Electronic Information in School Libraries

Microcomputers have progressed from toys to tools in managing school libraries. Equipment inventory, circulation, online catalogs, acquisitions, and serials management/check-in have all been affected. In addition, high technology has presented new possibilities for educating young people, and school librarians are faced with a role change as they rise to meet this challenge.published or submitted for publicatio

Problems and Promises of Using LMS Learner Analytics for Assessment: Case Study of a First-Year English Program

Learning management systems (LMS) are widely used in education. They offer the potential for assessing student learning, but the reality of using them for this is problematic. This case study chronicles efforts by librarians at Marquette University to use LMS data to assess students’ information literacy knowledge in Marquette’s first-year English program

Time Management Matters: Online Faculty Perceptions of Helpfulness of Time Management Strategies

This study examined 256 faculty survey responses to determine perceptions of helpfulness of 24 time management strategies grouped into four categories defined by Berge (1995) as managerial, pedagogical, technical, and social. Findings indicate that establishing clear and specific expectations (M = 4.32) was perceived as the most helpful, followed by organizing content into modules or units (M = 4.28), which were both pedagogical time management strategies. Participants additionally responded to two open-ended items regarding the most and least helpful time management strategies. The open-ended responses were consistent with the survey findings. The relationship between faculty demographic factors and strategies showed that receiving training to teach online affected the faculty perceptions of technical time management strategies

Resource Requirements and Costs of Developing and Delivering MOOCs

Given the ongoing alarm regarding uncontrollable costs of higher education, it would be reasonable to expect not only concern about the impact of MOOCs on educational outcomes, but also systematic efforts to document the resources expended on their development and delivery. However, there is little publicly available information on MOOC costs that is based on rigorous analysis. In this article, we first address what institutional resources are required for the development and delivery of MOOCs, based on interviews conducted with 83 administrators, faculty members, researchers, and other actors in the MOOCspace. Subsequently, we use the ingredients method to present cost analyses of MOOC production and delivery at four institutions. We find costs ranging from $38,980 to$325,330 per MOOC, and costs per completer of $74-$272, substantially lower than costs per completer of regular online courses, by merit of scalability. Based on this metric, MOOCs appear more cost-effective than online courses, but we recommend judging MOOCs by impact on learning and caution that they may only be cost-effective for the most self-motivated learners. By demonstrating the methods of cost analysis as applied to MOOCs, we hope that future assessments of the value of MOOCs will combine both cost information and effectiveness data to yield cost-effectiveness ratios that can be compared with the cost-effectiveness of alternative modes of education delivery. Such information will help decision-makers in higher education make rational decisions regarding the most productive use of limited educational resources, to the benefit of both learners and taxpayers

Computer-Based Instructional Systems Design Tools: Current State And Implications For The Future

This study examines the current state of computer-based instructional systems design (ISD) tools and outlines its implications for the future. The study utilizes the grounded theory methodology to capture and document modern instructional designers\u27 perspectives regarding the current state of ISD tools, the issues associated with them, and their interrelationships. The study also presents a framework for classifying modern ISD tools and a conceptual prototype of a designer-oriented system of computer-based ISD tools

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) behind the scenes

Research literature on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is still limited and tends to focus on the learner perspective. This paper reports on the experiences of ten UK-based individuals involved in designing, developing, or delivering MOOCs (learning technologists, coordinators, designers, course builders or facilitators). We focus on the following key areas: 1) reasons to offer MOOCs, 2) design, creation and delivery processes, 3) attainment and course evaluation, and 4) challenges and recommendations for the future. Findings show that MOOCs are usually collaboratively created to “follow the trend”, increase student enrolments, repurpose existing materials and/or address an international audience. The role of the teacher (also in the form of student moderators) centers on maintaining discussions on track. Evaluations of MOOC usually lack agreed indicators of success

UNEARTHING ENTANGLEMENTS: HUMAN/MACHINE COLLABORATION IN THE WRITING CLASSROOM

This dissertation focuses on the dynamics between teachers and machines at the intersections of design, teaching labor, and pedagogy when automation is deployed in writing classrooms. The sites of analysis are Eli Review and Turnitin, two technologies that represent different design approaches that center around “informating” or “automating” data about student work. The exigence for this project emerges out of the labor crisis currently enveloping higher education. Traditionally, in times of labor crises, automation and machines are used to replace scarce or imperfect human labor. However, balanced and purposeful design of automated technology has the potential to enhance humans’ labor and protect workers. Using holistic and provisional coding, combined with object interviews, this dissertation analyzes data collected from a national survey distributed to composition instructors and nine interviews about their personal experiences with Eli Review and Turnitin. The data and findings from these methods suggests beneficial relationships between humans and machines are possible in the writing classroom through careful design, integration, and management of educational and learning technologies

Information Technology Project Update: 2011-2012

Marshall University Information Technology (MUIT) strives to provide seamless access to global resources, a robust infrastructure and current tools to support our faculty, staff and students, and high levels of technology to compete and excel in a world characterized by constant change with increased mobility. MUIT engages in collaborative relationships within the University and with the local community acting as a trusted partner anticipating needs and responding with innovative solutions in support of the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service via extensive research and planning endeavors

Why do Institutions Offer MOOCs?

By reviewing the literature and interviewing 83 individuals knowledgeable about massive open online courses (MOOCs), we investigate the goals of institutions of higher education that are currently developing and delivering such courses. We identify six major goals for MOOC initiatives: extending reach and access, building and maintaining brand, improving economics by reducing costs or increasing revenues, improving educational outcomes, innovation in teaching and learning, and conducting research on teaching and learning. Comparing these goals with the data being collected about MOOCs, their participants, and educational outcomes, as well as the resource requirements and cost drivers of the development and delivery process, we assess whether these goals are being met, or are likely to be in the future. While quantification of success in achieving these goals is for the most part lacking, we conclude that institutions are experiencing at least partial success in achieving each of these goals except for improving economics. We identify obstacles to fuller achievement of the goals and some potential solutions