Group items tagged

"I'd say the biggest observation I've come across in the last couple weeks, is that the online co-learning model breaks down the barriers of the traditional teacher/student relationship. Collaborating, sharing, and building ideas and understanding through open discuss instead bland lecture (here's the information, learn it, regurgitate it for a test). Creating the open platform to express ideas, and then expand upon them with easy reference to the information on the web (i.e., youtube videos, spotify, etc.). The responsibility then lies with each of us (student and teacher) to clearly express our meaning, intention, interpretation, and understanding of material, and back it up with an openness to build on criticism, and defend our viewpoint. And as we've discussed, they, the students, have full ownership of their work, so they may use it for future reference, when needed. In a way, it's like what Beethoven, Debussy, and punk rock have done with music. Each in their own right said, screw the "rules" I'm going to create the music I feel is necessary. The music inside me." h/t to Joyce

Yes, I just bookmarked my own blog post...

What sunshine is to flowers: A literature review on the use of emoticons to support online learning http://t.co/cPpZmX1yRE - Patrick Lowenthal (@plowenthal) February 3, 2015

"Both of these courses appear to be information centric. Learning objectives appear to be pre-defined, which implies that there isn't much variation to the students' work and learning experience. Based on their goals, I do not think students will be very engaged. Both courses seem to be educating about the past rather than teaching how to apply things in the future. " h/t David C

Dr. Michelle Miller draws from her research in neuroscience and cognitive psychology and shows us how to facilitate learning for minds online.

As new technologies allow digital lessons to be tailored to various learning styles, a growing number of programs are evolving to enable students with disabilities to take online courses created with their needs in mind.

More recently, researchers have begun to adapt the model to better understand the how the connection between face-to-face and online learning might boost potential of hybrid formats to function as interactive communities of inquiry

USA Today, "The place where the video game was invented more than 50 years ago now wants to teach teachers, entrepreneurs and students how to design games for learning - and it is hoping that the end result will be a new kind of tech tool for the classroom." The VCU ALT Lab now has an area for the exploration of games as a means of learning. The MIT online courses might be a good springboard for conversation and experiments in the ALTLab.

Creating a sense of community in the classroom and making meaningful student-faculty interactions can help curb retention issues in higher ed.

""We recommend that the assistant secretary require the Higher Learning Commission to reevaluate competency-based education programs previously proposed by schools to determine whether interaction between faculty and students will be regular and substantive," the report said, "and, if not, determine whether the programs should have been classified as correspondence programs.""

"It seems disruption is hard when poor people insist on existing. Thrun has the right to fail. That's just business. But he shouldn't have the right to fail students like those at San Jose State and the public universities that serve them for the sake of doing business."