Online distance education and training is being adopted throughout the world as a cost-effective, flexible answer to widening access for all. This enthusiasm has led to many initiatives and policies from governments to encourage online learning at international, national, regional and institutional levels. Also, changes in distance learning continue to take place as a result of educational discourse and innovations in ICT. Distance learning courses are therefore under pressure to reform, and successful management of external policy planning and internal change management is key to the implementation and maintenance of reforms. World-class leaders, researchers and practitioners share their experiences, research and critical reflection in this book, providing guidance on how to balance quality management with quality learning. Subjects covered include policy and planning, institutional management, management of processes, quality assurance and accreditation, and internationalization. This book will aid anyone involved in running or wanting to implement distance education to effectively manage an online learning programme.

Recognition of the link between vocational education and economics and social development is resulting in a wide range of educational and training strategies within individual nation states and supranational bodies like the European Community. This book brings together 12 case studies which illustrate the expansion strategies used by successful distance learning programmes to respond to the increasing demand for more flexibility and alternative delivery modes of vocational education. Each case illustrates different implications of expanding distance learning systems as they affect corporate strategies and structures, planning, training design, marketing and delivery systems, as well as cost-effectiveness and the strategies for managing change.

This book is unique in that its stress is not on the mastery of a programming language, but on the importance and value of interactive problem solving. The authors focus on several specific interest worlds: mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and games; however, their approach can serve as a model that may be applied easily to other fields as well. Those who are interested in symbolic computing will find that Interactive Problem Solving Using LOGO provides a gentle introduction from which one may move on to other, more advanced computational frameworks or more formal analysis. What is of primary importance, however, is the text's ability -- through its presentation of rich, open-ended problems -- to effectively cultivate crucial cognitive skills.

Don't train your teachers in instructional technology without reading this resource-packed book from Sarah T. Meltzer. Meltzer presents easy-to-follow guidelines for bringing about effective professional development in technology from start to finish. She takes you step-by-step through the process of planning, implementing, and managing professional development opportunities. The book is also filled with handy, practical tools and resources, such as pre-planning worksheets needs assessment surveys long- and short-term technology plans technology inventory forms training schedule templates and more Meltzer provides filled-out examples of those forms, so you can see how to complete them. She also offers blank versions for your own use. In addition, each chapter concludes with a checklist to help you keep track of the steps you take as you make professional development in technology a reality-and a success-in your school or district.

Selected as one of the outstanding instructional development books in 1989 by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, this volume presents research in instructional design theory as it applies to microcomputer courseware. It includes recommendations -- made by a distinguished group of instructional designers -- for creating courseware to suit the interactive nature of today's technology. Principles of instructional design are offered as a solid base from which to develop more effective programs for this new method of teaching -- and learning.

With the boundaries of place softened and extended by digital communications technologies, learning in a networked society necessitates new distributions of activity across time, space, media, and people; and this development is no longer exclusive to formally designated spaces such as school classrooms, lecture halls, or research laboratories. Place-based Spaces for Networked Learning explores how qualities of physical places make both formal and informal education in a networked society possible. Through a series of investigations and case studies, it illuminates the structural composition and functioning of complex learning environments. This book offers a wealth of key design elements and attributes for productive learning that educational designers can reuse in multiple contexts. The chapters examine how places are modified, expanded, or supplemented by networking technologies and practices in order to create spaces in which learners can collaboratively develop new understandings, connections, and capabilities. Utilizing a range of diverse but complementary perspectives from anthropology, archaeology, architecture, geography, psychology, sociology, and urban studies, Place-based Spaces for Networked Learning addresses how material places and digital spaces are understood; how sense can be made of new assemblages and configurations of tasks, tools, and people; how the real-time analysis of new flows of data can inform and entertain users of a space; and how access to the digital realm changes our experiences with both places and other people.

Homeschool with confidence with help from this book Curious about homeschooling? Ready to jump in? Homeschooling For Dummies, 2nd Edition provides parents with a thorough overview of why and how to homeschool. One of the fastest growing trends in American education, homeschooling has risen by more than 61% over the last decade. This book is packed with practical advice and straightforward guidance for rocking the homeschooling game. From setting up an education space, selecting a curriculum, and creating a daily schedule to connecting with other homeschoolers in your community Homeschooling For Dummies has you covered. Homeschooling For Dummies, 2nd Edition is packed with everything you need to create the homeschool experience you want for your family, including: Deciding if homeschooling is right for you Developing curricula for different grade levels and abilities Organizing and allocating finances Creating and/or joining a homeschooling community Encouraging socialization Special concerns for children with unique needs Perfect for any current or aspiring homeschoolers, Homeschooling For Dummies, 2nd Edition belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with even a passing interest in homeschooling as an alternative to or supplement for traditional education.

First Published in 1987. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Socializing the Classroom: Social Networks and Online Learning, by Susan B. Barnes, examines how social media can be used in education through two research grants and real-world applications. Barnes analyzes social media including Facebook, Courseware, and Second Life, while providing a theoretical foundation for examining social software. A new generation of students is surrounded by digital technologies, leading scholars and teachers to consider virtual worlds to engage students. By bringing together human-computer-interaction theories with social theory, Socializing the Classroom creates a theoretical foundation for future research in the area of social media, online learning technologies, and the development of social networks. Readers will gain a better understanding of how students use online learning environments to communicate task-oriented messages and maintain social interactions. This is an essential text for scholars, students, and those interested in social networks and the implementation of technology in education.

The widespread academic study of educational technology blossomed in the years following the development of the microprocessor. Of course, that is not to say that education was technology-free before the 1970s: the telephone, wireless radio, cinema, television, and mainframe computers had all in their time been heralded as educational marvels. But the scale of change, and the academic practices that responded to it, became of an entirely different order with the arrival of personal computers, promising as they did access for ordinary people to cheaper, faster, and smarter benefits of science and technology. From that historic moment onwards, it was increasingly common to hear educationalists, computer experts, journalists, and politicians proclaiming that these new technologies would transform the world of education, for better or for worse. In the midst of this excitement (and, often, hype), Education and Technology researchers have, via empirical investigation and the development of novel or revised theoretical perspectives, explored the impact of new technologies on learning, pedagogy, design, policy, and the future of educational institutions. Psychology, Computer Science, Sociology, Pedagogical Studies, Communications, and Economics have all contributed to the domain, and connections have begun to be made to create a coherent body of thought and practice. But, while Education and Technology has stimulated a tremendous amount of published material, much of that work has been contaminated by political and commercial interests. Indeed, the dizzying quantity (and variable quality) of much research makes it difficult to discriminate the useful from the tendentious, superficial, and otiose. Now, as part of Routledge's Major Themes in Education series, the editors of this new collection, two leading scholars from the University of Oxford's Department of Education and the University's Internet Institute, have undertaken the task of determining and bringing together in a one-stop resource the major works in Education and Technology. With a full index, and thoughtful introductions, newly written by the editors, Education and Technology will be valued by scholars, students, and policy-makers as a vital and enduring resource.

Best Practices in Engaging Online Learners Through Active and Experiential Learning Strategies, Second Edition, is a practical guide for all instructors, instructional designers, and online learning administrators designing, developing, teaching, and leading online, hybrid and blended learning courses and programs, who seek to provide supportive, engaging, and interactive learner experiences. This book explores the integration of active and experiential learning approaches and activities including simulations, gamification, social media integration, project-based learning, scenario-based learning, virtual tours, and online micro-credentialing as they relate to the development of authentic skill-building, communication, problem-solving, and critical-thinking in learners. New and emerging learning technologies of virtual and augmented reality along with artificial intelligence are included in this updated edition with examples of how instructors can actively use them in online courses to engage learners in experiential experiences. Readers will find guidelines for the development of participatory and peer-learning, competency-based learning, field-based experiences, clinical experiences, and service-learning opportunities in the online classroom. In addition, the authors provide effective learning strategies, discipline-specific examples, templates, and additional resources that align learner engagement with assessment practices and course outcomes.

This edited collection focuses on the early development, gradual evolution, and present status of distance learning and online education in the social work profession. Relevant for social work students and educators in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs, this book is an authoritative statement authored by widely recognized educators on the cutting edge of technological innovation. In addressing the future of web-based social work education, the collection demonstrates the power of distance learning and online technology. The chapters cover a comprehensive range of topics, including organizational and administrative aspects, teaching and practice, recent research and the challenge of creating intimacy and interaction. The volume provides a valuable set of insights into how distance learning and online education are transforming how social work is increasingly being taught today, and will surely be offered in the future. This book was originally published in the Journal of Teaching in Social Work.

Practice beginning reader skills with your little one while reading eight favorite Bible stories with The Beginner's Bible Read Through the Bible. Combining the trusted The Beginner's Bible, which has sold over 25 million products since 1989, with the proven I Can Read format, this My First I Can Read collection combines basic language, word repetition, and great illustrations-and is perfect for shared reading with a child. The Beginner's Bible Read Through the Bible is perfect for: Beginning readers ages 4 and up at the My First reading level Fans of the iconic The Beginner's Bible Back to school, summer reading, homeschoolers, Sunday school classrooms Teaching Bible stories in an accessible format while practicing early reading skills The Beginner's Bible Read Through the Bible features: God Makes the World, Noah and the Great Big Ark, David and the Giant, Esther Saves Her People, Daniel and the Lions' Den, Jonah and the Giant Fish, Jesus Is Born, and Jesus Saves the World Exciting 3-D artwork Hardcover format for longer lasting durability and value-priced at $16.99

Blended learning, which combines the strength of face-to-face and technology-enhanced learning, is increasingly being seen as one of the most important vehicles for education reform today. Blended learning allows both teacher and learner access to radically increased possibilities for understanding how we transmit and receive information, how we interact with others in educational settings, how we build knowledge, and how we assess what we have taught or learned. Blended Learning: Research Perspectives, Volume 2 provides readers with the most current, in-depth collection of research perspectives on this vital subject, addressing institutional issues, design and adoption issues, and learning issues, as well as an informed meditation on future trends and research in the field. As governments, foundations, schools, and colleges move forward with plans and investments for vast increases in blended learning environments, a new examination of the existing research on the topic is essential reading for all those involved in this educational transformation.

This book provides contemporary insights into learning outcomes arising from the use of learning platforms by pupils, students and teachers in schools. Most current research focuses on the implementation of learning platforms, and the ways in which practices are developing over time, or in specific contexts. This collection offers a range of contrasting but complementary perspectives in this area, including an exploration of applications supporting management of learning across primary and secondary schools in the UK, an in-depth case study of uses and outcomes in a school in Singapore, an analysis of learning outcomes arising across primary, special and secondary schools in one local authority in the UK, and a look at student preferences for using a learning platform in a school in Taiwan. The volume sheds important light on the subject, but with the ever changing development and introduction of learning platforms, much remains to be explored. Indeed, it is likely that learning platforms will evolve further with affordances and integrated features being added over the next five and more years. This work hints at future practices and their potential outcomes, pointing to the need for greater detail being gathered through future research studies, in order to understand ways teachers and learners might most effectively benefit from more holistic or 'blended' approaches across the applications provided. This book will not only be of particular interest to those involved in using learning platforms, but also to those advising on, and developing, learning platforms. Key lessons and issues are of relevance to policy makers, school managers and teachers, educational advisers, researchers and developers. This book was originally published as a special issue of Learning, Media and Technology.

Out-of-school learning spans varied formal and informal contexts and is hugely important for the lives of children. The need for time, flexibility, and agility in research within this field is highlighted throughout this multi-disciplinary edited volume, as each author reflects on how to make sense of the unknown and varied contexts in which out-of-school learning takes place. A range of different case studies discuss research methods used, challenges faced, and ways challenges were overcome in relation to out-of-school learning are presented, followed by a series of critical reflections. The case studies include a range of research foci and methods, from large-scale quantitative secondary data analysis, through interviews and workshops, to ethnographic and participatory methods. A series of shorter reflections drawing on all case studies consider the negotiation of the researcher role, building relationships, the ways knowledge is constructed, the role of place and power, keeping hold of messiness and complexity, ethical practice; and 'slow research'. The principles outlined in this volume are relevant for all research on learning, whenever and wherever it takes place - whether in school or out-of-school.

The notion of a flipped classroom draws on such concepts as active learning, student engagement, hybrid course design, and course podcasting. The value of a flipped class is in the repurposing of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities. The Handbook of Research on Active Learning and the Flipped Classroom Model in the Digital Age highlights current research on the latest trends in education with an emphasis on the technologies being used to meet learning objectives. Focusing on teaching strategies, learner engagement, student interaction, and digital tools for learning, this handbook of research is an essential resource for current and future educators, instructional designers, IT specialists, school administrators, and researchers in the field of education.

More Urban Myths About Learning and Education: Challenging Eduquacks, Extraordinary Claims, and Alternative Facts examines common beliefs about education and learning that are not supported by scientific evidence before using research to reveal the truth about each topic. The book comprises sections on educational approaches, curriculum, educational psychology, and educational policy, concluding with a critical look at evidence-based education itself. Does playing chess improve intelligence? Should tablets and keyboards replace handwriting? Is there any truth to the 10,000-hour rule for expertise? In an engaging, conversational style, authors Pedro De Bruyckere, Paul A. Kirschner, and Casper Hulshof tackle a set of pervasive myths, effectively separating fact from fiction in learning and education.

M. David Merrill has been active in the field of instructional technology for almost 40 years. His contributions range from basic instructional principles and instructional design theory to development and implementation of learning environments. Innovations in Instructional Technology is a collection of original essays written by leading scholars and practitioners who have worked with and been inspired by Professor Merrill. The chapters in this book represent a sampling of key innovations in the instructional technology field and include knowledge of how people learn, how people solve problems, how designers conceptualize learning spaces, how teachers implement learning activities, and how evaluators assess outcomes. This volume is divided into five basic areas of research in instructional technology, mirroring the diverse contributions of Dr. Merrill's work: *four chapters on learning objects and the notion of reusable components; *three chapters that discuss fundamental aspects of learning and the design of instruction; *three chapters that address innovations in the area of assessment, evaluation, and model validation; *three chapters that concern theories of learning and instruction; and *three chapters on instructional design practice. The book concludes with a chapter outlining Dr. Merrill's responses to challenges, comments, and questions on the future of the field--ranging from the notion of initial passions with regard to instructional technology to connections between theory and practice to questions of conscience--from an expert panel comprised of many of the contributors to the book. As Dave Merrill's work will continue to be required reading for students of instructional technology, Innovations in Instructional Technology is a book that will appeal to students, researchers, and practitioners in the field.

Although internet technologies have transformed the concept of professional development by providing the opportunity for virtual learning environments in a non-traditional setting, the implementation of professional distance education programmes still poses a challenge. Cases on Professional Distance Education Degree Programs and Practices: Successes, Challenges, and Issues examines the best practices for executing technology applications and the utilisation of distance education techniques. This publication will serve as a reference for academics and instructors coordinating distance education programmes, initiating distance education courses, and implementing such programmes for those earning professional degrees.

Critical Mobile Pedagogy is an exploration of mobile technologies for designing and delivering equitable and empowering education around the globe. Synthesizing a diverse range of projects and conceptual frameworks, this case-based collection addresses the ambitions, assumptions, and impacts of interventions in under-researched, often disadvantaged communities. The editors and authors provide a nuanced and culturally responsive approach to showcasing: indigenous, nomadic, refugee, rural, and other marginalized communities emerging pedagogies such as curation, open resources, massive open online courses (MOOCs), and self-directed learning contextual factors, including pedagogy, ethics, scaling, research methodology and culture, and consequences of innocuous or harmful implementation and deployment the nature of participation by global capital, multinationals, education systems, international agencies, national governments, and telecoms companies. Scholars, academics, policymakers, and program managers are increasingly using mobile technologies to support disadvantaged or disempowered communities in learning more effectively and appropriately. This book's diverse research precedents will help these and other stakeholders meet the challenges and opportunities of our complex, increasingly connected world and work with greater cultural and ethical sensitivity at the intersection of education, research, and technology.

This innovative text, built on the foundations of Watson's Caring Science, demonstrates how nursing professionals can develop virtual relationships that encompass caring and understanding in professional, teaching/learning, and everyday cyber communications. It describes how caring and love can transcend distance, space, and time in our increasingly 'virtual"" world in order to preserve the basic fabric of humanity as we physically interact less and electronically interact more. Straightforward and concise, the text offers specific practices for teachers, students, and professionals that support caring in a digital world along with practical examples that enable readers to envision ways to create their own caring online presence.

Design for Learning in Virtual Worlds, the first book focused specifically on how to design virtual worlds for educational purposes, explores: * the history and evolution of virtual worlds * the theories behind the use of virtual worlds for learning * the design of curricula in virtual worlds * design guidelines for elements experienced in virtual worlds that support learning * design guidelines for learning quests and activities in virtual worlds. The authors also examine the theories and associated design principles used to create embedded assessments in virtual worlds. Finally, a framework and methodology is provided to assist professionals in evaluating "off-the-shelf" virtual worlds for use in educational and training settings. Design for Learning in Virtual Worlds will be invaluable both as a professional resource and as a textbook for courses within Educational Technology, Learning Sciences, and Library Media programs that focus on gaming or online learning environments.