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"Published March 21, 2013 Kelly A. Lack As online courses continue to gain in popularity at colleges and universities throughout the country, knowledge about the effectiveness of this mode of instruction, relative to that of traditional, face-to-face courses, becomes increasingly important. A 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Education provides a meta-analysis of studies published up to 2008, examining the relative effectiveness of the different delivery formats in helping various populations of students learn different types of course content. This Ithaka S+R literature review complements that effort. It examines several studies that are not included in the DOE report, focusing on research that compares online or hybrid learning to face-to-face instruction in the context of semester-length, undergraduate-level, credit-bearing courses. The review yields little evidence to support broad claims that online or hybrid learning is significantly more effective or significantly less effective than courses taught in a face-to-face format, while also highlighting the need for further studies on this topic. The value of research of this kind will only grow as even more sophisticated, interactive online systems continue to be developed, and as the current budgetary constraints and enrollment pressures on postsecondary institutions strengthen the case for improving productivity."

AUGMENTED REALITY FOR INTERPRETIVE AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING The goal of the ARIEL project is the creation of an exhibit platform that uses scientific visualization techniques to transform modern visitor interaction with traditional hands-on exhibits. The project will ultimately demonstrate an innovative solution to a key problem faced by science centers: the reinvention of the exhibit experience for visitors with changing 21st century learning expectations. The project has three main goals: to increase awareness of STEM content; improve 21st century learning skills; produce an evidence-based model for use of augmented reality activities within science museum settings. The project combines technological and pedagogical components in the AR fixed-station activities and the VR environment that exhibit multiple characteristics and constraints to engagement.

"Jeremy Bailenson, who leads Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction lab, says that approach breaks new ground. Communication in virtual worlds has long been limited, he says, by a gap between how realistic an avatar could look and how realistically it could behave. "Second Life had fairly realistic faces, but there was no to way to control them," he says. "High Fidelity has solved that problem." When he recently tried Rosedale's technology, "the experience I got was 'It really feels like there's another person here,'" Bailenson says."

"Abstract Competency-based education (CBE) awards academic credit based on mastery of clearly defined competencies. CBE replaces the conventional model in which time is fixed and learning is variable with a model in which the time is variable and the learning is fixed. CBE is built around clearly defined competencies and measurable learning objectives that demonstrate mastery of those competencies. Measuring learning by competency is not new, but various challenges facing higher education, combined with new models and technologies, have brought a new focus on CBE. A growing number of competency-based programs have been developed at all levels of instruction. CBE capitalizes on the potential of online learning, enabling new models that can reduce both the cost and time needed to earn credentials while better preparing students for their professional lives. The 7 Things You Should Know About... series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues."

"Speakers: Malcolm Brown, Director, EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Andy Calkins, Deputy Director, Next Generation Learning Challenges George Siemens, Associate Director, Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute, Athabasca University Date: November 20, 2012 Time: 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET (UTC-5); convert to your time zone Topic: This free hour-long webinar, "The Current and Future State of Higher Education," will outline an open online course, conducted in fall 2012, that evaluated the change pressures that face universities and the opportunities that can help universities prepare for the future state of higher education."

The creation of the Office of the Vice Provost for Online Learning - part of the larger Stanford Online initiative - signals both a restructuring of the university and its dedication to ensuring pedagogical agility and rigor in the face of global, economic and social transformations.

Anki is a program which makes remembering things easy. Because it's a lot more efficient than traditional study methods, you can either greatly decrease your time spent studying, or greatly increase the amount you learn. Anyone who needs to remember things in their daily life can benefit from Anki. Since it is content-agnostic and supports images, audio, videos and scientific markup (via LaTeX), the possibilities are endless. For example: Learning a language Studying for medical and law exams Memorizing people's names and faces Brushing up on geography Mastering long poems Even practicing guitar chords!"