Articles Appears in The Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.

Read these articles I thought you may find interesting, appears in Volume 14 Issue 3 , Fall 2011 edition of The Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.

Rapid Development of Hybrid Courses for Distance Education: A Midwestern University's Pilot Project
ByJodi Rust 

Abstract

Photo: Dr. Jodi Rust

A descriptive case study was used to explore how repurposing and a pedagogical-based instructional design model, the multimodal model (Picciano, 2009), were used to create quality distance education courses in a rapid development setting at a Midwestern land grant university. Data triangulation was used to secure data from faculty member interviews, course syllabi, and Desire to Learn (D2L) tours of the hybrid courses. From the research findings, the technique of repurposing did help faculty members develop hybrid courses in a rapid development setting. However, the multimodal model’s (Picciano, 2009) implementation was less successful. Faculty members found this pedagogical-based model easy to use; but it was not used to its fullest potential. The hybrid courses developed in this case study exhibited faculty-driven content. These faculty-driven courses led to implementation problems and quality issues.
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Information Found and Not Found: What University Websites Tell Students 
By Katrina Meyer and Stephanie Jones

Abstract

Photo: Stephanie Jones

Photo: Katrina A. Meyer

This study investigates how graduate students experience their university websites, or the institutional “virtual face.” The sample included graduate students admitted to online and blended higher education programs at Texas Tech University and the University of Memphis. A total of 42 students provided open-ended answers to questions about information they needed, could not find, or found with much effort. Their responses paint a picture of adult students who often struggle to find basic information or services (e.g., email login, registration) on institutional websites that are important functions for graduate students. They were also asked what messages the websites produced and should produce and who the intended audience was. The students perceive the audience to be students, but still find the messages mostly to be about marketing the institution rather than addressing their functional needs.
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Maximizing Learning Using Online Student Assessment 
By Patrice Boyles

Abstract

Photo:
Patrice C. Boyles, Ed.D.

As the technological age reaches its peak, so does the need to improve assessment for online instruction. Assessment includes all activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used to improve teaching and learning (Black and William,1998b). Assessment is a critical factor of the learning environment. The popularity of distance education and online assessment has forced educational institutions to revise delivery methods, reshape teaching methods and reevaluate learning environments. The transformation in delivery of instruction has consequently brought on the need to reassess how educational institutions are implementing online assessment. According to Allen and Seaman (2008), over 20% of all students took at least one online course in 2006; consequently this has brought more attention to the quality of online instruction. Today, educators are wavering in new territory and educational institutions are forced to adapt to an online environment and change curriculum to meet the needs of learners. The purpose of the study is to investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of online assessment and its impact on student learning.

Online assessment has many benefits. Like ice-cream, it comes in a wide array and can be encrusted in several arrangements. Instructors have the capability to create test-banks that include multiple-choice, true/false, completion, essay writing or matching. Reports are easily generated to allow instructors to preview grades, participation, and assessment results for the entire class or individual students at any time. Since many distance education courses are either asynchronous or synchronous, students benefit by having more flexibility.

At this juncture, the effects of attitudes for online assessment vary. The complexity of teaching or taking online courses can be overwhelming for some and impossible for others. Successful online instructors incorporate a variety of instructional strategies and implement a variety of formative assessments to maximize learning benefits. Online assessments are relatively new because they have been emphasized in predominately face-to-face environments.

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Source: The Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration