May 1, 2008

Distance Education Report - May 1, 2008 - Full Issue PDF
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How to “Institutionalize” Your Distance Ed Program
By Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti
New distance education programs that are implemented when grant funding is awarded often never truly become part of the institution, making it is easy to dismiss them when the funding dries up. “Implementation is not the same thing as institutionalization,” explains Anthony Piña, coordinator of learning technologies at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago.

The Outstanding e-Learning Program of 2007 and How They Built It
The outstanding e-learning program of 2007 was the online gerontology program at Coastline Community College in Fountain Valley, California, according to a panel of expert judges at the Instructional Technology Council. Distance Education Report talked to department chair Deborah Secord about how to build an exemplary distance education program.

Supporting Faculty Innovators
Faculty, according to an old truism, are most readily convinced by other faculty in matters of pedagogy. But how do technological innovations in instruction arise? How do they spread? What role should administration play in the transformation of instruction? Will faculty lead or follow innovations in the future?

Tactful But Effective Assessment
By Patti Shank, PhD, CPT
Continual improvement efforts are often implemented poorly, leaving the folks being “improved” feeling hostile and unappreciated. Often, online program, course, and instruction improvement efforts feel bad and lead to little improvement. But improvement efforts do not have to be foolish or punitive. This article on online program, course, and instruction evaluation efforts aims to help these efforts work better for all involved.

Available Grants for Distance Education Programs
The Microsoft Foundation: Microsoft believes that by working with partners to create relevant training opportunities and innovative tools for people who are underserved by technology, we can help foster social and economic opportunities that change people's lives and transform communities.