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Inside Online Learning
An Education Writer for OC.org, Melissa's background includes work in higher education...
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#IOLchat Report: Finding Professional Development OpportunitiesEach week we meet via Twitter for #IOLchat to discuss current issues related to online learning. Participants include students, instructors, eLearning companies, schools, publishers, and instructional designers. As we approach the summer months, …
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Practice, Practice, Practice: Internships and Applied Experience
By Melissa Venable Your online academic program may include a requirement to work in your field as part of your official Plan of Study. This requirement is usually called an internship but could also be known as practicum or clinical experience. Whatever the name, the goal of the experience is for you to take the [...]
Are You Ready to Be an Online Student?
By Melissa Venable Becoming a successful student can be challenging. This is especially true for online students who are more likely to be juggling more than just school! Today's online student is typically an adult learner who is working in addition to attending classes. As you assess possible programs, take time out to also assess [...]
The LMS Debate
By Melissa Venable Use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in higher education is widespread, popular with both online and traditional institutions. Most schools have adopted a commercial product like Blackboard or Desire2Learn, tweaked an open-source solution such as Moodle or Sakai, or developed something in-house, a proprietary LMS, to deliver online courses. An LMS provides [...]
The Art of Online Course Selection
By Melissa Venable As an online student one of the first things you will need to do is plan your course schedule. Do you know which courses you should take? There are several steps in the decision-making process and your Academic Advisor will be able to provide the support you need to move forward. Let's [...]
Certificate or Certification?
By Melissa Venable Sometimes these words are used interchangeably. What does is mean to complete a certificate program or to be certified in a specific field? When looking at online programs, what will you need to reach your goals? These goals may be academic or career in nature, and it's a good idea to get [...]
15 Terrific TED Talks for New Media Students
Here are some great talks that will help you learn more about new ways to use traditional media and innovative ways to bring more to the digital sphere.
Build Your PLN
By Melissa Venable Networking is a concept that has been a key component of career development for a long time. The advent of social media has made it easier than ever before to expand your networking efforts beyond just the job search. Building a network online is especially important for online students and educators. While [...]
Facebook and Your Online Course – 10 Resources for Faculty
By Melissa Venable As Facebook's membership, and features and functions, continue to expand there are more reasons than ever to explore the use of this social networking tool in education. Community building, conversation, and exchange are the goals – getting online students to engage with your content and with each other. Facebook is one tool [...]
Are You Ready to Make the Switch? eBooks and Higher Education
By Melissa Venable Do you have a smartphone, iPod/iPad, or tablet computer? Maybe you have a Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader. These devices are now being used to store and read books of all kinds – new fiction and non-fiction, classic literature, and increasingly available textbooks. The world of publishing is changing. Amazon reportedly sold [...]
Anatomy of an Online Course
By Melissa Venable Registering for your first online course can be a little daunting. Maybe you aren't sure what to expect or what the requirements will be. An online course, like a traditional face-to-face course, is a collection of materials, resources, and tools designed to help you achieve specific learning objectives. Online courses are similar [...]
