The Learning Debate

1. The Learning Debate What Is Flattening the World?

2. The Power of E-Learning A Global Perspective

3. ADEC-www.adec.edu • Advancing Learning, Science, Access…Anytime, Anyplace • Growing global network • Collaboratories • Strategic Planning • Research and Development • Partnerships and Development

4. Agenda • Western Hemisphere Initiative • NSF Advanced Internet Satellite Extension Program • Educational Effectiveness Research and Best Practice • E-Commerce – E-Answers • Ag/NR/Rural Development Programming

5. Agenda (cont.) • Sloan Foundation Partnership/Pillars Learning Effectiveness Student Satisfaction Faculty Satisfaction Cost Effectiveness Access ADEC Guiding Principles

6. 10 Forces Flattening the WorldThomas Friedman Best Seller • Walls came down and windows came up • Netscape went public • Workforce Software • Open Sourcing – self-organizing, collaborative communities-open access to all world’s knowledge changing everything! • Outsourcing – drawing on worldwide brainpower

7. 10 Forces Flattening World • Offshoring – China – Japan are part of same supply chain • Supply Chaining – mega stores – RFID tags • Insourcing – UPS is largest user of wireless technology in the world – JIT • In-forming – Yahoo, Google – MSN Search • The steroids – digital, mobile, personal virtual

8. Triple Convergence • Multiple forms of collaborations growing from this - new global playing field – now can work without regard to geography – distance and soon even language – NOTHING like this before • Horizontal collaboration requires different skills from top-down model-new business processes – speed - relationships

9. Triple Convergence • 3 billion people getting to compete and collaborate-new horizontal playing field – now have the ability to teach/access people, information and tools of collaboration • IMF – G8 – World Bank – WTO may become increasingly irrelevant.

10. Who will win? • Individuals who understand the flat world, adapt themselves quickly to its processes and technologies and start to march forward without any treaties or advice from the IMF. They will be every color in the rainbow and from every corner of the World • This is the POSSIBLE DREAM-from command and control to collaborate and connect

11. Academic Trends - Global • Knowledge and information growing exponentially – no one can be expert – networks critical • Instruction is becoming more learner centered, non-linear and self directed • Growing emphasis on academic accountability-demonstrate competency • Outsourcing and partnerships increasing

12. Business and Non-profit Sector • Widespread Use of E-Learning: 90% of U.S. organizations are using or planning to use • Vast majority of organizations satisfied:88% • Wide variety of uses: self-paced E-Learning most common • Key benefits: convenience, access and cost effectiveness

13. Sloan C Survey-2006 Data • More than three million students studying online in U.S. institutions • Growth continues to accelerate • No leveling of growth rate • Hybrid/blended learning growing • All of higher education is in change

14. Sloan C (cont.) • Students as satisfied with online as face to face • Schools believe online learning is critical to their long-term strategy • Three quarters of academic leaders at public colleges and universities believe that online learning quality is equal to or superior to face to face instruction

15. Online Learning Continuum • No online learning content: TRADITIONAL • 1-29% may use a CMS, web pages, modules, virtual field trips, simulation, visualization to small degree: WEB ENHANCED • 30-79% Substantial proportion of content is delivered online: BLENDED/HYBRID • 80%+ Little or no face to face: ONLINE

16. Leading Institutions • Large Public Institutions on forefront • 2/3rds of the very largest institutions have fully online programs • Doctoral/Research institutions have the greatest penetration of online offerings

17. Chief Academic Officers • 62% in Sloan survey in 2006 said that learning outcomes in online education are the same or superior to those face-to-face-nearly 17% think it is superior • Biggest barriers: more student discipline and faculty acceptance • Students want it and employers accept as the same as face to face

18. Friedman on Education • We have an ambition gap • Work ethic is critical • Fostering creativity • Developing Problem Solving Skills • Create Access – knowledge gap • Use all collaborative tools – reach farther, faster, wider, deeper

19. Learner Centered – Active LearningPew Grant Lessons Learned • Continuous assessment and feedback • Student to student discussion and projects • Interactive learning modules • Use of undergraduate learning assistants • Increase flexibility but students need structure • Student centered concrete learning plan with specific mastery components and milestones of achievement

20. Pew Lessons Learned (cont) • Online course management system • Online tutorials • Online CMC system • Online automated assessment of exercises, quizzes and tests • Shared resources – collaboration and partnerships – don’t do it all locally

21. Pew Lessons Learned (cont) • Increase efficiency : larger student enrollments, blended classes, reduce costs, consolidate sections and courses • Faculty who are willing to use an appropriate blend of homegrown and free or purchased learning materials from others have a large headstart – critical success factor

22. Today’s Learners • The modern college student is interested in online learning, small modules and short programs…and in learning that can be done at home and fitted around work, family and social obligations (Tony Bates)

23. Learners Today • Information-age learners prefer doing to knowing, trial and error to logic and typing to handwriting. Multitasking is a way of life for them, staying connected is essential and there is zero tolerance for delays. Modern literacy includes not only text but also image and screen literacy – it involves navigating information and assembling knowledge from fragments (Oblinger; Jones and Pritchard)

24. Today’s Adult Learner • Pragmatic, problem solver • Self-directed and goal and relevancy oriented – they need the rationale for what they are learning. They are motivated by professional advancement, external expectations, the need to better serve others, social relationships, and pure interest in the subject.

25. Items Being Studied • Completion and retention rates • Maturity and learner motivation • Division of labor – unbundling faculty role – new kinds of instructional staff – adjusts – team including administrators, instructional designers,

26. Designing Effective Learning Environments – Judith V. Boettcher • Framework: LeMKE – Learner at center; Mentor/faculty member; Knowledge and Environment • Michael Schrage Matrix – we overlook power of learner to learner – faculty critical to success but not at the center – learner has to learn

27. Designing Learning Environments • Every learning experience includes the environment in which the learner interacts with content, knowledge, skill or expert • We shape our tools and our tools shape us-old model – faculty lectured and students took notes – limited tools and techniques – very different today

28. Designing Learning Environments • Faculty are the Directors of the Learning Environment • Learners bring their own personalized knowledge, skills and attitudes to the learning experience – anticipate what students know and build on it – developing useful mental models

29. Designing Learning Environments • Every learner has a space that he/she is ready to develop into useful knowledge-readiness, motivation, specificity • Concepts aren’t words; they are organized and intricate knowledge clusters-make student thinking visible – discussion forums, journals, blogs, small group work, collaborative work tools

30. Designing Learning Environments • Not all learners need to learn all course content; all learners do need to learn the core concepts-providing customizations – no longer circumscribed by size and cost of textbook – “rich database of content experiences-also needs to capture learner knowledge • Different instruction for different outcomes-

31. Designing Learning Environments • More time on task equals more learning –students need to spend more time interacting with information, practicing skills, internships, mentoring, problem solving – it is the responsibility of faculty to search out and identify well-structured materials that assist in concept formation, practice and problem-solving.