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Issue Contents Sloan-C Launches New Community Website Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for more than a decade, the Sloan Consortium has become a major agent for the growth of anytime anywhere access to high quality education online. With 4 million online learners, online access is becoming more than an experiment, it’s an expectation. As research, practice, and technology evolve, we believe that community among educational leaders will be the most powerful force for making education an "ongoing part of everyday life." 1 In its new 501(c)3 status as a member-sustained organization, Sloan-C aims to remain the professional home for people who share the vision of accessible education in everyday life. The new Sloan-C website at www.sloanconsortium.org is designed for members to choose from a wealth of organized information and customizable and interactive services such as:
-Personal and expert blogs
Please visit www.sloanconsortium.org/newsitefeatures to learn about all of the new features on the new Sloan-C site. Members will have full access to content and activities, and non-members will have access to selected content. Be sure to join this year as an individual or institutional member to take advantage of membership and College Pass professional development package savings during these early days of the membership campaign. When you come to www.sloanconsortium.org, you’ll notice that a few parts of the site are still being built…more innovations will be incorporated soon. If you had an account at www.sloanconsortium.org, please visit our activation instructions page to learn how to activate your account at the new site. 1Gomory, R. E. Sheffield Lecture- Yale University, January 11, 2000, Internet Learning: Is it Real and What Does it Mean for Universities?Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 5 (1). June 2001.
B-Schools in Second Life: It’s more than just Fun and Games; It’s the Confluence of Playing, Learning, and Working
Gazing out at the snow capped peaks from the window of her home in New Zealand, Mary Ellen Gordon, Ph.D. Managing Director of Market Truths—a state of art market research and analysis company—and who taught business courses at three universities, wondered if she was prepared for the talk. In another five minutes she was due to make yet another presentation. 11,000 miles away Gerald Murphy hurried to the cyber café in one of the nearby by-now-almost deserted streets. It was close to half-past midnight and Murphy—who was vacationing in Paris—knew unless he rushed, he would not be in time for the class he was supposed to attend as part of his evening MBA course. About 3,300 miles to his west, John Bourne, Ph.D. Professor and Director, Olin-Babson Center for Online Learning was already settled for the evening. As always, he couldn’t help but stare at the near tranquilizing beauty of the Atlantic Ocean waves reaching barely yards away from his U.S. east coast home. And as dusk settled in the greater Boston area and people reached their homes, nine others—within a hundred miles radius—reached for their computers/laptops. Within minutes of each other they all arrived at Babson region for, what was to be, their last class of this spring semester. For next three hours or so they would discuss, debate, and review their progress over issues relating to entrepreneurship, education, and of course, second life. This was no ordinary class, as, by now, you would have already guessed. This was a course aptly titled "Entrepreneurship and Second Life: Building Virtual Incubator"; and except for the first classroom face-to-face meeting, all others had been "in-world"—a term used to refer to the world inside second life. Also attending this special session were Len Schlesinger, the president elect of Babson College along with Karen Maccaro, associate dean of the graduate school. As Bourne adjusted his headphone and started typing on his laptop, his thoughts went back to some of the highlights of the past semester… A few months back, at the beginning of the semester, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) made an award to Babson College and the Sloan Consortium to develop a virtual (business) incubator in Second Life. Students in this class would engage in research and development that had the potential of making a significant difference in the field of entrepreneurship globally. John’s challenge was to find ways to ensure this award money was well spent providing he and his class key learning lessons as well ensuring Babson gave back to the global community in more ways than one. Second Life (also referred as SL "in-world", i.e. within second life) is a 3-D virtual world on the internet built and owned by its residents (registered users who adorn different avatars and inhabit SL). It opened to the public in 2003 and has since grown exponentially. Today there are over 5 million residents (some claim it be in the range of 9-11 million) in SL from around the globe. SL has its own economy with its currency referred to as Linden Dollars (L$). Residents create virtual goods and services, and buy and sell them in the SL. There are also currency exchanges where residents can exchange real world currencies for L$. The exchange rate is around L$ 260 to one US dollar. So popular has been this platform for testing ideas and innovating that many real world (called RL in SL lingo) companies such as ABN AMRO, BMW, Cisco Systems, CNN, Dell, EMC, Intel, IBM, Nissan, Reuters, Sun Microsystems, and Vodafone have established their presence there. Some countries have even set up their virtual consulates/embassies. Click here to continue.
Academic Integrity, Student Authentication, and Online Learning
The Higher Education Reauthorization Act, which has not been finalized, requires "an institution that offers distance education to have processes through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the program and receives the academic credit." This language is designed to limit academic dishonesty by assuring that learners enrolling in a course are those completing assignments and tests. What is disappointing is that the requirements only apply to distance education. Do legislators believe that distance education students cheat more than on campus students? This legislation would suggest that. Additionally, it is sadly ironic that this legislation, intended to improve distance education, may negate some of what the new interactive technologies have brought to the online classroom. First, there is no evidence that online students are more likely to cheat. Many administrators and faculty members involved in distance education do not believe their online students are more likely to cheat, if only because many are adult learners who do not match the profile of a cheater. The UT TeleCampus (www.uttc.org) surveyed faculty members about academic dishonesty. We asked educators who have taught both on campus and online about five aspects of academic integrity in online courses as compared to on campus courses: opportunities to cheat, likelihood of cheating, creating communities in which students do not want to cheat, preventing cheating, and catching cheaters. For each, about half of our small sample indicated they see no difference between on campus and online courses. Of those who do believe there are differences, most said it is easier to encourage academic integrity in an on-campus course. Opinion and anecdotal evidence do not answer the larger question with authority…are online learners more prone to cheat than their on-ground counterparts? Several studies have been done, but none with large enough or diverse enough populations to answer this question. We need additional research. As the language in the legislation is not specific, administrators and accreditors will have to determine what, if any, changes need to be made to registration processes and assessment design to meet these requirements. Authenticating students during registration may create barriers or add to the cost of courses. But the potential effect of changes to assessment design is of greatest concern. Online education creates opportunities for authentic learning and assessment tied to demonstration of knowledge beyond multiple choice tests. Examples include discussion board participation, research papers, and team projects. These powerful pedagogies may be abandoned if this legislation becomes law. There are several projects currently underway regarding authentication of assessments. Overwhelmingly, these are focused on testing, rather than on other types of assessments. If it is determined that the easiest or least expensive way to authenticate students is standard testing, we may see a shift away from grades based on interactive learning to grades based primarily on tests. A movement toward testing as the primary mode of assessment may take away from the richness of today’s online learning environment.
Department of Justice Settlement Has Implications for the For-Profit Sector
On July 25, 2008, the Department of Justice released a settlement agreement with the Education Management Corporation (EDMC) under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement covers the 19 campuses of EDMC-owned Brown Mackie College. Under the agreement, EDMC will make the Brown Mackie campuses more accessible to persons with disabilities by removing architectural and programmatic barriers to participation. The press release from the Department of Justice can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/July/08-cdr-655.html and the full agreement can be found at http://www.ada.gov/edmc.htm. The Department of Justice has generally approached its responsibilities for enforcement of the ADA by carefully crafting an agreement with a prominent entity that is representative of its field of operations, then using that agreement as a model in evaluating compliance of like organizations. The settlement with EDMC/Brown Mackie seems to fall into that pattern, as it has reportedly been under consideration and review for almost three years. This new agreement is the first of its kind with a school from the for-profit sector, and is notable for several reasons: 1. The Department of Justice sought an agreement with the parent company, EDMC, not just with Brown Mackie College; EDMC also owns and operates the Art Institutes, Argosy University, and South University, all of which have significant online components. While the formal agreement only speaks to obligations for access at Brown Mackie, its sister institutions are likely to receive increased scrutiny as well, since all are under the auspices of EDMC. 2. While DOJ apparently made direct site visits to only four of the 19 campuses, all 19 campuses are required to demonstrate steps taken toward compliance within the time period specified in the agreement; Many for-profit institutions that have online campuses/programs are an extension of more traditional, seated campuses. Since the Brown Mackie review of architectural accessibility at a few of the campuses within the college resulted in a settlement impacting all campuses/programs, online-only programs may find themselves bound by programmatic accessibility commitments resulting from examination of their ground campus affiliates. This would be especially true for programs that share corporate oversight and policies/procedures with the ground campuses. 3. The agreement includes a provision that the College will "reasonably modify policies, practices and procedures when necessary to afford access to services and facilities to individuals with disabilities…" This wording ("reasonably modify policies, practices and procedures") has traditionally been used by the Department of Justice in its discussion of programmatic, rather than architectural access. While it appears that the investigation began (and largely focused on) issues of physical barriers to access, the agreement clearly shines a light on issues of access to the educational programs and opportunities offered by the College. For online programs, these issues would extend from the accessibility of the course management system to students with disabilities who are using assistive technology, to the provision of accommodations and services typically provided to students through an office for disability services/support, translated to virtual environment. The press release from the Department of Justice includes a quote from the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division stating, "We applaud EDMC for its effort to improve access at its Brown Mackie campuses. We hope that other schools will follow suit." That statement suggests that the Department of Justice is preparing to take a more active look at ADA compliance issues within the for-profit school sector. Issues of accommodating students with disabilities in online learning are likely to be of more immediate concern in the near future, as institutions assess both their level of compliance in this area, and make plans to respond to the challenge of making online education fully available to all students, regardless of disability. __________________________________________________________ Disability Compliance in Career and Online Learning (DCCOL) will be offering a series of workshops in the coming weeks that can assist online programs in assessing and addressing their legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. September 8-9 Students with Disabilities in Online Education - Traditional Institutions, Nontraditional Classrooms (This workshop is targeted for personnel from traditional institutions of higher education that are coming to recognize that increased online offerings/components of their institutional programming -- including blended classes and hybrid students-- are creating a new world of challenges for DSS offices.) September 15-16 High School Students in College-Based Online Learning (This workshop has a small, but VERY needy, target audience. For those higher education institutions that are providing fully-accredited high school programs online, there are significant (and significantly different) practical and legal issues surrounding support to students with disabilities. The application of the regulatory-rich Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which covers the K-12 population, added on to obligations for postsecondary institutions under 504/ADA, creates a complicated and largely-unexplored set of challenges.) For full details on the agenda, logistics, and registration for these workshops, visit: http://dccol.net/bootcamp/index.html or call Jane Jarrow, President of DCCOL, at 614-370-1786.
Learn From the Experts - The Sloan-C 2008 Workshop Series Introduction to Second Life for Educators - Sept 3 - 12 Throughout this workshop participants will learn the basics of Second Life, and integrate learning theories in the use of virtual worlds. Participants will be encouraged to create activities that are student-centered and maximize the real potential of virtual worlds. A primary goal of the workshop is to get educators thinking about their classes and how the tools used in Second Life can be personalized for the learning environments that they create. The workshop will explore examples of good teaching in Second Life and move beyond PowerPoint, lecture, and passive learning. Participants will make use of asynchronous discussions, multimedia materials, reading assignments and live, interactive class sessions to collaborate, learn, and expand the range of instructional possibilities that are available to students. Click here for details and registration. Getting Started: Online Course Development Basics - Sept 10 - Oct 3 Based on research and the Sloan-C effective practices, this workshop provides the foundation for designing and delivering online courses. Faculty gain enhanced pedagogical knowledge and learn effective strategies for creative, online classroom facilitation. Click here for details and registration Podcasting in Higher Education: Current Trends and Applications - Sept 24 - Oct 3 Podcasting has had a revolutionary impact on formal and informal teaching and learning. Rising out of the advent of the Apple iPod, podcasts have grown into the mainstream of online media since their inception in early 2004. The power of the individual to use podcasts to communicate globally has important implications for educators. Higher education professionals must learn how to harness the power of podcasting to reach an increasingly more tech savvy population of students and colleagues. Learn all about podcasts and podcasting in this online workshop conducted by two of the pioneers in using this technology in higher education: Burks Oakley II and Ray Schroeder. Click here for details and registration. |
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The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C), sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is composed of institutions and organizations dedicated to continually improving the quality, scale, and breadth of their online programs, according to their own distinctive missions, so that education becomes a part of everyday life, accessible and affordable for anyone, anywhere, at any time, in a wide variety of disciplines. The Sloan-C View is published by Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C™). Responsibility for the contents rests with the authors and not with Sloan-C™. Copyright ©2008 by Sloan-C™. If you have a question or comment, would like to submit an article for publication, or would like to suggest an event to be listed on the Sloan-C View Calendar, please email sloan-cview@sloan-c.org. Materials in the Sloan-C View, unless otherwise noted, may be distributed freely for educational purposes. However, if any materials are redistributed they must retain the copyright notice and use the proper citation. Kindly send an email to sloan-cview@sloan-c.org indicating how you are using the material for distribution. Your privacy is important to us, you can view our privacy policy at www.sloanconsortium.org/aboutus/privacy.asp This issue is being sent to: %%emailaddr%% If you do not wish to receive future issues, please send a blank email to %%email.unsub%% and your email address will be removed from our list. The Sloan Consortium, Olin Way, Needham, MA 02492-1200 | |||||||||||||||||