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2024

E-Ethical-Learning: Principles and guidelines for ethical digital learning in higher education

By Asegul Hulus / September 30, 2024

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.? » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION

Reimagining Online Education: Breaking down colonial barriers to learning

By Anita Samuel / August 22, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION

Syllabus Makeover: Engaging students with multimedia syllabus abstracts

By Anita Samuel / July 31, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION

M is for Motivation or How To Support Student Autonomy in Asynchronous Online Courses

By Patrick Whitehead / July 19, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: HIGHER EDUCATION

Developing Online and Hybrid Courses with the Learning Ecology Matrix

By Malini Bhargava, Anita Samuel / May 31, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Fifteen Technologies to Enliven Online Teaching and Learning

By Jacob Aroz, Elizabeth Larson, Jean Mandernach / April 25, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, HIGHER EDUCATION

Fourteen Creative Assignment Ideas for the Online Classroom

By Jean Mandernach, Morgan McNaughton / April 11, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION

Thirteen Strategies to Increase the Impact of Assignment Feedback

By Jean Mandernach, Helen Hammond / March 28, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION

Utilizing Advanced Technologies for eLearning in Clerkship

By Eulho Jung, Anita Samuel / March 27, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, HIGHER EDUCATION

Co-Leading Class with Students: Shared responsibility and understanding

By Lauren Angelone / February 27, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: DESIGN FOR LEARNING, HIGHER EDUCATION

Twelve 'No Skips' Approaches for Developing Social Presence Literacy in Virtual Education

By Thomas Dyer, Jean Mandernach / February 22, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION, HIGHER EDUCATION

Understanding Learning Experience Design (LXD): Three learning leader perspectives

By Les Howles / February 7, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: INTERVIEW, DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Eleven Best Practices to Support Learners with Disabilities in the Online Classroom

By Rebekah Dyer, Jean Mandernach / January 31, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION

Ten Strategies for Fostering Instructor Presence in the Online Classroom

By Sarah Robertson, John Steele, Jean Mandernach / January 23, 2024

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. » [Full Article]
TYPE: OPINION