Integrated Design of Web-Platform, Offline Supports, and Evaluation System for the Successful Implementation of University 2.0

University 2.0 is a collaborative way of constructing and sharing knowledge, based on epistemological and social technologies to amplify the effect of interaction and participation at higher education settings. In this case study, Web 2.0 social technologies were implemented to improve teaching and learning performances by integrating user-centered interactive platform, offline support strategies, and evaluation systems. The interactive web-platform is the essence of University 2.0 and enables the various interested parties to practice the 2.0 spirits of openness, sharing, and participation. In order to make learning based on the web-platform more effective and efficient, offline supports such as learning cells, learning facilitators, and learning spaces should be supplemented. The CIPP model was employed to monitor all processes of the University 2.0 project, to guide developers to the next steps, to attract attention from faculty members and students, and to derive consensus among them.

The MORE Model for Faculty Development

For many faculty the integration of technology and learner-centered teaching strategies or the adoption of instructional “best practices” represents innovation and change. The author visited fifteen research intensive university faculty development centers, looking at what they considered best practices with regard to improving instruction. The practices and programs described had one or more of the following components: Motivation, Opportunity, Resources and Evaluation, what I am calling here the MORE model. This paper discusses these four factors important to instructional change agents. The paper ends with a list of implications, based on the model, for that would enable faculty development centers to have more control over the factors that are important to faculty success and systemic change.

Developing a Model for Information Society Competencies Required by Managers in the Information Society

The purpose of this research is an attempt to obtain insight into the information, communication and technological competencies that managers currently need in order to work effectively in the information society. This is obtained by creating a model for those Information Society competencies for managers. This model is based on the results of a literature review, done in combination with a case study via a survey conducted in a large non-profit organization in the Netherlands. What is found is that especially the competencies ‘Having operational knowledge and insight into ICT’, ‘Finding and evaluating information on the Internet’ and ‘Participating in a learning organization’ are important factors that influence Information Society competence. The model might have implications for the curricula in higher education, especially for management training. The model may as well be an argument towards the provision of suitable performance support for just-in-time-learning for managers.

Key Capabilities, Components, and Evolutionary Trends in Corporate E-Learning Systems

The chapter examines the development of online learning systems in corporations, corporate utilization of reusable learning modules, and the various forms of assessment and knowledge certification used to ensure and improve the quality of the learning outcomes. Corporations continue to embrace e-learning, at a dramatic rate. This is partly driven by a desire for cost reduction and partly to ensure that all staff to have the required skills and competencies for their jobs. Organizations are increasingly linking the e-learning/e-training systems with other modules of their human resource management systems and this chapter includes a case example to illustrate such linkages. Universities have demonstrated progress in e-learning but remain in a position to learn much from e-learning developments in the corporate world. In sum, the chapter provides an overview of corporate experiences with e-learning/e-training and how these might be transferred to the academic world; it also sounds a note of warning for the universities should they fail to observe the ongoing development of corporate e-learning systems.

Object-Oriented Faculty Development

The study outlined in this chapter simulated a faculty development program that utilized a demonstration/ simulation -- a learning object that digitally demonstrates a task then asks the student to replicate it. In this learning environment, participants were given the chance to learn a skill from a teaching tool that they in turn could use in their classrooms. In addition, half the participants were asked to evaluate their learning styles by taking a Multiple Intelligence inventory before working with the demonstration/ simulation. Overall, the participants felt that this study was an enlightening experience for them -- they became more aware of how they learn, which gave them insight on how their students learn. Faculty development designers, human performance training professionals, and instructional technology designers can use the results of this study to gain a greater understanding of object-oriented faculty development programs that improve human performance and appropriate ways to implement them.

A Practical Guide to Evaluate Quality of Online Courses

This chapter introduces a graphic approach to define quality in online courses. The Decomposition Model (Borich & Jemelka, 1982) is used to illustrate course structure and the salient characteristics of an effective online course. The constraints that influence the success of online courses are discussed. Salient transactions (activities) that occur in online courses are described. And the means-end continuum in the process of online learning is illustrated graphically. The chapter is expected to provide readers with a whole picture of a quality online course through an architectural framework.

Multicultural e-Education

Academic performance of international university students was predicted using an interdisciplinary model, built by integrating theories from educational psychology and cultural anthropology. Approximately 2,500 online undergraduate business degree students from 21 countries were sampled from an Australian university. An a priori learning style instrument was used to assess their study strategies, which was integrated to a global culture taxonomy using ethnic demographic data. Multi-method statistical techniques for multivariate data were triangulated (confirmatory ordinal factor analysis, multiple regression and structural equation modeling) to analyze empirical evidence. The instrument was validated (eigenvalues> 1; cumulative factor variance captured >60%; GF, LR, factor loadings acceptable; p

Web Accessibility Policy for Students with Disabilities in U.S. Postsecondary Distance Education

“Web accessibility” is the ability to access information online. In distance education, most instructional material is located online, and anything that prevents a person from accessing these materials becomes a barrier to distance education. Demand for distance education is growing, and the Web is the most common mechanism for its delivery. Not all Websites are accessible, despite the availability of design guidelines. The purpose of this chapter is to inform Web accessibility policy decisions at U.S. postsecondary institutions by increasing the awareness of Web accessibility issues in distance education, examining societal implications, and discussing methods for improvement. This chapter also reviews the current U.S. legal context and provides alternative cost-justification and cost-benefit frameworks for consideration by policymakers.

A Framework for Developing and Implementing u-Learning Models

The advent of u-learning environments requires the development of appropriate u-learning models to inform the use of such environments. As there is no single u-learning model to suit all environments and learning situations, there is a need to develop a methodology for developing models appropriate to various environments and situations. This chapter outlines such a methodology as a useful framework on which to base the derivation of particular models for specific situations. The study then illustrates the use of this methodology to derive a particular model: a task-based u-learning model, incorporating well-bounded learning content. Following this, the study proposes a system architecture to embody this derived u-learning model, and, then describes the implementation of this architecture through the development and deployment of the Walkabout u-Learning Environment.

Using Ontology for Personalized E-Learning in K-12 Education

This chapter introduces the development of a K-12 education ontology for e-learning environments. It presents design and implementation processes, followed by several recommendations for future directions for ontology development. E-learning environments incorporate the notion of semantic Web-based ontologies into their future directions. Semantic Web uses ontologies to show the interconnectedness in a Web environment. Within the concept of semantic mapping, domain ontology is at the core of intelligent e-learning systems. In order to achieve an ontology for K-12 education, the authors propse a domainspecific ontology PoleONTO (Personalized Ontological Learning Environment) with the emphasis on its development and incorporation into an e-learning environment.