By Heather Kanuka, chapter 4 of Theory and Practice of Online Learning, ed. Terry Anderson, published by Athabasca University, 2E, 2008. The author suggests that, before evaluating whether new e-learning technologies work, it is important to reflect upon philosophies of technology and education.
By Carl J. Jung (2005) in Journal of Developmental Education; 28.3 (2005): 2-11.
Author's Abstract: The guiding premise of this article is that developmental education and learning assistance programs will continue to be undervalued and vulnerable as long as there is no overarching, shared theoretical framework that practitioners can (and want to) call their own. The traditional approach to addressing this theory crisis has been to import theories from outside the field. This article presents an alternative approach. Advantages and benefits of a practice-oriented approach are identified and briefly discussed. Full text by subscription. Check with your local library.
This is a link to the TOC on the National Center for Developmental Education's website.
With a presence both on the internet and on TV (PBS), Teaching Channel calls itself a "showcase" of "inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools." The organization's mission "is to revolutionize how teachers learn, connect, and inspire each other to improve the outcomes for all K-12 students across America." Browse videos by subject, grade level or topic (all from the left-hand navigation). In addition, there is a blog. Users are encouraged to subscribe, and the Teachers space is also organized by subject and grade-level, as well as by roles. The site also provides a workspace.
Posted by Shelley Wright, on the website Powerful Learning Practice: Professional Development for 21st Century Educators, Oct 8 2012. In this post, Wright describes how she no longer adheres to the model of the "flipped"classroom because she has learned to fully use student-centered and project-based learning models. She carefully describes the differences between the two, as well as giving an overview of how -- at semester's end -- her chemistry students learned 10 new concepts in 8 weeks.
Website offering a library of over 2,400 educational videos covering everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history and 150 practice exercises.
AH offered Khan Academy exercises to students as an alternative to homework. In many cases, those who took the Khan option in parallel to their classroom work really improved.
Website of the online journal, published at Bowling Green State University. The journal publishes on the theoretical and the practical, as well as articles covering professional development and reviews of relevant products/apps.
By Belinda Allen and Kathryn Coleman (both of University of New South Wales), proceedings of ascilite 2011 conference, Australia, December 2011. ascilite is the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education. "The paper explores creativity as a graduate capability, the creative potential of digital media, and how changing directions in assessment practice could support the assessment of creativity, with a focus on using eportfolios in assessment." Full text, as PDF, available on this page.
By Kevin Carey, Commentary in The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 11, 2011. Community Colleges will now have an opportunity to vie for a top prize. "The Aspen Institute is awarding the first annual Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, with the winner and up to three runners-up sharing in the $1-million prize fund." Among the 10 finalists, Aspen Institute's evaluators conducted site visits and looked closely at employment outcomes, teaching practices and student learning. "The best community colleges, they found, were focused and intentional when it came to structuring the learning experience."
"Learning is at the center of higher education. It is an essential part of the mission of all colleges and universities. The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) is a community of higher education institutions and organizations committed to advancing learning through information technology (IT) innovation. ELI is a strategic initiative of EDUCAUSE. While EDUCAUSE serves those interested in advancing higher education through technology, ELI specifically explores innovative technologies and practices that advance learning. As these innovations mature, ELI works with the larger EDUCAUSE community to integrate them into the higher education mainstream."
Website run by Skip Downing, author of On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life. The site provides practical applications of the On Course principles (free of charge). Strategies are designed with the goal of empowering students to become active, responsible learners. There are links to descriptions of workshops and to registration options.
DM refers to this book in this introduction (in reference to his teaching principles), including the ideal that "Effective teaching encourages faculty-student interactions, encourages student-student engagement, provides prompt feedback, and communicates high expectations."
Impact evaluations are important because they provide evidence about what works and does not work. It looks at what caused the improvement, or lack there of.
This article from the Center for Effective Philanthropy talks about evaluation from the policy, practice, as well as philanthropy perspective.
Developmental Education - Beyond Remediation through Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction. "The purpose of the Summer Institute is to give those who work with developmental students the theory and practical applications to improve the success, retention, and persistence rates of their students."
By Jean Marie Linhart, posted 2009. Outlines the idea that, if you are struggling at something, it is best to practice it regularly for 15 minutes/day. Application to math homework is included.
By Jean Marie Linhart, posted in 2009. Linhart argues that learning to do math is like training for a marathon: it takes regular practice. The 15 minute rule (cited here) is bookmarked separately - click linhart tag.
Presented by the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University, this guide provides excellent resources to a wide range of cooperative learning publications, from a guide (Students Working in Small Groups) to key articles on the topic. There are two case studies, provided by instructors who have adopted some cooperative learning practices in the classroom.
Originally bookmarked by Brenda. By Terry Anderson. Chapter 2 of The theory and practice of online learning, ed Terry Anderson, published by Athabasca University, 2E, 2008. In this chapter, Anderson looks at learning theories generally, in order to look at and develop more useful theories of online learning.