With the ever-increasing usage of distance learning programs in academia, the need for well-designed automated systems has become vital to the success of open and distance education. Practical solutions should be discovered and disseminated to meet the software needs of instructors, academic researchers, and software engineers.System and Technology Advancements in Distance Learning meets this need, outlining computational methods, algorithms, implemented prototype systems, and applications of open and distance learning. It is targeted toward academic researchers and engineers who work with distance learning programs and software systems, as well as general participants of distance education.

The academic profession faces new challenges everywhere. The pressures of mass higher education, accountability, fiscal constraints, distance education and the new technologies, and changing attitudes concerning academic work have combined to place unprecedented strains on the professoriate. This book brings together some of the best analysts of the academic profession in a wide ranging comparative analysis of the changing academic workplace. The stress here is on middle income and developing countries, but the issues discussed are relevant everywhere. This book, precisely because of its comparative and international perspective, is useful worldwide. Among the topics considered in the case study chapters are: the changing demographics of the academic profession, including the role of gender in the professoriate, new developments in academic appointments, including the terms of academic work, evaluation of professors, and the tenure system, external pressures on the academic profession, including demands for accountability and threats to academic freedom, the changing nature of academic work, including patterns of teaching and evaluation of students and increases in teaching responsibilities, the role of research in a changing academic environment, the impact of the new technologies and distance education, and future prospects for the professoriate.

As society continues to experience increases in technological innovations, various industries must rapidly adapt and learn to incorporate these advances. When utilized effectively, the use of computer systems in educational settings creates a richer learning environment for students. The Handbook of Research on 3-D Virtual Environments and Hypermedia for Ubiquitous Learning is a critical reference source for the latest research on the application of virtual reality in educational environments and how the immersion into three-dimensional settings enhances student motivation and interaction. Exploring innovative techniques and emerging trends in virtual learning and hypermedia, this book is ideally designed for researchers, developers, upper-level students, and educators interested in the incorporation of immersive technologies in the learning process.

Many of the titles on active/experiential learning concepts are focused on the K-12 setting. They are often how-to books, rather than theory-based. Learning-in-Community extends Kolb's experiential learning theory to community-based projects. It takes a conceptually-grounded approach to active learning through technology-based projects. The book traces the conceptual and operational development of learning-in-community over the decade that we have used it in our teaching. It concludes by outlining a logical next step in efforts to democratize technology: social activism. Training the new ICT professional at a time of significant inequality in access to ICTs would be seriously inadequate if it ignored social responsibility.
This book is intended for faculty of undergraduate and graduate-level courses in information technology, business and management.

As the electronic era blurs the boundaries between conventional and distance education and between remote and in-person library users, the literature on library issues and distance learning has proliferated immensely. This work helps you keep abreast of the phenomenal changes taking place in the field of education and the issues they raise for libraries. Identifying and describing more than 750 works published since its precursor was completed in 1995, the book provides a comprehensive record of the current literature about distance and open learning in post-secondary education programs. The authors cover all types of materials from around the world, ranging from brief news items to major research reports and dissertations. In this edition, special emphasis is given to web-based distance education. Access is provided through four indexes-author, geographical, institution, and subject-and indexes are cumulative from the previous two bibliographies.

Today, the online sphere is no longer just an information repository or a place to search for resources. It has become instead a place supporting both intentional and non-intentional learning. Intentional, formal learning, often leads to certification, whereas informal learning is unstructured and takes place as part of daily work-related or leisure activities.Cases on Formal and Informal E-Learning Environments: Opportunities and Practices brings together cases outlining the practical aspect of formal, non-formal, and informal online learning. This book introduces conceptual aspects of these types of learning, knowledge-base, new learning paradigms, policy implications, evaluation and concerns, design, and development of online learning.

Technology has defined and continues to redefine education, particularly in the realm of distance education where tools for virtual collaboration are critical to successful teaching and learning. Technologies Shaping Instruction and Distance Education: New Studies and Utilizations offers insight into evolving methodologies and tools impacting education in the 21st century. Investigations of topics such as Web-based forums, multimedia tools and mobile e-learning benefit students, educators, and researchers who develop and use new pedagogical technologies and techniques.

As technology advances, so must our education system. Cloud computing serves as an ideal method for e-learning thanks to its flexibility, affordability, and availability. Cloud-based learning is especially dynamic in STEM education, as it can significantly lower the cost of building cumbersome computer labs while fostering engaged learning and collaboration among students. The Handbook of Research on Cloud-Based STEM Education for Improved Learning Outcomes prepares current and future instructors for exciting breakthroughs in STEM education driven by the advancement of cloud technologies. From virtual lab and app construction, to information sharing and course material distribution, this volume touches on a variety of topics related to the benefits and challenges of adopting cloud technologies in the classroom. This book is an invaluable reference for educators, technology professionals, administrators, and education students who wish to become leaders in their fields.

Formation of Character is the fifth volume of Charlotte Mason's Homeschooling series. The chapters stand alone and are valuable to parents of children of all ages. Part I includes case studies of children (and adults) who cured themselves of bad habits. Part II is a series of reflections on subjects including both schooling and vacations (or "stay-cations" as we now call them). Part III covers various aspects of home schooling, with a special section detailing the things that Charlotte Mason thought were important to teach to girls in particular. Part IV consists of examples of how education affected outcome of character in famous writers of her day. Charlotte Mason was a late nineteenth-century British educator whose ideas were far ahead of her time. She believed that children are born persons worthy of respect, rather than blank slates, and that it was better to feed their growing minds with living literature and vital ideas and knowledge, rather than dry facts and knowledge filtered and pre-digested by the teacher. Her method of education, still used by some private schools and many homeschooling families, is gentle and flexible, especially with younger children, and includes first-hand exposure to great and noble ideas through books in each school subject, conveying wonder and arousing curiosity, and through reflection upon great art, music, and poetry; nature observation as the primary means of early science teaching; use of manipulatives and real-life application to understand mathematical concepts and learning to reason, rather than rote memorization and working endless sums; and an emphasis on character and on cultivating and maintaining good personal habits. Schooling is teacher-directed, not child-led, but school time should be short enough to allow students free time to play and to pursue their own worthy interests such as handicrafts. Traditional Charlotte Mason schooling is firmly based on Christianity, although the method is also used successfully by secular families and families of other religions.

Advocates have positioned service-learning as a real-world, real-time opportunity for students to encounter academic knowledge in a meaningful and relevant manner. Service-learning in higher education settings offers a powerful alternative to traditional models of teaching and learning. Students are encouraged to develop links to local institutions, volunteer their time, and create a special bond between the university and the community in which they live. Service-learning has become a very popular alternative to standard courses in higher education and is gaining significant popularity. This book takes a serious look at the unintended consequences and alternative conceptualizations of this mode of learning and explores what it could offer us in the future.

Education plays a vital role in the positive development of communities at both a local and global level. By becoming more informed, citizens can make better contributions to society. Open and Distance Learning Initiatives for Sustainable Development is a critical reference source for emerging academic perspectives on the role of higher education programs in contemporary society. Including a range of pertinent topics such as mobile learning, environmental education, and community building, this book is ideally designed for educators, researchers, students, and professionals interested in the intersection between sustainable development and education.

A volume in Perspectives in Instructional Technology and Distance Education Series Editors: Charles Schlosser and Michael Simonson Nova Southeastern University Real-Life Distance Education: Case Studies in Practice documents and discusses the experiences of those who have implemented distance learning as a solution to "real-life" problems and provides guidance to assist readers in their understanding and analysis of distance learning. This approach allows readers to develop analytic and problem solving skills. The variety of different situations within the individual case studies allows readers to apply their knowledge to new and unique situations and to explore solutions to complex issues. The book is useful as a primary or supplementary text in programs of educational technology, instructional design, learning sciences, human resource development, curriculum & instruction, media & technology or higher education.

Education has been progressing at a rapid pace ever since educators have been able to harness the power of mobile technology. Open-access learning techniques provide more students with the opportunity to engage in educational opportunities that may have been previously restricted. Empowering Learners with Mobile Open-Access Learning Initiatives is an authoritative reference source that offers an engaging look at how mobile technologies are aiding educators in providing new, innovative ways to enhance student learning experiences. Featuring relevant topics such as switch access technology, digital portfolios, dual enrollment students, and place conscious education, this is a reliable resource for academicians, educators, students, and practitioners that are interested in studying recent mobile education advancements.

Over the last decade, the field of distance education (and e-learning) has substantially strengthened and assumed a more international scope. There has been an impressive growth in the conceptual, empirical and experiential foundations of the field. Trends and Issues in Distance Education: International Perspectives (2nd Ed) captures a representative snapshot of the breadth of current global trends and issues in distance education theory, research, and practice. Through 21 chapters (from over 30 international authors), the book documents new developments in distance education scholarship and practice, presenting a diverse set of viewpoints on the trends and issues affecting this increasingly central discipline. The book is for researchers, practitioners, and students. Chapters speak to the many creative ways in which distance education addresses learning and human development needs around the world. They focus on distance education in dissimilar settings that extend beyond the limitations of the dominating paradigms of the highly developed economies. Contributing authors touch upon conceptual as well as practical issues. They critically reflect on both large- and small-scale distance education initiatives, discussing the use of everything from the most advanced technologies (e.g., 3-D computing) to the most rudimentary technologies (e.g., wind-up radios).

To some in academia, Massive Open Online Courses are a paradigm shift in online education, while others perceive them as a threat to traditional styles of pedagogy. In this regard, the time-honored model of the university lecture is seen as being a potential casualty of the rise of MOOCs. Macro-Level Learning through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): Strategies and Predictions for the Future provides insight into the emerging phenomenon of MOOCs as a design manual for the course designer with a collection of chapters that deal with all facets of the MOOC debate. Industry training developers, corporate trainers, educators, post graduate students, and others will benefit from the information provided in this book.

Hardbound. Telematics in Education provides readers with an exciting examination of the use of computer based communication technologies within education. Discussion ranges from whether new forms of teaching and learning involving telematics can replace existing methods, to how far collaborative learning can take place through telematics.The authors consider the possible implications for psychological and organisational issues in education and how an increased use of telematics could radically alter the relationship between education and society.

This book will be a practical guide to developing and implementing online courses. It is based on a model now in use at Paris Junior College in Paris, TX which has often resulted in retention rates of over 90%. It will be a comprehensive practitioner's guide including information on retention and multimedia support. This book will be a guide to anyone who may wish to teach online in any subject area at any level. The book provides actual examples of problems and solutions concerning online courses and also includes examples of supporting documents. Through a supporting Web site, the book will include actual examples of multimedia support now in use The book might also be used in graduate classes as a curriculum development guide. Readers would use the book as a guide as they actually create online courses. This would take most of the guess work out of course creation and provide a solid foundation for distance learning programs. The book provides a simple yet effective approach to online learning. It uses a model that has been proven to be effective with retention rates to support the contention. It provides information on a retention study and multimedia support as well, two areas that have not been addressed very often to this point.

Two maths coaches who have spearheaded the transition to remote learning in their district have distilled their experience of what works into a guide for teaching maths from a distance. Filled with ready-to-use strategies, this QRG in the new set of Strategies for Distance Learning Guides is organised by 4 priorities: mathematical identity growth mindset reasoning and problem-solving engaging activities Samantha Bennet and Alaina Barkley show how to incorporate routines into online learning that support these priorities, from connecting with students, to supporting their learning with games and problem-solving tasks, to assessing their work. Each 8.5" x 11" multi-panel guide is laminated for extra durability and 3-hole-punched for binder storage.

Ourselves, the fourth volume of Charlotte Mason's Classic Homeschooling Series, is a character curriculum book written directly to children. Book I, Self-Knowledge, is for elementary school students; Book II, Self-Direction, is for older students. Self-Knowledge discusses our human desires and appetites; the "helpers" in our minds, such as intellect, sense of beauty, imagination, and reason; the ways in which we feel and express love for others, including sympathy, kindness, generosity, gratitude, courage, loyalty, and humilty; and truth, justice, and integrity; and ends by encourages children to develop the habit of being useful. Self-Direction is an in-depth discussion of the conscience and virtues such as temperance, chastity, fortitude, and prudence; the will and self-control; and the soul and its capacities, such as prayer, thanksgiving, faith, and praise. Charlotte Mason was a late nineteenth-century British educator whose ideas were far ahead of her time. She believed that children are born persons worthy of respect, rather than blank slates, and that it was better to feed their growing minds with living literature and vital ideas and knowledge, rather than dry facts and knowledge filtered and pre-digested by the teacher. Her method of education, still used by some private schools and many homeschooling families, is gentle and flexible, especially with younger children, and includes first-hand exposure to great and noble ideas through books in each school subject, conveying wonder and arousing curiosity, and through reflection upon great art, music, and poetry; nature observation as the primary means of early science teaching; use of manipulatives and real-life application to understand mathematical concepts and learning to reason, rather than rote memorization and working endless sums; and an emphasis on character and on cultivating and maintaining good personal habits. Schooling is teacher-directed, not child-led, but school time should be short enough to allow students free time to play and to pursue their own worthy interests such as handicrafts. Traditional Charlotte Mason schooling is firmly based on Christianity, although the method is also used successfully by secular families and families of other religions.