O’Brien, Mary. 2009. The E-Learning Industry: Facing the challenges of Web 2.0. Rocky Mountain Communication Review 6 (1):57-61
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of the article “The E-Learning Industry: Facing the challenges of Web 2.0” by Mary O’Brien of Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design, and Technology was discuss the current state of E-Learning as well as the future implications of E-Learning in Web 2.0. The audience is those in education, technical communication, and business communication fields with interest in E-Learning.
Organization
The organization of article is as follows:
• Introduction/body (untitled) – Two factors have helped mitigate against a theory of isolation in E-learning: people have always been learning through informal channels, such as experts and peers; and a shift in how people relate to each other online with the advent of the Web 2.0 with blogs, forums, wikis, YouTube, Facebook, etc., and these channels are occurring in E-learning. Future opportunities for E-Learning include 3-D virtual worlds such as Second Life and video games. O’Brien also mentions that instructional designers should consider instant messaging, social networking, and mobile phones.
• The Future – How do we maximize learner freedom while simultaneously ensuring effective learning? Which forms of interaction, and among whom, are the right ones and for which contexts: peer-to-peer, student-to-teacher, student-to content (Anderson, 2005a)? Most importantly, how do we manage all these interactions—or do we? How much freedom is too much? How much guidance is required and from whom?
• References
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Distance Education's Impact During Economic Hardship: How distance learning impacts educational institutions and businesses in times of economic hards
Konetes, George D. 2011. Distance Education's Impact During Economic Hardship: How distance learning impacts educational institutions and businesses in times of economic hardship. Int'l J of Instructional Media Vol. 38(1):7-15.
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of the article “Distance Education's Impact During Economic Hardship: How distance learning impacts educational institutions and businesses in times of economic hardship” by George D. Konetes is to analyze the advantages of distance-learning courses during times of economic hardships. The audience is those in international communication, higher education, and technical communication fields. The article is mainly aimed at those in academia and is primarily a literature review.
Organization
The organization of the article is as follows:
Problem Statement
Definition of terms:
Distance Education. Education taking place with the student physically or geographically removed from the instructor using some form of technology to facilitate learning and contact (Valentine, 2002).
Distance Learning. Used synonymously with distance education (Valentine, 2002).
Currency of Issues
This topic is relevant because the field of distance learning has more than doubled between 2002 and 2006 and is in need of analysis (Pisel, 2008). Also, the United States economy has been in the midst of significant economic hardship for over a year at the time this article was written (Lee, 2009). (8)
Controversial Topics
This section outlines controversial topics such as economic tensions; ethical concerns such as focusing courses on popular curriculum that students have a higher demand for at the cost of leaving other important curriculum out because it is not as profitable to offer; the concept of workers and students being expected to further their training and education apart from employer compensation; whether it’s ethical for employers to require employees to be financially responsible for their own training and education; unfair advantage as employers enter into a position where they may penalize or terminate workers who do not pay for their own education and advancement. In addition to these concerns, there are still a significant number of instructors in higher academic circles who continue to hold the belief that distance learning is inferior to traditional face-to-face education (Yang, 2005). (8)
Special Interests
Businesses, governments and the general populace have significant interest in this topic because it deals with the development and retention of human capital, which is seen as one of the core sources of economic gain in modern society (Downey, 2005). Konetes also states that the technology industry has an inherent interest in distance learning. (8)
Summary of Literature
Introduction
Despite the growing financial advantages that businesses and corporations hold over universities, institutions of higher learning realize growth in distance education based student populations in terms of geographically isolated and financially limited students. (9)
Academic and Corporate Profitability
As financial pressures increase, distance learning becomes less profitable in higher education and more profitable in business and corporate applications. (9)
Academic and Corporate Investments
“Economic hardship puts pressure on those with the most resources invested in distance education namely academic institutions, as well as businesses with moderate investments and workers with light investments.” (9).
Advantages for Distance Education
Eliminates disadvantages due to geographic location, minimizes financial restraints, and is convenient for students with families or who are unable to quit jobs, etc. (11).
Conclusion
While most students still find face-to-face courses favorable, institutions offering both online and face-to-face options are becoming increasingly desirable, especially to younger, more tech savvy students. (12).
Critical Evaluation
Critique of Literature
The author is quick to note that limited information on this subject is available, but expects this it to grow as access to technology increases and due to many areas experiencing economic recession. (13)
Research Questions
How can distances education programs be marketed in order to reach new potential student audiences created by economic shifts?
Are distance learning focused institutions experiencing significant profits due to increased quantities of corporate outsourcing?
Are geographically isolated students more or less likely to attend relatively local institutions via distance education or international institutions?
Acknowledgements
References
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of the article “Distance Education's Impact During Economic Hardship: How distance learning impacts educational institutions and businesses in times of economic hardship” by George D. Konetes is to analyze the advantages of distance-learning courses during times of economic hardships. The audience is those in international communication, higher education, and technical communication fields. The article is mainly aimed at those in academia and is primarily a literature review.
Organization
The organization of the article is as follows:
Problem Statement
Definition of terms:
Distance Education. Education taking place with the student physically or geographically removed from the instructor using some form of technology to facilitate learning and contact (Valentine, 2002).
Distance Learning. Used synonymously with distance education (Valentine, 2002).
Currency of Issues
This topic is relevant because the field of distance learning has more than doubled between 2002 and 2006 and is in need of analysis (Pisel, 2008). Also, the United States economy has been in the midst of significant economic hardship for over a year at the time this article was written (Lee, 2009). (8)
Controversial Topics
This section outlines controversial topics such as economic tensions; ethical concerns such as focusing courses on popular curriculum that students have a higher demand for at the cost of leaving other important curriculum out because it is not as profitable to offer; the concept of workers and students being expected to further their training and education apart from employer compensation; whether it’s ethical for employers to require employees to be financially responsible for their own training and education; unfair advantage as employers enter into a position where they may penalize or terminate workers who do not pay for their own education and advancement. In addition to these concerns, there are still a significant number of instructors in higher academic circles who continue to hold the belief that distance learning is inferior to traditional face-to-face education (Yang, 2005). (8)
Special Interests
Businesses, governments and the general populace have significant interest in this topic because it deals with the development and retention of human capital, which is seen as one of the core sources of economic gain in modern society (Downey, 2005). Konetes also states that the technology industry has an inherent interest in distance learning. (8)
Summary of Literature
Introduction
Despite the growing financial advantages that businesses and corporations hold over universities, institutions of higher learning realize growth in distance education based student populations in terms of geographically isolated and financially limited students. (9)
Academic and Corporate Profitability
As financial pressures increase, distance learning becomes less profitable in higher education and more profitable in business and corporate applications. (9)
Academic and Corporate Investments
“Economic hardship puts pressure on those with the most resources invested in distance education namely academic institutions, as well as businesses with moderate investments and workers with light investments.” (9).
Advantages for Distance Education
Eliminates disadvantages due to geographic location, minimizes financial restraints, and is convenient for students with families or who are unable to quit jobs, etc. (11).
Conclusion
While most students still find face-to-face courses favorable, institutions offering both online and face-to-face options are becoming increasingly desirable, especially to younger, more tech savvy students. (12).
Critical Evaluation
Critique of Literature
The author is quick to note that limited information on this subject is available, but expects this it to grow as access to technology increases and due to many areas experiencing economic recession. (13)
Research Questions
How can distances education programs be marketed in order to reach new potential student audiences created by economic shifts?
Are distance learning focused institutions experiencing significant profits due to increased quantities of corporate outsourcing?
Are geographically isolated students more or less likely to attend relatively local institutions via distance education or international institutions?
Acknowledgements
References
Friday, September 30, 2011
Distance Learning for Power Professionals: Virtual classrooms allow students flexibility in location & time
Pahwa,Anil. Gruenbacher, Don M. Starrett, Shelli K. and Morocos, Medhat M. 2009. Distance Learning for Power Professionals: Virtual classrooms allow students flexibility in location & time. IEEE Power & Energy Magazine Jan./Feb. 2005:53-58.
This article examines the benefits to distance learning for professionals, particularly those in the engineering field. The article suggests that it is critical to evaluate distance learning with respect to: student learning, pedagogy, delivery media, logistics, and cost. As you would expect, the authors find that the two main benefits to distance learning are flexibility in time and location for those already in the workforce, but suggests that in today's economy, cost-effectiveness is also becoming increasingly important.
This article examines the benefits to distance learning for professionals, particularly those in the engineering field. The article suggests that it is critical to evaluate distance learning with respect to: student learning, pedagogy, delivery media, logistics, and cost. As you would expect, the authors find that the two main benefits to distance learning are flexibility in time and location for those already in the workforce, but suggests that in today's economy, cost-effectiveness is also becoming increasingly important.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
CMC Modes for Learning Tasks at a Distance
Paulus, Trena M. 2007. CMC Modes for Learning Tasks at a Distance. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 12 (4): 1322–1345. International Communication Association.
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of the article “CMC Modes for Learning Tasks at a Distance” by Trena M. is to analyze modes of communication for various learning tasks in distance-learning courses. The audience is those in international communication, higher education, and technical communication fields. The article is primarily aimed at those in academia.
Organization
The organization of the article is as follows:
Introduction
In this study, case study and computer-mediated discourse analysis procedures are used to investigate transcripts and individual reflections of 10 small groups of distance learners. The findings reveal that the discussion forum was used significantly more often for conceptual moves and for later phases of the knowledge construction process. Email was used more for social moves, and chat was used more for later phases of knowledge construction. Implications for providing groups with various CMC modes to complete tasks and for advising novice online learners about the affordances of each mode are addressed.
Theoretical Framework
This section states the four research questions asked by Paulus:
RQ1: Which communication mode(s) do experienced distance learners choose as they collaborate on project-based tasks?
RQ2: What do they talk about in each mode?
RQ3: Which phases of knowledge construction are present in each mode?
RQ4: How do the participants choose which modes to use for various aspects of the task?
Method
This article reports findings from a larger study of small group interactions in an online graduate level educational psychology course at a large Midwestern university (Paulus, 2005, 2006). This fully-distance course lasted 12 weeks and covered theories of teaching and learning. During two-week units, the instructor assigned the 21 students to small groups to synthesize and apply the concepts being learned. New groups were formed after every two-week unit so that students could work with different people. The tasks were designed to promote collaboration, as suggested by Hathorn and Ingram (2002b).
Findings
RQ1: Which communication mode(s) do experienced distance learners choose as they collaborate on project-based tasks?
Most groups relied primarily, if not exclusively, on the forum. Seventy-nine percent of all moves were exchanged in the forum. Only two groups, Orange and Plum, used chat. These chat messages accounted for 16% of moves exchanged by the 10 groups. All but two of the groups exchanged at least one email; however, email accounted for only 5% of the moves.
RQ2: What do they talk about in each mode?
A higher percentage of conceptual moves were exchanged in the forum (42%) than logistical (39%), social (16%), or technical (3%) moves. A higher percentage of logistical moves were exchanged in chat (41%) and email (37%). In chat, conceptual moves (28%) and in email, social moves (32%) were the most frequent after logistics. Logistical, social, and technical moves were then grouped together and labeled ‘‘non-conceptual’’ for comparison with moves labeled as ‘‘conceptual.’’ More non-conceptual than conceptual moves were exchanged in all three modes.
RQ3: Which phases of knowledge construction are present in each mode?
Sixty-five percent of the forum moves and 57% of the chat moves were coded as Phase 1 (share information). Chat had a higher percentage of Phase 2 (discover inconsistencies), 3 (negotiate meaning), and 5 (agree on compromise) moves than did the forum. Frequency counts for Phases 2 to 5 were grouped together (and called ‘‘later phases of knowledge construction’’) for further analysis. The forum had more conceptual moves than either email or chat. Later phases of knowledge construction occurred more often in the forum and in chat. There were more logistical moves exchanged in email and in chat. Social moves overall were most common in email.
RQ4: How do the participants choose which modes to use for various aspects of the task?
While groups did use email for a few specific purposes, it was not the primary means of communication. These findings differ from those of Poole (2000), whose students chose to use email rather than chat or the forum for their projects. They differ as well from those of Curtis and Lawson (2001), who found that 85% of students chose email rather than uploading files or using the forum. McLoughlin (2002), in her study of undergraduate groups working online to complete tasks, found that successful teams actively used the forum to share ideas and discuss the specifics of the project.
Discussion
Conclusion
Notes
1 The names of participants and of the course management system have been changed.
2 Students were highly encouraged to communicate within the course system. Moreover, since a portion of their grade was based on team process, it is believed that all communication was captured for analysis.
References
About the Author
Trena M. Paulus [tpaulus@utk.edu] is an Assistant Professor of in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the University of Tennessee where she teaches courses in research methods and collaborative learning. She investigates meaning-making processes in online learning environments utilizing methods of discourse and narrative analysis.
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of the article “CMC Modes for Learning Tasks at a Distance” by Trena M. is to analyze modes of communication for various learning tasks in distance-learning courses. The audience is those in international communication, higher education, and technical communication fields. The article is primarily aimed at those in academia.
Organization
The organization of the article is as follows:
Introduction
In this study, case study and computer-mediated discourse analysis procedures are used to investigate transcripts and individual reflections of 10 small groups of distance learners. The findings reveal that the discussion forum was used significantly more often for conceptual moves and for later phases of the knowledge construction process. Email was used more for social moves, and chat was used more for later phases of knowledge construction. Implications for providing groups with various CMC modes to complete tasks and for advising novice online learners about the affordances of each mode are addressed.
Theoretical Framework
This section states the four research questions asked by Paulus:
RQ1: Which communication mode(s) do experienced distance learners choose as they collaborate on project-based tasks?
RQ2: What do they talk about in each mode?
RQ3: Which phases of knowledge construction are present in each mode?
RQ4: How do the participants choose which modes to use for various aspects of the task?
Method
This article reports findings from a larger study of small group interactions in an online graduate level educational psychology course at a large Midwestern university (Paulus, 2005, 2006). This fully-distance course lasted 12 weeks and covered theories of teaching and learning. During two-week units, the instructor assigned the 21 students to small groups to synthesize and apply the concepts being learned. New groups were formed after every two-week unit so that students could work with different people. The tasks were designed to promote collaboration, as suggested by Hathorn and Ingram (2002b).
Findings
RQ1: Which communication mode(s) do experienced distance learners choose as they collaborate on project-based tasks?
Most groups relied primarily, if not exclusively, on the forum. Seventy-nine percent of all moves were exchanged in the forum. Only two groups, Orange and Plum, used chat. These chat messages accounted for 16% of moves exchanged by the 10 groups. All but two of the groups exchanged at least one email; however, email accounted for only 5% of the moves.
RQ2: What do they talk about in each mode?
A higher percentage of conceptual moves were exchanged in the forum (42%) than logistical (39%), social (16%), or technical (3%) moves. A higher percentage of logistical moves were exchanged in chat (41%) and email (37%). In chat, conceptual moves (28%) and in email, social moves (32%) were the most frequent after logistics. Logistical, social, and technical moves were then grouped together and labeled ‘‘non-conceptual’’ for comparison with moves labeled as ‘‘conceptual.’’ More non-conceptual than conceptual moves were exchanged in all three modes.
RQ3: Which phases of knowledge construction are present in each mode?
Sixty-five percent of the forum moves and 57% of the chat moves were coded as Phase 1 (share information). Chat had a higher percentage of Phase 2 (discover inconsistencies), 3 (negotiate meaning), and 5 (agree on compromise) moves than did the forum. Frequency counts for Phases 2 to 5 were grouped together (and called ‘‘later phases of knowledge construction’’) for further analysis. The forum had more conceptual moves than either email or chat. Later phases of knowledge construction occurred more often in the forum and in chat. There were more logistical moves exchanged in email and in chat. Social moves overall were most common in email.
RQ4: How do the participants choose which modes to use for various aspects of the task?
While groups did use email for a few specific purposes, it was not the primary means of communication. These findings differ from those of Poole (2000), whose students chose to use email rather than chat or the forum for their projects. They differ as well from those of Curtis and Lawson (2001), who found that 85% of students chose email rather than uploading files or using the forum. McLoughlin (2002), in her study of undergraduate groups working online to complete tasks, found that successful teams actively used the forum to share ideas and discuss the specifics of the project.
Discussion
Conclusion
Notes
1 The names of participants and of the course management system have been changed.
2 Students were highly encouraged to communicate within the course system. Moreover, since a portion of their grade was based on team process, it is believed that all communication was captured for analysis.
References
About the Author
Trena M. Paulus [tpaulus@utk.edu] is an Assistant Professor of in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the University of Tennessee where she teaches courses in research methods and collaborative learning. She investigates meaning-making processes in online learning environments utilizing methods of discourse and narrative analysis.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Resolve to Go Green and Live Healthier
Lose weight. Get fit. Be more active. Eat healthier. These are easily some of the most common New Year’s resolutions ever year—and probably the most failed. Instead of resolving to lead a healthy lifestyle just for the sake of losing weight, why not do something that not only positively affects your health, but also the health of the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. A lifestyle sweeping large metropolitan areas and coastal regions has the growing number of Americans leading healthier way of life by eating less meat in their daily diet.
Numerous studies have consistently found that vegetarians and vegans are, on average, thinner than comparable non-vegetarians are and on average vegetarians have a body mass index about 1kg/m2 lower than that of comparable non-vegetarians, according to a report in Vegetarian Nutrition. When starting to eat a strictly vegetarian diet, you should begin to see a little weight loss within the first week or so. It is common to lose about one pound per week until you approach your ideal weight and reach a plateau. To help things along, keep oily foods — French-fries, peanut butter, salad dressings— to a minimum.
Perhaps one of the most convincing arguments and the most important thing to consider about vegetarianism are the health benefits, especially in today’s fast-food society. The American Dietetic Association states that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Vegetarians do need to watch intake of certain nutrients such as protein, calcium, vitamin B 12, iron and zinc since these nutrients are mainly found in meat and milk products.
According to Neal Bernard, M.D., a member of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, there has never been a better time to switch to a totally meatless diet. Grocery stores and restaurants have more meatless products and more types of fruits and veggies than ever, according to Better Nutrition.
GoVeg.org states that research has shown that vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, and they have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters. Vegetarians also have a reduced risk of cancer, coronary artery disease and certain other diseases.
• One of the greatest things about resolving to go veg, aside from health benefits and environmental impact, is that it opens up a wide variety of new foods to explore. Going vegetarian might force you to test our taste buds and take you out of your comfort zone, but what better New Year’s resolution than to experiment with new foods and flavors?
Many Asian, Indian, Thai and Middle Eastern foods are rich in flavor, vegetarian friendly, and considerably healthier than their American counterparts are. Try making veggie fajitas, veggie stir-fry with tofu or experimenting with curries. Many of your favorite recipes can be easily made with a few minor substitutions. Make tater tot casserole using Boca ground crumbles instead of hamburger. Pick up a vegetarian cookbook and get started already!
• Start small. Start by eliminating meat from your diet one day at a time until you are only eating meat once or twice a week—or even less. You could also try gradually eliminating one group of meats at a time. Start by eliminating the meat group you enjoy the least, and gradually work your way to removing the types of meat you eat the most. There are many different variations of vegetarian, such as pollo-vegetarians who occasionally eat only poultry; pesca-vegetarians, who occasionally only eat seafood; and the most common, ovo-lacto vegetarians who do not eat meat, but still eat eggs and dairy products.
• Try everything twice. Different brands and products taste differently, or try preparing meat substitutes in different ways. Browse your local co-op or the health food section of your grocery store and ask for help in choosing the different foods and protein substitutes to meet your needs.
• Don’t lose hope. Just because you couldn’t resist that steak dinner, that cheeseburger or those king crab legs doesn’t mean you should feel bad about yourself. You are still on the road to a healthier lifestyle by varying your diet and eating less processed meat. Try reserving one day of the week to eat meat. You’ll feel better skipping that two-for-one cheeseburger special on Tuesday knowing that you can treat yourself to your favorite meat-filled dish on Friday or Saturday and it will give you strength to say no in the end.
By reducing your meat intake, you’ll also reduce your waistline and your carbon footprint. Even if you don’t make the full transition to a vegetarian lifestyle, by eating less meat and more whole foods and fresh vegetables you’ll be able to experience new foods, feel more alert, energetic and you will start to see the results in no time.
Numerous studies have consistently found that vegetarians and vegans are, on average, thinner than comparable non-vegetarians are and on average vegetarians have a body mass index about 1kg/m2 lower than that of comparable non-vegetarians, according to a report in Vegetarian Nutrition. When starting to eat a strictly vegetarian diet, you should begin to see a little weight loss within the first week or so. It is common to lose about one pound per week until you approach your ideal weight and reach a plateau. To help things along, keep oily foods — French-fries, peanut butter, salad dressings— to a minimum.
Perhaps one of the most convincing arguments and the most important thing to consider about vegetarianism are the health benefits, especially in today’s fast-food society. The American Dietetic Association states that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Vegetarians do need to watch intake of certain nutrients such as protein, calcium, vitamin B 12, iron and zinc since these nutrients are mainly found in meat and milk products.
According to Neal Bernard, M.D., a member of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, there has never been a better time to switch to a totally meatless diet. Grocery stores and restaurants have more meatless products and more types of fruits and veggies than ever, according to Better Nutrition.
GoVeg.org states that research has shown that vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, and they have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters. Vegetarians also have a reduced risk of cancer, coronary artery disease and certain other diseases.
• One of the greatest things about resolving to go veg, aside from health benefits and environmental impact, is that it opens up a wide variety of new foods to explore. Going vegetarian might force you to test our taste buds and take you out of your comfort zone, but what better New Year’s resolution than to experiment with new foods and flavors?
Many Asian, Indian, Thai and Middle Eastern foods are rich in flavor, vegetarian friendly, and considerably healthier than their American counterparts are. Try making veggie fajitas, veggie stir-fry with tofu or experimenting with curries. Many of your favorite recipes can be easily made with a few minor substitutions. Make tater tot casserole using Boca ground crumbles instead of hamburger. Pick up a vegetarian cookbook and get started already!
• Start small. Start by eliminating meat from your diet one day at a time until you are only eating meat once or twice a week—or even less. You could also try gradually eliminating one group of meats at a time. Start by eliminating the meat group you enjoy the least, and gradually work your way to removing the types of meat you eat the most. There are many different variations of vegetarian, such as pollo-vegetarians who occasionally eat only poultry; pesca-vegetarians, who occasionally only eat seafood; and the most common, ovo-lacto vegetarians who do not eat meat, but still eat eggs and dairy products.
• Try everything twice. Different brands and products taste differently, or try preparing meat substitutes in different ways. Browse your local co-op or the health food section of your grocery store and ask for help in choosing the different foods and protein substitutes to meet your needs.
• Don’t lose hope. Just because you couldn’t resist that steak dinner, that cheeseburger or those king crab legs doesn’t mean you should feel bad about yourself. You are still on the road to a healthier lifestyle by varying your diet and eating less processed meat. Try reserving one day of the week to eat meat. You’ll feel better skipping that two-for-one cheeseburger special on Tuesday knowing that you can treat yourself to your favorite meat-filled dish on Friday or Saturday and it will give you strength to say no in the end.
By reducing your meat intake, you’ll also reduce your waistline and your carbon footprint. Even if you don’t make the full transition to a vegetarian lifestyle, by eating less meat and more whole foods and fresh vegetables you’ll be able to experience new foods, feel more alert, energetic and you will start to see the results in no time.
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