JOLT - Journal of Online Learning and Teaching T. M. Brinthaupt, L. S. In his well-known book, What the Best College Teachers Do, Ken Bain (2004) identified a set of core characteristics of exemplary college teachers. According to Bain (2004), excellent teachers produce “important educational results” (p.5), such as high achievement on standardized and professional tests and satisfied, inspired students. Given the differences between teaching face-to-face and teaching online, how can faculty members capture the best parts of “what works” in their courses across different delivery modes? Despite Bain’s observations and recommendations, most of the literature on online pedagogy focuses on “best practices” (e.g., Keengwe & Kidd, 2010). All of these best practice suggestions make good sense and are useful for online teaching. Whereas best practices are clearly necessary for good teaching, we do not think that they are sufficient for excellent teaching. An eLearning Pedagogy Faculty Learning Community Fostering Student Engagement Cox, M.
E-Learning Generations (version française) In recent years I have been working on two major concepts: first, the connectivist theory of online learning, which views learning as a network process; and second, the massive open online course, or MOOC, which is an instantiation of that process. These, however, represent only the most recent of what can be seen as a series of 'generations' of e-learning. In this talk I describe these generations and discuss how they led to, and are a part of, the most recent work in online learning.--Thank you for welcoming me to your conference. The theme I would like to explore today concerns the growth and development of our idea of online learning, or as it is sometimes called, e-learning. These generations span more than a 20-year period. For me, 'generation one' consists of the idea of the network itself. As generation one developed, generation zero matured. Another key idea was the design of the gaming space itself. Meanwhile, the world of networks began to commercialize.
Are On-line Discussion Forums Conversations? Conversation is a topic I often present about. On those occasions I am frequently asked, “Do you consider on-line discussion forums conversation?” I usually fumble and hedge my answer. But now, thanks to a study done by Yongsuk Kim, when he was a doctoral student at the University of Texas, I have at least a partial answer. Before I get to Kim’s study let me explain both my experience and my concerns about on-line forums that cause me to hedge my answer to that frequently asked question. First, I fully support on-line forums. My concerns are related to what I observe happening in many on-line discussion forums. Of course, back and forth exchanges are not necessary if the question is just asking for factual information, for example, “How much pressure should valve 25 hold?” I recognize there are many ways to define the term “conversation.” In his study Yongsuk Kim referenced this type of interaction as “collective elaboration.”
Unique Online Teaching Method at UWM Earns National Attention Newswise — UWM psychology professors Diane Reddy and Ray Fleming believe they have found a more effective way to teach undergraduate courses. Two major funding organizations agree and have invested to scale up its use at other U.S. universities, and also to scientifically identify what factors make it so successful. The online U-Pace instructional approach has been shown to improve student performance compared to traditional, in-person lecture classes at UWM. U-Pace also closes the achievement gap between at-risk college students and prepared students. Funding organizations like the Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) would like to see the approach used at other large, public institutions serving low-income and underrepresented students with the goal of improving retention, learning and college completion. NGLC is a new initiative designed and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Undergraduate Sandy Vue agrees. Comment/Share
Online Flashcards | STUDYBLUE Mobilize your notes. Study on the bus or in line for a taco. Free mobile apps mean instant access to every note and flashcard you need. Get your score before the test. It's one thing to study a lot. The end of forgetting. Assignment notebooks have a modern, good-looking cousin. Study more. There's some irony in the two binders, four textbooks, and 22 handouts required for this semester's Environmental Studies coursework. Spanish Language Resources - Games Finding ways to have fun while learning a new language can be critical to your success. The Pimsleur Approach offers a number of Spanish learning games that can be a supplement for kids and adults alike. When you're looking for a new way to incorporate Spanish into your everyday life, learning games are a perfect option. Our interactive Spanish language games are a great way to have fun and strengthen your language skills. Use our fun Spanish games to learn more about Spanish words, grammar, and sentence structure. We have games that teach color names, introduce you to Spanish food, and help you understand the weather, all while testing your memory for the Spanish language. Choose from the games below to play and learn Spanish. Spanish Colors Game Have fun using drag 'n' drop to solve word puzzles by completing Spanish words and sentences. Spanish Weather Game Try to make predictions about the weather while testing your Spanish language skills. Spanish Memory Game Spanish Match-Up Quiz
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30 Best Free WordPress Themes Of 2012 56Stumble We are over half way through 2012 so it's about time we looked at what WordPress Theme designers have been up to.At the start of the year we published the very popular 25 Best Free WordPress Themes Of 2011 this time I have listed 30 free themes for WordPress from the first half of 2012. Note - Some of these themes have free and paid versions so look for the free download link. Unlike some comments seem to suggest none of the links to themes are affiliate links, indeed within the text of no post on this site will you find affiliate links ! Click the title of each theme to see the demo and download details. New: Also see The Best Free Wordpress Themes For 2013 ! 30 Best WordPress Themes From The First Half Of 2012 GameX Wordpress Theme A dark color magazine template with drop menu, wide featured posts slider and many more features. WpMatrix Wordpress Theme A bright three column theme with a simple design. Cool Retro WordPress Theme Zenshop Online Store Theme Woody Wordpress Theme 56Blogger
Being Human: Perception & Sensations Bio Richard Davidson Neuroscientist Richard Davidson was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2006. His research focuses on correlating emotional states with the brain activity underlying them. Davidson has reached the conclusion that our brain circuitry isn't set in stone: though our emotions are evolved responses, they are remarkably plastic and can be shaped over time. As he says, "I think that what modern neuroscience is teaching us is that, in fact, there is a lot of plasticity, that change is indeed possible, and the evidence is more and more strongly in favor of the importance of environmental influences in shaping brain function and structure and even shaping the expression of our genes." R. Beau Lotto is founder of Lottolab, a hybrid art studio and science lab. Beau Lotto's color games puzzle your vision, but they also spotlight what you can't normally see: how your brain works. V.S. V.S. Encyclopædia Britannica Article human nature
Online Book Club for Readers First of all, this is not some crazy online get-rich-quick scheme. You won't get rich and you won't be able to leave your day job. This also isn't one of those things where we promise you billions of dollars if you just send us a small fee. This is completely free to you, the reviewer. So what is this? Many publishers and up-and-coming authors are willing to give you a free copy of their book in exchange for you writing an honest review of the book. In fact, there is such a high demand for reviewers to accept these offers that many of them are now coming with a payment in addition to the free book. Most payouts currently range between $5-$60 per review. If you are the kind of person who hasn't read a book in the last year, this probably isn't for you. To get started, just sign up for free by registering if you have not already. Click here to sign up for free now! What if the review isn't good? If you do not like the book, then you give it a negative review. That's a great question!
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The power of perceptions: Imagining the reality you want Can you guess which colored dots are the same on both panels? For the answer, watch the TED talk video linked below. We have the power to choose our responses, Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl saidThe power of our perceptions can be seen with the placebo effect during clinical trialsThe way we perceive even the most basic of our senses is dependent on interpretation (CNN) -- Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who spent three years during World War II living under unspeakable circumstances in several of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps. While imprisoned, Frankl realized he had one single freedom left: He had the power to determine his response to the horror unfolding around him. And so he chose to imagine. He imagined his wife and the prospect of seeing her again. Frankl survived and went on to chronicle his experiences and the wisdom he had drawn from them. But human perceptions, and their ramifications, are very real and potentially life-changing. The fiction of reality
100 Amazing How-To Sites to Teach Yourself Anything Posted by Site Administrator in Online Learning May 7th, 2009 Learning new skills and expanding your knowledge doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are loads of free resources on the Web that can help you find instructional videos, tutorials and classes to learn a wide variety of skills from fixing basic car problems to speaking another language. With 100 sites to choose from, you’re bound to find something here that will help you learn just about anything you could want. General Tutorials These sites offer a wide range of tutorials and videos. Around the House Want to know how to fix that broken cabinet or hang up some great wallpaper? Business and Management If you feel like you’re seriously lacking on business and management skills at work, no need to worry. KnowThis? Language and Writing Those who want to learn a new language, improve their writing skills or just learn more about literature will be well-served by these instructional sites. Technology Math S.O.S. Science Creativity