Student support and faculty development for online learners and instructors comes in many forms. On this web site you will find research, articles and links to resources for student support services and faculty development.
|
|
| Online Student Services and Faculty Development Student support and faculty development for online learners and instructors comes in many forms. On this web site you will find research, articles and links to resources for student support services and faculty development. |
|
|
Tuesday, January 17, 2006  
posted by Anita |
Saturday, January 14, 2006 Outcomes of an Online Immersion by Kristen A. Renn & Dawn M. Zeligman, Journal of College Student Development 46.5 (2005) 547-555. The topics of technology in higher education and online teaching/learning have for many years received increased attention among higher education researchers. Research on student learning abounds with examples of the ways in which technology is influencing teaching and learning in higher education (e.g., Lewis, Coursol, & Khan, 2001; Twigg, 2004). Ways that computers, in particular, have changed faculty and student attitudes, behaviors, and identities have received increasing attention (e.g., Arabasz, Pirani, & Fawcett, 2003; Tapscott, 1998), and a parallel body of research has emerged on how higher education administrators are responding to these changes (e.g., Distance Learning Task Force [DLTF], 2000; Green, 2003). It seems clear that whether students earn degrees completely online, participate in a combination of face-to-face (F2F) and online courses, or take courses that are hybrid F2F/online formats, they will continue to require an array of student services (Barratt, 2001; Broughton, 2000; Schwitzer, Ancis, & Brown, 2001; WCET, 2003). Recent research (Bowman & Cuyjet, 1999; Kretovics, 2003) has shown, however, that the individuals charged with providing student services in face-to-face settings—typically student affairs professionals—are not being well prepared to deal with the challenges of integrating technology and online learners into their work. Although scholars and practitioners have called for increased attention to technology in preparation programs (Baier, 1994; Bowman & Cuyjet; DLTF, 2000; Engstrom, 1997; Kretovics, 2002, 2003), the... posted by Anita | Quality Standards in eLearning: A Matrix of Analysis Although there are many reasons why students dropout of college courses, those reasons may be unique for students who are enrolled in an online program. Issues of isolation, disconnectedness, and technological problems may be factors that influence a student to leave a course. To understand these factors, an online survey was developed to collect data from students who dropped out of an online program. Logistic regression analysis was used to compare various factors between those who persist in the program and those who dropout. The results, based on the dropouts from three cohorts in an online graduate program, show that demographic variables do not predict likelihood of dropping from a program. Instead, the students’ reasons for dropping out of an online program are varied and unique to each individual. Recommendations for further study are incorporated in the conclusions. posted by Anita | Friday, February 20, 2004 Using Asynchronous Learning in Redesign: Reaching and Retaining the At-Risk Student Many students who begin postsecondary education drop out before completing a degree. According to the Lumina Foundation, an estimated 60 percent of students at public institutions fail to complete degrees within five years, and half of these students leave during the freshman year. As shown by research by the Policy Center on the First Year of College at Brevard College (NC) and others, the first year of college is the most critical to a college student's success and to degree completion. posted by Anita | Wednesday, September 24, 2003 The Role of Student Affairs in Distance Education: Cyber-Services or Virtual Communities As distance education technology enables institutions of higher education to offer courses to students throughout the country, it is important for student affairs to offer opportunities for these students to connect with the institution. This article reviews the relevant literature on distance education and discusses differences between providing cyber-services and creating virtual communities for these students. posted by Anita | Monday, July 21, 2003 Barriers to Learning in Distance Education Jill M. Galusha Distance learning is an excellent method of reaching the adult learner. Because of the competing priorities of work, home, and school, adult learners desire a high degree of flexibility. The structure of distance learning gives adults the greatest possible control over the time, place and pace of education; however, it is not without problems. Loss of student motivation due to the lack of face-to-face contact with teachers and peers, potentially prohibitive startup costs, and lack of faculty support are all barriers to successful distance learning. This literature review explores distance learning and its barriers. The Infrastruction Network FD posted by Anita | Tuesday, July 15, 2003 Assessing Teaching Presence in a Computer Conferencing Context by Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, Archer This paper presents a tool developed for the purpose of assessing teaching presence in online courses that make use of computer conferencing, and preliminary results from the use of this tool. The method of analysis is based on Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's [1] model of critical thinking and practical inquiry in a computer conferencing context. The concept of teaching presence is constitutively defined as having three categories - design and organization, facilitating discourse, and direct instruction. Indicators that we search for in the computer conference transcripts identify each category. Pilot testing of the instrument reveals interesting differences in the extent and type of teaching presence found in different graduate level online courses. JALN FD posted by Anita | Thursday, July 10, 2003 A Cross Sectional Review of Theory and Research in Distance Education The field of distance education is a dynamic field which includes a growing body of research. The field of distance education raises many questions which encompass the spectrum of human and technological questions of interest to those of us who practice various forms of distance education. As doctoral students in the field of distance education, we were interested in developing a systematic approach for studying the current problems in this diverse field. We organized the literature into the seven research categories of research including conceptualization, learners and learning, technology and designing instruction for distance education, faculty in distance education, policy, administration and management, institutional contexts, and international contexts. We then each searched the literature and prepared annotated bibliographies for selected research within each category. We then selected a series of articles which we deemed appropriate and comprehensive. Many of the article that were chosen have been seen as useful both administrators in higher education and secondary education. Journal of Distance Learning Administration FD posted by Anita | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||
|
|||||
