of instruction. Participants were 327 undergraduate college students at a traditional public four-year coed institution, a private four-year women’s college, a private four-year engineering institution, and a public two-year community college. Through a series of independent samples t-tests and Analyses of Variance, results revealed mean scores for the learning object group that were nearly three times higher than the mean scores for the textbook-taught group. Gaming experience, age, gender, and learner preference were evaluated for their potential influence on the results; no statistically significant differences were found, implying that the learning object itself was central to the outcomes achieved. The future of learning objects is bright, and more empirical research is called for in the area of learning object effectiveness. Read the Full Article Source: The Journal of Educators Online Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:14:25 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16253 This study shows the importance of interaction to student learning within Web-based online learning programs. The population of this study was students enrolled in multiple academic disciplines at a private university in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. A Web-based research instrument was designed to assess students’ characteristics, their perceptions of learning, satisfaction, student-to-student interactions and student-to-instructor interactions. Regression analyses were employed to analyze the relationship of interaction variables with student learning and satisfaction. Student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction were found to be significant contributors of student learning and satisfaction. Read the Full Article Source: Journal of Online Interactive Learning Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:12:14 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16252 Blackboard's patent on learning management system technologies has been overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The court ruled Monday in favor of Desire2Learn and invalidated some claims in patent No. 6,988,138, also known as the "Alcorn patent" or the "138 patent." But the saga will continue. Read the Full Story Source: Campus Technology Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:38:57 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16251 What would happen if the number of school districts in Chautauqua County were reduced from 18 to 11? Source: Read the Full Article Source: Observer Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:37:03 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16250 How have the events of the past year affected the IT issues of top concern to technology leaders in higher education today? Is higher education IT experiencing an evolution or a revolution? Have new issues emerged on the top-ten list? Are some issues less relevant? Read the Full Article Source: Educause Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:33:14 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16249 Microblogging is the practice of posting small pieces of digital content—which could be text, pictures, links, short videos, or other media—on the Internet. Read the Full Article Source: Educause Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:25:54 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16248 IBM's Watson will showcase the latest tricks in natural-language processing. Read the Full Article Source: MIT Technology Review Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:23:24 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16247 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. Read the Full Article Source: FirstMonday.org Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:01:49 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16246 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? Read the Full Article Source: Online-Journals.org Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:59:30 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16245 by Dave Nagel Following passage in the United States Senate Tuesday, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 was signed into law March 11 by President Barack Obama. The act brings significant funds to education and education technology for the remainder of fiscal 2009 above and beyond those provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. But just how much? Read the Full Article Source: The Journal Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:57:33 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16244 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. Read the Full Article CampusTechnology.com Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:56:21 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16243 Ever get halfway to the grocery store and realize that you forgot your shopping list? Perhaps you missed an important doctor's appointment because you just couldn't remember when it was. Or worse - you forgot to meet your date for dinner. Whatever the case may be, you're probably in need of some organization - and a better memory, at that - in your life. Read the Full Article PC Magazine Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:55:09 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16242 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. Read the Full Article Source: Campus Technology Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:16:59 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16241 Read the Full Article Source: Journal of Learning Design Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:15:52 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16240 The ability to pause and rewind podcast lectures gave the upper hand to college students in a recent study that compared the performance of students who attended a lecture in person and those who viewed it from iTunes University. Read the Full Article Source: eSchool News Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:13:21 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16239 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. Read the Full Article Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:11:40 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16238 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. Read the Full Article Source: Inside Higher Ed Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:10:10 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16237 Stephen Wolfram has a track record of scientific breakthroughs and some controversy. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Caltech in 1979 when he was 20 and has focused most of his career on probing complex systems. In 1988 he launched Mathematica, powerful computational software that has become the gold standard in its field. Read the Full Article Source: C/Net Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:05:27 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16236 A surfboard with Internet capability, cars that drive themselves, gadgets that recognize forgotten acquaintances, the extinction of humans by supercomputers. Read the Full Article Source: Stanford University Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:02:05 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16235 State lawmakers have endorsed a measure to create a new distance learning program that would give students in every school district virtual access to both basic and advanced classes. Read the Full Article Source: flatheadbeacon.com Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:52:57 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16234 If a tree doesn't fall in the forest, online technology could deserve some of the credit. Read the Full Article Source: montrealgazette.com Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:49:51 -0700 http://www.distance-educator.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16233 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. Read the Full Article Source: The News Record Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:48:42 -0700