Online Learning

Introductory Videos

Introduction to Online Learning (watch on YouTube) David Joyner Jun 6, 2016 David Joyner introduces Online Learning as part of Technologies. Joyner, D. & Udacity (2016, June 6). Technologies: Online Learning Introductory Video. Retrieve from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjlAfs5RQXI

Introductory Resources

Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning Mohamed Ally Jul 1, 2004 This is an online version of a book from Athabascau University and part of Part 1: Role and Function of Theory in Online Education Development and Delivery. The table of contents are here: http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/contents.html. Ally, M. (2004). Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning. Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Athabascau University. Retrieved from: http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch1.html

What Can Congress and The Federal Government Do To Promote Quality Online Learning Opportunity For All Students? International Association for K-12 Online Learning Feb 1, 2009 This 1-page position document provides 8 ways the U.S. Federal Government can can do to promote quality in online education programs and for each point provides a brief explanation of how it can be done. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. (2009). What Can Congress and The Federal Government Do To Promote Quality Online Learning Opportunity For All Students?. inacol.org Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: http://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/iNACOL-FederalRole-2009.pdf

Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United State, 2009 I. Elaine Allen, Jeff Seaman Jan 1, 2010 The 2009 study was supported with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. It sought to answer important questions about the nature and extent of online education. The survey was provided to more than 2,500 colleges and universities throughout the United States. Allen, E., & Seaman, J. (2010). Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United State, 2009. Babson Survey Research Group. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED529931.pdf

What We're Learning from Online Education Daphne Koller Jun 1, 2012 "Daphne Koller is enticing top universities to put their most intriguing courses online for free — not just as a service, but as a way to research how people learn. With Coursera (cofounded by Andrew Ng), each keystroke, quiz, peer-to-peer discussion and self-graded assignment builds an unprecedented pool of data on how knowledge is processed. " Koller, D. (n.d.). What We're Learning from Online Education. Ted.com. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: https://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education?language=en

What you should know about online education Rebecca Clay Jun 1, 2012 "Provides why the American Psychological Association (APA) does not fully certify online programs in professional psychology." Clay, R. (June 2012). What We're Learning from Online Education. American Psychological Association. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/online-education.aspx

Temporalizing Pedagogy and Technology: Pressing into the Future Matthew Kruger-Ross Sep 12, 2013 "It should be clear that I am skeptical as to the reality of the claims of educational technologists when it comes to the ability of technology to transform — literally to create or generate a context that was heretofore unknown — teaching and learning. These approaches to using technologies are just older pedagogical strategies cloaked in digitization. This is important; we should be able to distinguish what is going on here in education." Kruger-Ross, M. (2013). Temporalizing Pedagogy and Technology: Pressing into the Future. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: http://www.digitalpedagogylab.com/hybridped/temporalizing-pedagogy-and-technology-pressing-into-the-future/

Fast Facts about Online Learning International Association for K-12 Online Learning Oct 1, 2013 This is a four-page highlights document has many facts about enrollment and participation in K-12 online learning programs. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. (2013). Fast Facts about Online Learning. inacol.org Retrieved from: http://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/fun-facts-about-online-learning.pdf

An Affinity for Asynchronous Learning Maha Bali, Baird Meier Apr 4, 2014 "There is something that bothers us about conversations about replacing face-to-face teaching with online learning: they often fall into a trap of assuming that incorporating synchronous interaction is the optimal way to make learning more personable, that it approximates the face-to-face setting closest, and is therefore preferable and better. More often than not, synchronous interaction here implies some form of two-way audiovisual interaction, even though there are text-only forms of synchronous interaction (e.g., Twitter live chat). There are also asynchronous forms of audiovisual interaction (e.g., voicemail, recorded lectures)." Bali, M. & Meier, B. (2014). An Affinity for Asynchronous Learning. Digital Pedagogy Lab at Hybrid Pedagogy. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: http://www.digitalpedagogylab.com/hybridped/affinity-asynchronous-learning/

Online and Blended Learning: A Survey of Policy and Practice of K-12 Schools Around the World Michael Barbour, Regina Brown, Lisa Hasler Waters, Rebecca Hoey, Jeffrey L. Hunt, Kathryn Kennedy, Chantal Ounsworth, Allison Powell, Trina Trimm Feb 1, 2015 "The collection of the content for this report was made possible through the Atlas Economic Research Foundation to replicate and extend the 2006 International Survey conducted by iNACOL. Atlas worked with current education researchers in over 60 countries to answer several questions about the state of online learning policy and practice for primary and secondary (K-12) students in each country. iNACOL received a total of 50 completed surveys." Barbour, M., Brown, R., Waters, L., ... Trimm, T. (2015). Online and Blended Learning: A Survey of Policy and Practice of K-12 Schools Around the World. International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Retrieved from: http://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/iNACOL_a-survey-of-policy-and-practice.pdf

K-12 Online Learning: A Smart Investment NOW More Than Ever International Association for K-12 Online Learning Apr 13, 2017 "" International Association for K-12 Online Learning. (n.d.). K-12 Online Learning: A Smart Investment NOW More Than Ever. inacol.org. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: http://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/a-smart-investment-now-more-than-ever.pdf

The Online Learning Definitions Project International Association for K-12 Online Learning Feb 1, 2015 "The Online Learning Definitions Project is designed to provide states, districts, online programs, and other organizations with a set of definitions related to online and blended learning in order to develop policy, practice, and an understanding of and within the field. The initiative began with a thorough literature review of existing definitions, followed by a research survey to iNACOL members and experts to ensure the efficacy of the definitions adopted." International Association for K-12 Online Learning. (n.d.). The Online Learning Definitions Project. inacol.org. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from: http://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/a-smart-investment-now-more-than-ever.pdf

Scholarly Readings

Virtual Interaction: Design Factors Affecting Student Satisfaction and Pereceived Learning in Asynchronous Online Learning Courses Karen Swan Jan 1, 2001 The paper examines student satisfaction and perceived learning from 73 SUNY Learning Network courses in Spring semester 1999. The study found three general factors influenced students' satisfaction and perceived learning: clarity of design, interaction with instructors, and active discussion among course participants. Swan, K. (2001). Virtual interaction: Design factors affecting student satisfaction and perceived learning in asynchronous online courses. Distance education, 22(2), 306-331.

Exploring Collaborative Online Learning David Curtis, Michael Lawson Feb 1, 2001 "ABSTRACT: An investigation was carried out to determine the extent to which evidence of collaborative learning could be identified in students’ textual interactions in an online learning environment. The literature on collaborative learning has identified a range of behaviors that characterize successful collaborative learning in face-to-face situations. Evidence of these behaviors was sought in the messages that were posted by students as they interacted in online work groups. Analysis of students’ contributions reveals that there is substantial evidence of collaboration, but that there are differences between conventional face-to-face instances of collaborative learning and what occurs in an asynchronous, networked environment." Curtis, D. D., & Lawson, M. J. (2001). Exploring collaborative online learning. Journal of Asynchronous learning networks, 5(1), 21-34.

Toward Constructiveism for Adult Learners in Online Learning Environments Hsiu-Mei Huang Jan 1, 2002 "Abstract. Since online learning has a different setting from the conventional classroom, online educators need to use some special techniques and perceptions to lead to success. Moreover, adults have special needs and requirements as learners compared with children and adolescents, thus online educators should know how adults can learn best because of their special characteristics. Philosophical and methodological shifts also affect instruction. Many researchers have suggested that constructivism should be applied in distance education. Thus, this paper attempts to examine the impact of constructivism in online learning environments when focusing on adult learners. The author develops the connection between constructivism and adult learning theory. In addition, the paper proposes instructional guidelines using the constructivist approach in online learning for adults." Huang, H. M. (2002). Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(1), 27-37.

Toward Constructiveism for Adult Learners in Online Learning Environments Jan Herrington, Ron Oliver, Thomas Reeves Mar 17, 2003 Following the link will initiate a pdf file download. From the introductory paragraph, "In this paper we discuss patterns of engagement that have emerged from our own research on authentic learning tasks, in particular, the initial reluctance to willingly immerse in learning scenarios that some students experience, and the need for the suspension of disbelief before engaging in the task. The paper proposes ten characteristics of authentic activities, based on educational theory and research, which have been used as criteria for the selection of existing online units or courses for in depth investigation." Herrington, J., Oliver, R., & Reeves, T. C. (2003). Patterns of engagement in authentic online learning environments. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1).

Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics Liyan Song, Ernise S. Singleton, Janette R. Hill, Myung Hwa Koh Nov 4, 2003 From the paper abstract, "Students are increasingly demanding online access, and universities and colleges are working to meet the demands. Yet many questions remain re: the viability and veracity of online learning, particularly from the learner perspective. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into learners’ perceptions of online learning." Song, L., Singleton, E. S., Hill, J. R., & Koh, M. H. (2004). Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics. The internet and higher education, 7(1), 59-70.

Teaching and Learning Online with Wikis Naomi Augar, Ruth Raitman, Wanlei Zhou Nov 4, 2003 From the paper abstract, "Students are increasingly demanding online access, and universities and colleges are working to meet the demands. Yet many questions remain re: the viability and veracity of online learning, particularly from the learner perspective. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into learners’ perceptions of online learning." Augar, N., Raitman, R., & Zhou, W. (2004, January). Teaching and learning online with wikis. In Beyond the comfort zone: proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference, Perth, 5-8 December (pp. 95-104). ASCILITE.

Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics Barbara Means, Yukie Toyama, Robert Murphy, Marianne Bakia, Karla Jones Sep 1, 2010 From the Abstract, "A systematic search of the research literature from 1996 through July 2008 identified more than a thousand empirical studies of on line learning. ... The meta-analysis found that, on average, students in online learning conditions performed modestly better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. The difference between student outcomes for online and face-to-face classes—measured as the difference between treatment and control means, divided by the pooled standard deviation—was larger in those studies contrasting conditions that blended elements of online and face-to-face instruction with conditions taught entirely face-to-face." Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. US Department of Education.

Biographies

Sabine Graf Google Scholar Apr 10, 2017 Associate Professor, Athabasca University Technology Enhanced Learning, Adaptive Learning Systems, Learning Analytics, User Modeling, Mobile Learning Verified email at athabascau.ca (2017-04-10) Homepage - http://sgraf.athabascau.ca/ Google Scholar. (n.d.) Sabine Graf. Retrieved from: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Pl8tpZwAAAAJhl=en&oi=sra

Research Team - Athabasca University School of Computing and Information Sciences Athabasca University Apr 14, 2017 "The mission of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is to catalyze the transformation of K-12 education policy and practice to advance powerful, personalized, learner-centered experiences through competency-based, blended and online learning." Research Team. (2017). School of Computing and Information Sciences, Athabasca University. April 14, 2017. Retrieved from: http://sgraf.athabascau.ca/team.php

Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service University of Illinois-Springfield Apr 14, 2017 This is the Staff landing page for the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service, at the University of Illinois-Springfield. Research Staff. (2017). Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service, University of Illinois-Springfield. April 14, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.uis.edu/colrs/about/staff/

International Association for K-12 Online Learning iNACOL Apr 14, 2017 "The mission of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is to catalyze the transformation of K-12 education policy and practice to advance powerful, personalized, learner-centered experiences through competency-based, blended and online learning." International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). (2017). About Us. April 14, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.inacol.org/about/

Karen Swan Google Scholar Apr 14, 2017 University of Illinois Springfieldl online learning, learning analytics, data literary, programming & problem solvling, community of inquiry framework Verified email at uis.edu Google Scholar. (n.d.) Karen Swan. April 14, 2017. Retrieved from: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JWzBobAAAAAJ&hl=en

Rebecca Ferguson Google Scholar Apr 14, 2017 Senior Lecturer, IET, The Open University education, learning analytics, MOOCs, distance learning, online learning Verified email at open.ac.uk Google Scholar. (n.d.) Rebecca Ferguson. April 14, 2017. Retrieved from: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lfxvlmwAAAAJ&hl=en

Ron Oliver Google Scholar Apr 14, 2017 Professor, Edith Cowan University learning technologies, e-learning, online learning Verified email at ecu.edu.au Google Scholar. (n.d.) Ron Oliver. April 14, 2017. Retrieved from: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=mu_ZbU0AAAAJ&hl=en

Ongoing Projects

K12 K12 Apr 14, 2017 "K12 offers an outstanding curriculum that enables mastery of core concepts and skills for all kinds of minds. The minds that are superbly gifted--or that are gifted in some areas and struggling in others. The minds that need to use hands to learn on some days, and eyes or ears on others. The minds that move faster or slower than average. The minds that are connected to bodies that need to run off steam periodically, or that are medically unable to attend a physical school. All kinds of minds, not just the best and brightest—not just the ones that are easy to teach in a classroom." K12. (2017). K12, Inc. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: http://www.k12.com/about-k12.html

Udacity Udacity Apr 14, 2017 "Our mission is to bring accessible, affordable, engaging, and highly effective higher education to the world. We believe that higher education is a basic human right, and we seek to empower our students to advance their education and careers." About Us. (2017). Udacity. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: https://www.udacity.com/us

Coursera Coursera Apr 15, 2017 Coursera is an online learning center, offering a very wide variety of topics, including liberal arts such as sociology and business. "We envision a world where anyone, anywhere can transform their life by accessing the world’s best learning experience." About Us. (2017). Coursera. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: https://about.coursera.org/

edX edX Apr 15, 2017 Founded by Harvard University and MIT in 2012, the edX mission is to: "Increase access to high-quality education for everyone, everywhere; Enhance teaching and learning on campus and online; And advance teaching and learning through research. About Us. (2017). edX. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: https://www.edx.org/about-us

Khan Academy Khan Academy Apr 15, 2017 Khan Academy is a leader in online education. The courses started with math, everything from basics to advanced math, and has expanded to included arts and humanities as well as cross-over productions from Pixar about animation. Khan Academy also includes primary and secondary school math curriculum for all grades. Khan Academy. Retrieved April 15, 2017 from: https://www.khanacademy.org

MIT OpenCourseware MIT OpenCourseware Apr 15, 2017 Through OCW, educators improve courses and curricula, making their schools more effective; students find additional resources to help them succeed; and independent learners enrich their lives and use the content to tackle some of our world’s most difficult challenges, including sustainable development, climate change, and cancer eradication. About Us. (2017). MIT OpenCourseware. Retrieved April 15, 2017 from: https://ocw.mit.edu/about/

NovoEd NovoEd Apr 15, 2017 NovoEd is an education services platform. Customers can use the platform themselves or hire NovoEd to create them. NovoEd offers free courses here: https://course.novoed.com/courses NovoEd. Retrieved April 15, 2017 from: https://novoed.com

Udemy Udemy Apr 15, 2017 "Udemy is a global marketplace for learning and teaching online where students are mastering new skills and achieving their goals by learning from an extensive library of over 45,000 courses taught by expert instructors." About Us. (2017). Udemy. Retrieved April 15, 2017 from: https://about.udemy.com/

In the Media

Online Education May Transform Higher ed Brian Burnsed Apr 20, 2011 "In the coming decade, experts say, college students should expect an increased presence of online classes at traditional nonprofit schools. Already, about 30 percent of American college students take at least one course online, says Elaine Allen, statistical director of the Sloan Survey on Online Education, which monitors student involvement in online higher education." Burnsed, B. (2011). Online education may transform higher Ed. April 20, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2011/04/20/online-education-may-transform-higher-ed

Online Degree Programs: How to Tell the Good From the Bad Kelsey Sheehy Nov 9, 2012 Sheehy, K. (2012). Online degree programs: How to tell the good from the bad. US News & World Report. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2012/11/09/online-degree-programs-how-to-tell-the-good-from-the-bad?int=9f6e08

Why Online Learning is more Valuable than Traditional College Simon Dudley Nov 1, 2013 The article's emphasizes online learning is a better value because it's less expensive than traditional options and provides similar knowledge, resulting in a better return on investment than traiditional education. Dudley, S. (2013) Why Online Learning is more Valuable than Traditional College. Wired. November 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: https://www.wired.com/insights/2013/11/why-online-learning-is-more-valuable-than-traditional-college/

How are Students and Teachers using Khan Academy? Katrina Schwartz May 6, 2014 "To find out more how these videos are being used, the Gates Foundation, one of Khan’s biggest funders, commissioned an SRI International study on what works and what barriers exist to effective implementation. Researchers conducted a two-year study of 70 teachers in 20 California schools between 2011-2013, choosing sites that serve mostly low-income students. Participating schools included both public and charter schools and spanned the K-12 range." Schwartz, K. (2014). How are Students and Teachers using Khan Academy?. KQED Mindshift. May 6, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/05/06/how-are-teachers-and-students-using-khan-academy/

GVU Center Brown Bag Seminar Series: Ashok Goel and David Joyner Ashok Goel, David Joyner Dec 4, 2014 David Joyner introduces Controlled Experiments as part of Research Principles and Methodologies. Goel, A. & Joyner, D. (2014). GVU Center Brown Bag Seminar Series: Ashok Goel and David Joyner. GVU Center at Georgia Tech. December 4, 2014. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N56ghCGmWWQ

7 Myths about Online Education Terri Williams Mar 9, 2015 As online education becomes more commonplace, the author seeks to dispell some misconceptions about it. Williams, T. (2015). 7 Myths about Online Education. US News & World Report. Retrieved April 14, 2017 from: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2015/03/09/7-myths-about-online-education

Interviews

Online Learning: Courtney Drake (watch on YouTube) David Joyner Jun 6, 2016 David Joyner interviews Courtney Drake, Product Manager at Udacity, about building communities in the Udacity environment. Joyner, D. & Udacity. (2016, June 6). Online Learning: Courtney Drake Interview. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qht-963q0bk

Online Learning: Lauren Castellano (watch on YouTube) David Joyner Jun 6, 2016 David Joyner interviews Lauren Castellano, Production Strategist at Udacity, about content development and Online Learning at Udacity. Joyner, D. & Udacity. (2016, June 6). Online Learning: Lauren Castellano Interview. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8U5sfZ8q4U

Online Learning: Sebastian Thrun (watch on YouTube) David Joyner Jun 6, 2016 David Joyner interviews Sebastian Thrun, Founder and CEO of Udacity, about online learning. Joyner, D. & Udacity. (2016, June 6). Online Learning: Sebastian Thrun Interview. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHkNV-7j4DE

Online Learning: Tairi Delgado Interview (watch on YouTube) David Joyner Jun 6, 2016 David Joyner interviews Tairi Delgado, Course Manager at Udacity, about Online Learning. Joyner, D. & Udacity. (2016, June 6). Online Learning: Tairi Delgado Interview. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLuWTvJxtDY