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
A Hashtag Handbook for Online Students
If you are familiar with this blog, you probably know that Twitter is one of my favorite resources. For learners and instructors alike, Twitter can be a basic tool for networking and communication. But when I introduce Twitter to new users, including my online students, the more advanced use of hashtags seems to be a [...]
#IOLchat Report: When Should Students Drop an Online Class?
Each week we meet via Twitter for #IOLchat to discuss current issues related to online learning. Participants include students, instructors, advisors, counselors, eLearning companies, schools, publishers, and instructional designers. Online students are often overscheduled – adding academic course work to employment and family responsibilities. Dropping a class can seem like an easy option to lighten [...]
Referrals, References, and Letters of Recommendation
It can seem like the job search process never ends. After you prepare your resume and cover letter, and perhaps fill out job applications, there is still more to do. Referrals, references, and letters of recommendation are all significant pieces of the job search puzzle, and they all require you to ask somebody for something. [...]
#IOLchat Report: Things I Wish I Had Known About Online Learning
Each week we meet via Twitter for #IOLchat to discuss current issues related to online learning. Participants include students, instructors, advisors, counselors, eLearning companies, schools, publishers, and instructional designers. Have you heard the saying “experience is the best teacher?” Setting realistic expectations comes from preparation, but sometimes even with significant research we are surprised by [...]
Culture of the Online College
With an increasing number of online learning options to choose from, how do you decide which program is right for you? There are essential components you should research to ensure academic quality and a fit with your goals and resources. Accreditation and affordability, for example, should be at the top of your checklist for comparing [...]
Learning through Earning: Digital Badges and Professional Development
Have you earned any digital badges? If not, it may be time to find out more about them and how they work. There are more badge-earning activities than ever before, emerging in places from academic courses to museums. Through my experiences with the Technology, Colleges, and Community Online Conference (TCC) over the past two years, [...]
Flipping Your Online Course with Synchronous Sessions
The flipped classroom concept is a popular one. It usually involves shifting more passive learning activities, such as listening to lectures, out of the face-to-face classroom to an online format. The second half of the flip moves more active learning tasks, such as collaborative exercises, to a face-to-face setting. When I attended Jackie Gerstein’s featured [...]
#IOLchat Report: Mobile Apps and Online Education
Each week we meet via Twitter for #IOLchat to discuss current issues related to online learning. Participants include students, instructors, advisors, counselors, eLearning companies, schools, publishers, and instructional designers. My favorite app for online education is ________. Mobile devices and their applications are fast becoming part of our online teaching and learning. This week chat [...]
Making the Most of Your Virtual Career Center
Online students are not always aware of all of the resources available to them, including career centers. Just like their traditional, on-campus counterparts, professional career practitioners at online institutions provide valuable services for students. If you are currently an online student, or are considering enrolling in an online program, career goals may be a significant [...]
A Twitter Guide for Online Educators
Have you experienced Twitter? Since its launch in 2006, Twitter has become one of the most widely used social media tools, with hundreds of millions of active accounts, including an untold number of educators, administrators, and students. It may not be right for everyone, but what will you say when asked to give an opinion [...]
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If you have a question about going to college online, Melissa can help. Get direct access to our expert on Twitter.
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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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A Hashtag Handbook for Online StudentsIf you are familiar with this blog, you probably know that Twitter is one of my favorite resources. For learners and instructors alike, Twitter can be a basic tool for networking and communication. …