Perspectives on Online and Distance Education

Professional Information and Resources | Curriculum Planning | Evaluation of Learning Effectiveness/Learning Outcomes  

Assignments

The Virtual Instructor

Resources for Faculty Teaching Online/Asynchronously

Organizational Strategies | Time Management | Setting Expectations | Tips for Teachers 

Online Conferencing

Team Learning

Teaching, Learning and Technology (TLT) Group

An affiliate of the the American Association for Higher Education, the goal of the TLT Group is to help educational institutions improve the outcomes (and relieve some of the stress) of their educational uses of technology. Central resources of TLT Group include the AAHESGIT Listserv and the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable (TLTR) Program. Other core programs include the Flashlight Program and EASI.

The Faculty Center at New Jersey Virtual University

A comprehensive clearinghouse for materials promoting teaching and learning using instructional technology.

Syllabus Magazine Archives

Back issues of Syllabus magazine, with links to articles on a broad range of subjects related to online teaching and learning.

Teaching and Learning with Technology

A comprehensive general resource with links to examples of online courses, syllabi, journals, associations, listservs, centers, and more. Maintained by St. John's University Libraries.

Other Teaching Centers' Websites

A comprehensive global list of teaching and learning centers around the world maintained by the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Kansas.

Electronic Journals Related to Learning Technologies

A comprehensive global alphabetical list maintained by Office of Learning Technologies, Human Resources Development Canada

Training of Trainers

A component of Maryland Faculty Online, funded by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, this resource provides a curriculum outline for technology and learning issues common to all institutions, such as establishing and incorporating standards of good practice, integrating instructional technologies into curricula, and measuring outcomes. Each topic contains an overview, presentations, resources, and exercises.

Distance Education at a Glance

A series of 13 guides highlighting information detailed in Distance Education: Strategies and Tools and Distance Education: A Practical Guide (Educational Technology Press), both by Barry Willis, a faculty member at Engineering Outreach, University of Idaho.

Flashlight Program

The Flashlight Program of the TLT Group helps institutions study and improve educational uses of technology while gaining control over the time, effort, and money these applications require. Findings can be used to validate good practice, spot problems, and improve teaching and learning with technology.

Curriculum Workbook for Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of British Columbia

A very detailed and thoughtful set of strategies for planning use of collaborative learning to produce effective outcomes.

Training of Trainers Curriculum, Topic 3: Establishing and Incorporating Standards of Good Practice for Distance Learning

Presents a kind of planner for online courses organized in such a way that faculty can visualize over the course of a semester how to divide their time and tasks in a way that encourages effective learning. Led by Christina Sax, University of Maryland University College, and Mary Helen Spear, Prince George's Community College, Maryland.

The Art of Time Management

Useful information and resources intended for students which could easily be adapted by faculty, who will face many of the same time constraints as students in the delivery of online courses. From The Learning Center at Capital Community College (Hartford, Connecticut).

Time is a critical factor in online and distance teaching. Teachers needing to improve their time management would be best advised to consult a good book on the subject. There are relevant titles in the "Dummies" and "Idiot's" books; alternatively, Julie Morgenstern has written two excellent guides on time management and organization.
 

"Contours of Cyberspace" Additional Course Information

A page giving valuable tips and information about how to set expectations in online courses. From Colleen Bell, "Contours of Cyberspace" spring 1999 course, University of Oregon.

Tips for Teaching Online

A page for teachers in online courses divided into "things that worked," "things I would do differently next time," and "things to think about (words of caution/wisdom)." From Colleen Bell, "Contours of Cyberspace" spring 1999 course, University of Oregon.

The Turing Game

The Turing Game is an online environment in which participants in a variety of activities guess each others' identities based on their online behavior. The featured activities allow participants to assume identities based on race, age, gender, and so on. Though intended as a constructionist learning tool for students, this could very well be adapted by faculty as a means of exploring their own virtual personalities. From Josh Berman, College of Computing, Georgia Tech University.

The Presentation of Self in Electronic Life: Goffman on the Internet

A sociological analysis of how people represent their identities on their Web sites. From Hugh Miller, Department of Social Sciences, The Nottingham Trent University, England.

Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALN)

ALN, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, conducts conferences, workshops, and online discussions, in addition to publishing several journals devoted to asynchronous learning. ALN is an important resource for anyone involved in online or distance learning.

Online Moderating Resources

This page is from the Facilitating Online Interactivity section of "Pedagogy in Practice," a professional development forum from The Node Learning Technologies Network, Canada. Links to useful articles on the moderating process in enhancing effective learning.

eModerators

Directed by Zane Berge and Mauri Collins, this site is intended to provide resources specifically for facilitators and moderators of online discussion. An especially useful service of this site is the eModerators discussion list.

Hosting Online Conferences

This site contains links to articles about moderating or facilitating online conferences. Maintained by David R. Woolley, the originator of Plato, the world's first online conferencing program.

Training of Trainers Curriculum, Topic 7: Online Group Work

This training section on online groups provides an overview of issues, several presentations, links to resources, and suggested activities for online groups. From Maryland Faculty Online.

T.E.A.M. Web site

The T.E.A.M. Web site provides faculty with resources aimed at assisting integration of teamwork in courses. By Craig VanSlyke and Karen Slovak, College of Business, Ohio University.

Surviving the Group Project: A Note on Working in Teams

A comprehensive guide to the pedagogical issues involved in working successfully with teams. It is not about online teaching, but it resonates with all the issues familiar to faculty in the online environment, with clear understanding and solutions for many of the problems that go with team learning. From Edward G. Wertheim, College of Business Administration, Northeastern University.