From yesterday’s inbox…
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RESEARCH ARTICLES OF THE WEEK
There are several new developments that are moving educational programs towards a dynamic systems model. Dynamic systems are those that respond to learners on an ongoing basis to optimize learning among students. (For a detailed explanation of dynamic distance education systems please see Saba, F. (2003). Distance education theory, methodology, and epistemology: A pragmatic paradigm. In M. G. Moore & w. G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of distance education (pp. 3-20). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.)
One of the promising developments currently under way is an increasing interest among educators to analyze the massive data that is collected on learners on a regular a basis on computer systems of colleges and universities. The purpose of this analytical endeavor is discerning myriad patterns of behaviors among learners, such as, learning achievements, completion rates, and time-to-degree, just to name a few, as well as identifying learners with specific needs and those who may be at risk.
This trend, generally known, as academic analytics is the subject of an award winning article by Martin Olmos, Educational Technology Manager in the Graduate School of Medicine and Linda Corrin, Lecturer in Educational Development, both of University of Wollongon.
Published in Australian Journal of Educational Technology, this exploratory article titled Academic analytics in a medical curriculum: Enabling educational excellence presents “the tools and approaches used, and outlines the lessons learnt. These lessons include the risk of a simplistic use of visualisations, their potential to generate important questions, the value of a flexible approach to tool selection, the need for relevant skills, and the importance of keeping the audience central. Although there is much further potential for the school to realise, academic analytics have already been a critical enabler of educational excellence.”
For a more conceptual article on academic analytics and gaining a foundational knowledge of this important field I recommend studying Oblinger, D. & Campbell, J. P. (2007). Academic analytics. EDUCAUSE
Our other research article this week focuses on collaborative writing on a web-based environment. With the increasing popularity of Google Docs among faculty and students this article should be of interest not only to those who are involved in the fields related to language arts, but to those who want to collaborate with their peers in their own disciplines. This Winter, for example, I used Google Docs in writing a chapter for the upcoming edition of the Handbook of Distance Education by Michael G. Moore, Pennsylvania State University. All Authors posted their articles in-progress to Google Docs, and I was able to read them and relate their content to my article, which is on the process of theory building for the field of distance education. Easy access to all the other chapters, even in their pre-publication form, was a valuable resource to me. I was able to include the many theoretical constructs discussed in each of my colleague’s articles to the systems theory of distance education that I was developing in my chapter.
Authors Greg Kessler, Dawn Bikowski, and Jordan Boggs of Ohio University introduced their article titled Collaborative Writing Among Second Language Learners In Academic Web-Based Projects published in Language Learning & Technology in the following abstract: “This study investigates Web-based, project oriented, many-to-many collaborative writing for academic purposes. Thirty-eight Fulbright scholars in an orientation program at a large Midwestern university used a Web-based word processing tool to collaboratively plan and report on a research project. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the changing nature of collaborative writing, as it is influenced by Web-based writing contexts. Details of students’ writing processes and their perceptions of the collaborative Web-based word processing experience are explored. Findings suggest that students focused more on meaning than form, that their grammatical changes were overall more accurate than inaccurate, that they participated with varying frequency, and that they used the tool for simultaneous varied purposes. Student feedback about the Web-based collaborative activity and use of Google Docs offers additional insights. Observations about the evolving nature of Web-based collaborative writing and associated pedagogical practices including considerations about student autonomy are discussed.”
NEW DOCTORAL PROGRAM
Texas Tech: Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education
Texas Tech University’s College of Education offers a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education, which enables place-bound professional educators the opportunity to advance their education. This hybrid program utilizes online courses and face-to-face summer intensive sessions to prepare professional educators to effectively address accountability and other issues facing schools and teacher education programs. Texas Tech University makes continuing your education possible no matter where “here” is.
Texas Tech College of EducationIN OTHER NEWS
Regulatory turmoil focusing primarily on for-profit distance education companies, but affecting all others nonetheless, is continuing. Last week, the US House of Representatives voted not to require institutions to comply with the educational standards of each states in which they have learners. The following two stories provide more information on state authorization.
House votes to roll back Department of Education rules
The House on Tuesday afternoon voted to repeal two Department of Education regulations, an act that Republicans said would help lower the cost of college for millions of students. Members approved the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act, H.R. 2117, in a 303-114 vote. Despite Democratic complaints about the bill during floor debate, 69 Democrats joined all voting Republicans in support of the legislation.
The HillHouse Passes Bill to Repeal Credit Hour, State AuthorizationThe House of Representatives voted 303-114 Tuesday to repeal the Education Department’s credit hour and state authorization regulations, with 69 Democrats joining the all of the chamber’s Republicans to back the bill. Higher education groups cheered the House’s actions, but the next step for the measure is unclear.
Inside Higher EdOnline learning provider K12 faces class-action lawsuit
After a recent New York Times article implied that online learning giant K12 Inc. focuses more on its bottom line than student performance, the company now faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that it violated securities laws by issuing false and misleading statements regarding its business prospects.
eSchool NewsFor-Profit Group Tries New Approach, Again
Steve Gunderson is determined to stay positive as the leader of for-profit colleges’ primary trade group. It won’t be easy. The former Republican Congressman from Wisconsin will need to use all the political persuasiveness he picked up during 16 years as a moderate dealmaker on Capitol Hill — and then some — to rise above the fray as the new president of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities.
Inside Higher EdCHEA Joins With Higher Education Associations in Higher Education Compliance Alliance (Washington, DC) – The Higher Education Compliance Alliance – an online resource of information on federal law and regulation that affects higher education – was launched on March 1, 2012. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a founding member of the Alliance.
Council for Higher Education AccreditationState [Ohio] demonstrates super-fast Internet network that will increase bandwidth tenfoldCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. John Kasich and medical officials across the state met at Ohio State University Medical Center on Monday to demonstrate Ohio’s new investment in a super-fast Internet connection.
cleveland.comFarhad (Fred) Saba, Ph. D.
Founder and Editor
Distance-Educator.com
