TESTIMONY TO THE KERREY COMMISSION ON WEB-BASED EDUCATION

Online learning today, is of two basic kinds (although there are grades in between): one is a self-study, or “broadcast” model in which materials, maybe quite sophisticated multimedia, but self-study materials nonetheless, are posted on the web, and these are perused and studied by learners at their own pace. This model can also be thought of as a form of online publishing. I remind you that self-study, mainly through books, but more recently augmented by videotapes or broadcast TV, has been available for over a century, and unusually disciplined individuals have been able to learn and earn credentials on their own. The second model, the “interactive” model is one where “classes” begin on a particular day with a cohort group, are taught by a faculty member who interacts with individuals or the cohort through group e-mail tools, generally referred to as group conferencing software. Interaction with the instructor is not occasional or incidental, rather it is regular and continuous, as is interaction among students. The student/faculty ratio is about the same for these online classes as that for equivalent campus classes. The “class” also ends on a particular day, i.e. the “term” is completed. This interactive model is the basis for most of the grants made by Sloan, because we believe it most closely parallels the learning environments associated with quality learning

BLENDED LEARNING AND LOCALNESS: THE MEANS AND THE END

Blended learning can be seen as the means to achieving a greater sense of “localness” on the part of colleges and universities. Blended learning has been evolving for several years and while definitions vary from one institution to another, it is defined in this paper essentially as a combination of face-to-face and online learning. Localness is a term used at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of a new funding initiative to support academic programs designed to strengthen a college or university connection to its core constituencies. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship of blended learning and “localness”

Performance related factors are the main determinants of the von Willebrand factor response to exhaustive physical exercise

Background: Physical stress triggers the endothelium to release von Willebrand Factor (VWF) from the Weibel Palade bodies. Since VWF is a risk factor for arterial thrombosis, it is of great interest to discover determinants of VWF response to physical stress. We aimed to determine the main mediators of the VWF increase by exhaustive physical exercise. Methods: 105 healthy individuals (18-35 years) were included in this study. Each participant performed an incremental exhaustive exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Respiratory gas exchange measurements were obtained while cardiac function was continuously monitored. Blood was collected at baseline and directly after exhaustion. VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) levels, VWF collagen binding (VWF:CB) levels, ADAMTS13 activity and common variations in Syntaxin Binding Protein-5 (STXBP5, rs1039084 and rs9399599), Syntaxin-2 (STX2, rs7978987) and VWF (promoter, rs7965413) were determined. Results: The median VWF:Ag level at baseline was 0.94 IU/mL [IQR 0.8-1.1] and increased with 47% [IQR 25-73] after exhaustive exercise to a median maximum VWF:Ag of 1.38 IU/mL [IQR 1.1-1.8] (p<0.0001). VWF:CB levels and ADAMTS13 activity both also increased after exhaustive exercise (median increase 43% and 12%, both p<0.0001). The strongest determinants of the VWF:Ag level increase are performance related (p<0.0001). We observed a gender difference in VWF:Ag response to exercise (females 1.2 IU/mL; males 1.7 IU/mL, p = 0.001), which was associated by a difference in performance. Genetic variations in STXBP5, STX2 and the VWF promoter were not associated with VWF:Ag levels at baseline nor with the VWF:Ag increase. Conclusions: VWF:Ag levels strongly increase upon exhaustive exercise and this increase is strongly determined by physical fitness level and the intensity of the exercise, while there is no clear effect of genetic variation in STXBP5, STX2 and the VWF promoter

The Sloan-C Pillars: Towards a Balanced Approach to Measuring Organizational Learning

The Sloan Pillars have set the standard for university-wide online learning program assessment for more than a dozen years. In this paper, the authors propose the extension of the Pillars to corporate e-learning, offering an alternative to traditional enterprise learning assessments. Claiming that conventional methods stress individual courses or programs, rather than encompassing a company’s learning ecology, a new corporate version of Sloan Pillars is proposed. The authors claim that their holistic approach—assessing employee access, learning and cost effectiveness, and learner and management satisfaction—provides companies with the tools they need to assess the effectiveness of company learning efforts overall