online learning

The shift to remote learning: The human element — from insidehighered.com by Doug Lederman & Company

The current response is triage. We are adapting to maintain as much of the familiar learning and community engagement as we can in the short term. Yes, we should adopt the technologies and strategies that support effective online learning. To that end, we will benefit from the excellent prior work of online education researchers. Right now, we need the simplest and most effective methods for our students to achieve the resolution they desire, as we seek to sustain the community and connections we have formed in residence.

It’s one thing to do this online when you are already starting from that premise — where your community has self-selected for that environment. It’s quite another when your community hasn’t.

Kristen Eshleman

Making change in higher ed is typically a daunting prospect because of these silos, but they have been broken down now in ways that I hope will be long lasting and will lead to effective responses, programs, policies and networks in the future.

Joshua R. Eyler

It will be interesting to see if this embrace of flexibility sparks a broader shift in higher education. For too long we have mistaken rigor for academic integrity when in fact, from a definitional standpoint, rigor simply means rigidity, severity and harshness — the exact opposite of the flexibility we so need during this crisis.

Penelope Adams Moon

“COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom ” + 2 other items from Learning Solutions

On 04/01/2020, in adult learning, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, health, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, online learning, platforms, presentations, professional development, remote teaching and learning, training / L&D, vendors, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom — from learningsolutionsmag.com by Bill Brandon

Excerpt:

The eLearning Guild and Learning Solutions have a lot of archived material that will be useful as you plan and execute for change. This article is the first of three, plus a coming eBook, that will focus on making that transition.

How to Deliver Learning in Virtual Classrooms During Pandemic — from learningsolutionsmag.com by Bill Brandon

Excerpt:

In the first article of this series, “COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom” (March 20, 2020), I asked: How is it possible to meet workers where they are and support them effectively there during a pandemic? We are challenged today by having to design formal training for delivery in settings where workers are dispersed and where gatherings of people for training are not practical or permitted. In this article, here are five more resources that offer detailed help for virtual delivery.

Expert’s Guide to Presenting Solo in a Virtual Classroom — from from learningsolutionsmag.com by Pamela Hogle

Excerpt:

Sometimes there’s no way around it; you’re presenting solo in a virtual classroom session. While presenting without a facilitator is challenging, it’s also common. But, with adequate planning and preparation, your polished presentation will convince learners that you’ve got an army of facilitators at your beck and call. Guild Master Karen Hyder, a certified technical trainer (CTT+) and online event producer, offers tips and advice that can help make that solo virtual classroom session proceed smoothly.

The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching & Online Learning [Hodges, Moore, Lockee, Trust, & Bond]

On 03/29/2020, in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, distance education, education technology, elearning, faculty, higher education, online learning, remote teaching and learning, universities, by Daniel Christian

The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning — from er.educause.edu by Charles Hodges, Stephanie Moore, Barb Lockee, Torrey Trust and Aaron Bond
Well-planned online learning experiences are meaningfully different from courses offered online in response to a crisis or disaster. Colleges and universities working to maintain instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic should understand those differences when evaluating this emergency remote teaching.

Excerpt:

Researchers in educational technology, specifically in the subdiscipline of online and distance learning, have carefully defined terms over the years to distinguish between the highly variable design solutions that have been developed and implemented: distance learning, distributed learning, blended learning, online learning, mobile learning, and others. Yet an understanding of the important differences has mostly not diffused beyond the insular world of educational technology and instructional design researchers and professionals. Here, we want to offer an important discussion around the terminology and formally propose a specific term for the type of instruction being delivered in these pressing circumstances: emergency remote teaching.

Many active members of the academic community, including some of us, have been hotly debating the terminology in social media, and “emergency remote teaching” has emerged as a common alternative term used by online education researchers and professional practitioners to draw a clear contrast with what many of us know as high-quality online education. Some readers may take issue with the use of the term “teaching” over choices such as “learning” or “instruction.” Rather than debating all of the details of those concepts, we selected “teaching” because of its simple definitions—”the act, practice, or profession of a teacher”⁵ and “the concerted sharing of knowledge and experience,”⁶—along with the fact that the first tasks undertaken during emergency changes in delivery mode are those of a teacher/instructor/professor.

Canvas Video Resources

On 03/29/2020, in adjunct faculty, Canvas - and other Instructure-related items, CMS/LMS, colleges, community colleges, education technology, faculty, higher education, K-12 related, online learning, online media, online tutoring, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Canvas Video Resources — from instructure.com

Are you in the middle of #remotelearning, and could you use a refresher on how to do certain things w/Canvas LMS? Don’t worry, a group of community members came together & produced videos about key features to help you get moving.

#edtech #onlinelearning #coronavirus #education #highered #k12 #CMS #LMS #Canvas

COVID-19 Resources for Higher Ed — from EDUCAUSE
With the help of the higher ed community, EDUCAUSE continues to compile resources to help you manage the implications of COVID-19, including information on working remotely, online education, campus advisories, and higher ed continuity planning and emergency preparedness.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Also see:

9 strategies for effective online teaching — from pearson.com

K-12 resources for teaching remotely

On 03/27/2020, in distance education, education, education technology, elearning, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, online learning, online media, online tutoring, remote teaching and learning, student-related, teachers, technologies for your home, tools, youth, by Daniel Christian

Updated: Free Resources for Schools During COVID-19 Outbreak — from thejournal.com by Dian Schaffhauser

Excerpt:

(Updated March 26; originally published March 13) In response to the number of states, districts and schools that are shuttering schools to students over the next several weeks in response to fears about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), education technology companies have stepped forward to help educators reach students in virtual ways. In many cases, the companies are making their paid services free through the rest of the school year; in other cases, they’re lifting limits to services and/or adding premium features to what’s free. The following list will be updated regularly as announcements are made.

Also see:

EducationDive.com
Getting Through from gettingsmart.com
Edutopia.org

Growth-Minded Pivot to Online Teaching— from scholarlyteacher.com by Kathryn Smith and Todd Zakrajsek

Excerpt:

What is essential when one starts to teach in an unfamiliar arena is to keep an open mind, be open to change, and expect some mistakes.

Now is the perfect time to embrace a growth mindset regarding teaching online. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, states, “… growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments, everyone can change and grow through application and experience.”

Having this growth mindset allows for a different definition of success, and that definition can change daily. Right now, you are likely in a position that requires you to reassess your educational practices, your teaching, and your content delivery method. You are facing challenges in learning a new skill set and an opportunity to model for your students how to grow as well.

Discussion Question:
When a pandemic arrives, few people are asked how they would like to proceed. Online learning was a global health decision. When you first started to think about moving your courses online, did your first inclination feel more growth minded or fix minded? Explain.

My thanks to a friend for causing me to further reflect on this article: “Can computers ever replace the classroom?” [Beard]

On 03/26/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, algorithms, analytics, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning, Asia, career development, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, data mining, digital learning, distance education, education, education reform, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, Europe, experimentation, future, game-changing environment, global / globalization, heutagogy, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, India, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, learner profiles, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, more choice more control, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, platforms, policy, political science, programming, society, teachers, teaching & learning, the downsides of technology, tools, training / L&D, UK, United States, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual tutoring, vision, Walmart of Education --> New Amazon.com of Higher Education, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I’d like to thank Mr. Eric Osterberg — a fraternity brother and friend of mine — for sending me the following article. I wrote back to him. After thanking Eric for the article, I said:

Such an article makes me reflect on things — which is always a good thing for me to try to see my blindspots and/or to think about the good and bad of things. Technologies are becoming more powerful and integrated into our lives — for better at times and for worse at other times.

I’m wondering how the legal realm can assist and/or help create a positive future for societies throughout the globe…any thoughts?

Can computers ever replace the classroom? — from theguardian.com by Alex Beard
With 850 million children worldwide shut out of schools, tech evangelists claim now is the time for AI education. But as the technology’s power grows, so too do the dangers that come with it.

Excerpts:

But it’s in China, where President Xi Jinping has called for the nation to lead the world in AI innovation by 2030, that the fastest progress is being made. In 2018 alone, Li told me, 60 new AI companies entered China’s private education market. Squirrel AI is part of this new generation of education start-ups. The company has already enrolled 2 million student users, opened 2,600 learning centres in 700 cities across China, and raised $150m from investors.
…
The supposed AI education revolution is not here yet, and it is likely that the majority of projects will collapse under the weight of their own hype.

The point, in short, is that AI doesn’t have to match the general intelligence of humans to be useful – or indeed powerful. This is both the promise of AI, and the danger it poses.

It was a reminder that Squirrel AI’s platform, like those of its competitors worldwide, doesn’t have to be better than the best human teachers – to improve people’s lives, it just needs to be good enough, at the right price, to supplement what we’ve got. The problem is that it is hard to see technology companies stopping there. For better and worse, their ambitions are bigger. “We could make a lot of geniuses,” Li told me.

Moving to remote instruction immediately: Where to get started — from thejournal.com by Dian Schaffhauser
To help schools make the transition as quickly and comprehensively as possible, THE Journal reached out to education technology experts across the country to answer the questions we believe nearly every educator is rushing to answer right now.

Learning ecosystems across the globe are going through massive changes! [Christian]

On 03/25/2020, in adjunct faculty, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning, Asia, Australia, business side of he, Canada, change, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, content aggregration, content development, content repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, education, education technology, elearning, Europe, face-to-face, faculty, flipping -- inverted learning, game-changing environment, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, India, instructional design, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, Michigan, mobile learning, multimedia, online learning, online media, online tutoring, parents, pedagogy, personalized/customized learning, platforms, reinvent, remote teaching and learning, smart/connected TV, society, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telecommunications, telepresence, television, tools, training / L&D, UK, United States, universities, user experience (UX), videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision, Walmart of Education --> New Amazon.com of Higher Education, web-based collaboration, webinars, workplace, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Due to the impacts of the Coronavirus, learning ecosystems across the globe are going through massive changes!

Each of us has our own learning ecosystem, and the organizations that we work for have their own learning ecosystems as well. Numerous teachers, professors, and trainers around the world are now teaching online. Their toolboxes are expanding with the addition of several new tools and some new knowledge. I believe that will be one of the silver linings from the very tough situations/times that we find ourselves in.

Expanding our teaching toolboxes

At the WMU-Cooley Law School, our learning ecosystem is also fluid and continues to morph. This blog posting speaks to those changes.

Learning from the Living [Class] Room: Due to the impacts from the Coronavirus, this is happening today across many countries. But this vision is just beginning to develop. We haven’t seen anything yet.

[Just out] The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Survey

On 03/24/2020, in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, education technology, elearning, faculty, higher education, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, online learning, online media, online tutoring, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

In its fourth year, the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Survey — conducted by Quality Matters and Eduventures Research — delved deeper into key online learning topics, including faculty preparation, OPM partnerships, online support services, enrollment trends, course design, and quality assurance practices.

The results — available in the report “CHLOE 4 The Changing Landscape of Online Education: Navigating the Mainstream” — reflect how institutions have embraced online learning as well as the range of approaches they have taken that have moved online learning from the periphery to the mainstream. Highlights from the 61-page report include:

Faculty Preparation — Required preparation of faculty members to teach online was reported by 60% of respondents.
OPM Partnerships — OPM partnerships have doubled since 2017 – from 12% to 24%.
Support Services — Support services for online learners are largely handled by units that also serve the on-campus population. Some services such as student recruitment, orientation and advising are more likely to be separately administered for online students.
Online Orientation — Online student orientation is surprisingly uncommon with only 30% of respondents reporting that it is required at their institution.

Sustaining Higher Education in the Coronavirus Crisis — from edsurge.com

Excerpts:

Online teaching tools and plans: A directory of websites set up by colleges to help their campus move teaching online, by the POD Network.

List of resources for keeping things going -- educationally -- during this time of the Coronavirus

Also related/see:
Adjusting to emergency online instruction poses extra challenges for adjunct faculty — from edsurge.com by Rebecca Koenig
Contract, part-time and contingent faculty members face extra challenges when trying to move their classes online due to the coronavirus. Adjuncts may not get paid for the extra work the shift requires and may lack adequate access to necessary technology tools and training. They also have health concerns to consider, since they usually don’t get paid sick days or health care benefits from their college employers.

“We accept transfer credit for students, why don’t we accept transfer courses for adjuncts?” Andersen says. “I wish there was more equity around it. I wish adjuncts had the same access to teaching online as full-time faculty. We would better off in this crisis right now if they did.”

Some of these concerns are addressed in the COVID-19 response principles that the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors issued on March 13 to guide colleges.

Some resources for teaching at home

On 03/22/2020, in 24x7x365 access, active learning, art, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), elearning, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, homeschooling/homeschoolers, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs, multimedia, online learning, online media, online tutoring, open courseware and systems, parents, participation, passions, personalized/customized learning, play, reading, remote teaching and learning, society, special needs, student-related, teaching & learning, tools, United States, youth, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Below are some resources for teaching at home. And some of this (much of this?) is not typical homeschooling, just as much of what’s being done out there isn’t necessarily typical online-based learning. And some out there may not like such lists, and would prefer a detailed report on just one tool. But this last week was incredibly busy — and time is not a luxury I have right now. And these resources might provide someone out there with just the right tool or pedagogy that they’ve been looking for.

Also, I might suggest:

Creating a Google alert (google.com/alerts) on HSLDA, on homeschooling, on homeschoolers, and/or on related searches.
Create a Keyword Alert on an RSS aggregator such as Feedly
Follow relevant hashtags on Twitter such as #homeschooling

Some analog ideas:

Reading a book together
Watching a play, drama, or another type of program together
Taking a walk out in nature together
Gather together as a family and/or lingering over breakfast or dinner
Drawing
Painting
Taking pictures

And now is a great time to see what your child or children WANT TO LEARN ABOUT! Turn over the control to them for a while — and watch what happens when intrinsic motivation takes hold!

Not a teacher but find yourself homeschooling? These educational apps are free — from parade.com by Stephanie Osmanski

This posting covers 25 Free Learning Apps

We are all homeschoolers now (podcast) — from cato.org featuring Kerry McDonald and Caleb Brown
Thanks to COVID-19, many parents find themselves with kids at home all day. What’s the best way to keep them engaged in their educations? Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled, comments.

Getting Smart’s Getting Through

Free, Online Learning Resources When Coronavirus Closes Schools — from cato.org by Kerry McDonald

Homeschooling Mother and Author: 6 Ideas For Parents While Schools Are Closed — from fee.org by Kerry McDonald
Amid the Covid-19 lockdown, there are steps parents can take to make time at home with their children more rewarding and tolerable.

Apps for Special Needs Students—As School Buildings Shutter — from edutopia.org by Janey Clare
The coronavirus creates a unique challenge for special needs students—educators share recommendations for apps to support learning at home.

How to Support Home Learning in Elementary Grades — from edutopia.org by John Thomas
A first and second grade teacher shares his home learning plan for his students and how he is engaging their families.

6 Lessons Learned About Remote Learning During the Coronavirus Outbreak — from blogs.edweek.org by Mark Lieberman

Coursera, EdX offer free access to courses for universities impacted by Coronavirus [Kelly]

On 03/19/2020, in colleges, community colleges, health, K-12 related, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, online learning, online media, open courseware and systems, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Coursera, EdX offer free access to courses for universities impacted by Coronavirus
— from campustechnology.com by Rhea Kelly
With universities all over the world looking to quickly move face-to-face classes online, massive open online course companies Coursera and edX have stepped in to offer access to their vast portfolios of course content.

Excerpt:

Coursera announced today it will provide the Coursera for Campus platform free to higher education institutions impacted by coronavirus. “Universities can sign up to provide their enrolled students with access to more than 3,800 courses and 400 specializations from Coursera’s top university and industry partners,” explained Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda, in a blog post. The access will last through the end of July….

Also see:

Updated list of statewide school closures with closure dates — from thejournal.com by David Nagel
Getting Smart has launched the Getting Through series to support educators, leaders and families on the path forward during such an uncertain time.
Excerpt:
Getting Smart has launched the Getting Through series to support educators, leaders and families on the path forward during such an uncertain time. This series will provide resources and inspiration as we face long term school closures, new learning environments, and address equity and access from a new lens. Whether you are just getting started with distance or online learning, or you’ve had plans in place and have the opportunity to share your work and guidance with others, there is a place for your voice and an opportunity to learn.

Learning Ecosystems

“COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom ” + 2 other items from Learning Solutions

The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching & Online Learning [Hodges, Moore, Lockee, Trust, & Bond]

[Just out] The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Survey

On the higher ed side, some resources for getting through this time of the Coronavirus

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