(Question posted from week two assignment)

Group 1: What is Online Learning?

Define online teaching and learning.

There are many different definitions for online teaching and learning. I chose the definition below because I feel it encompasses what online learning is all about...learning without boundaries of distance, time and space.

Online learning is the use of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) to deliver interactive learning experiences to students, independent of distance, time and place. ...--web.up.ac.za/default.asp

"However, online learning can be either distance learning or blended learning, with both supported by a new, robust instructional approach that takes advantage of the best elements of both settings. "--NACOL

Online teaching is the process of facilitating the delivery of interactive experiences to students via the world wide web.

Describe various models used in online teaching and learning.

Hybrid Learning and Blended Learning:

According to NACOL and the SLOAN Consortium, Hybrid learning and Blended Learning are terms that can be used interchangeably. Blended Learning is using both online learning and face-to-face learning. It is believed to be the best practice and my become the leading model for teaching. Blended or Hybrid learning contains personal interaction, online learning, differentiated instruction, peer collaboration and reflection. The SLOAN consortium defines blended learning in a more statistical reference as having between 30-70 percent of educational content online and the remainder in face-to-face instruction. Blended learning can be accomplished through the blending of both virtual and physical resources.

“Blended learning should be viewed as a pedagogical approach that combines the effectiveness
and socialization opportunities of the classroom with the technologically enhanced active learning
possibilities of the online environment, rather than a ratio of delivery modalities. In other words,
blended learning should be approached not merely as a temporal construct, but rather as a
fundamental redesign of the instructional model with the following characteristics:

• A shift from lecture- to student-centered instruction in which students become active and interactive learners (this shift should apply to the entire course, including face-to-face contact
  sessions);
• Increases in interaction between student-instructor, student-student, student-content, and student-outside resources;
• Integrated formative and summative assessment mechanisms for students and instructor.” -Educause
  

Fully Online:

Fully online teaching is just that, online with no physical contact. Kentucky Virtual High School that is fully online. KYVS however, is currently researching the two models to see which model is best for learning. Fully Online is conducted either at a distance, which is like our own BSU program or online via a brick and mortar building as the meeting place. The latter is not as popular.

LMS:

Learning Management System. A LMS is a web-based management system used to present online learning. Teachers use Learning Management Systems to manage content, present content and interact with students. Some popular LMS are Moodle, Blackboard and WebCT. Moodle is a free open source LMS. Drupal, although free is a CMS (Content management system) The difference between a LMS and a CMS are: LMS were designed more for corporate needs, while CMS are suitable for Educational needs.

Below is a comparison of features taken from Content Management News:

A CMS covers the following features:

Online posting of course material: Material such as reading copies and power point slides can be made available online, apart form the schedule of the course and its syllabus.

Learner assessment: Learners can be assessed through online quizzes, tests and gradebooks.

Discussion forum: Discussions can be conducted through a discussion board, where notes are exchanged and topics discussed between formal classroom sessions.

Communication: Communication is carried through announcements to classes and other tools to communicate individually.

Allotment of lock boxes: Learners can store class assignments, class notes or presentations in individual lock boxes.

Review of statistics: The course statistics can be reviewed at will, which details information about who used the site and when.

The basic functions of an LMS include:

Registration of learners

Tracking participation in courses

Testing

Conducting follow-up discussions

Transferring information to other systems including the HR and ERP

Fee processing and fee transfer among departments

Scheduling courses

Managing skills

Managing blended learning

Choose one model associated with K-12 education and describe how it fits into existing constructs of online learning. (For example, how do the models adopted by Connections Academy, K-12, or the Idaho Digital Learning Academy fit into existing constructs of online learning?)

Wyoming Virtual School is primarily a fully online model but parents and students meet for field trips and other social interaction once a month. Due to the fact that there is minimal face-to-face interaction, Wyoming Virtual School falls under NACOL's definition of a blended learning environment.

NACOL: Promising Practices in Education-Blended Learning