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2024
This article offers a concise exploration of the profound impact of asynchronous learning on modern education. Delving into its core characteristics and benefits, the authors reveal how asynchronous learning offers flexibility, structured guidance, tailored content delivery, and opportunities for learner autonomy. Reflective practices and boundary-breaking interactions are key elements that enhance engagement and understanding. Real-world examples underscore its effectiveness.
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TYPE: HIGHER EDUCATION, K-12 BLENDED AND ONLINE LEARNING
In online programs, simulation is crucial for bringing complex scenarios to life, providing real-world application of knowledge, and bridging the theory-practice gap. At Drexel University, we use innovative virtual simulations in non-clinically focused online nursing programs. The examples presented illustrate the effectiveness of virtual simulations. The scenarios presented can be modified for use in online programs with students in a variety of disciplines to provide opportunities for real-world application and formative feedback.
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TYPE: HIGHER EDUCATION
Intelligent learning management systems (ILMS) are transforming education by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These systems automate administrative tasks, offer personalized learning experiences, and boost student engagement. This article explores the benefits and challenges of ILMS, highlighting how AI can predict learner behavior, customize educational content, and optimize curriculum management. It also delves into the ethical considerations of AI in education, such as data privacy and algorithmic bias. Finally, the article provides insights into the impact of ILMS on teaching and learning and concludes with a discussion of the future of ILMS.
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TYPE: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Any teacher worth their salt knows the importance of communication and its connection to improved learning. In online courses, communication is much more important due to the lack of face-to-face contact between teacher and students, students and students, and students to content. K-12 learners are the least experienced with online learning. For this reason, communication is especially important for K-12 learners so they can create a relationship with their teachers and classmates.
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TYPE: K-12 BLENDED AND ONLINE LEARNING
Student groups coexist on individual and team levels toward learning symmetry within two zones: the zone of proximal development (ZPD) for new knowledge co-construction and the zone of proximal flow (ZPF), which occurs once a balance between the learner's skill and challenge of the task emerges. Thus, each group functions within the ZPF, especially for K-12 students engaging in social behavior and collaborative learning activities.
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TYPE: DESIGN FOR LEARNING, K-12 BLENDED AND ONLINE LEARNING
Assumptions are made around the digital literacy and digital capabilities of students in higher education. It is important that these assumptions are dismissed, digital literacy becomes a true consideration in curriculum design, and students are supported in their development rather than expected to develop the digital skills they need. Supporting students in their development of digital literacy through curriculum integration not only allows them to succeed in education, but also work toward obtaining the skills they need for their future career and joining a workforce in a digital society.
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TYPE: OPINION, HIGHER EDUCATION
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into various sectors has raised significant ethical concerns, particularly in academic writing. This article examines the impact of generative AI (GAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, on the academic writing process. While these tools offer the potential to enhance efficiency and creativity, they also present challenges related to authorship, plagiarism, and academic integrity. The article explores key concerns, including privacy, validity, and bias, associated with GAI tools. It further provides guidelines for the ethical use of AI in academic manuscripts, emphasizing the importance of transparency and the careful documentation of AI contributions.
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TYPE: OPINION
Within higher education, digital learners are confronted with antiquated classifications of digital natives and immigrants, first introduced by Marc Prensky (2001), which make assumptions about their proficiency in digital literacy. This article provides a code of ethics and practical guidelines for critically examining the assumptions presented. The author has coined the term "e-ethical-learning" to refer to a set of ethical principles and practical guidelines, which is a portmanteau of "ethical education" and "e-learning."
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TYPE: OPINION
eLearning, while seemingly democratizing education, carries colonial biases in curriculum, language, and technology. Decolonization requires recognizing these constraints, disrupting the status quo, and embracing alternatives. Strategies include decentering Western voices, co-creating learning experiences, challenging linguistic hegemony, bridging the digital divide, and leveraging technology for decolonization. This ongoing process fosters inclusive and equitable education by acknowledging the colonial legacy and actively dismantling it.
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TYPE: OPINION
Course syllabi are often long, text-heavy documents that learners find difficult to engage with. This paper proposes a syllabus abstract--a one-page infographic-style syllabus that summarizes key course elements and includes interactive elements such as audio and video explanations. This approach aims to make syllabi more visually appealing and accessible for learners.
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TYPE: OPINION
Drawing on his recent book, Autonomy-Supportive Teaching in Higher Education: A Practical Guide for College Professors (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023), Whitehead describes how to apply the evidence-based principles of autonomy-support into asynchronous online courses. These include, among others, being patient with students as they adapt to the learning system, designing surveys where students choose course topics, and creating opportunities for students to interact with one another.
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TYPE: HIGHER EDUCATION
Educational technologies are now an integral part of the educational milieu. All educators are expected to be able to use technologies and design courses using these technologies. One framework that can guide the course design process using various technologies is the Learning Ecology Matrix (LEM). The LEM, focusing on learner autonomy and instructor guidance, aids in tailoring courses to be learner-centered or teacher-centered. This article reviews the LEM and explores how the LEM can be used in practice to design courses.
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TYPE: DESIGN FOR LEARNING
Harnessing the power of instructional technology, educators can drastically enhance the learning experience by infusing their curriculum with digital tools specifically chosen to align with their teaching objectives. The article highlights 15 such technologies--Canva, Genially, Waklet, Quizizz, Flip, Flipsnack, PowToon, Anchor, Bitmoji, Loom, Padlet, Google Jamboard, Moovly, Edpuzzle, and Clarisketch--each providing unique opportunities for creating engaging content, fostering interaction, and enabling collaboration in the digital classroom.
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TYPE: OPINION, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, HIGHER EDUCATION
In an era of rapid digitization of higher education, innovative online assignments that engage students, foster critical thinking, and mitigate academic dishonesty are paramount. Unique, experiential, and collaborative tasks such as digital storytelling, virtual field trips, interactive infographics, and more can bridge the interpersonal gap in virtual classrooms, inspire active participation, and bolster students' motivation, thus countering challenges such as student disengagement and plagiarism.
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TYPE: OPINION
The value of assignment feedback in enhancing student learning is significant, not just in rectifying conceptual misunderstandings but also in engaging and motivating students and strengthening their belief in their academic capabilities. This article outlines 13 strategies to provide effective, efficient, and engaging feedback, including the use of feedforward guidance, one-to-many feedback, peer-to-peer feedback, multimedia feedback, feedback banks, automation, formative classroom assessment techniques, rubrics, assignment exemplars, generative AI, proactive notifications, automated mastery learning opportunities, and student self-feedback, all of which holistically empower students towards academic success, meaningful instructor-student interaction, and a richer online learning experience.
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TYPE: OPINION
The clerkship phase in medical school is pivotal for clinical training. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption and implementation of educational technology in medical education became inevitable, leading most medical schools to shift toward distance learning. While technologies cannot entirely replace hands-on clinical teaching, faculty members have devised effective ways to utilize technology, such as virtual patients, virtual reality, first-person video streaming, simulators, gamification, and mobile apps. This article provides a summary of the technologies employed, the challenges associated with them, and the advantages and instructional outcomes resulting from their use.
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TYPE: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, HIGHER EDUCATION
Providing opportunities for students to lead and shape class, alongside an instructor, takes into account the unique cultures, needs, and experiences of each student. A co-leading model was used during a blended Instructional Technology course and findings revealed that this model was engaging and gave students an opportunity to share their own experience. Student reflections also indicated some challenges, such as group collaboration and technical issues.
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TYPE: DESIGN FOR LEARNING, HIGHER EDUCATION
Online education's success hinges greatly on the implementation of a robust social presence, akin to a perfect "no skip" music album, fostering an interactive and connected learning community. These 12 strategies--being authentic, recognizing students as individuals, ensuring availability, fostering higher-order thinking, intending social presence, creating community cohesion, acknowledging the reciprocity of social presence, strategically implementing technology, leveraging curiosity through gamification, promoting immediacy and intimacy, focusing on affective association, and understanding chronemics--offer a comprehensive guide for educators to improve online engagement, thereby improving the student's learning experience and reducing feelings of isolation.
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TYPE: OPINION, HIGHER EDUCATION
This article focuses on learning experience design (LXD) as an emergent concept and professional practice in need of greater clarity. At a 2023 national learning and development conference three prominent learning leaders were interviewed and asked to share their unique perspectives on LXD (Michael Allen, David Kelly, and Megan Torrance). Excerpts from these interviews are featured throughout the article. The author also provides background information on LXD, an analysis of perspectives, and a concluding synthesis on the current state of LXD where it is approached within the context of digital transformation as an emergent new form of learning design.
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TYPE: INTERVIEW, DESIGN FOR LEARNING
Online learning can greatly benefit learners with disabilities, provided that inclusive teaching practices and effective support systems are implemented. This article highlights 11 best practices for supporting these learners, including fostering relationships, identifying individual needs, using proactive teaching strategies, ensuring course alignment, providing emotional safety, implementing differentiation strategies, monitoring engagement, encouraging a growth mindset, establishing preferred communication modes, soliciting feedback, and adjusting teaching methods based on that feedback.
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TYPE: OPINION
Online education, while alleviating geographic constraints, amplifies the challenge of transactional distance, exacerbating students' sense of isolation during the learning process. This article suggests 10 strategies for enhancing instructional presence in a digital learning environment, including creating one-on-one spaces, establishing a reasonable response timeline, leading the class as a collective, using a consistent "voice," showing your face, being genuine, communicating expectations, sharing personal experiences, keeping course resources updated, and regularly checking-in; these strategies aim to mitigate the absence of physical proximity, fostering a more engaging and collaborative virtual classroom experience.
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TYPE: OPINION
