The Appropriation of Wiki in a Higher Blended Learning Course

This chapter introduces the description of wiki appropriation. It considers the tool inclusion in an online educational innovation, supported in student and group-centered learning approach, to improve the quality of the blended learning offered. It states that the university course of educational technology, through wiki application as an appropriated methodology, beyond its consideration as a Web 2.0 tool, gives the opportunity to enhance the student protagonism into the deepening of the conceptual field of the subject by a collaborative knowledge construction. The evidence shows that the application worth to develop the learning strategies towards the student comprehension and its social skills in universities contexts. The results shows that the transformation of reactive attitudes into creative ones is a long process of change mediated by emotions and metacognitive work. Both facilitate a change of the students’ focus, perspectives, and mentalities, understandable by the help of collective learning, among diverse variables.

Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA)

This chapter will examine the organizational and technological challenges encountered by the highly successful Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA) since its members began offering multi-university online academic programs in 2000. Members include the following universities: Colorado State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Michigan State, Missouri, Montana State, Nebraska, North Dakota State, Oklahoma State, and South Dakota State. Inter-institutional online academic programs are a cost-effective means of rapidly increasing access and addressing emerging educational needs. The chapter explains how the Great Plains IDEA began, operates and has evolved, as well as the mistakes made, lessons learned, and upcoming challenges. A major technological challenge was identifying a secure multi-institution enrollment system for sharing student data between enrolling and teaching institutions the award-winning ExpanSIS system. The authors hope that higher education leaders will be convinced that inter-institutional collaboration is a viable solution to many higher education challenges.

When Distance Technologies Meet the Student Code

This case study outlines problems with student conduct in an online undergraduate program and explains how a student code was applied to resolve the issues and institute procedures to reduce future incidents of academic dishonesty and incivility. The study describes several instances of student misconduct and explains how online program administrators responded by improving communication with both students and faculty and by modifying course design and development processes as well as instructional practices. It also reports on how other administrators assisted in handling resolution and discipline. While technology itself may both complicate the maintenance of conduct standards and provide new ways to protect academic integrity, this study demonstrates that the introduction of technology should not change the rules.

The Case of e-Tutorials for Test Preparation for New Teachers Transitioning and Transforming into the Education Profession

This chapter describes the Ohio Transition to Teaching Project, which assisted adult learners pursuing an alternative license to teaching in Ohio with preparation support for the Praxis II: Principles of Learning and Teaching test. It addresses the challenges these nontraditional teachers face in becoming both “content” and “pedagogically qualified.” The case describes the rationale and process for the development of an interactive online learning community that provided electronic test preparation, virtual collaboration with peers, e-coaching, and resources. The authors present the advantages of a hybrid or blended approach to instructional design, which combines the best features of both face-to-face and online formats to enable self-paced learning and appropriate levels of interaction. The case concludes with discussion of a new initiative, Project KNOTtT, which is expanding the Ohio Transition to Teaching model to Kansas, Nevada, and Texas.

Alignment of Course Objectives and Assessment Items

This case study examines how achieving close alignment between course objectives and course assessments should be an essential goal in the course design/revision process regardless of what mode of delivery is involved. By examining the revision of two courses (Western Civilization I & II) offered at Thomas Edison State College, the authors demonstrate how the application of sound instructional design principles to achieve this alignment resulted in the measurable improvement of student learning outcomes. The major issue examined in this study is how to achieve a close correlation between what a course states that a student should be able to do after successful completion, what practice it offers them to achieve this proficiency, and how they are assessed to determine what level of proficiency they have attained.

Emerging Trends of Student Support Services in Indian Distance Education

Even though the concept of distance education emerged in the West/Europe, it is evident that the impact of this concept in terms of emergence of distance education institutions, student enrolment, and utilization of a variety of media are quite predominant in the context of Indian subcontinent especially India. The chapter traces briefly the history and growth of distance education in India. Various facets of student support are discussed followed by how various modes of ICT are employed as a part of student support. This chapter also examines the best practices adopted and emerging trends of students support by open universities in India. It also examines the role ICT has played and the future trends the ICT would enable effective student support.

The Proliferation, Pitfalls, and Power of Online Education

Online education has been a growing field in higher education for the last decade, and the number of students choosing online over seated classes continues to increase. The proliferation of online programs forces one to ask, “Is online education a good thing?” The resounding answer is YES, when best practices are followed. However, even the best online programs experience challenges as they deal with institutional, student, and growth issues. These struggles, their resolutions, and the knowledge gained from them are the focus of this chapter.

Finding a Niche through an External Degree-Completion Program

The University of Missouri began seriously investigating an external degree- completion program in 2000, working with an existing Bachelor of General Studies Degree Program (BGS). Concerns included the development of Capstone and Writing Intensive courses. The program has entailed training advisors; updating curriculum; revising student services procedures; marketing; and coordinating with other branches of Extension.

Dual-Design Strategies for Modularizing E-Learning for Academic and Commercial Uses

This chapter addresses applied strategies for modularizing e-learning along both an academic university track and a commercial one. Academic qualifications and professional certifications have been seen as complementary in some ways, antithetical in others. Another way to visualize both is as one-in-the-same in terms of learning contents, albeit with versioning for the various differences. The chunking of a curriculum for both a formalist college setting and for a business one involves creative applications of the module format, particularly given the disparate needs and learning outcomes of the two (often) different learner audiences. This case examines the differences between the learning needs of both demographics. This case then sets the dual-design scene from an instructional designer point-of-view.

Encapsulating the Basic Tenets

With increased emphasis on transparency and learning outcomes, the NCA Higher Learning Commission has challenged institutions to demonstrate greater accountability in educational programming (2000). This chapter traces the steps taken to establish a set of guiding principles, or best practices, for endorsement by the American Association for Collegiate Independent Study (AACIS) membership. The AACIS membership is comprised of practitioners from institutions engaged in the provision of self-paced, independent educational opportunities for students who require flexible options, including year-round enrollment. While it was anticipated that agreement on all aspects of online delivery would be impossible, a consensus on core principles was seen as attainable. The purpose of the initiative was to lay the groundwork for further refinement of standards of practice by practitioners engaged in the delivery of online, distance, and independent learning programs.