Daily Bookmarks 06/30/2009
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The 6 Levels of Engagement in Online Conversations | Lateral Action
A framework for thinking about the depth and value of online conversations. It’s easy to have mindless, shallow conversations; it takes more work and creativity to have relevant conversations that show who you really are.
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News: U.S. Push for Free Online Courses – Inside Higher Ed
The Obama administration is pushing for creating free online courses at the high school/community college level, focusing on basic skills and job training. Some sort of examination/assessment is also possible, plus the idea of mixing free and paid courses at community colleges to reduce the cost of tuition.
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Bonk said that administration’s ideas about open courses are consistent with the “convergence” he sees taking place in online learning. There is a growing belief that for many kinds of courses, there are best providers whose work can be made available online, there are large numbers of students who could benefit from those courses, and those who might benefit don’t necessarily have a lot of money.
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Meta-Analysis Shows Online Learning Better, Blended Even Better
According to a meta-analysis by the US Department of Education, face-to-face courses are less effective than online and blended learning. They caution against viewing this as simply a matter of the medium though. It’s the changes in what online and blended learning allow (like opportunities for collaboration) that are likely making the difference.
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The meta-analysis findings do not support simply putting an existing course online, but they do support redesigning instruction to incorporate additional learning opportunities online.
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Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.