Engaging eLearners Graphic Organizer

    Learners today are using a variety of technological tools that can be brought into educational settings to enhance learning.  Blogs, Skype, email, and streaming video are tools that many individuals use frequently for personal use.  These same tools can be used in online learning.    Blogging is a phenomenon that is widely used throughout society.  From DIY projects to instructional activities, society utilizes blogs to enhance their personal knowledge on topics of their choice.  Blogs can be an effective tool in an online setting.  Students can explore blogs of experts in the field to increase knowledge.  Ibraheem Almuhanna states in his blog that blogs offer a place “where authors can express themselves and reflect on their knowledge while getting feedback and comments from readers”.  Blogs can also be an assessment medium.  Students can create their own blogs and write on assigned topics to portray knowledge.  This gives students the opportunity to gather feedback from individuals around the globe instead of just the course instructor.

     Wikis are widely used throughout multiple fields.  Collaboration is getting a lot of press, and schools and educators are being urged to incorporate collaboration within their instruction.  Implementing wikis in an online setting provides students with tools to collaborate with peers from across the world.  Students can work together to complete a final product.   In addition, since wikis track changes and page edits, it is easy for instructors to identify individual contributions for assessment purposes.  The benefits of this free tool should not be overlooked.

   Isolation is a major concern for many entering an online setting.  However, video conferences tools such as Skype can help alleviate this problem.  Skype has the capabilities of recreating the face-to-face aspect that many feel is lost through online education.  Synchronous discussions can occur in online learning.  Research has shown that using a variety of tools that are appropriate for specific instructional tasks can make distance, or online, learning just as effective as traditional learning (Durrington, Berryhill, & Swafford, 2006).

Almuhanna,  Ibraheem  (2012).  Online learning tools and communication guidelines.  Retrieved from: http://onlinelearningstrategies.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-world-wide-web-offers-many.html

Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching,54(1), 190−193.

Comments posted to:

LeAnn Morris

http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/01/module-4-graphic-organizer-engaging.html?showComment=1359305805732#c2650712318728670290

Martha Bless

http://marthabless.posterous.com/

Module 3 Storyboard

The Credibility of Online Learning
Introduction to Dr. Kaye Shelton

Narration	Visual
Introduction to online learning
Growth of online learning	Graph of expansion
Public’s perception	Image(s) of individuals
Introduce Kaye Shelton	Picture of Kaye Shelton
Online Credentials: A State of Wariness	Human Resources
Kaye Shelton’s work	http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring141/shelton141.html
Research findings by Monica Jeancola	Data
Do online degrees meet the needs of employers?
Best Practices	Video on tips for students and employers
GetEducatedDotCom	Video Clip from GetEducatedDotCom
Diploma Mills	Signs to spot them
Accreditation	Images of nationally or regionally accreditation
Sloan-C Quality Scorecard	Different indicators from score card
Student perspective	Video clips of students describing their satisfaction with online degree/traditional degree.
Conclusion	Future of online universities

 Blog replies to:

Lori Dodd
LeAnn Morris
http://leannmorris.blogspot.com/2013/01/module-3-video-storyboard.html?showComment=1358101984852#c7745180229869516553

Karen Wagoner
http://wagzz1.blogspot.com/2013/01/story-board-draft-1-wagoners.html?showComment=1358102599849#c2096970535602520804

Global Diversity in Distance Education

George Siemens believes that there is a growing acceptance of distance education throughout the corporate and educational worlds.  I agree that distance education is going to continue to grow at an insurmountable pace due to the benefits provided by distance education.  Increase in global diversity, communication, and collaborative interaction are the main reasons Siemens’s believes distance education is going to continue to evolve and become more and more acceptable (Laureate Education Inc., 2008).

The element of global diversity will be my main focus throughout this post.  Whether you’re an entrepreneur trying to break through into the global market or on Wall Street trying to make investments in the global economy, global diversity is a skill that will be needed throughout all fields in the workforce.  Global diversity will no longer be an optional addition to highlight your resume.  It will be a required prerequisite.  Alphonse Badoma discusses in his blog how distance education gives the education field a medium to overcome issues in regards to diversity.  In addition, Teri Page (2012) states in her blog that “online programs are preparing students for the corporate world by giving students experiences in working with other student across the world.”

Distance education allows students to work with peers and colleagues from around the globe.  Prior to enrolling in an online degree program, the only global interaction I in education was through a foreign exchange student a friend hosted while in high school.  While working on my master’s degree, I took several courses online with students from different countries.  Interacting with them enhanced my personal learning as well as gave me insight to how education is expanding throughout the world.  Had I attended a traditional university to further my education, my peers would have been limited to others who were geographically and culturally equivalent to me.

Technological advances have provided us with a multitude of tools to interact with peers globally.  Discussion boards, blogs, and chat rooms have been around for a while and allow for basic interactions.  However, technologies such as Skype and wikis allow more personal interactions as well as collaboration from across oceans. With the constant evolution of technology, it is impossible to imagine the capabilities of distance education of the future.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author

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Replies to:

Erin Rocha
http://erinrocha1981.blogspot.com/2012/12/global-diversity-of-distance-education.html?showComment=1359682932349#c5059317823561295229

Allison Hill
http://allisonsedtechviews.blogspot.com/2012/12/module-2.html?showComment=1359683371964#c971516906236162038