Quality Control in Online Courses: Using a Social Constructivist Framework

There has recently been increased interest in the quality of online courses. Faculty from the School of Education at Marquette University suggest using social constructivist theories in the design and development of online courses and in the training and pedagogy of online instructors to ensure quality in online courses. Quality can be designed into online courses by focusing on complex tasks, using multiple perspectives, establishing a learning community, encouraging the social negotiation of meaning and providing assistance for learners at various levels. While good design can go a long way to ensure quality in online courses, the quality of the instructor is equally critical. Training instructors to establish a supportive climate, provide constructive feedback, and ask critical and probing questions leads to high quality online instruction

Women\u27s and Men\u27s Language in Moderated Online Course Discussions

Early research on the language differences of men and women positioned men and women\u27s language as dichotomous, identifying specific linguistic features as characteristic of male or female language. Men interrupt more (West & Zimmerman, 1983). Women apologize more (Holmes, 1995). Men use more hostile verbs (Hoyt & Summers, 1970). Women use more positive emotive adjectives such as divine and gorgeous (Kramer, 1974). Men use challenges (Maltz & Borker, 1998). Women pay and receive more compliments (Holmes, 1995). Men use more interjections (Eakins & Eakins, 1978). Women use more conjunctions (Eakins & Eakins, 1978). Men use more expletives and obscenities (Baily & Timm, 1976; Frank, 1978). Women use more tag questions (Fishman, 1983). Women use more words that indicate feeling or emotion (Gieser, Gottschalk, & Watkins, 1959). Men use more words implying time, space and quantity (Gieser, Gottschalk, & Watkins, 1959). Women use more hedges and intensifiers (Lakoff, 1975). Men use language to assert themselves (Maltz & Borker, 1998). Women use talk to develop and maintain relationships (Holmes, 1995)..