How do you spell 'support'? Multiple methods of library support to distributed education programs

This paper consists of librarians from two universities, one in the US and one in Canada, discussing and demonstrating the various ways they offer support to multiple distributed education programs. Because different programs on the same campus often offer distributed courses in different formats, libraries are required to become expert in all formats offered. This presentation will discuss library support via WebCT, Blackboard, FirstClass, proprietary courseware, email, the web, and Conferencing software. Where appropriate, differences between library support in the US and Canada will be noted and examined

Student Perceptions of Online Courses for School Administrators

Online courses are the fastest growing student enrollment at the university level during the last decade. Between the time period 2003-2009, the number of students who had taken online courses doubled to 3.9 million which outpaced the growth in traditional college settings by a 12% margin (Mashable/Tech,2010). However, this online programming movement still remains in its early stages of development. Thus, faculty members and designers of online education need to know more about online courses. Momin (2003) stated that this growth, in online education, has been accompanied by increased questions about the effectiveness of online courses. More research needs to be conducted regarding how student experiences differ in online course environments and how outcomes are developed and measured. Specifically, faculty members and administrators need to understand how students perceive online education and courses because these perceptions and attitudes can be a direct link to student motivation and learning. Koohang and Durante (2003) further suggest that elements of e-learning and student motivation are critical

Technology Solutions for Developmental Math: An Overview of Current and Emerging Practices

Reviews current practices in and strategies for incorporating innovative technology into the teaching of remedial math at the college level. Outlines challenges, emerging trends, and ways to combine technology with new concepts of instructional strategy

Foreign language learning in Second Life and the implications for resource provision in academic libraries

This project focuses on foreign language learning in Second Life and the implications for resource provision in academic libraries. In this context Second Life does not refer to the later years in life but to an online virtual world frequented by thousands of people simultaneously. Hislope sees it as “an excellent potential resource for supplementing foreign language classes” and this project aims to establish whether academic libraries have a role to play in this.The Arcadia Programme has been funded by a generous grant from the Arcadia Fund. http://www.arcadiafund.org.u

E-Learning in Postsecondary Education

Over the past decade postsecondary education has been moving increasingly from the class room to online. During the fall 2010 term 31 percent of U.S. college students took at least one online course. The primary reasons for the growth of e-learning in the nation\u27s colleges and universities include the desire of those institutions to generate new revenue streams, improve access, and offer students greater scheduling flexibility. Yet the growth of e-learning has been accompanied by a continuing debate about its effectiveness and by the recognition that a number of barriers impede its widespread adoption in higher education

An Online Tutor for Astronomy: The GEAS Self-Review Library

We introduce an interactive online resource for use by students and college instructors in introductory astronomy courses. The General Education Astronomy Source (GEAS) online tutor guides students developing mastery of core astronomical concepts and mathematical applications of general astronomy material. It contains over 12,000 questions, with linked hints and solutions. Students who master the material quickly can advance through the topics, while under-prepared or hesitant students can focus on questions on a certain topic for as long as needed, with minimal repetition. Students receive individual accounts for study and course instructors are provided with overview tracking information, by time and by topic, for entire cohorts of students. Diagnostic tools support self-evaluation and close collaboration between instructor and student, even for distance learners. An initial usage study shows clear trends in performance which increase with study time, and indicates that distance learners using these materials perform as well as or better than a comparison cohort of on-campus astronomy students. We are actively seeking new collaborators to use this resource in astronomy courses and other educational venues.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures; Vogt, N. P., and A. S. Muise. 2015. An online tutor for general astronomy: The GEAS self-review library. Cogent Education, 2 (1

Continued Efforts in TI ARM M4 Microcontroller Curricula Developments and Assessments Between Three Different Institutions and Programs

This project is a continuation in efforts to upgrade the curricula in microcontroller related courses that are facing difficulties in the disappearing and lack technical supports in hardware and software of 68XXX and 80XXX microcontrollers. Through the study of a NSF supported project Transform the Innovated Design and Development of an Embedded Design Training System and Associated Support Curricula into a Commercial Available Product that interviewed 130 faculty/teachers/students across the U.S. has revealed on finding newly available microcontrollers is an urgent issue in the academic communities. Based on the supports on hardware and software and function libraries, the TI ARM M4 core is the choice for the join efforts in the new curriculum development and assessment between Old Dominion University, Farmingdale State College, Prairie View A&M University, and Ohio Northern University within the programs of CET, ECE, EET, and Tech Studies. The efforts were also a direct response to the industries suggestions and the needs of 32 bits ARM microcontroller’s skills from engineer and technology programs graduates to fill the job markets. This article presents a study and comparison that introduce a concept of collaborated efforts among different institutions and programs can work together to develop the comprehensive ARM curricula that fit the industry’s needs. These curricula development efforts are not only aim at on-campus face-to-face teaching and learning but also distance hands-on learning through delivering course modules using both synchronous and asynchronous. The assessment of this jointed efforts are part of the studies. Engineering and technology programs focus on both hands-on and mind-on design work and this article demonstrates the collaborated efforts in advanced curriculum development in the ARM microcontroller which is the key ingredient for success. Through the development efforts and online Learning Management System (LMS) designs that make the distance collaboration, delivery, and cyber-enabled learning possible. These efforts not only benefit the interested faculty/teachers in better teaching and learning, but also support the students who can learn more advanced technical concepts that are needed for emerging high-tech job skills. Highlights of the presentation will address the following: • Research and development of the virtual classrooms and open source service server. • Design and development of the supported material. • Implementation strategies and planning for the distance hands-on approach. • Assessment of the teaching and learning. • Recommendations of potential adoption of the development. • Continuous improvement of teaching and learning in academic community

A gentle transition from Java programming to Web Services using XML-RPC

Exposing students to leading edge vocational areas of relevance such as Web Services can be difficult. We show a lightweight approach by embedding a key component of Web Services within a Level 3 BSc module in Distributed Computing. We present a ready to use collection of lecture slides and student activities based on XML-RPC. In addition we show that this material addresses the central topics in the context of web services as identified by Draganova (2003)