online business school in Dubai

1
Online Courses as Effective Learning Environments
or "Digital Diploma Mills" The Importance of
Collaborative Learning
2
Two views of Online courses

• A means of cutting the costs of delivering
  educational materials to students, akin to
  previous use of instructional television. Post
  materials on the web collect assignments can
  handle thousands of students.
• OR A means of improving the quality of learning
  opportunities, by supporting learning communities
  in an anytime/anywhere environment (Learning
  Networks TLN or ALN)- require small classes
  mentored by skilled faculty members

3
Some Questions about Differences This Talk
Will Cover

• Is online collaborative learning superior to the
  mass distribution of materials via the Web?
• How do both models compare to traditional college
  level courses, in terms of process and outcomes?
• What are some guidelines for maximizing the
  quality of research to answer these questions?

4
Background

• Over the last 15 years, NJIT has constructed a
  series of computer-mediated communication systems
  tailored to support anytime/ anywhere
  interaction among students and instructors called
  Virtual Classroom TM
• Used first in a variety of individual courses and
  then for full degree programs and
• Developed various evaluation instruments and
  approaches.

5
Theories for Studying Online Courses

• Pedagogical Theories Objectivist (passive) vs.
  Constructivist (active, collaborative) learning
• Media Effect theories (e.g., Media Richness,
  Media Synchronicity)
• Group Interaction Theories (e.g., Adaptive
  Structuration Poole DeSanctis)
• LNs are a social technology through which a
  group may choose to faithfully or unfaithfully
  appropriate the structures provided by the
  technology, heuristic, environment, etc

6
Some VARIETIES OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

• Seminar Students as Teachers
• Peer Writing Groups (Constructive Criticism)
• Group Projects
• Case study discussions
• Web treasure hunts, compilations
• Debates
• Construct an exam
• Networked classes

7
The Research Process

• a series of interlocking choices in which we
  try simultaneously to maximize several
  conflicting choices
• Key choices
• generalizability with respect to populations
• realism for the participants
• precision in control and measurement of variables

McGrath, 1982
8
Taking Online Classes is More Convenient (73
agree)
9
Did use of the system increase the quality of
your education? (58 agree 22 Same)
10
Summary and Conclusions

• Each of the three NJIT studies has its
  methodological weaknesses, but taken together
  they solidly support the conclusions that
• 1.L N courses can be as effective or more
  effective than traditional classrooms, in terms
  of access and learning outcomes.
• 2. Collaborative learning designs are more
  effective for online learning than individuals
  working alone with materials posted online.
• Data from other universities replicate the
  findings.
• Whats the Difference? Its the pedagogy, stupid!!