Reading Emma Goldman: A Guide for Online Learning
Topic: Instructional Activities

Podcast
The death of actress Maureen Stapleton, who won an Oscar for her portrayal in the movie, Reds, of the energetic and unforgettable activist Emma Goldman, reminds us how influential memoirs can be for students at all levels. Not only does one gain an appreciation of their contribution, it is possible to examine the mindset of an individual who acted as an agent for change. Whether one agrees with her strategies and tactics, or her politics is not really the point. The main issue for e-learners is engagement. The stories of real people are unforgettable. The following is a companion for reading and studying Emma Goldman.

For the entire text, please click here: full text

Retaining Course Content in E-Learning
Topic: Learning Theory
Podcast.

What are some of the cognitive processes involved in retaining course material? In the case of e-learning, retention is often associated with higher-level reasoning, problem-solving, and synthesis, as well as basic multiple choice and interactive drills. It is useful to look at the processes, as well as effective instructional practices.

For the entire text, click here.

Electronic Notebook: Indispensable for the Online Course.
Topic: Instructional Activities
podcast.

One of the most valuable assignments for an online course is the electronic research notebook. It can be used in any course, but is particularly useful in writing courses that prepare individuals for academic research and scholarly discourse production (essays, papers, capstones, essay tests, and a thesis). The electronic research notebook is, in essence, an annotated bibliography. The students can build and store an electronic notebook on a notebook computer, but this refers to something else. The electronic research notebook is the place where one records the results of research, and summarizes the important aspects of papers, books, and articles one has found as they relate to your research project.

Interested in the full text / transcript?
full text.

The Fringe Journal.

Smartphone Science Class
Topic: New Technologies
Podcast.

Taking a course on a smartphone? It's not as far-fetched as it may seem. In fact, K-12 schools have been utilizing mobile devices for several years now to take photos, collect information, and then instant-message classmates, or post to discussion boards. However, the practice can certainly be expanded to be incorporated in home school distance education courses, or college-level courses. Communication can take place through phone, e-mail, and instant messenger, as well as via the web. The smartphone's media player functionality can be used for movie clips and mp3s, while the photo capabilities can be used to collect, record, and share data. It even contains an FM radio, so students can listen to radio programs. Finally, photos and logs can be shared through blog or Flickr.

For a script of the entire article / podcast, please visit http://elearnqueen.blogspot.com/2006/02/smartphone-science-class.html

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Affiliate Programs and E-Learning: How Can I Get Started?
Topic: Revenue Streams
Podcast.

Becoming a member of affiliate programs can lead to new revenue for e-learning programs, and getting started can be as simple or as complex as you choose. A well-planned approach will succeed, whether complicated or delightfully simple. New revenue occurs via increased traffic to your web site, deeper understanding of your programs, more effective student behaviors, enhanced student loyalty, better student performance, and the opportunity to establish productive alliances with currently enrolled students and alumni.

For full text of this podcast, click here.

Monetizing Websites As a Service; Opportunities in E-Learning
Podcast.

Despite the fervor about "monetized" domain names that consist of little else but links to ads, don't be deceived. That's not the best way to make money with your affiliate programs. The best way, at least at this point, still involves traffic -- traffic you've generated from the quality and intrinsic value of your site. Don't alienate your hard-earned traffic by surrounding them with distracting, chaotic banners, chicklets, and text links. Instead, use the tips below to carefully craft a plan that will optimize click-throughs and conversions to commission-bearing sales.

The full text of the podcast is available here: Monetizing as a service.

Hype? Fact? Helping Online Students Evaluate Websites
Topic: Instructional Activities
Podcast.

Developing the ability to distinguish website hype from reality is a critical skill, but one that tends to be overlooked in online courses. This article models how to develop writing assignments that give students an opportunity to examine websites' claims made about products, the use of logic, and the nature of the "evidence" used to support the claims. It also gives students a chance to look at two sides of the story, and to examine evidence through lenses colored by presuppositions, assumptions, beliefs, and values.

For the entire text of the podcast, please click here.

Business Trends and E-Learning: Affiliates, Monetizing, Direct navigation
Topic: Leadership in E-Learning
Podcast.

What does it take to achieve solid, fast-paced growth in an e-learning organization? It's not just about building courses, recruiting students, or containing costs. It's also about generating new revenue streams, which may include establishing affiliate relationships, monetizing websites through advertising and reciprocal relationships, and acquiring "valuable real estate" (domains) in order to monetize them, then sell as "type-in" direct navigation domains. Needless to say, it's important to be perceived as maintaining academic excellence as you build student and revenue bases. Nevertheless, there are exciting new ways that have been newly legitimized by investment banking firms for organizations (including e-learning organizations) to establish relationships and to market and promote products, services, and approaches.

For full text of the article.

Prestige and the Online Institution, Part II - The Digital Gold Standard
Topic: Leadership in E-Learning
link to podcast / first half of this article

Link to podcast for second half of this article

This is Part 2 of a two-part article which explores attributes and characteristics of prestigious universities, and evaluates how, when, and where the online institution is gaining cultural status and prestige ... and where the opportunities lie. (You might be surprised.)

First half of the article (text and podcast)

http://elearnqueen.blogspot.com/2006/01/upward-mobility-in-distance.html


Here is where the paradox begins, in my opinion. After all, the idea of access presupposes a democratic ideal; the voices of all can be heard, their e-mails read. And yet, prestige often associates itself with exclusivity, to the point of secrecy. Could one have a Skull and Bones Club online? Instead of rituals and secret gatherings, the digital elite represent the "gold standard," the ideal to which others aspire. To continue from Part I, here are a few elements that characterize an elite college or university, and here is how they translate into the "digital gold standard."

For the entire text of this article, please Click Here

Upward Mobility in the Distance Institution: Factors Influencing Prestige and Status in Online Programs
Topic: Leadership in E-Learning
Podcast.

The college degree earned either partially or fully online has ascended in stature to solid respectability, as college administrators have come to believe that online courses can be more rigorous than face-to-face. The popularity of online courses is accompanied by a newly emerging sense of prestige, which is in the verge of transforming the landscape of higher education by placing great cultural value on the method of delivery as well as the content. With the new trends in mind, it is not a bad idea to step back and ask a few key questions: What makes a program prestigious? Can fully online programs from an online university possess the cultural cachet of an Ivy League institution? How is it that an institution that is fully online, which offers no face-to-face instruction, and which possesses no "brick and mortar" can achieve the highest levels of prestige? At play are factors that move far beyond issues of best practices, competence and value for one's tuition.

For full text version, please click here: Text Version