In This Issue Current Issue Archives

May 15, 2007

Distance Education Report - May 15, 2007 - Full Issue PDF
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The Three Stages of Online Instructor Evaluation: Experiences from Columbus State Community College
By Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti
Faculty are rarely eager to undergo an evaluation of their course design and teaching methods, and it is easy to understand why. Ann Palazzo, assistant professor of communication skills at Columbus (Ohio) State Community College, likens the process to allowing an observer into your drawer of unmentionables; it is a process that can feel invasive and uncomfortable.

“10 Commandments” of Effective Online Teaching
By Lawrence C. Ragan
I was recently invited to conduct a Magna Publications audioconference based on a research project identifying strategies to help faculty manage the online workload. Apparently this topic hit a nerve of concern for faculty, support staff and administrators alike.

The Canned Courses Controversy: Faculty Perceptions of Courses Created by Others
Faculty are wary of online courses prepared by others, and worry that out-of-the-box content will reduce them to facilitators rather than teachers. For them, courses created by others are in conflict with their motivation to teach. Of course, this puts them squarely in opposition to discussions in distance education on the standardization of curriculum and the desire to ensure that all students have the same outcomes.

Communicating with Distance Learners and Staff
Texas Women’s University recently created the position of coordinator of distance education communications to provide accurate and timely information for distance learners and those who support them. Distance Education Report spoke with Allison Mabry, the person who holds this position, about her strategies for effective communication.

Notes: Top Digital Community Colleges Announced for 2007
The top 10 tech-savvy community colleges for 2007 have been named by the Center for Digital Education and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). A ranking was established based on the third national Digital Community Colleges Survey, which examined how colleges are deploying technology to streamline operations and better serve students, faculty, and staff. Florida Community College in Jacksonville, Florida, took first place in the large-college (more than 7,500 students) category.

Synchronous Instruction—More Than Text Chat
Increasingly sophisticated e-conferencing tools and the growing availability of high-speed Internet access are making synchronous online learning an attractive option for many instructors. But as with any new technology, it’s important to consider how it might best be used to enhance the learning experience.