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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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The Latest
Crowdsourcing the Textbook: Terminology, Technology, and TechniqueWe've explored the benefits and challenges of eTextbooks here at Inside Online Learning, but haven't given much attention to how these books are prepared. Crowdsourcing is emerging as a strategy in which Instructors and …
Inside Online Learning
A BLOG BY MELISSA A. VENABLE, PHD
An Education Writer for OnlineCollege.org, Melissa's background includes work in higher education – private, public, and for-profit – as an instructional designer and curriculum developer. Melissa is also an experienced instructor, academic advisor, and career counselor... more
Crowdsourcing the Textbook: Terminology, Technology, and Technique
We've explored the benefits and challenges of eTextbooks here at Inside Online Learning, but haven't given much attention to how these books are prepared. Crowdsourcing is emerging as a strategy in which Instructors and other content experts are not only creating textbook content, but also managing the collaborative writing process of multiple contributors and customizing products for use in their courses. Traditionally, textbooks are printed in large volume and used in academic courses to present learning material focused on a particular topic. They are usually written by a single author or small group of authors working with a publisher and editor. Textbooks in general have received criticism for many years because of the related expenses, static nature of the content, and …
Networking is Out? Connecting is In!
What are your first thoughts when someone suggests that should be "networking?" Networking is often a "what's in it for me" enterprise. For the introverted, like myself, and for those who tend to procrastinate with their career and job search plans, professional networking is something we try to avoid. Asking for help doesn't always come easy. A recent Entrepreneur article introduced me to the concept of connecting and I thought I would pass it along here. For online students engaged in career development and job search activities, the networking process can take a different perspective through participation in social networking systems and online communities. Connecting is a new way to look at networking and its related activities that may lead …
#IOLchat Report: The Cost of Higher Education
Each 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. Decisions about higher education options are largely affected by financial factors, from the perspective of institution administrators that develop and deliver academic programs and from prospective students who compare the options available to help them reach their goals. Both online and on campus administrators and students must consider costs as they make these decisions. Here’s a summary of this week's discussion of how higher education costs are determined and how they affect student choices. Tuition and fees seem to increase every year in higher education. What drives these rising costs? Most students aren't …
A Layman’s Guide to Learning Analytics
There's a lot of buzz about the use of learning analytics in higher education these days, especially where online learning is concerned. The systems we use to access course materials are capable of recording a large volume of information behind the scenes, which can then be studied for matters of learning effectiveness. The emerging field of learning analytics seeks to find out what information is available and how it might inform decisions about learners and learning environments. Many of these decisions, related to accountability, quality measures, and costs, take place at the institutional level, but they affect and work to improve the formal learning experience. The 2012 Horizon Report for Higher Education, an annual research project from EDUCAUSE and the New …
Don’t just Google: Try Google Scholar
As an online student, having web-based access to academic resources is critical to your progress and achievement. Online resources are increasingly convenient for traditional students as well. Conducting a search with Google, the most popular Internet search engine, is probably something you do often to find articles and information that are relevant to your studies. While Google can produce a good list of sites related to your search terms, the results aren't necessarily going to be academic resources – which are more desirable, and probably required, for use in your coursework. Google Scholar further refines the process and "provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature." What is scholarly literature? Sources that are considered scholarly include, but …
Challenging Perception / Articulating Your Degree
Okay. I'll admit it. When I originally became aware of online learning programs / degrees, I was skeptical. Having had all of my undergraduate instruction take place in traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms, I was wary of anything that didn't match my educational experiences. As my career in higher education has evolved, so has my view of online learning / degrees. When I was a graduate student, I used a course management system for the first time. It was web-based and I completed many of my assignments and course discussions via this web interface. My skepticism faded as my learning increased. Online learning was different when compared to the classroom and that was okay. Once, while teaching an introductory course for first …
#IOLchat Report: Community and Collaboration in Online Courses
Each 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. Community building isn't just the latest term in business outreach, it's an important topic of discussion among online educators. The concept of learning communities is not new in traditional learning environments, but how does it translate to online delivery? Collaboration among learners, as well as with their instructors, can take place in a variety of ways and have a positive impact on the overall learning experience. Take a closer look at what our participants had to say about community building in online courses: What is the role of the instructor in building a …
Should We Drop the “e” in “eLearning”?
Adding the e to learning, emphasizes the technological delivery of content, communication, and activities, which was a critical distinction in the early days of online learning, but perhaps less so today. It could all be considered learning – offline, online, and in between – especially as more campus-based programs and courses integrate online components in addition to face-to-face class meetings. Several weeks ago one of our #IOLchat sessions touched on this subject in response to the question "How can students leverage their online learning skills in their current or future employment situations?" One participant noted that while successful online students may be aware of their skills, they may not immediately relate these skills to their online learning experience. I chimed in with the thought that it …
The Resume is Dead – Again
Employers and job seekers have long relied upon the resume as a standard communication tool in the job search process, but in the past couple of weeks several articles denouncing the traditional resume caught my eye. In one example, The Wall Street Journal reported that Union Square Ventures, "asked applicants to send links representing their 'web presence,' such as a Twitter account or Tumblr blog. Applicants also had to submit short videos demonstrating their interest in the position" in a recent search for an investment analyst. Christina Cacioppo from Union Square Ventures noted that they "are most interested in what people are like, what they are like to work with, how they think," which may be easier to assess though social …
Is Online Learning the Solution?
The need for reform is at the top of many lists detailing current issues related to higher education. Concerns about ensuring quality and access, as well as funding and career preparation are all around us, discussed and debated by educators and administrators at all possible levels. Can online learning provide a viable response to these concerns? Institutions: Saving while Expanding A new initiative within the University of South Carolina (USC) system sheds some light on the challenges faced by higher education institutions today. The problems often include contradictions among priorities, such as meeting demands to cut operational costs, while also providing educational opportunities to additional student populations. Palmetto College, an initiative still in the planning stages, "aims to provide South Carolinians …
