Resources - Journals
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Individuality and Education
An article from British Journal of Educational Studies by Lionel Elvin
The individual differences among students are always approved and encouraged within socially acceptable limits. A student is not a set of data, he is one person, and all the things that make him one are interconnected in subtle inter-play every moment of his life. With the difference in ability, aptitude and interest of a student and the societal demands on expertise and specialization, standardised testing implying standardised curriculum does not give much scope for the students to relate to the world of work and wages. Historically and rationally there is a close connection between individuality as an educational aim and student-centered education with emphasis on creativity. Reinforcing values and loyalties on which a good society depends, the author suggests that we need to resolve the incomplete anti-thesis by giving more play to individuality in a student.
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How to pay for public education
An article from Theory and Research in Education by Mark R. Reiff
The report proposes that public higher education should be absolutely free for everybody. Rather than an up-front payment, a promise would be required, a promise to pay a certain amount of one’s federal adjusted gross income (AGI) – say 6% – for one’s prime earning years, which in the United States are from 35–54, to the university that provides one’s undergraduate degree. The promise is considered as equity interest in one’s earning power and not as debt. Students are liberated to pursue their preferred occupations as there is no pressing problem to repay the debt. The egalitarian ethos of political liberalism is satisfied for higher education is available to everyone on an equal basis, and no one is required to engage in shameful revelation to get government subsidies.
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Context Aware Ubiquitous Learning Environments for Peer-to-Peer Collaborative Learning
An article from Journal of Educational Technology & Society by Stephen J.H. Yang
The progress of device and communication technology has enabled Peer-to-Peer network to connect, integrate, and share educational resources and services. The collaborative efforts made by the learners to manage the knowledge, to enrich the knowledge reservoir, and to help each other accumulate their knowledge in their domain is central to the continuous growth of the virtual learning communities. A Peer-to-Peer content access and adaptation, personalized annotation management and multimedia real-time group discussion systems are suitable for implementing ubiquitous learning environments.
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Content Creators and Language Learners: Exploring Web 2.0 and Wikis
An article from Journal of Educators Online by Dr. Dorothy Valcarcel Craig
Wikis enable students to use language learning strategies and skills in conducting research and creating entries. The wiki affords a variety of applications suitable for second language learners, which may be aligned with course content and tasks. With content creation comes social responsibility and accountability. Collaborative discussions regarding what is socially acceptable in terms of language use is an effective way to engage second language learners while encouraging them to experience Web 2.0. Wikis assist students in developing writing and editing skills and also provide opportunities for students to critique and evaluate the accuracy and appropriateness of information.
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An Evaluation of Student Outcomes by Course Duration in Online Higher Education
An article from The University of West Georgia by Melanie Shaw et al.
With the advent of online education and budgetary constraints, higher education institutions offering online degrees and programs are adopting flexible course schedules with shorter terms. The combination of intense focus and interaction is necessary in order to increase and support motivation and achievement. Learners are able to make faster progress toward their degree in a fast-paced environment and completion rate is greater. Relatively short courses might not master curricular content but compressed courses aid in maintaining self-efficacy. Accelerating the number of courses a student can complete by shortening the duration of the term also benefits the institution by facilitating financial stability and producing graduates more quickly.
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Strategies to increase online student success for students with disabilities
An article from Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Sloan Consortium by Kristen Betts et al.
Students with disabilities are in danger of being either excluded from the new media revolution or accommodated as after-thoughts of pedagogies that fail to anticipate their needs. Similar to navigating foreign territory in the physical world, students with disabilities often enter a complex environment with numerous sites, navigation paths and access points. A seemingly minor navigation barrier can render whole sections of a course inaccessible. It is important to understand disabilities and the resources students need to actively engage in their courses and to achieve their academic goals. Institutions must integrate the concept of personas to provide a personalized approach to working with students with disabilities. The course developers should create platforms that promote various delivery methods such as written text, video and voice to encourage student engagement and achievement.
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Peer review – Students learn as feedback producers and receivers
An article from Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education by David Nicol, Avril Thomson & Caroline Breslin
Peer review is a reciprocal process whereby students produce feedback reviews on the work of peers and receive feedback reviews from peers on their own work. When students evaluate, make judgments and construct a written feedback commentary, they reflect on their own work. Through peer reviewing and self-reviewing, students develop their capabilities as independent and self-regulated learners, which is one of the main goals of higher education.
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Completion Rates – A False Trail to Measuring Course Quality
An article from The European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning by Alastair Creelman & Linda Reneland-Forsman
Completion rate is not a credible gauge of course quality. The concept of credits and course completion of a course are less relevant for learners taking professional development and general interest courses. Online education is not just the application of technology in traditional campus-based educational model, to duplicate existing practices and provide a substitute to the physical environment. We must move from the content-delivery model to a fundamentally different model; the creation of a learning arena where assessment is based on successful completion of projects and where networking and dialogue are essential success factors. We need to shift the focus from a simplistic head count to developing strategies for increased interaction, collaboration and collective responsibility in online learning.
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Creating online communities to transcend linguistic barriers
An article from Journal of Interactive Media in Education by Tita Beaven et al.
Translation and localization are essential for promoting universal accessibility to Open Educational Resources (OER). The Open University UK MOOC on Open Translation Tools and Practices evaluated the effectiveness of open translation, where an online community of volunteers translated open content within the format of a MOOC. A translation hub that is well-organized and crowd-sourced on a large-scale can increase the reach of OER in high quality.
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Profile Based Student Authentication in Online Examination
An article from University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom by Dr. Hannan Xiao et al.
Authentication verifies student identity and plays a vital role in the credibility of awards granted in the online learning environment. This paper discusses existing authentication features, and review their benefits and constraints. The conventional user – id and password is not enough to verify identity of an online student. The biometric authentication is performed by verifying physical or behavioral characteristics like finger prints, face recognition, audio recognition and signature verification. But the prevalent use of biometric authentication is limited by cost and security. Profile Based Student Authentication is knowledge based solution which uses challenge questions along with user-id and password.