A brief history of

distance education

University of Chicago

1890

Skype

Technology Shifting Paradigms

Online Courses

Fee-based coursesFree coursesSynchronous coursesAsynchronous courses

One CMS (content management system)Incorporate many spaces

Meaningful learning occurs when learners are:

•Active

•Constructive

•Collaborative

learning styles:

•Visual

•Auditory

•Kinesthetic

Learning environments are best when:

•Intentional

•Complex

•Contextual

We are social beingswho benefit from learning that is:

•Conversational

•Reflective

Learning as social act

•Blended learning

•Communities of practice

Heppell, Stephen (2008, March 18). The 'inbetween' time zone used constantly by children offers great learning opportunities. So why no public investment?. Guardian.co.uk, Retrieved August 10, 2009, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/mar/18/link.link27

Heppell, Stephen (2008, May 15). Learning to Change-Changing to Learn . Retrieved August 10, 2009, from Consortium for School Networking(COSN) Video Web site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=tahTKdEUAPk

Cronon, W. (2004). 10 Qualities of a Liberally Educated Person. The University of Wisconsin-Madison. Available at http://www.honors.ls.wisc.edu/SiteContent.aspx?prev=1&id=159 Accessed July 9, 2009.

"A liberal education is about...the wisdom to connect.“

William Cronon

“Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.”

http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf

In other words…

combining both asynchronousand synchronous elements

• sound foundational pedagogy

• student-centered, active learning

• synchronous & asynchronous

• relevant, authentic content

• visual, auditory, kinesthetic learning styles

• collaborative, reflective, problem-solving

Quoting administrator of Melissa Techman

gleened from Twitter August 12, 2009