"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."
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.
"Join Kathy Craven and Emily Wray, faculty from Full Sail University, for an interactive session exploring the art and science of digital storytelling. Learn how to facilitate these dynamic projects in an online classroom - from scripting and story boarding to production and publishing. Learn to use collaborative web-based tools and countless free resources to develop a practical production model for engaging your students' creativity and critical thinking skills.
The NMC Horizon Connect Webinar series is free for Higher Ed and K-12 NMC members throughout the year. Non-members pay $99 per webinar. If you are not a member, learn how to become a Higher Ed or K-12 NMC member here and join before you register.
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"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."
"logster EDU is the leading global education platform for the creative expression of knowledge and skills in the classroom and beyond. We empower educators and students with the technology to create GLOGS - online multimedia posters - with text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds, drawings, data attachments and more."