Designed to help those who are planning to produce open or flexible learning materials, particularly trainers who must work on their own with little support or encouragement. All aspects of the design and production of materials is examined, including the role of audio and video cassettes.

This text discusses the educational possibilities of new technologies, and the value of the available applications. It brings together examples of leading research projects from the Open University's Knowledge Media Institute. Each of the 14 chapters is linked to a site on the World Wide Web.

Every generation faces challenges, but never before have young people been so aware of theirs. Whether due to school strikes for climate change, civil war, or pandemic lockdowns, almost every child in the world has experienced the interruption of their schooling by outside forces. When the world we have taken for granted proves so unstable, it gives rise to the question: what is schooling for? Thrive advocates a new purpose for education, in a rapidly changing world, and analyses the reasons why change is urgently needed in our education systems. The book identifies four levels of thriving: global - our place in the planet; societal - localities, communities, economies; interpersonal - our relationships; intrapersonal - the self. Chapters provide research-based theoretical evidence for each area, followed by practical international case studies showing how individual schools are addressing these considerable challenges. Humanity's challenges are shifting fast: schools need to be a part of the response.

The author of this text concentrates on the management and support systems needed in open and distance learning, to help the reader decide whether an open learning system is appropriate for their given situation. The book, covering what learners, tutors/mentors and managers need from an open learning system, is a practical guide giving an overview of the range of systems, moving on to decide which best suits particular needs.

The companion to The Call of the Wild + Free: styled in the lush aesthetic of the Wild + Free brand, a four-color book offering outdoor activities and essays, that parents, educators, and caregivers can use to inspire their children. Wild and Free Nature is a beautiful, four-color resource book for parents, educators, and caregivers to enjoy doing hands-on activities outside with kids. One of the core philosophies behind Wild + Free is the belief that nature is the best classroom we could ever hope for. It unlocks the imagination and inspires creativity in ways that a schoolroom never could. Being out in nature has a number of benefits. Studies show that children are more likely to interact with kids of different ages and learn to problem solve in natural settings. Being in natural settings stimulates the brain and restores cognitive function. Children who spend time in natural settings also interact better with kids of all ages and learn to solve problems more easily. They build muscle and coordination and fend off obesity. It cultivates a sense of responsibility for caring for the earth, not to mention, encourages imaginative play, curiosity, and other qualities necessary to spark a love for investigation and learning. This resource book will help equip parents and adults who work with children to get them outdoors with activities such as: Build a treehouse in the woods. Cultivate a garden plot. Make land art and nature crafts. Create a mud kitchen in the backyard. Go for a nature walk each morning. Find a secret swimming hole. Go to the creek to learn about the water cycle. Plant a garden to see what will grow in your backyard. Raise monarch caterpillars and feed them milkweed until they transform into butterflies. Set up a birdwatching station in your front window equipped with binoculars, notebooks, and bird guides. Make a wilderness fort with the fallen branches from trees. With the same lush photography as The Call of the Wild + Free, this book includes step-by-step pictures that show parents how to do the activity, and essays on the importance of nature in a child's life.

Today, e-learning and various online education applications are used in more countries and educational institutions than ever before. However, as the industry grows, so do issues of ethical concern such as plagiarism, electronic voyeurism, and licensing.""Ethical Practices and Implications in Distance Learning"" outlines a systems approach as the framework to guide all ethical perspectives in Open and Distance Learning System (ODLS). This important title provides academicians, students, and professionals with ethical insight into the world of e-learning through fascinating case studies that elucidate the issues through real-world examples.

Streamlined ID presents a focused and generalizable approach to instructional design and development - one that addresses the needs of ID novices as well as practitioners in a variety of career environments. Highlighting essentials and big ideas, this guide advocates a streamlined approach to instructional design: producing instruction that is sustainable, optimized, appropriately redundant, and targeted at continuous improvement. The book's enhanced version of the classic ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) emphasizes the iterative nature of design and the role of evaluation throughout the design/development process. It clearly lays out a systematic approach that emphasizes the use of research-based theories, while acknowledging the need to customize the process to accommodate a variety of pedagogical approaches. This thoroughly revised second edition reflects recent advances and changes in the field, adds three new chapters, updates reference charts, job aids, and tips to support practitioners working in a variety of career environments, and speaks more clearly than ever to ID novices and graduate students.

Discover practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual. The stories we read--and the conversations we have about them--help shape family traditions, create lifelong memories, and become part of our legacy. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family--it has the power to change the world. But we all know that connecting deeply with our families can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven society. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to be fully present with our children, even after they can read themselves, but it isn't always easy to do. Discover how to: Prepare your kids for academic success through reading to them Develop empathy and compassion in your kids through books Find time to read aloud in the midst of school, sports, and dinner dishes Choose books across a variety of sibling interests and ages Make reading aloud the best part of your family's day The Read-Aloud Family also offers age-appropriate book lists from infancy through adolescence. From a toddler's wonder to a teenager's resistance, you will find the inspiration you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home.

This book contains the contributions presented at the 7th international KES conference on Smart Education and e-Learning (KES SEEL-2020), which being held as a virtual conference on June 17-19, 2020. It contains fifty three high quality peer-reviewed papers that are grouped into several interconnected parts: Part 1 - Smart Education, Part 2 - Smart e-Learning, Part 3 - Smart Pedagogy, Part 4 - Smart Education: Systems and Technology, Part 5 - Smart Education: Case Studies and Research, Part 6 - Smart University Development: Organizational and Managerial Issues, Part 7 - Smart Education and Smart Universities and their Impact on Students with Disabilities, Part 8 - Mathematical Models in Smart Education and e-Learning, and Part 9 - Models of Professional Practice in Higher Education. Smart education and smart e-learning are emerging and rapidly growing areas with the potential to transform existing teaching strategies, learning environments, and educational activities and technology in the classroom. Smart education and smart e-learning focus on enabling instructors to develop new ways of achieving excellence in teaching in highly technological smart classrooms, and providing students with new opportunities to maximize their success and select the best options for their education, location and learning style, as well as the mode of content delivery. This book serves as a useful source of research data and valuable information on current research projects, best practices and case studies for faculty, scholars, Ph.D. students, administrators, and practitioners - all those who are interested in smart education and smart e-learning.

Many books will be written about the latent effects COVID-19 and the response the pandemic will have on our community. Some of the impacts were immediate and obvious, like the forced move to distance learning, and the struggles, schools and families experienced. The most important factor is that school administrators must recognize that teachers and students need more than equipment and internet access. Fast Track to Online Learning describes, in detail, how schools and school districts must adopt a process for the development of advanced curriculum. Curriculum that focuses on critical thinking and leverages the technology to work in distance- and hybrid-learning models - what the author calls Tier 4 Curriculum (T4c).

This book is a response to the loss of learning experienced by children and young people during the Covid-19 crisis. It examines the measures which were taken to fix the disruption of education and their limitations particularly in reaching marginalised groups. Drawing on data and experiences from around the world, the book examines education systems as ecosystems with interdependencies between many different components which need to be considered when change is contemplated. Chapters explore the challenges involved ensuring continuity of education for all learners in times of crisis and disruption and set out practical solutions that are relevant when preparing for natural disasters and disasters caused by humans as well as for climate change challenges and future pandemics. The focus throughout is on building the sustainability of learners' education into education systems to ensure educational continuity for all learners in times of disruption and crisis. Including tools for planning, prompts for reflection, and future possibilities to consider, Education for All in Times of Crisis will be valuable reading for school leaders, educators and policy makers.

This book examines key issues at the intersection of education and technology by addressing the question that most educators face-how do we use technology to engage students in the learning process and enhance learning? Problematizing the view that technology is the default solution to a host of problems facing education, while also recognizing that technology has an important place in a variety of education levels, the book provides readers with clear insights on technology and learning from a variety of perspectives from communication studies, education, and related disciplines. This volume is an essential read for scholars and teachers working in the area of elementary education. It will also be of interest to academics working in the area of education, postsecondary education, and learning and can be used as an ancillary text in graduate-level seminars.

* Quick takeaways to help instructors pivot quickly, especially during this uncertain time where colleges & universities pivot and experiment between a range of offerings -- from fully online to returning to campus to many variations of blended online and face-to-face instruction * Explores student-centered perspectives that help inform your teaching design * Each chapter includes "Design Connections" to help instructors translate ideas to their teaching

Focuses on the hot-button issue of STEM education and how to effectively-and equitably-stimulate student interest in STEM fields Supported by the lead author's extensive speaking schedule and media contacts Features leading-edge research and practical advice and provides appealing and accessible forms of engagement that will support a diverse range of audiences and deepen their approach to creative STEM learning Contributions from program developers, facilitators, educators, exhibit designers, and researchers

Focuses on the hot-button issue of STEM education and how to effectively-and equitably-stimulate student interest in STEM fields Supported by the lead author's extensive speaking schedule and media contacts Features leading-edge research and practical advice and provides appealing and accessible forms of engagement that will support a diverse range of audiences and deepen their approach to creative STEM learning Contributions from program developers, facilitators, educators, exhibit designers, and researchers

The Handbook of Distance Education, 4th Edition is a comprehensive compendium of research in the field of distance education. The volume is divided into four sections covering the historical and theoretical foundations of distance education, attributes of teaching and learning using technology, management and administration, and different audiences and providers. Throughout, leading scholars address future research needs and directions based on current research, established practices, and recent changes to implementation, pedagogy, and policy.

This now-classic guide to taking charge of your child's education is the number-one resource for parents and students who home-school or want to supplement. This revised edition gives access to a new supplemental website with additional resources, answers questions about home education and provides advice on practical matters.

Innovative Learning Analytics for Evaluating Instruction covers the application of a forward-thinking research methodology that uses big data to evaluate the effectiveness of online instruction. Analysis of Patterns in Time (APT) is a practical analytic approach that finds meaningful patterns in massive data sets, capturing temporal maps of students' learning journeys by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Offering conceptual and research overviews, design principles, historical examples, and more, this book demonstrates how APT can yield strong, easily generalizable empirical evidence through big data; help students succeed in their learning journeys; and document the extraordinary effectiveness of First Principles of Instruction. It is an ideal resource for faculty and professionals in instructional design, learning engineering, online learning, program evaluation, and research methods.

Serious Games in Personalized Learning investigates game-based teaching and learning at a time when learning and training systems are increasingly integrating serious games, machine-learning artificial intelligence models, and adaptive technologies. Game-based education provides rare data for measuring, assessing, and evaluating not just a game's effectiveness but the acquisition of information and knowledge that a student may gain through playing a learning game. This book synthesizes contemporary research, frameworks, and models centered on the design and delivery of serious games that truly personalize the learning experience. Scholars of educational technology, instructional design, human performance, and more will find a comprehensive guide to the history, practical implications, and data-collection potential inherent to these fast-evolving tools.

Curriculum Planning with Design Language provides a streamlined, adaptable framework for using visual design terminology to conceptualize instructional design objectives, processes, and strategies. Drawing from instructional design theory, pattern language theory, and aesthetics, these ten course and unit design principles help educators break down and clarify their broader planning tasks and concerns. Written in clear, direct prose and rich with intuitive examples, this book showcases insights leading to effective curriculum design that will speak equally to pre-service and experienced educators.

Giving your child a quality education experience for a life of happiness and purpose is possible--and it only takes four hours a day or less! We want our kids to have the best education, but less-than-ideal school environments and concern about our kids' specific needs have parents uncertain about traditional schooling. Trusted homeschool expert with 25 years of experience homeschooling her own eight children, Durenda Wilson offers a better way and promises that you already have what it takes to give your child a healthy, successful future. In The Four-Hour School Day, she unpacks the lifelong advantages of home education, both for the health of your family and your child's future. With inspiring stories about parents just like you, she demystifies homeschooling and addresses common fears like, what if I'm not qualified, how can I homeschool as a single parent, and what if I don't have enough time? Packed with encouragement and practical advice, this resource equips you with all the information you need to create a sustainable homeschooling plan customized to your child's needs. Wilson will help you to: Work with your child's interests and passions for an enjoyable learning experience Cultivate independent learning in your child so you have more time and your child develops more curiosity Navigate the different schooling stages your child will go through Find an engaged community so that you can start this adventure with all the support you need. Explore the rich and wonderful world of homeschooling because it's not only more doable than you think, but far more beneficial than you can imagine.

Digital-Age Innovation in Higher Education recounts the creation, development, and growth of an innovation unit within a major university. This single case study follows the development of the EdLab at the Gottesman Libraries of Teachers College, Columbia University, which was charged with developing new services and products at a time when digital technologies were markedly beginning to impact the sector. The major steps taken - recruiting staff in key skill areas, developing projects, collaborating across organizational lines, securing resources, delivering new services, and more - are covered in detail, illustrating the opportunities and challenges presented by innovation mandates in long-established organizations with stable operations and traditional academic values and practices.

This provocative new book will help you design and implement the most effective library user education possible--one that builds on basic library use skills through a progressively sophisticated program that is fully integrated into course curriculum at all levels, from the freshman year to graduation and beyond. By exploring major issues underlying the integration of library use skills and research methodologies into the general education curriculum, contributors raise important questions, offer creative ideas, and provide insight into the many improvements made in library instruction in the past few years. Following an introduction by Patricia Breivik, a recognized national authority on libraries and general education, contributors representing two- and four-year institutions and research universities discuss such issues as the relationship between high school and college programs, research skills instruction in a remote access environment, the use of microcomputers and end user searching programs to promote critical thinking, and the improved relationship between librarians and faculty. In addition to articles on library instruction geared towards question analysis, information generation by field, structure of published knowledge and dissemination of a discipline's literature, chapters identify cooperative efforts needed among school, public, special, academic libraries and other information agencies, computer center personnel, and online database vendors. Bibliographic instruction librarians who are active participants in planning and administering library user education programs will find this volume to be essential for building and developing stronger, more integrated programs.