Distance-Educator.com Free e-Newsletter 5/26/2020

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MAY 26, 2020

Free Newsletter Subscriber USDLA 2020 NATIONAL CONFERENCE   INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR WOMEN IN E-LEARNING Transactional Distance and Adaptive Learning takes a fresh look at one of the pioneering educational theories that accommodates the impact of information and communications technologies in learning. The theory of transactional distance (TTD) provides a distinct analytical and planning foundation for educators to conduct an overarching inquiry into transitioning from mass instructional and management systems in higher education to dynamic and transformational futures that focus on each individual learner. Based on the TTD, this pragmatic approach offers instructors, administrators, students, and other stakeholders a comprehensive planning method to assess the current state of their instructional, learning, and management practices and to develop alternative models to prescribe future improvements in their institution. This complex, self-organized, and adaptive method includes current and emergent properties of: hardware, software, and telecommunications systems that allow faculty, students, and administrators to communicate; instructional and curriculum systems that provide teaching and learning environments for faculty and students; and management, societal, and global systems that influence how institutions are supported, funded, and managed. ORDER DIRECTLY FROM ROUTLEDGE

FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK Review Article New technologies, especially those relying on artificial intelligence or data analytics, are exciting but also present ethical challenges that deserve our attention and action. Higher education can and must lead the way. EDUCAUSE Review Keep Reading Share this article:

RESEARCH-BASED ARTICLES OF THE WEEK Social Media Learning Activities (SMLA): Implications for Design This study explored how experienced faculty are using social media to support student learning. It analysed the types of social media learning activities (SMLAs), their design, the cognitive processes that they support, and the types of knowledge that students engage in when completing SMLAs. Data gathered from five different cases of six faculty using social […] Keep Reading Share this article: Shifting Teaching and Learning in Online Learning Spaces: An Investigation of a Faculty Online Teaching and Learning Initiative We examined the adoption of online teaching strategies by faculty members at a large midwestern research university who participated in a year-long learning community. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to investigate changes in teaching approaches resulting from a year-long e-learning professional development initiative; and 2) to understand the perceptions of factors that […] Keep Reading Share this article: The effect of adding same-language subtitles to recorded lectures for non-native, English speakers in e-learning environments Globally, online (or e-learning) environments are growing in popularity in schools and universities. However, the language of instruction in these environments is mostly English. This is a problem as most of the students enrolling into online learning environments in South Africa are non-native English speakers. For these students, English is their second or sometimes third […] Keep Reading Share this article: Examining educational technology and research impact: the two roles of e-learning and related terms in the 2014 REF impact case studies The need to demonstrate the impact of research has become an important issue in the Higher Education sector in the UK. This has been taken care of through the introduction of ‘impact case studies’ as part of the research excellence framework (REF). The aim of the study presented in this paper was to understand the […] Keep Reading Share this article: Missing the Process for the Product: Tension Between Instructor Goals and Student Perceptions of ePortfolios as Personalized Action Research The creation of ePortfolios as a capstone project for school counselors-in-training has many benefits for the students, instructors, and program. However, there can be tension due to misalignments in goals and lived experiences of the ePortfolio even when the students find ePortfolios useful. This paper explores this tension between instructor goals and student perceptions of […] Keep Reading Share this article: The acceptance of e-learning systems and the learning outcome of students at universities in Vietnam e-Learning systems nowadays become vital for many universities in developing countries. They are useful for increasing educational quality and providing students with high-quality learning resources. However, how to attract students to use e-learning systems and how to improve their learning outcomes through e-learning are still difficult questions. This paper presents a survey study with 357 […] Keep Reading Share this article:

IN THE NEWS 5 Tips for Moving from Remote Instruction to Quality Online Learning During the rush to remote instruction this spring, faculty and staff at higher education institutions have done their best to help maintain academic continuity. While many in the higher education community have stressed that the emergency shift to finish the spring semester via remote instruction is not online learning, a “new normal” is beginning to […] Keep Reading Share this article: How College Students Viewed This Spring’s Remote Learning A professor’s in-depth survey of students before and after courses went virtual offers insights into how colleges can improve. The key elements: a thoughtful mix of flexibility and structure. Inside Higher Ed Keep Reading Share this article: As learning moves online, higher ed needs more data insights: A new white paper from Splunk With hundreds of universities having canceled in-person instruction for the spring semester, and most of them continuing distance learning initiatives into the summer session, higher education technology leaders need to gather and leverage data to help maximize the services they’re providing from a distance, according to a new white paper from Splunk. edscoop Keep Reading Share this article: Free Top Hat Basic Allows for Live Streaming and Recording of Class Top Hat is launching a version of its program that will assist faculty in embedding active learning into their remote classes. The recently announced Top Hat Basic will be available free to students and professors in time for the fall 2020 semester, the company said. Campus Technology Keep Reading Share this article: Designing digital workspaces for creativity and collaboration in online project-based courses In response to Covid-19, we developed an environment to bring project-based work online in two very different courses: a middle school robotics course and a university product design studio. In the process, we’ve discovered new strategies to support collaboration, foster creativity, and make student thinking visible. This post includes learnings gleaned from both of these […] Keep Reading Share this article: Zoom to Open New R&D Office Near Carnegie Mellon Zoom Video Communications, Inc. has announced it will open a research and development (R&D) office in Pittsburgh, joining Phoenix as the two locations selected by the company. Although a physical location hasn’t been determined yet, the company says it will seek to open its office near Carnegie Mellon University’s campus to capitalize on the university’s […] Keep Reading Share this article:

Distance-Educator.com Free e-Newsletter 5/18/2020

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MAY 18, 2020

Free Newsletter Subscriber USDLA 2020 NATIONAL CONFERENCE   INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR WOMEN IN E-LEARNING Transactional Distance and Adaptive Learning takes a fresh look at one of the pioneering educational theories that accommodates the impact of information and communications technologies in learning. The theory of transactional distance (TTD) provides a distinct analytical and planning foundation for educators to conduct an overarching inquiry into transitioning from mass instructional and management systems in higher education to dynamic and transformational futures that focus on each individual learner. Based on the TTD, this pragmatic approach offers instructors, administrators, students, and other stakeholders a comprehensive planning method to assess the current state of their instructional, learning, and management practices and to develop alternative models to prescribe future improvements in their institution. This complex, self-organized, and adaptive method includes current and emergent properties of: hardware, software, and telecommunications systems that allow faculty, students, and administrators to communicate; instructional and curriculum systems that provide teaching and learning environments for faculty and students; and management, societal, and global systems that influence how institutions are supported, funded, and managed. ORDER DIRECTLY FROM ROUTLEDGE

FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK Review Results As challenging as the current academic term has become, colleges and universities are facing an even longer list of unanswered questions and daunting obstacles for the fall. EDUCAUSE Review Keep Reading Share this article:

RESEARCH-BASED ARTICLES OF THE WEEK Becoming an open educator: towards an open threshold framework In this article, we propose a cross-pollination of two prominent lines of educational thought: open education (OE) and threshold concepts (TCs). Open education has gained an increased profile through the growing popularity of open educational resources (OER) and massive online open courses (MOOCs). Educators who create or make use of such resources, or employ related […] Keep Reading Share this article: Co-creation of knowledge using mobile technologies and digital media as pedagogical devices in undergraduate STEM education Digital media assignments are a widely used method of assessing student learning in higher education. Despite their common use, the literature on digital media assignments has many gaps regarding theoretical frameworks to guide their design, implementation and evaluation. This research paper focuses on student attitudes towards the use of mobile technology and digital media assignments […] Keep Reading Share this article: Who can benefit from augmented reality in chemistry? Sex differences in solving stereochemistry problems using augmented reality This paper is about augmented reality (AR) and its potentials to support students in handling scientific representations. For this purpose, first representations are examined from a science educational and instructional psychology perspective. After giving a short overview of AR in general and how it can be delineated from virtual reality (VR), potential advantages of an […] Keep Reading Share this article: The use of augmented reality to foster conceptual knowledge acquisition in STEM laboratory courses—Theoretical background and empirical results Learning with hands‐on experiments can be supported by providing essential information virtually during lab work. Augmented reality (AR) appears especially suitable for presenting information during experimentation, as it can be used to integrate both physical and virtual lab work. Virtual information can be displayed in close spatial proximity to the correspondent components in the experimentation […] Keep Reading Share this article: K-12 Community of Inquiry: A case study of the applicability of the Community of Inquiry framework in the K-12 learning environment Teaching practices and rationales of experienced online social studies teachers at one fully online high school in the southeastern United States were aligned with the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework using the descriptive case study method. Three male teachers and one female social studies teacher, all with three or more years of experience in the […] Keep Reading Share this article: Teaching as Dialogue: Toward Culturally Responsive Online Pedagogy Despite the preponderance of online learning in K-12 public schools, still little is known about what constitutes good online teaching. The purpose of this interpretivist investigation was to learn about some of the ways in which culturally responsive teaching occurs online. This study focused on the practices of four full-time online high school teachers. Using […] Keep Reading Share this article:

IN THE NEWS What (Some) Faculty Are Saying about the Shift to Remote Teaching and Learning Faculty are using social media to support, encourage, and maintain connections with their students and colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they also need to be aware of the potential sensitivity of the information they share about their students. EDUCAUSE Review Keep Reading Share this article: Cal State Stands Alone As many colleges line up to say they’ll be reopening campuses, California State University is planning for most courses to be online. What makes the system different? Inside Higher Ed Keep Reading Share this article: The 5 Stages of Moving Online From determining a remote learning strategy to planning for the new normal and enabling standards-based practices, these five phases describe the progress institutions are making toward excellence in teaching and learning online. Campus Technology Keep Reading Share this article: Research: Students Feeling Stressed; So Are Their Teachers The mental and emotional health of students is becoming just as important during COVID-19 as their academic development. Two recent surveys have examined the social and emotional well-being of K-12 students but from opposing sides — one focused on the students and the other focused on teachers. Both were undertaken by companies that sell products […] Keep Reading Share this article: New tool gauges online learning programs’ effectiveness A new program will help higher-ed institutions evaluate how effective their online learning programs are–a measure growing especially important as the global coronavirus outbreak has forced campuses to shut down physical operations. eCampus News Keep Reading Share this article: Buffalo, N.Y., Teachers Learning Lessons on Remote Teaching With home instruction continuing for the remainder of the school year and a fall reopening still in question, the education system finds itself pondering the next phase: building a better online model. Center for Digital Education Keep Reading Share this article:

Distance-Educator.com Free e-Newsletter 5/11/2020

A newsletter from yesterday.

MAY 11, 2020 Free Newsletter Subscriber DISTANCE LEARNING RESOURCES K-12, Higher Education, Training, Telehealth Weekly Webinars and Event Updates       Transactional Distance and Adaptive Learning takes a fresh look at one of the pioneering educational theories that accommodates the impact of information and communications technologies in learning. The theory of transactional distance (TTD) provides a distinct analytical and planning foundation for educators to conduct an overarching inquiry into transitioning from mass instructional and management systems in higher education to dynamic and transformational futures that focus on each individual learner. Based on the TTD, this pragmatic approach offers instructors, administrators, students, and other stakeholders a comprehensive planning method to assess the current state of their instructional, learning, and management practices and to develop alternative models to prescribe future improvements in their institution. This complex, self-organized, and adaptive method includes current and emergent properties of: hardware, software, and telecommunications systems that allow faculty, students, and administrators to communicate; instructional and curriculum systems that provide teaching and learning environments for faculty and students; and management, societal, and global systems that influence how institutions are supported, funded, and managed. ORDER DIRECTLY FROM ROUTLEDGE Support & Subscribe FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK Download Report Artificial Intelligence in (AI) in K-12 Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to influence practically every aspect of education and society as it rapidly expands both inside and outside of school. While it holds the potential to augment education to provide every student with personalized instruction at scale, it also brings a host of new […] Keep Reading Share this article: RESEARCH-BASED ARTICLES OF THE WEEK Using Structured Pair Activities in a Distributed Online Breakout Room With the increasing availability of synchronous video-based breakout rooms within online courses, there is a growing need to understand how to best leverage this technology for enhanced online education. To help address this challenge, this paper reports on a case study that explored student activity within online video-based breakout rooms via a Structured Paired Activity […] Keep Reading Share this article: Learning Smart in Home Developments in the Smart Home sector are increasingly supporting users in their everyday lives and at home. The devices are intelligent, networked and integrated into the environment. With Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs), systems have recently made their way into the living room at home. However, the part of formal and informal learning with Intelligent Personal […] Keep Reading Share this article: From Discussion Forums to eMeetings: Integrating High Touch Strategies to Increase Student Engagement, Academic Performance, and Retention in Large Online Courses Student engagement and group work are critical to developing competencies, deeper learning, and attributes that align with 21st-century skills. Group work is particularly important for future employment in an increasingly competitive and dynamic workforce. A new capstone group work assignment using Online Human Touch (OHT) strategies was integrated into an Information Systems course at a regional […] Keep Reading Share this article: Five Learning Design Principles to Create Active Learning for Engaging With Research in a MOOC Creating a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) based on analysis from research requires the adaptation of MOOC pedagogies. For example, course designers need to follow certain design principles and adapt learning content to the pedagogies and constraints of a MOOC platform. That said, this paper outlines five different learning design principles that create active learning […] Keep Reading Share this article: Holographic teaching presence: participant experiences of interactive synchronous seminars delivered via holographic videoconferencing This study seeks to identify potential advantages of using holographic videoconferencing to deliver seminars within higher education as compared to the use of alternative non-holographic videoconferencing. Holographic videoconferencing offers opportunities to enhance attendees’ experience of remotely delivered seminars but has not been widely researched. Data were collected from 127 attendees attending one of three seminars, […] Keep Reading Share this article: Why do University Teachers use E-Learning Systems? University teachers are the main players when it comes to integrating e-learning systems into higher education institutions. Prior studies have identified four main antecedents that explain teachers’ technology acceptance in the educational context: (a) subjective norms (SN), (b) technological complexity (TC), (c) constructivist beliefs (CB), and (d) motivation for instrumental use (MOT). In this study, […] Keep Reading Share this article: IN THE NEWS Are telemedicine and distance learning finally having a chance? | Guest View Back in 1994 and 1995, I wrote grant proposals for telemedicine and distance learning. These new technologies were “the next big thing,” so we thought. Even with the subsequent rise of the internet, both telemedicine and distance learning have undergone 25 years of fits and starts to catch on. Now, a pandemic is giving these […] Keep Reading Share this article: Virtual Reality Campus Visits Let Students Connect with Colleges During COVID-19 When I first envisioned a phone app to replace the physical college campus tour, it was a way to enable rural students and those who aren’t wealthy to visit campuses without having to travel to get there. As state director of a federally funded initiative that helps young people prepare for college, I realized virtual […] Keep Reading Share this article: How Can Educators Tap Into Research To Increase Engagement During Remote Learning? As university professors and researchers who work closely with K-12 online teachers and learners, we’ve heard from many newly remote educators who are struggling. Recent class discussions have focused on the difficulties of getting through to students without in-person contact, especially during a time of enormous stress. Some teachers report that their students lack interest […] Keep Reading Share this article: What does Fall 2020 hold for college students and faculty? Fall 2020 is a looming question yet to be fully answered on shuttered campuses across the nation, as the duration of social distancing practices and potential treatments for COVID-19 remain uncertain. eCanpus News Keep Reading Share this article: As education moves online, universities weigh student engagement Universities are navigating the new reality of education and leaning on data insights to assess student engagement with online learning, university leaders said Thursday during an online conference. edscoop Keep Reading Share this article: Three-Quarters of College Students Call Online Classes ‘Unengaging,’ Miss Campus Interactions In an April survey done by education technology vendor Top Hat, a quarter of college students said they’re undecided about whether or not to continue their education in the fall. The survey found that 26 percent of students are re-evaluating their intentions of returning to school. Nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) consider the online […] Keep Reading Share this article:

Distance-Educator.com Free e-Newsletter 5/4/2020

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Distance-Educator.com via sendpulse.me	Mon, May 4, 7:37 AM (1 day ago)
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MAY 4, 2020 Free Newsletter Subscriber DISTANCE LEARNING RESOURCES K-12, Higher Education, Training, Telehealth Weekly Webinars and Event Updates       Transactional Distance and Adaptive Learning takes a fresh look at one of the pioneering educational theories that accommodates the impact of information and communications technologies in learning. The theory of transactional distance (TTD) provides a distinct analytical and planning foundation for educators to conduct an overarching inquiry into transitioning from mass instructional and management systems in higher education to dynamic and transformational futures that focus on each individual learner. Based on the TTD, this pragmatic approach offers instructors, administrators, students, and other stakeholders a comprehensive planning method to assess the current state of their instructional, learning, and management practices and to develop alternative models to prescribe future improvements in their institution. This complex, self-organized, and adaptive method includes current and emergent properties of: hardware, software, and telecommunications systems that allow faculty, students, and administrators to communicate; instructional and curriculum systems that provide teaching and learning environments for faculty and students; and management, societal, and global systems that influence how institutions are supported, funded, and managed. ORDER DIRECTLY FROM ROUTLEDGE FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK Review Report Preventing a Winter of Disillusionment Using artificial intelligence to better inform human intelligence, higher education can prevent a winter of disillusionment and ensure tangible student success outcomes. EDUCAUSE Review Keep Reading Share this article: RESEARCH-BASED ARTICLES OF THE WEEK The use of a wiki to boost open and collaborative learning in a Spanish university Spanish universities are attempting to offer a more flexible and higher- quality education that is adapted to new social demands. As a result, they are offering a series of technological resources in both university management, as well as, in teaching and research – developments which are encouraged by the educational convergence process, occurring within the […] Keep Reading Share this article: Factors Affecting Indonesian Pre-Service Teachers’ Use of m-LMS: A Mix Method Study The purpose of this research is to investigate factors affecting Indonesian pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) teachers’ use of m-learning management systems (m-LMS) in higher education. The difference regarding the use of m-LMS based on some demographic information namely gender, university, year in university, and age are also reported as well as gaining an in-depth understanding of […] Keep Reading Share this article: Learners’ Preferences for Online Resources, Activities, and Communication Tools: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Kyrgyzstan The progresses in technology lead to advances in e-learning as well as lead to increase in number of learners participating in e-learning courses. Richness of online resources, activities, and communication tools presented in online courses can be one of the factors that influence learners’ attendance to e-learning. In this regard, the initial purpose of this […] Keep Reading Share this article: Evaluating Pre-Service Teaching Practice for Online and Distance Education Students in Pakistan In addition to conventional modes, teacher education programs in Pakistan are also offered through online and distance education. Teaching practice is a significant component of pre-service teacher education programs. Assessing the quality of teaching practice for pre-service student teachers is important, as these modules train the prospective teachers for their professional teaching careers. Virtual University […] Keep Reading Share this article: Does mobile instant messaging facilitate social presence in online communication? A two-stage study of higher education students Online social presence supports student learning by making group interactions more appealing and has become a central concept in computer-mediated communication. However, questions remain over how social presence is presented in a mobile instant messaging (MIM)-facilitated environment and to what extent MIM can afford social presence compared to a threaded discussion forum. This study offers […] Keep Reading Share this article: The Current Use of Mobile Devices among Students and Faculty in EFL Teaching in a Saudi Arabian Context Mobile technology has significant potential to support learning and teaching in English. However, few studies attempt to explore current use by students and faculty members of mobile technologies to facilitate English language learning and teaching in Saudi Arabia. Even fewer studies capture descriptions of current use in the words of these users. The present study […] Keep Reading Share this article: IN THE NEWS An Argument for ‘Remote’ Rather Than ‘Online’ Instruction Might high-touch, residential colleges be better off tweaking the synchronous instruction they’ve done this spring rather than making a bigger shift if campuses are still closed to students in the fall? One campus official makes that case. Inside Higher Ed Keep Reading Share this article: Three Corporate Voices: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning The EDUCAUSE Enterprise IT Program asked three corporate members to share their advice about the ways AI and machine learning fit with higher education, as well as ethical considerations when using these technologies. EDUCAUSE Review Keep Reading Share this article: How is Gen Z impacted by online learning? A university professor looks into how remote and online learning is impacting Gen Z–research that has implications for teaching during COVID-19 eCampus News Keep Reading Share this article: Free WiFi for Online Learning During COVID-19 While EducationSuperHighway recently reported that the classroom connectivity gap was “now closed,” with 99 percent of schools on fiber, that didn’t take into account that school would move home in a time of coronavirus. The latest reporting by the Federal Communications Commission, found that the number of people lacking a connection of at least 25 […] Keep Reading Share this article: OSU offers virtual gardening, chicken brooding classes during lockdown As people work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and spend more time thinking about their personal safety and security, home gardening has grown in popularity, said Timothy McDermott, an extension educator in agriculture and natural resources at The Ohio State University. edscoop Keep Reading Share this article: ProctorU Proposes Student Bill of Rights for Remote Learning Doing school work remotely presents some unique challenges. For one, teachers can’t necessarily see how a student is accomplishing class work and may therefore make faulty assumptions about how it was done; and two, the education technology that facilitates online learning collects data on the student and the interactions, frequently without the student even knowing, […] Keep Reading Share this article:

Distance-Educator.com Free e-Newsletter 4/27/2020

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APRIL 27, 2020

Free Newsletter Subscriber DISTANCE LEARNING RESOURCES K-12, Higher Education, Training, Telehealth Weekly Webinars and Event Updates       Transactional Distance and Adaptive Learning takes a fresh look at one of the pioneering educational theories that accommodates the impact of information and communications technologies in learning. The theory of transactional distance (TTD) provides a distinct analytical and planning foundation for educators to conduct an overarching inquiry into transitioning from mass instructional and management systems in higher education to dynamic and transformational futures that focus on each individual learner. Based on the TTD, this pragmatic approach offers instructors, administrators, students, and other stakeholders a comprehensive planning method to assess the current state of their instructional, learning, and management practices and to develop alternative models to prescribe future improvements in their institution. This complex, self-organized, and adaptive method includes current and emergent properties of: hardware, software, and telecommunications systems that allow faculty, students, and administrators to communicate; instructional and curriculum systems that provide teaching and learning environments for faculty and students; and management, societal, and global systems that influence how institutions are supported, funded, and managed. ORDER DIRECTLY FROM ROUTLEDGE

FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK Download Report This year, our fourth year of reporting original data, includes participation from 398 school administrators and 1,500 students (prospective students, current students, and online program alumni). Findings are presented in five categories: online learner demographics, the online learning experience, online program marketing and recruitment, online program design and development, and online student satisfaction. Best Colleges Keep Reading Share this article:

RESEARCH-BASED ARTICLES OF THE WEEK Examining How Online Professional Development Impacts Teachers’ Beliefs About Teaching Statistics With online learning becoming a more viable option for teachers to develop their expertise, our report shares one such effort focused on improving the teaching of statistics. We share design principles and learning opportunities in an online course developed specifically to serve as a wide-scale online professional development opportunity for educators, thus deemed as a […] Keep Reading Share this article: Facilitation Matters: Instructor Perception of Helpfulness of Facilitation Strategies in Online Courses Online course facilitation is critical to the success of online courses. Instructors use various facilitation strategies in online courses to engage students. One hundred instructors were surveyed on their perception of helpfulness of twelve different facilitation strategies used in online courses to enhance instructor presence, instructor connection, engagement and learning. Instructors’ timely response to questions […] Keep Reading Share this article: Librarian Integrated Workflows to Enhance Course Design & Development As the modes of course development in universities shift to be more team-based, librarians are now contributing core components of course development operations. This article outlines the ways that librarians at Capella University have been integrated systematically into course development. Adding librarians to specific points throughout the course development process has streamlined processes, saved materials […] Keep Reading Share this article: Exploring Factors that Impact Faculty Decisions to Teach Languages Online: Is It Worth the Individual Return on Investment? Over the past decade, scholars have explored factors that motivate or impede faculty decisions to teach online in the broader context of higher education (Mitchell & Geva-May, 2009; Shea, Pickett, & Li, 2005; Tabata & Johnsrud, 2008; Wright, 2014; Zhen, Garthwait, & Pratt, 2008). However, comparable research in specific, academic disciplines is limited, especially as […] Keep Reading Share this article: Immersion, interaction, and experience-oriented learning: Bringing virtual reality into FL learning Virtual reality (VR) is not only attracting the attention of the information and computer technology (ICT) industry (Shirer & Torchia, 2017), especially in the production of consumer VR hardware, but also that of educators. Three years in a row, the Horizon Reports of 2016, 2017, and 2018 have mentioned that VR, or mixed reality, is […] Keep Reading Share this article: Students’ Perspectives on the Impact of Blackboard Collaborate on Open University Australia (OUA) Online Learning Blackboard Collaborate (BC), a synchronous, multimodal platform, has been incorporated into Open University Australia (OUA) students’ online learning experiences. This study sought to investigate the perspectives of 134 interdisciplinary OUA students via an online survey and follow-up interviews. Findings revealed students’ positive perceptions about BC as an engaging, real-time medium for feedback exchange, knowledge sharing, […] Keep Reading Share this article:

IN THE NEWS EDUCAUSE COVID-19 QuickPoll Results: The Technology Workforce Upheavals in work location and environment during the COVID-19 pandemic are challenging the higher education technology workforce. EDUCAUSE Review Keep Reading Share this article: How Teaching Changed in the (Forced) Shift to Remote Learning New survey documents how professors view this spring’s mass move to virtual courses. Key findings: most used new teaching methods, half lowered their expectations for the volume of student work — and a third for its quality. Inside Higher Ed Keep Reading Share this article: Distance Learning: Let’s not Reinvent the Wheel Amidst the sea of chaos brought on by COVID-19, while most schools are having to hoist new sails in uncharted waters, a handful of others have been able to more or less stay the course. Before the pandemic began, approximately 375,000 of America’s 56 million K–12 students already attended school online full-time. The schools serving […] Keep Reading Share this article: Not for coronavirus, Utah Valley U. launches online-degrees website Utah Valley University launched a new website this week to help students understand and enroll in online courses. edscoop Keep Reading Share this article: CT [Campus Technology] Launches Virtual Summit on Distance Learning Campus closures have led education institutions everywhere to scramble to move instruction to an online format. On May 5, the Campus Technology Distance Learning Summit will provide insight, ideas and information for education IT decision-makers grappling with the need for continuity of teaching and learning in these unprecedented times. Campus Technology Keep Reading Share this article: 5 Easy Ways to Infuse Learning Science into Remote Teaching In my experience, the key to successful online learning — or any learning for that matter — is recognizing that durable, long-lasting and serviceable knowledge is acquired when there is increased cognitive effort. In the world of remote or online teaching, that’s not always easy to achieve. Campus Technology Keep Reading Share this article: