Eliademy.com Asynchronous and Synchronous E-Learning (EDUCAUSE Quarterly © 2008 Stefan Hrastinski EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 4 (October–December 2008) Asynchronous and Synchronous E-Learning A study of asynchronous and synchronous e-learning methods discovered that each supports different purposes By Stefan Hrastinski Today’s workforce is expected to be highly educated and to continually improve skills and acquire new ones by engaging in lifelong learning. For e-learning initiatives to succeed, organizations and educational institutions must understand the benefits and limitations of different e-learning techniques and methods. My work has focused on the benefits and limitations of asynchronous and synchronous e-learning and addresses questions such as when, why, and how to use these two modes of delivery. Defining Asynchronous and Synchronous E-Learning An ongoing debate addresses the usefulness of asynchronous versus synchronous e-learning. Three Types of Communication * Adapted from Haythornthwaite. Research Background Figure 1 Click image for larger view.
MOOCs: Top 10 Sites for Free Education MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses. Although there has been access to free online courses on the Internet for years, the quality and quantity of courses has changed. Access to free courses has allowed students to obtain a level of education that many only could dream of in the past. This has changed the face of education. In The New York Times article Instruction for Masses Knocked Down Campus Walls, author Tamar Lewin stated, “in the past few months hundreds of thousands of motivated students around the world who lack access to elite universities have been embracing them as a path toward sophisticated skills and high-paying jobs, without paying tuition or collecting a college degree.” Although MOOCs are the latest trend, not everyone agrees that schools should offer them. There may also be some issues for students who lack motivation. For those who desire a free education and have the motivation, the following includes the: Top 10 Sites for Information about MOOCs:
Where MOOCs Miss the Mark: The Student-Teacher Relationship The mistake about MOOCs (massive open online courses) is that they discount the central component of effective teaching -- the relationship forged between student and teacher. Sure, students around the world gain access to previously inaccessible and unimaginable content from some of the world's renowned universities and professors from MIT, Harvard and Stanford. These students can grow inspired by the possibility of absorbing information through online lectures and platforms, as 12-year-old Khadija Niazi of Pakistan explained recently at the World Economic Forum. The New York Times reported, "Ms. Niazi has been taking courses, free so far, from Udacity and Coursera, two of the earliest providers of this new form of instruction. Her latest enthusiasm is for astrobiology, because she is fascinated by UFOs and wants to become a physicist." This is nothing short of amazing and shows the flattening of the education world. Do you have any experience with MOOCs?
37 Blended Learning Resources You Can Use Tomorrow 37 Blended Learning Resources You Can Use Tomorrow by Dr. Justin Marquis Remixing the curriculum – compiling resources from a variety of sources such as free online texts, proprietary information from publishers, and self-created media such as podcasts – is starting to push its way into K-12 and higher education. Gathering the Ingredients Before Remixing Like any course development process, there is a good deal of research that goes into remixing the contents of a new or existing class curriculum. Consider including a small selection of remixed materials at first and expand each time you teach the class. Free Courseware Free Online Texts Video Resources Remember, as will all sources from the Internet, you will want to confirm the validity of each one that you choose to include in a class. 37 Blended Learning Resources You Can Use Tomorrow is a cross-post from onlineuniversities.com and Dr.
50 Top Sources Of Free eLearning Courses - Getting Smart by Guest Author - EdTech, elearning, IOLchat Email Share September 30, 2012 - by Guest Author 194 Email Share “50 Top Sources Of Free eLearning Courses” by Julie DeNeen first appeared on informED. Whether you are looking for a master’s degree program, computer science classes, a K-12 curriculum, or GED study program, this list gives you a look at 50 websites that promise education for free. From databases that organize over 1,000,000 students throughout 16 universities, to a small library of documents for those interested in history, the opportunities for free online learning continue to expand as the Internet becomes a crucial component in education. 1. The UMass courseware offers a broad range of classes in areas like psychology, biology, early education, political science, history, mathematics, and others. There are no slides, videos, or lecture notes, which makes this open courseware inferior to other universities that offer extensive resources. 2. This website has a variety of video lessons for free. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Let's Rock: Ohjelmoinnin peruskoulu-MOOCista "somekoulukerho" MOOC = massiivinen avoin online kurssi. Viimeisen vuoden kuumimpia juttuja opetuksen kehittämisessä Helsingin Yliopiston ohjelmoinnin MOOC = ensimmäisen kerran viime keväänä. Alkoi eilen toista kertaa (ja etuajassa! Se kertoo jotain tämän hankkeen hengestä) Kurssilla voi kuka tahansa suorittaa 5op+4op yliopistokurssin ohjelmoinnista ja vieläpä saada sen kautta opinto-oikeuden yliopistoon! Todella cool! Ja tämä MOOC siis käsittelee Java-ohjelmointia. Historiaa Itse teimme poikani kanssa viime keväänä MOOCia muutaman viikon. Mooc on käynnistynyt uudelleen. Nyt haluan lyödä yhteen HY:n huippuhankkeen sekä oman osaamisen ja tehtäväkuvan: Tehdään peruskoululaisia ja lukiolaisiakin hyödyttävä rakenne, jolla oppija saa vertaistukea ja ryhmähenkeä, ohjaustakin ikätasolle sopivalla tavalla. Pääjuttu on tietenkin se HY:n MOOC ja jos he tekevät tämän itse, niin en toki hypi varpaille. Kommentteja? Tulkaa mukaan kehittämään tätä!
BlendKit Course: BlendKit Reader: Chapter 4 Course Home | Schedule | Learning Activities | DIY Tasks | Readings | Blogging | Real Time Sessions/Archive Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 Edited by Kelvin Thompson, Ed.D. Portions of the following chapter are adapted from “Teaching Blended Learning Courses” in Best Practices in Online Teaching by Larry Ragan under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license and “New Learners? Questions to Ponder In what experiences (direct or vicarious) will you have students participate during your blended learning course? Content + Assignments = Modules Having given due attention to articulating learning outcomes (Chapter 1) and designing assessments of learning (Chapter 3), it behooves us now to turn to the direct means of facilitating student learning: content and assignments (learning activities). Online materials are central to a blended course’s success, and the students’ work online must be relevant to the in-class activities. Table 1. Technology Affordances
L’annuaire des MOOC Francophones... Késako ? Le site web « Mooc Francophone » est un portail destiné aux cours en ligne ouverts à tous, en langue française. Il a pour vocation d’informer les visiteurs des offres disponibles et de leur proposer un ensemble de critères pour faciliter le choix d’un cours. L’annuaire des MOOC Francophones est né de quelques observations très simples : - Il est difficile de trouver le MOOC sur le web dont on a besoin… - Il n’existe pas d’espace où les offres de cours sont mutualisées… - Il n’existe pas d’espace permettant d’évaluer la qualité des cours en ligne… - Il n’existe pas d’espace pour les retours d’expériences des participants… L’ambition est de contribuer activement à la construction d’un écosystème avec l’ensemble des concepteurs de MOOC (universités, grandes écoles et entreprises) par la diffusion d’un retour d’expérience des participants et des « bonnes pratiques ». Mooc Francophone est totalement indépendant de quelque organisme que ce soit.
In 2012, the biggest changes on the Web were in online education, social networks, and the increasing use of smartphones and tablets. Live and learn: Everybody went mobile in 2012 (or so it seemed), but the most groundbreaking movement on the Web may have been the rise of digital education. For all the attention lavished on the Web’s growth on mobile devices this year, one of the most interesting Internet trends is still best experienced on a desktop computer: online education. The rising cost of higher education (the average bachelor’s degree now costs more than $100,000), combined with increasing access to high-speed Internet service and a desire for more efficient and flexible learning methods, brought new prominence to websites offering free or low-priced courses in everything from programming to literature. Free online code-learning startup Codecademy’s effort to teach novices to code snagged more than 400,000 participants for its weekly lessons in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Another segment of the Web that experienced major changes in 2012 was social networking.
PBL Made Easy With Blended Learning What is Project Based Learning? “Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges. With this type of active and engaged learning, students are inspired to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they’re studying.” Common Characteristics of PBL: Hands onInquiry drivenCollaborativeStudent centeredRelevantTackles real world challengesShared with larger community or audience How is PBL aligned with Common Core? Emphasizes communication Stresses real world relevance Encourages higher-order thinking skills – analysis, synthesis, evaluation & creation! Goals of PBL: Develop flexible knowledge & adaptive expertiseMotivate self-directed learningTeach effective problem solvingDrive inquiryLearn how to communicate & collaborateImprove intrinsic motivationShift to active learning Web 2.o Tools to Support a Blended Approach to PBL: Project based learning by nature takes time. Google search - search engine for finding great information.
untitled The 11 Most Popular Open Online Courses This Is How Students Use School Websites 8.45K Views 0 Likes It's important to have a proper appearance online. So why are there so many unhelpful school websites out there? The 7 Critical Services All Libraries Should Offer 8.78K Views 0 Likes Libraries are changing.