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post from Half an Hour: excellent explanation of how connectivist moocs work, what the difference is between them and x or wrapped moocs and what open is In this presentation Stephen Downes addresses the question of how massive open online courses (MOOCs) will impact the future of distance education. The presentation considers in some detail the nature and purpose of a MOOC in contrast with traditional distance education. He argues that MOOCs represent the resurgence of community-based learning and will describe how distance education institutions will share MOOCs with each other and will supplement online interaction with community-based resources and services. The phenomenon of 'wrapped MOOCs' will be described, and Downes will outline several examples of local support for global MOOCs. 

Benefits of Synchronous and Asynchronous e-Learning Advantages Of Using Both Synchronous and Asynchronous Technologies In An Online Learning Environment. Online learning environments are becoming more frequent in teaching and learning than ever before (Bonk & Zhang, 2006; Er, Özden, & Arifoglu, 2009; Skylar, 2009). Synchronous and asynchronous learning technologies are the two most common online learning types (Hrastinski, 2008; Er et al., 2009; Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). The purpose of this article is to discuss the advantages of using both synchronous and asynchronous technologies in an online learning environment. http://elearningindustry.com/benefits-of-synchronous-and-asynchronous-e-learning #elearning #Synchronous #asynchronous #learning #onlinelearning #distancelearning

As schools and organisations move to remote education, there are potential gaps in our professional learning of which we should be aware. While many of us are discovering fresh opportunities for online and remote professional learning through podcasts, webinars and online courses, one of the most significant aspects of our professional learning has been curtailed thanks to social distancing.

The UK distance learning provides the best kind of education to the students. There are a number of students who opt for education through distance mode.

Enrolling in a distance education course can raise many concerns, with how to do well in an online class being a leading cause of for this anxiety. Avoiding this apprehension requires a good understanding of the process of using the computers during online classes. This also leads to the need for preparation, planning, and developing an understanding one's ability to learn and study.

In a much-debated 1983 essay on distance learning, Richard E. Clark, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Southern California, argued that it was beside the point to ask whether distance education is better or worse than the traditional classroom. The medium isn't the crucial variable, Mr. Clark wrote. What is important is to look at the effectiveness of specific instructional strategies, regardless of how those strategies are delivered. Last week, more than 25 years after Mr. Clark's provocation, the U.S. Department of Education released a report that, at least at first glance, carries a strong message about the medium: Students learn more effectively in online settings. Most powerful of all appear to be "blended" courses that offer both face-to-face and online elements. Previous research has generally found that online and offline courses are equally effective.

I have annotated this quite heavily as very interesting.

Online assessments become more and more popular not only among distance learning institutions but also among blended and traditional schools. However, when it comes to the online environment, it seems that multiple choice tests are used by the majority of distance learning programs…

Distance learning promises anytime, anywhere learning. But that convenience for students comes with a potential risk for educators - finding a way to make sure the registered student is really the person doing the work.

I'm a so-so fan of Skype. I've used it on an infrequent basis and have had more than a few dropped calls. Audio and video alike. However, it's a cheap way to make long distance calls and seems to work better over wi-fi and the video quality is improving on a regular basis. So therefore it's probably a great tool for the classroom. But how can you use Skype to do more than just make calls? Well, there's a pantload of interesting ways! Check out these fun ideas: Collaborate! Meet with other classrooms: One of the most common projects educators utilize Skype for is setting up exchanges with classrooms around the world, usually for cultural exchange purposes or working together on a common assignment. The program's official site provides some great opportunities to meet up with like-minded teachers and students sharing the same goals. Practice a foreign language: Connect with individual learners or classrooms hailing from a different native tongue can use a Skype collaboration to sharpen grammar and pronunciation skills through conversation. Peace One Day: Far beyond classroom collaborations, the Peace One Day initiative teamed up with Skype itself and educators across the globe to teach kids about the importance of ending violence, war, and other social ills. Around the World with 80 Schools: This challenge asks participating schools to hook up with 80 worldwide and report back what all they've learned about other cultures and languages. Talk about the weather: One popular Skype project sees participants from different regions make note of the weather patterns for a specified period of time, with students comparing and contrasting the results. Collaborative poetry: In this assignment, connected classrooms pen poetic pieces together and share them via video conferencing. Practice interviews: The education system frequently receives criticism for its failure to prepare students for the real world, but using Skype to help them run through mock-up

It seems that thanks to COVID19, educators, parents and students are in a rush. It seems the rush started moments after the decision was made to promote social distancing by offering remote learning. From quality learning in classrooms focused on deep learning we shifted into top gear. Packets of work were prepared, online tools rapidly expanded, new options for content delivery were examined and quickly deployed. We wanted to make sure that our students would be kept busy. Parents wanted their children to be busy. - Maybe slow looking is the solution?

This is a subject that deserves some thought. For the most part, online conferences (and online strands of face-to-face) seem to be perceived as (and often subtly created as) alternative to the "real thing" that are inferior but better-than-nothing. Reminds me of the way distance education and online learning (mostly) used to be seen the same way in comparison to their face-to-face counterparts...

This is a subject that deserves some thought. For the most part, online conferences (and online strands of face-to-face) seem to be perceived as (and often subtly created as) alternative to the "real thing" that are inferior but better-than-nothing. Reminds me of the way distance education and online learning (mostly) used to be seen the same way in comparison to their face-to-face counterparts...

Hi impact, curated magazine of articles and professional resources for those interested in e-learning and online teaching. Published by Dennis O'Connor, Program Advisor for the University of Wisconsin Stout E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate Program.

Emerging Web 2.0 technologies are discussed in the perspective of how elearning is evolving into a future dominated by personal learning environments.

Upload, find, and share papers and courses with your students. http://www.money-make.co.cc

In this time of COVID19 and remote learning or emergency distance learning the value of encouraging students to investigate their questions should not be forgotten.

With the current situation and social distancing norms, more organizations are preferring online mode of learning or are looking to convert their existing ILT to eLearning programs. In this blog, I will share few best practices on converting ILT sessions to impactful eLearning to impart knowledge and concepts quickly.