Online courses required....
While searching for reference articles in my assignment I came across this webpage basically saying that the Michigan State Board of Education was considering requiring students to take at least one online offering.
http://chronicle.com/free/2005/12/2005121301t.htm What a great idea. Not because I am in the field, but because I think that the self directed model is so difficult to create in a traditional classroom. This would at least give every student a taste of a very different learning environment. It may even spur some kids into taking college courses that would have not been plausible for them in a traditional college. This isn't part of the assignment, I just thought that it was a cool idea and wanted to share.
Online Course Standards...
The national education association publishes a document outlining standards for online courses.
http://www.nea.org/technology/images/02onlinecourses.pdf I found it curious that the checklist for teacher quality mentions aspects such as “appropriate feedback” and “appropriate use on online voice.” It never says anything about technical skills or qualifications which are probably the things that scare most traditional classroom teachers away from online offerings. The site also offers a pretty strong checklist to determine student qualifications and key success predictors. While this was done with High School students in mind, I don’t see too many things that wouldn’t translate into any good online course standard.
The recent boom in online courses....
The recent boom in online learning benefits non-traditional middle aged career minded people as well as the economy in general. Higher education organizations are fighting over dollars for certifications, professional development, and job training that can be accomplished by working individuals. In Gene Maeroff’s column The Online Learning Boom he notes that “Some of the shrewdest, profit-oriented education entrepreneurs have, in the best tradition of commerce, coalesced around these career-oriented, professional-based courses tied most tightly to the needs of employers.” (
http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0203/voices0203-online.shtml) This highly mobile workforce transfers jobs and dollars based on needs and critical shortages. Workers are no longer stuck in a dead end job with no future.
Successful online environments:
The Australian flexible framework project classifies successful online facilitation programs should: “engage, guide and motivate learners, and provide a safe and conducive environment for learning and communication exchange for all learners regardless of their prior experience and predisposition.”(
http://pre2005.flexiblelearning.net.au/guides/facilitation.html) That seems like a mighty task even for a traditional instructor. In my experience the most difficult part comes in dealing with prior experience and predisposition. There are so many different learning styles that what engages one student may be of little or no importance to the next. I’ve found that online learning is still new enough that students come with a sense of excitement and enthusiasm. Good programs maintain it.
Welcome...................
This is my first forced blog. Feel free to pass on any nuggets or gems. You never know what someone might find useful. I'll start you off with a picture of one
Wicked Ugly Cat.
