Science topic

eLearning in Higher Education - Science topic

Explore the latest questions and answers in eLearning in Higher Education, and find eLearning in Higher Education experts.
Questions related to eLearning in Higher Education
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
66 answers
What are your thoughts on the growing popularity of online degrees, such as online MBA and online DBA? Do you think there is an increasing trend of online degrees? Is it a good or bad idea to take an online degree program? Please explain.
Relevant answer
Answer
I agree with the point of view of Prof. Ingrid Del Valle García Carreño
In addition as a secondary degree for non-digital natives is great, particularly a master's degree in new LMS technologies and learning and teaching techniques, Prof. Pongsakorn Limna
I had the pleasure to ta take for free a diploma in the design of virtual learning environments sponsored by foundation Carlos Slim in Mexico City, it was great for me.
Best Regards.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
46 answers
What kind of scientific research dominate in the field of Determinants of e-learning development?
Please, provide your suggestions for a question, problem or research thesis in the issues: Determinants of e-learning development.
Please reply.
I invite you to the discussion
Thank you very much
Best wishes
Relevant answer
Answer
The quality of former distance education models is the prototype of e-learning development; besides excellent teaching materials to master the basic facts of a subject via a rigorous (self-) testing system (now possible with automatic repetition), communication of the learner with a good teacher and a small learning group is essential. The main danger of e-learning and remote work is social isolation, which depends on environmental factors, e.g. place of living, single or not, with family or not, quality of the apartment, etc.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
244 answers
Dear RG community,
I would like to open this thread in order to have some feedback gain about the importance of creating and developing a virtual teaching portfolio (VTP).
According to Wikipedia [1] an Electronic portfolio - EP has the following definition, I unquote:
"An electronic portfolio (also known as a digital portfolio, online portfolio, e-portfolio, e-folio, or eFolio) is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web. Such electronic evidence may include input text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression. If they are online, users can maintain them dynamically over time."
In this thread, we aim to understand the differences between a virtual teaching portfolio-VTP and a scholar blog-SB where not only we share written documentation---but also learning and teaching experiences, becomes crucial for a teacher`s career.
Thank you all.
Relevant answer
Answer
The big ideas behind micro-credentials by T. Blackman at The Open University & K. Jona at Northeastern University, Sep. 2021.
Two experts in flexible learning programs discuss the evolution and adoption of alternative teaching models and credentials in higher education.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
299 answers
I would like to open this thread for the RG community to discuss.
According to Wikipedia commons, "Open learning" is an innovative movement in education that emerged in the 1970s and evolved into several fields of practice & study, either enhancing learning opportunities or broadening learning opportunities. Open learn as a learning technique has been very well established by some universities around the world, please check:
On the other hand, "Education 4.0" is a new term coined to another term, "the 4th industrial revolution" aiming at transforming education using advanced tech & project-based learning (https://www.creatrixcampus.com/blog/Education-4.0) & it looks like a lot of money is giving to it (https://educationfour.com/)
also, check for more information: Salmon, G. (2019), May the Fourth Be with You: Creating Education 4.0. Journal of Learning for Development, 6(1), 95-115.
According to open Learning create, the term came into use in 2017, and it has been gaining attention in some learning & teaching communities.
Thank you all for your participation, the forum is open to all & I hope that the thread will be useful for eLearning communities.
Relevant answer
Answer
The issue of flipped classroom as an Open Learning methodology is discussed in the following external publication:
Do You Use Flipped Classroom But the Students Don't Read? by C. Zermeño Sep 13, 2021, from the observatory.tec.mx blog.
https://observatory.tec.mx/edu-bits-2/use-flipped-classroom-but-students-dont-read
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
46 answers
Dear Scholars
I would like to have a reference to an authoritative or relatively well-established definition of "online education" or "online teaching" or "e-learning". I also look for definition of related terms, such as "hybrid teaching" and "distant education", "distance learning", etc.
I looked at UNESCO documents to find a kind of international set of definitions, but I couldn't find any. Does anyone have a reference or a source?
Many thanks.
Relevant answer
Answer
Journal of Business Theory and Practice ISSN 2372-9759 (Print) ISSN 2329-2644 (Online) Vol. 8, No. 1, 2020 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/jbtp 1 Original Paper Online Preparation for the Remote Global Workforce
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
29 answers
We are preparing the new ERASMUS + project (2017 - 2020) aiming at CLIL application into lectures, seminars at universities, colleges to support internationalization of Higher Education. We are looking for partners from EU universities with diverse level of internationalization of education. The experienced ones who can provide some experience and essential competences required at the pre-phase, implementation phase and running phase of providing content courses in non-mother tongue. We would like to invite to cooperate also those ones without having any experience of CLIL application into education on Tertiary level of education. If you are interested in such project work, let me know in your reply to this question. Thank you.
Relevant answer
Answer
Yes, Prof. Ľ. Hurajová
Now more than ever, due to the CoV issue. eLearning & Internationalization in higher education can also help the most disadvantaged countries in the world.
Best Regards.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
18 answers
Does anyone have, or know where I might get a comparison of the threaded discussion features among popular learning management systems? By "features" I am thinking about threading, adaptive release, email from thread, push notifications for posts, etc.
Relevant answer
Answer
Moodle for learning journals & discussion forums, both used as graded assignments, Prof. Barbara Miller Hall.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
9 answers
Dear colleagues,
I used to use Kahoot! to start classes/topics in a flipped-classroom-course and students as well as me found it very helpful to identify topics to discuss further in class. However, now you have to pay for it to do so- since it is not even possible to link to learning-management-systems as Moodle, this policy-change was a good point to look out for something new.
What do you use? What could you recommend and what not? Which tools are, especially in context of GDPR(-hysteria), useful?
THANK YOU!
Stefanie
Relevant answer
Answer
H5P has recently integrated a plugin using HTML5 APIs in Moodle.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
20 answers
  • What features the universities of the future will have?
  • What should be done by professors, administrative staff and university leadership to be prepared for the future?
Distinguished colleagues,
I need your professional opinion. I will be highly appreciated for your answers and comments!
Thank you in advance!
Best regards,
Dr. Vardan Atoyan
Relevant answer
I believe that by then, there will no longer be large buildings for universities to exist. There will be less presence and more contact with the real world. I hope that by that year there will be no more collectors of scientific articles.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
22 answers
Please note that I do not ask about the "absolute basic features", such as providing access to lecture materials (slides, exercises) or the chance to incorporate one or more forums. I am more interested in additions that you think are important for supporting students and/or teachers.
Relevant answer
Answer
Prof. Guido Rößling: H5P for tests and quizzes; save & restore options; and 2 advanced options: adaptive learning & workshops for peer assessment.
In addition, free 4 MOOCs for teachers and administrators taught by the creators with the Moodle teaching philosophy.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
79 answers
How do new information technologies implemented in the didactic processes, advanced information processing technologies change and modernize the education process at universities?
Please reply
I invite you to the discussion
Thank you very much
Best wishes
Relevant answer
Answer
Standardised online teaching at the global level
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
16 answers
The Internet has been developing only for 3 decades becoming the main global information medium and the environment for creating new types of websites and innovative, technological startups that are successful in business if they offer attractive information services. Examples of companies that initially as startups and now as large technology companies have achieved spectacular business successes are corporations offering Internet information and marketing services in the environment of created and developed social media portals.
Currently, there are many, at least several dozen globally operating social media portals, several of which have gained a large, minimum percentage or larger share in the market of information and marketing internet services. Globally, these markets are dominated by several social media portals that have specialized in a specific profile of information and / or information offered to a particular segment of Internet users. Social media portals dominating globally include: Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest and others. Among the Internet users, the largest segment of the recipients of information services for social media portals are young people, many of whom are still students of primary and secondary schools as well as students studying at universities. As a result, social media portals used as a communication medium by students are increasingly becoming an instrument supporting the learning process.
Due to the above, the dynamic development of social media portals on the Internet is currently underway. For young people using smartphones, social media portals are one of the main sources of information. Probably the next stage in the development of social media portals will be the implementation of artificial intelligence to these portals and to search engines and the creation of applications of the type of interactive advisors on individual Internet information pages. New technologies of computerized, advanced information processing, technologies typical for the current fourth technological revolution, known as Industry 4.0, are increasingly integrating and functioning in the Internet environment.
The current technological revolution, known as Industry 4.0, is determined by the development of the following technologies of advanced information processing: Big Data database technologies, cloud computing, machine learning, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, Business Intelligence and other advanced data mining technologies. These technologies are successively implemented to developed social media portals. Due to the development of applications of these advanced information processing technologies, new types of computerized teaching instruments are created in educational processes, and educational systems also undergo technological transformation and Education 4.0 is defined.
Do you agree with my opinion on this matter?
Therefore, I am asking you the following questions:
- Does the development of social media portals affect educational processes in schools and universities?
- How will education change in the future due to the development of smart social media portals?
- How can this development affect education, pedagogy and education in the future?
Please reply
I invite you to the discussion
Thank you very much
Best wishes
Relevant answer
Answer
Social media has become an integral tool for medical societies, hospitals, and advocacy groups. These groups are using social media to engage, teach, and connect, and they play an important role in providing accurate, vetted health information. In addition, organizations have realized that encouraging live-tweeting or blogging of conferences provides opportunities for wide dissemination of content... Sutherland, S., & Jalali, A. (2017). Social media as an open-learning resource in medical education: current perspectives. Advances in medical education and practice, 8, 369.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
7 answers
Any suggestions would be welcome.
Relevant answer
Answer
The answer to your question anchors on the use of Camtasia Studio, Animate Studio, Pinnacle Studio, Adobe Premier Studio or Window Movie Marker for multimedia creation. Usually , creating a scientific video required a careful planned storyboarding with effects that are synchronize able with activities of the storyline. ultimately , any of the Multimedia software listed above can perform the task perfectly , what really makes the difference is your skill for manipulation of the media elements with careful planned effects.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
4 answers
Academic voice in this context refers to the learner becoming independent and competent academics in their own right.
Relevant answer
Following
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
6 answers
Connectivism is a hypothesis of learning which emphasizes the role of social and cultural context. In this sense, Connectivism proposes to see knowledge's structure as a network and learning as a process of pattern recognition. AlDahdouh, A. A.; Osório, A. J. & Caires, S (2015). "Understanding knowledge network, learning and connectivism" (PDF). International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.
Relevant answer
I agree with Alaa Aldahdouh
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
8 answers
Microlessons -an animated presentation, interactive and ICT based in instructions
Relevant answer
I agree with Luis Rodrigo Barba Guamán
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
28 answers
What is the best approach to conduct final exams for engineering students, electrical and electronic engineering to be specific, during COVID-19? It should be considered that students come from different countries and some of them have traveled back to their countries. Online exams using Moodle, for instance, can be done, but there are several issues with this approach:
  1. Students can search for answers online or communicate with each other to solve questions.
  2. Some students might have Internet connectivity issues during the period of the exam.
  3. Different time-zones issues.
What kind of approach did your university follow?
Relevant answer
Answer
Dear colleague,
I work at a distance learning university in Darmstadt, Germany. As you know from the news, public life in Germany has been largely shut down. We offer our students the opportunity to write a term paper as a substitute for exams that can normally be taken at our university or at 28 external examination locations. The time required for the respective substitute work is approximately 10 hours. Maybe such a substitute performance is a reasonable alternative for the students at your university. The papers must be sent electronically to the respective lecturer via our online campus by the students on a given date. The lecturer corrects the papers within a well-defined period of ten days.
Stay healthy and all the best
Ruediger G. Ballas
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
37 answers
Distinguished colleagues,
I am going to update my methods of delivering lectures at university. Any publication link or comments on this regard will be highly appreciated!
Thank you in advance!
Best regards,
Dr. Vardan Atoyan
Relevant answer
Answer
I agreed with Jose, beside depends of the courses also the participant (initial or intermediate or advance), in my opinion, Integrated and interactive approach in learning process, collaborate of Active, creative, effective and enjoyable learning. You may try kind of teaching method (materials) some of ideas refer to your objective or purpose, example: story telling or gaming or quiz. Well good luck on your project..Cheers
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
60 answers
Distinguished colleagues,
I need your professional opinion for my ongoing research.
Thank you in advance!
Regards,
Dr. Vardan Atoyan
Relevant answer
Answer
Using worldwide (globally) new teaching methods such as competency-based learning technics.
You see Dear Dr Atoyan: There is a gap among different universities, some use new learning techniques such as the one I mentioned, but many other univ. only use old fashioned learning.
Thank you for this interesting question. Regards.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
2 answers
Learners are made to create their profiles and their contextual information is stored at server end. This information is updated by learner, whenever learner makes an attempt to access learning content sequential role mining comes into major role to help extracting some behavioral patterns from the database.
Relevant answer
Answer
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
7 answers
one key criterion is Higher number of good research publication from institute .Getting higher research publication in best journals, is a long time taking and gradual process ?
Relevant answer
Answer
I think a great read on the effect of university rankings on institutional practices is by Wendy Espeland and co-author, see their newest book Engines of Anxiety: Academic Rankings, Reputation, and Accountability (with Michael Sauder). It's a huge study of how ranking of law schools in the US affects their practices, also taking into account differences in the reputation of the institutions. Many of the findings could be relevant for other cases of HE league tables, depending on the stakes these rankings have. For law schools the stakes turn to be very high, as the research explains.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
16 answers
Are we  not compromising with the ethics and essence of  Higher education ?
Relevant answer
Answer
'In my humble opinion, the best way to look at the quality of higher education of a given institute is to look into how the graduates "the product" have performed in their places of work after they left the institution "the factory".
The later success of alumni is to a limited extent determined by the place that their university occupies in the 'social hierarchy'. Rankings definitely determine that place in the hierarchy. It is therefore not just the quality of the graduate that counts.'..
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
7 answers
include everything that enhance the use of LMS
Relevant answer
Answer
Some useful publications that gives you more information. 
URL1: Towards an Enhanced Learning Management System for Blended Learning in
Higher Education Incorporating Distinct Learners’ Profiles
URL2 : HIGHER EDUCATION FACULTY USE OF A LEARNING
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES
URL3: Why Blended Learning Is Better
 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
14 answers
ATT, I am working on a project trying to crack the problem - Have been in blended-learning for 12 years now. Let me know your thoughts if you are also interested in the topic.
Relevant answer
Answer
Hi! Many wise words. However, one aspect has interested me more than other in this. We can call it "social investment". People see a cool and more or less "free" course on the Internet and register for participation,  and don't even tell their family about it. The coirse starts, and it was a lot more work than expected, and the obligations of work life and family wins. It is also easy to drop out, just don't login. But the experience can be positive anyway, and starting over next time is easy. 
I (and co-authors) have tried an unconventional blended design for a group of untraditional learners in the village of Arvidsjaur in Nortern Sweden. We chose a course, marketed it locally and arranged a learner-driven "study-circle" with weekly evening meetings for internal support. Study circles are a traditional way of civic learning in Sweden, and now we combined the asynchronous with the synchronoues, the global with the local, the somewaht unpersonal with hte very social. It worked well, all finished, and a Swedish university then examined their learning outcomes and gave them Swedish university credits as for a commissioned course. The model is in continued use at learning centres in Northern Sweden. This paper was part of my recent dissertation. The paper is attached. 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
22 answers
Some of the most current arguments that promote the postgraduate as a process of continuous updating of the labor competencies in the present society of the knowledge
Relevant answer
Answer
As an employer, I always looked at what the applicant had accomplished since they had graduated. This is true in academics as well. Do you have just a degree or have you published, presented, taught, or added to your skills. 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
69 answers
I am sure that everyone would agree that the students' experiences are different in the classroom compared to online learning.  These experiences, of course, depend greatly on the pedagogy and instructional design.....
But can we generalize that one is better than the other?  If so, what can we do to improve the one that is not as good?
Relevant answer
Answer
In my experience, covering two decades, including helping to create the first virtual high school in the US, there's a strong bond created in the online learning environment.  We consistently hear both students and teachers tell us they know their counterparts better in their online course than in any of their F2F courses.  It's all in the design.  Some designs both in F2F and online don't contribute to creating a personal connection, while others do.  There's not a singular model.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
102 answers
Various disruptive technologies have affected teaching learning process. . In view of this , can we contemplate role for teachers, especially in higher education? He/she should be a coach, facilitator, technology savvy etc. What else can we visualize?
Relevant answer
Answer
The most prominent role for teachers, professors, and instructors is as mentor and cheerleader. They spark and expand imagination, and bring tools and resources for their students. Technology represents a tremendous expansion of resources and databases. But they do not replace the vital attributes of a teacher. 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
8 answers
What are the ICT applications are available for the visually impaired persons and which is most suitable?
Relevant answer
Answer
paper "En Peng, Patrick Peursum, Ling Li, Svetha VenkateshAffiliated with
Department of Computing, Curtin University of Technology" by Lilit Hakobyan, (Hons)a, , jo Lumsden, Dympna O’Sullivan, Hannah Bartlett
It is a good paper for reviewing what had been done and what are the potentials
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
10 answers
I am searching for PALS: a scale to measure academics' learning goal orientation (mastery, performance-approach goals, and performance-avoidance goals).
I already found PALS for students and teachers in schools. These scale are useful but not exactly what I want. What I need is a scale which administered in universities context and measures academics' goal orientation for learning NOT for teaching.
Relevant answer
Answer
The PALS does not have such scales. Look at Ruth Butler's Teaching Goal Orientation scales. They have been administered among K-12 teachers, but you can modify them to fit the university context. See:
Butler, R. (2007). Teachers' achievement goal orientations and associations with teachers' help seeking: Examination of a novel approach to teacher motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 241.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
7 answers
Does anyone have any suggestions for questions or measurements that would allow me to evaluate how student's goal language match the construction of an online course? For example: Do students have a focus on time - managing time, limits of time, discuss their goals in terms of time?  Do they focus on the tools - taking a quiz, submitting an assignment?
I am particularly interested in capturing the student's language/intent before they see the course in the study.
Relevant answer
Answer
James,  I am thinking more and more that I will need to design a metric and "goodness of fit" is sounding like what I'm looking for.  I think this does have merit in relationship to what I'm looking at.  I look forward to seeing what you have an building form there.  Thank you!
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
173 answers
Several years ago, I ran a debate with one of my professors at Education Department about human working memory. He insisted that technology has ruined human memory; many people rely more and more on their mobiles and laptops instead of their own memories. He also presented some research evidence showing that.
At that time, it was hard for me to accept this idea. I argued that human is a clever being. If tools or technologies would help us to save our memories, then is it logical to kick these technologies out or even reduce our usage of them because they harm our memories? However, my opinion was not supported by a solid theory. Cognitivism and Constructivism clearly state that our inner memories are important in a learning process.
This debate has carved in my mind and the case was not closed, at least for me. Recently, we have investigated some of new learning theories. Among a long list, we visited Actor-Network Theory, Community of Practice, and Connectivism. And to be honest, I found Connectivism wide enough to answer my question and to build upon. Knowledge is a network and learning is a process of finding patterns reside in this network. Inside or outside human skull, it does not matter.
This is not to end the discussion; actually, it is to open it. Are you with or against of proposing new learning theory? Our understanding of knowledge network, learning and Connectivism presented in this paper.
Relevant answer
Answer
This article by George Siemens (2004) may interest you:
Connectivism: A learning Theory for digital Age
There is a more recent article by Terry Anderson and Jon Dron (2011).
The authors examine “The three generations of cognitive-behaviourist, social constructivist, and connectivist pedagogy are examined, using the familiar community of inquiry model (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) with its focus on social, cognitive, and teaching presences” (Extracted from the abstract).
As stated by many responses that technology changes the pace and method of teaching, learning including our lifestyle and new laws need to be established in accordance to our digital environment. Winston and Edelbach (2011) theorize that the world is now experiencing a technological revolution. The authors state that the predecessor of the technological revolution was the industrial revolution, which followed the earlier agricultural revolution. The industrial and agricultural revolutions had longer lifespans than the technological revolution, in which new technologies have a shorter lifecycle and faster pace of change.
I believe that constructivism constructs knowledge in cognitive stages, and pragmatism builds knowledge on learners’ past experiences. Pragmatists may possess past relevant technological knowledge that may be useful to conduct research on the complexities of online learning. I argue that the learning paradigm shift follows the cycle of constructivism, social constructivism, and then pragmatism. The cycle will go back to social constructivism when a new demarcation point for learning process is integrated, which includes all the influential factors, such as technological tools.
Finally, I do agree that new learning theories should be proposed. You have posed an interesting discussion question. 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
19 answers
The rise of online and blended learning formats prompted the production of online materials in the virtual learning environment. But, is the quality of the these materials being checked by departments in institutions before these are uploaded for use by students? What has been the experience in your institution regarding assuring quality of online learning materials? Your feedback is much appreciated.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
6 answers
The analysis if focused mainly on the developing countries in Central Asia. If you have any research result in the domain, I will cite them in my report.
Relevant answer
Answer
skills to pose clear questions, skills to communicate via emails, skills to present in a proper way your work/interests, skills to do search, etc
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
17 answers
I am studying in educational sciences so I would like to hear from the experts in the field of social sciences. I would like to study the relationship between Learning Styles and student's socialization: how the student react with his teachers/parents/fellows/friends in Higher Education.
Any help will be highly appreciated to find the instrument/inventory/questionnaire that has been proved to be valid and widely accepted in the field.
Relevant answer
Answer
Alaa, I understand that You want to measure the student's socialization. To this, I believe you should observe how a participant or non-participant the day by day and write your impressions in a notebook (field diary). The interations can be displayed. You can create a table with a socialization's level. Questionaires or interviews can to help you. They'd be auxiliar's tools.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
56 answers
Studies in Learning Styles are quite different in the way they conceive the scope of Learning Styles. For examples, Coffield et al. (2004) identified 5 families of learning styles:
  • constitutionally-based learning styles and preferences
  • cognitive structure stable
  • stable personality type
  • ‘flexibly' stable personality type
  • learning approaches and strategies.
In each family, there are many models and inventories to examine student's Learning Styles. Coffield et al. gathered these models which are counted to 71 model. I already studied many of these models but I couldn't find any inventory that consider how the students interact in their social network (real life and online) as part of their learning styles. First, do you know any inventory that include this factor? If not, do you consider this thought worth studying?
Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E., & Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review. Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Learning & Skills Research Centre.
Relevant answer
Yes, as students are socialized in different ways in their own cultures and bring this socialization to their learning environment. For example, research on Mexican students show that they value team work and perform better when working together in a learning context. I think my research article regarding accommodating learning styles for different cultural backgrounds can be helpful in answering your question:
Best regards,
Debra
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
24 answers
South Africa is experimenting with doing away with books, pens and paper, what the students need is tablet. I need examples of countries where this has been successful.
Relevant answer
Answer
Several countries have been successful in online education including the US, China, the UK, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, South Korea and India. You may want to see: http://monitor.icef.com/2012/06/8-countries-leading-the-way-in-online-education/
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
14 answers
I am interested in the processes of diffusion and sustainability of innovations and finding the connections between actions that enable and inhibit further adoption beyond the first wave of early adopters of proven elearning innovations in universities?
Relevant answer
Answer
I've looked at the Fishbone; and adored it as highly comprehensive. The only thing I really saw as missing was HR structure and process to recruit the right people for innovation/adoption. But I have a broad quibble as to whether the fishbone structure  isn't a generally applicable one, around technology adoption, rather than specific to Higher Education, an observation I feel highly relevant. The point is, in HE, I've seen ineffective technology as a barrier to adoption and I've seen resistance to change, but HE has a particular enabling factor for resistance to change, that you won't find elsewhere - Academic Freedom
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
13 answers
I'm interested in looking into research on community college students - age, demographics, etc. who are taking online classes and their learning styles - how they learn best, what types of instructional strategies (active learning, authentic, PBL, etc.) work better, etc.
Relevant answer
Answer
I think you can use any research on learning styles for online learning.  I do agree that Community Colleges student may have a specific characteristic which you will want to accommodate but also do remember that most studies generalize by different demographics.  The demographics may include one side of the bell curve where those who have degrees already and are returning to upgrade skills at the said institution, or the other side of the bell curve who are first time online learners.  I believe, and I may be wrong, that looking at any research that discusses the main factors can be fruitful to gain the appropriateness of learning strategies.
Hope I'm making sense?
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
5 answers
Research That can include any of the following:
-  Evolution of Digital Technologies relevant to the Target Audiences
-  Impact of Digital Technologies on the Target Audiences
-  Digital Technologies and their Impact Locally and Globally on the Industry 
- Future Trends
Relevant answer
Answer
Dear Ramzy, 
Check my publications as most of the are related to e-learning in the Middle East Region
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
20 answers
I try to find the specific characteristics of MOOC which distinguishes it from other online platform i.e Moodle
Relevant answer
Answer
This is an area of common confusion.  An LMS like Moodle is used to create and deliver online instructional materials, frequently in higher education settings.  Most often these courses would not be massive (i.e. with enrollments in the tens or hundreds of thousands) and most instances of Moodle would not be able to manage that number of students.  The OpenEdX platform does something similar to Moodle in that it provides both the tools and can be hosted in an environment (e.g. AWS) that scales to manage very large numbers.  The Coursera platform and edXxalso benefit from their elite and global reputation and partner colleges that attract millions of potential students to free courses in ways that is difficult for a single institution to do on its own.  That aspect of the platform is sometimes forgotten, but in many cases it is what makes "massive" happen. 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
14 answers
I'm looking for work on how social networks can be exploited for the purpose of improving MOOC?
Relevant answer
Answer
 Hi Jihane, I recently read this article ... I don't know if that's what you mean for "improvement", but It seems valuable for MOOC
When I have "a minute" I try to look for other papers ... good job, timely question!
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
9 answers
I'm searching for tools/methods that can be used to evaluate e module, any suggestions?
Relevant answer
Answer
Dear Rohani,
here are a couple of literature pointers, that may be helpful to you, but only pointing towards effectiveness: 
Effects of Learning Skills Interventions on Student Learning: A Meta-Analysis: http://rer.sagepub.com/content/66/2/99
You may also want to look at the following question, which is going towards the same direction: 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
8 answers
Videos and images are common used in e-learning and many platform can support them. Contents for m-learning must be designed in order to fulfill QoS itself (speed, process, size, etc). Any suggest or experience about combining contents for e-learning and m-learning?
Relevant answer
Answer
As long as you are working on a responsive e-Learning platform like Moodle and you have a custom theme enabled, the combination is never an issue. If you aren't working on a responsive architecture then it's going to take a lot of work from your side because mobile view works best with highly optimized media. Thanks to technology, every media editing tool provides ways to optimize any kind of data, and that's helping a lot of educational websites run smoothly. We are using a responsive theme in our institution currently and yes, sometimes the responsiveness might reduce the usability a bit but then it saves us a lot of time optimising stuff for mobile content.
Hope this helps. \m/  
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
17 answers
The skills of designing LOs include both instructional design skills and technological skills such as content development skills
Relevant answer
Answer
The skills of designing Learning Objects are discussed in the following article entitled:"Designing Training Plans and Learning Objectives" by Jack Shaw. The topics include the following items:
  1. Preparation for Designing Your Training Plan
  2. Design Your Learning Objectives
  3. Analyze Your Learning Objectives for Relevance, Alignment, Sequence and Testability
  4. Designing Training Rooms (Classrooms)
  5. Additional Information About Designing Training
  6. Various Ideas for Ways to Learn (including distance and online learning)
See the whole study at the link:
I hope that this helps.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
16 answers
Preferable English-speaking countries, though reports in French and German are also invited.
Government or private organizations: education/al, technical, technology.
I am aware of the annual Allen and Seaman reports in the US, and several other recent major US reports (Chronicle of Higher Ed).
Thanks!
Relevant answer
Answer
Dear Kim,
Have you read this report? I often enjoy case study reports, although I appreciate they aren't to everybody's taste!
Kind regards,
Adam
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
12 answers
Recent IT technologies such as Social media, analytics etc is affecting and going to affcet the way we think, the way we imagine and the we way analyse. The higher education is going to get affected. Open learning platforms such as Moocs are creating waves and affecting the way we look at teaching learning process.
Relevant answer
Answer
The traditional paradigm was that schools develop curriculum (that is, content, at what ever levels) to meet specific and immediate needs of eventual employment in industry.
The emerging paradigm is that schools design pedagogies of the curriculum to ensure employment for jobs yet to be invented. In other words, the shift is towards not what they learn, but how they do so.
This is reflected obliquely in the world by Levy and Murnane (see Fig 1 of link and pdf file) in which there is a downward demand for skills which are routine. Students which such outcomes are usually taught in the traditional instructivist teacher-centric way.On the other hand, the skill sets where employers are demanding are the experts (analytical non-routine, complex, expertise). What is insightful is not what content is taught but how, and how students are learning towards lifelong learning.
Today, we read of rising undergraduate unemployment. Some attribute this to structural changes in the economies, with slow growth and hence low demand. When asked, employers are saying that they are looking for graduates, but they lack the skills needed.
So, to get to my point, what will affect education is not so much the technologies, but how we train our students to think, analyse and be lifelong learners with abilities to look for information, gain insight, make sense and communicate or apply that effectively. It will be such soft skills that they develop as outcomes of learning that will make education useful, relevant and purposeful. This is central, with technologies in the peripheral, supporting and enabling students to become thinkers and master users of what technology can empower them.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
5 answers
How can e-learning policy encourage not just adoption of technology, but actual innovation? Most of the literature seems to suggest that policy leads to adoption, but not innovation.
Relevant answer
Answer
Hi Renee,
You probably need to look at Innovations in Technology and how they occur and then you might be able to work backwards to look at Policy. Here are a few readings to get you started. 
Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., Sheldon, S., & Byers, J. (2002). Conditions for Classroom Technology Innovations. Teachers College Record, 104, 484-515. 
Russell, D. L., & Schneiderheinze, A. (2005). Understanding Innovation in Education Using Activity Theory. . Educational Technology & Society, 8(1), 38-53.
Miettinen, R. (ND). The Concept of Activity in the Analysis of Heterogeneous Networks in Innovation Process. Retrieved December 23, 2006, from http://communication.ucsd.edu/MCA/Paper/Reijo/Reijo.html#Introduction
Lemke, C. (2010). Innovation Through Technology. In J. Bellanca & R. Brandt (Eds.), 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn (pp. 243-272). Bloomington, Indiana: Solution Tree Press.
Cheers, Kevin.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
14 answers
An important concept within modern pedagogy is knowledge building: students or colleagues interacting, learning together, and developing new information together. From the perspective of systems thinking, we can view the classroom or community as a system: composed of dynamic units or actors, autonomous, with a certain boundary, but usually part of a larger system. So, every system also needs inputs and contains processes  to generate certain outputs. For the modern blended and technologically enhanced classrooms, what tools are you aware of, for using in knowledge building? Online forum and wikis have been around and effective for a long time... These tools play the role of processing, and presenting the outputs within the knowledge building system. Any other examples of computer or web based tools, for knowledge building? 
Relevant answer
Answer
I am intrigued by the view of the classroom as a system.  The view of dynamic autonomous units, empowered by digital capabilities, and  interacting  purposefully  is quite appropriate to what can be viewed in any digitally focused classroom.
This web site I will here reference provides an organized collection of information and tutorials related to a number of tools which can be used online to develop knowledge in a collaborative, or individualistic, manner:
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
159 answers
In developing countries, it is difficult to find mentor/supervisor for PhD students who want to pursue their research(s) in new areas such as VGI, SDI, Spatial Data Mining, Spatial Agriculture, m-governance and crowd sourcing etc. The reasons include brain drain. Therefore, to reduce digital divide in a sense, researchers/scholars/institution who can contribute to advise students especially of developing countries voluntarily are requested to help out.
Relevant answer
Answer
Yes, there are volunteers to be advisors if not supervisors for PhD students in developing countries. I agree with this statement and also @ Prof.Olena Dubovyk, @ Pro. John Jennings and @Prof.João Paulo Hespanha answers all are very nice one.
Thanks Prof.Asmat Ali for your valuable question please. 
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
11 answers
We are encouraging students to join MOOCs.Our students are deaf or have limited hearing. So we are planning to attend the course along with them to discuss their doubts after the sessions. We would like to study the effectiveness of the MOOc in them. What method should be followed?
Relevant answer
Answer
Hi Raji, Good Morning,
Kindly go through with the attachment then you can understand about how to measure the effectiveness of a  Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC).  Its helpful in your research I think so.  Best of Luck !
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
17 answers
In online courses and discussions of this type, how can instructors and teachers increase the level of interactivity to create a sense of community?
The literature suggests that learning collaboratively is more effective but in online courses the students are in a virtual community that requires them to interact through asynchronous discussions. How can the tutor promote that interaction and make the discussions more effective?
Relevant answer
Answer
Hi Gary,
We addressed this issue somewhat in an article about a Mathematics Course that comprised online and blended options. I have provided the link below. Hopefully a second article will be published soon which looks at how we used Transactional Distance Theory as a design framework for a totally online mathematics education course. Hopefully I will be updating my publications list with this information soon.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
82 answers
The use of learning management systems is becoming important in the view of the use of internet-based education being practiced by many universities. There are many commercial systems as well as open source and free LMS available in the market. Please see the attached report that gives a comprehensive report on the selection of LMS. In the developing world the use of LMS is still low because of the cost of commercial systems. What are the best free LMS systems that are available on the market? Do you have experience in using them? Which LMS would you would suggest adopting?
Relevant answer
Answer
The list of suggested open source LMS so far are:
6. ATutor - http://atutor.ca/
8. Google education - ??
Will it be possible for any of you to add your experiences if you are using any of them.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
5 answers
Mobile learning technology strategies across educational institutions are not unilateral. A review of the strategies shows diverse information and requirements. Please take 5 minutes to complete this survey in support of mobile strategy research.
Relevant answer
Answer
Interesting question! I've found at my institution that mobile learning happens in spite of institutional policy and lack of support.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
5 answers
.
Relevant answer
Answer
Mrs./Miss/Mr. Illbeigi generally very interesting question because the requierments, particularly for Higer Educational Institutions in the European Union Countries are determined by the Higher-Educational-Law (HEL) macroframework and the rules determined within the frame of the academic autonomy of each of the Institutions. Even it has nuances in the Laws within the frame of each of the Federal States for example in Germany.
Furthermore it has different requierments for different academic administrative positions, but for eaxmple for Rector/President:
In Bulgarian (BG) HEL-BG §31(1) determined that the candidate should have 'habilitation', meaning not only to have 'PhD' degree, but in addition habilitation. The Universities' Academic Councils and Senats however restricted (according HEL-BG §19(1) for academic autonomy) to usually habilitation and holded 'full professor position' as academic-grad. In addition to administration experience as for example 'Vice-Rector' or 'Director of the research Institutes'. In addition obligatory the Rectors are usually candidates which have proven outstanding as possible high scientific profile according the employing conditions and possibilities in this Country. Because of the elected candidate according the HEL (BG §31(1)) should have work-contractfor academic position in the corresponding Unis.
In Germnay (GER) for example related HEL Arts. §15-§17, particularly for Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) they are joined with the 'President'-position, but they are applied equivalently for 'Rector'. Similar however the work-contract of the elected candidate is under W3-grad, meaning the highest academic (full professor) grad. Usually however W3-position is joined with Head-of-Department functions, on the other site it is also obligatory a 'habilitation' (HEL-GER-NRW §36(1) 4).
By contrast, the Bulgarian and like this in Brazil, from the available statement of Mr. Rodrigues, for Germany it has no obligation for outstanding own scientific/academic profile.
With one sentnce the answer of your question particularly for Gemany and Bulgaria for administrative academic positions Rector/President is generally: ''PhD grad+habilitation+administrative experience (both for GER and BG) + 'outstanding profesional achievements in the own field' (only for BG)''
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
5 answers
Looking for scale to measure the e-Learning readiness in education sector.
Relevant answer
Answer
It depends on the availability of the certain elements that are necessary for e learning and most important is infrastructure that should be equally available to all participants plus one needs basic training in e learning methods if all requirements are fulfilled then go ahead
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
3 answers
I enhanced some features in the Moodle system (e-learning),
but I don't know, what I can do with these enhancements,
I'm planning to publish these Idea, but also what about the code and reports which I wrote in Moodle.
How can I send it to the Moodle corporation, or is the company responsible for this?
Is it possible to do these enhancements under my name?
Thank you
Relevant answer
Answer
As i know from different open source learning management systems here in germany, like ILIAS or Stud.IP, they do support code contributions like plugins. First of all you should contact the forums concerning plugins, where you can present your work. Normally there are guidelines, how to contribute and under what conditions you are allowed to publisch your code.
As for moodle these can be found here: http://docs.moodle.org/dev/Guidelines_for_contributed_code
Hope that helps
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
1 answer
I've been encouraged to develop a dissemination strategy for my recent MA dissertation research and am not sure how to go about this. Any suggestions will be gratefully received. The dissertation concerns uptake of technology in learning and teaching. (I gained a distinction) The full work (as assessed) is available at http://webteach.penworks.net/research
Relevant answer
Answer
You might like to turn it into a book.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
16 answers
traditional academic lecturers Vs. digital innovators
Relevant answer
Answer
I'd say, it depends on the institution and its policy. There are at least 6 factors: institutional, technical, pedagogical, instructional design, faculty, and student factors. I recently published "Pedagogical uptake of technology ...".
At my Uni., while institutionally technology adoption is underway, the academics are slow to change teaching practices to suit the institutional requirements. Despite institutional support, part of the problem is with policy makers. They often do not recognize the unique difficulties of teaching online. Thus, under the assumption that online learning can be offered with about the same effort as classroom instruction, academics are pushed into an ‘online classroom’. The bravest have already had some experience using the web to support existing teaching. However, no one has given them the kind of support needed to create and deploy quality online learning. They are pushed into the shoes of web developers, courseware designers, and e-learning content writers, this consequently creating resistance to the change and resulting in slow adoption of the innovation. E-learning support is left in the hands of a few enthusiasts creating peer-pressure (in the form of training workshops for colleagues and publications). As a result the poor quality of e-learning fires back at both the faculty and the institution and the students.
The Uni. has been offering institutional support through regular and on-demand training for academics wishing to learn the technology. There is enough technology; hardware, software and bandwidth are not deterrents; there's enough technical support too. However, the availability of technology does not necessarily motivate change. Availability of technology does not motivate the students to make use of it for purposeful and meaningful study; nor does it motivate teachers to make the best use of this technology to support learning. The availability of technology does not automatically imply its pedagogically effective use to support learning, In that respect, digitizing material is not a digital innovation!
In my inquiry, I simply counted the number of instances of a resource (resources varied from 1 page to 200 in some groups) in 166 groups (studying English language) in our Moodle and found that 50% to 80% of the resources were digitized printouts! A video broadcast of a lecture is still a lecture. But if this same lecture were a video-conferencing one with the possibility for students to interact with the lecturer and peers and engage in discussion etc., it may become a little more of a digital innovation, and not yet there.
If faculty is not given enough instructional support, there will be no digital innovation - traditional classroom practices will be blindly transferred to the digital world with little educational efficiency and effectiveness. If they were smarter in management, they would have though about pedagogical, instructional support.
Finally, if the institution favours and rewards digital innovators, things may become really messy. So no peace possible in such situations, which I find are dominating when talking to colleagues in different educational settings around the world.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
9 answers
Is your University teaching information literacy? How is it assessed? Methodology? ICT tools?
Relevant answer
Answer
Thanks for the answers.
I also find a paper that gives an overview of the methods currently applied for information literacy assessment: A. Walsh, « Information literacy assessment Where do we start? », Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, vol. 41, nᵒ 1, p. 19–28, 2009.
There is a large list of assessment types and resources available from: http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/infolitassessments.htm
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
5 answers
E-learning is yet to be adopted as a mode of delivering instruction in Ghana. Most students and teachers in all levels of education in Ghana are yet to know and use any e-learning platform to deliver lessons. This question is therefore meant to solicit views on which e-learning platforms will be good for such a beginner country. It is also meant to collect views on which facilitating method: student led or instructor led best ensures learning.
Relevant answer
The answer depends on context, students, content to be learned, etc. By default, for begginners, Moodle could be a good start. And student led approach should best ensure learning; at least currenly it is the leading trend...
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
16 answers
Any comments or experience related to post-graduate students using technologies (like social media technologies) to learn academic writing or research writing are welcomed!!!
Relevant answer
Answer
I believe the assumption here is that technology has to be new and "fancy." Recently, I read about a teacher who reverted back to manual typewriters because they don't do what computers do - spell check, auto-correct, etc. In the article it was explained that students learned better mainly because they had to slow down and pay attention to correctness. Making corrections was more difficult. The feedback from students was mostly positive as well.
Here's a link to another article which highlights many of the same reasons as the first article I read (I can't locate that one). See page three: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1001415. Yes, there are many ways to incorporate technology into academic writing, however, perhaps in ways we've forgotten about that produce positive results.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
33 answers
I am interested in hearing personal experiences of people in technical professions (education or in environmental sciences) or course developers that have used blended (eLearning and live instruction) and eLearning-only modules for job training and continuing education.
Were learning outcomes for eLearning only comparable, better, or worse than blended environment? Why? Suggestions for recent, relevant journal articles would be of interest as well.
**Clarification: When I say e-learning, I am interested in the asynchronous type, self-paced, which includes automatic assessments and has interactivity throughout.**
Relevant answer
Answer
A lot depends on the quality of the e-learning modules and their purpose. Unfortunately, there are examples of industry or educational institutions using e-learning modules more as a method of checking a box. If they are truly interactive and allow the option of researching questions as they come up e-learning modules can be a great tool for introducing new information or practicing techniques. They also may work well for introducing nuanced change to a technology for which the student has a good foundational understanding. It is important to remember that for most technical education, the goal is that the student will be able to use the new knowledge to complete some sort of tangible project. Unless that project exists only in the virtual realm, some sort of non virtual component is needed to reinforce the learning and give confidence to the learner.
While I have used excellent asynchronous e-learning modules, I favor a blended learning approach as both a student and an educator. Human to human observation is an important component of both teaching and learning processes. Electronic communication such as Skype is second best.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
39 answers
Let's discuss the cracks in higher education. Have you seen or experienced any of these: http://www.udacity.com/, https://www.canvas.net/, https://www.coursera.org/, https://www.edx.org/? Are MOOCs the future of Higher Education or just a blip on a screen?
What about DIY courses such as: http://makezine.com/
Do you participate in peer to peer info exchange such as Wikipedia?
What is happening in your world regarding these developments?
Relevant answer
Answer
I am currently doing a Coursera MOOC on Statistics. Great technology & learning platform, but as has been sugested, you do not have the real-time interactivity to clarify points or discuss issues. Part of the assessment is also peer-marking 5 other students. As such, what is marketed as a simple course on statistics becomes a labour intensive 'A' or nothing course (81% needed for any form of recognition) .... so I can see why many revert to passively watching the learning material but loose the motivation to 'complete'. Many people though (like myself) take these courses simply to improve their knowledge. If they get through all the lectures, answer the in-built questions to show they have 'attended' & paid attention to the material & have got what they need from the course, I would argue that they have actually completed the course & should achieve some form of recognition. Not having the time or inclination to sit tests that need an 'A' is perhaps not an appropriate measure to judge why people 'drop off' such courses. I think we should consider them (& their function) differently from how we consider students on traditional courses.
That said though- I think MOOCs are a huge initiative and contribute greatly to the vocational & societal aspects of learning provision that are sometimes neglected in this modern age :-)
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
17 answers
The Turkish Ministry of Education introduced tablets to be used in the classrooms and every student will have an e-pad (Ipad) tablet at the end of the piloting which is in 2015.
Relevant answer
Answer
We should try to "gemify" their education, e.g. with serious games on their i-PADs. Thus, the students get another motivation to learn by playing in their leisure time. This is not my original idea, but of Adrian Raudaschl and h s gamification of medical education.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
3 answers
Educational software development, autonomous school development.
Relevant answer
Answer
Says:-
I would like to join. Please email me the details at sai.theking@yahoo.co.in
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
2 answers
Short of sitting with someone and use Coot with them watching and vice-versa, I am wondering whether there is something more efficient like for example a model and map in which certain common problematic regions have been introduced on purpose.
Relevant answer
Answer
I am not aware of a tutorial with predefined errors to learn model building.
I would suggest to practice your model building skills by re-determination of already known structures. First, download experimental structure factor amplitudes for a protein of known structure. A good place to download datasets at various resolutions is the Autostruct website (http://www.ccp4.ac.uk/autostruct/testdata/index.html). If you want to "simulate" the whole process of protein structure determination by MAD, SAD or SIRAS or MIR, this is the place to go. If you want to start from the very beginning, you can get raw diffration images at the TARDIS website (http://tardis.edu.au/).
After calculation of initial phases for you dataset, you can use various autobuilding programs (e.g. phenix, arpWarp, solve/resolve) to give you a good start. Continue by manually checking your structure and improve it with coot. You can also try to manually build the whole molecule or certain regions of your molecule in coot. Just have the published structure loaded in coot and switch in on from time to time to check your progress and identify building errors.
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
290 answers
'Death by Powerpoint' is a problem but really what are the alternatives? Prezi? Machinima?
Relevant answer
Answer
Presentations are often welcomed by students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADD/ADHD. Courses are often very essay, report heavy and a common response to written assignments from the students I support is, "I would be do so much better if I could just tell them what I know."
Many reports that identify students with Specific Learning Difficulties contain reference to the importance of less traditional assessment methods in order for the student to demonstrate their knowledge. Presentations are one step towards a way of being inclusive of all learning styles of students.
However, we cannot expect students to know how to give a good presentation especially when it is often an unfamiliar assessment method. Thus, direction is needed as to presentation protocol but a more open and less prescriptive remit encouraging interaction, visual aids and interaction may engage creativity and allow other intelligences to flourish.
I agree with GONZALO GALILEO RIVAS PLATERO that mind-mapping software is a great way to plan and organise a presentation and very time efficien for students and lecturers and presenterst. Once a plan is done on Inspiration software converts a mind map to a Powerpoint presentation with the touch of a button with or without sections of the mind map on each slide. For a demonstration of the software see http://www.youtube.com/user/uohds
(This podcast uses version 8 and note version 9 has extra functions that can take snapshots of elements of the mind map and impose them on the slide).
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
8 answers
I would like to better understand which scenarios are emerging with respect to the use of blended learning in higher education, how future developments can be more or less predicted, and which instruction design and resources choices can be based on it. Are you using Moodle, Edmodo, Wikispaces, Google Sites, Claroline? Why?
Relevant answer
Answer
I thank you very much!
  • asked a question related to eLearning in Higher Education
Question
287 answers
Video Lectures are gaining ground in Internet. Some video lectures websites have a huge acceptation (e.g. Khan). Do you think they can replace, or at least, be equivalent to face-to-face lectures? The Khan flipped classroom is a model which proposes spending the class time doing adequate activities instead of listening the teacher all the time. Nowadays lectures can be watched at home. But what do you think about its efficacy for learning? Do students may learn the same? Do you know empirical evidences?
Relevant answer
Answer
Video alone, without the blended learning environment aspect, requires students to be very independent learners and motivated to stay on task. We have found that short "vignette" or snapshot videos work quite well, which then have an ineractive component eg the students are instructed to stop the video, complete a task then continue with the lecture. Students, and the university, are demanding more and more flexible and varied methods of delivery, for various reasons eg flexibility, time management, lifestyle, economics, and video is one way of delivering these. Not all students report that they enjoy videoed lectures. In fact some students prefer just the audio with the powerpoint, preferring not to see the lecturer at all. It all boils down to having different learning environments for different learning styles, as we have known for many years.