Inside Online Learning

As I begin wrapping up the Spring semester with my online students, I realize that there are a few things they could do to bring the experience to a close and document all that they have accomplished in the course. Working through online courses, especially those on an accelerated schedule, can seem like a blur [...]

If you’ve ever found yourself working on a group project in an online class, you’ve probably asked this question. When I recently encouraged my online students to advise each other on their group work, of the five “design teams” one chose to meet in person and recommended this to the other groups. Since they all [...]

“Completing group assignments online can be really tricky. What are your tips for the other teams?” This was the question I asked my online students in a live session earlier this month. They are about midway through the design and development of their own online learning projects as members of small groups, and have already [...]

I am learning a lot from my online students this semester. So far in our course, which addresses instructional design and web-based learning, they’ve introduced me to a number of resources I wasn’t aware of through an assignment that required them to review websites of their choice. The result was an eclectic collection of tools, [...]

I run with a local group that meets at 8:00am on Saturdays and when one of the regular runners didn’t show up on a recent cold morning, a friend of his said, “Oh, he’s at home writing a paper.” It wasn’t the weather keeping him away – it was the two online courses he’s taking [...]

I get it. Not everyone is as excited about social media as I am. This semester I am requiring Twitter use in my online class and it’s been met with an overall lack of enthusiasm. But as social media continues to have an impact on so many facets of higher education and the workplace, I’m [...]

In our recent Inside Online Learning chat (#IOLchat), which focused on creating balance, one participant mentioned the use of an emergency or survival kit to reduce stress. While the reference was related to things like batteries, food, and candles, the tweet really got me thinking about what students might need in an emergency situation to [...]

My first impression of Educator.com was of a cross between Khan Academy and Lynda.com – providing video-based courses on popular subjects, such as math and English, as well as more advanced software training options, including Photoshop and C++. However, a recent conversation with co-founder Eric Hung revealed much more. As Hung stated, Educator.com’s mission “is [...]

If you are on any college-related mailing lists, no doubt you’re receiving messages about internship opportunities. As an online student you may or may not be required to complete an internship as part of your formal degree program, but even if you’re not, it can be a great way to get the practical experience employers [...]