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Ten Core Principles for Designing Effective Learning Environments: Insights from Brain Research and Pedagogical Theory (pdf)

by Judith V. Boettcher

Judith V. Boettcher provides ten core learning principles that can guide technology-enhanced teaching as well as more traditional forms of instruction... Boettcher suggests ways in which online technology can help educators create learning environments that respect the individual needs of students, foster collaboration, and promote deeper, sustained levels of engagement with the course content.

What's Wrong with Copyright (pdf)

by J. Patrick McGrail and Ewa McGrail

J. Patrick McGrail and Ewa McGrail argue that copyright law has failed to keep up with the social and legal changes that have accompanied the technological developments of the last 30 years, and as a result it has become both cumbersome as well as impossible to abide by completely. After describing the ways in which copyright law challenges educators and universities, McGrail and McGrail offer some strategies for dealing with copyright in the new millenium and conclude with a call to revise copyright law in a way that acknowledges the realities of Web 2.0.

e-Learning and Action Research as Transformative Practice (pdf)

by Margaret Farren

As a reflective practitioner of higher education, Margaret Farren seeks to contribute to a knowledge base of professional practice by using a "living educational theory" form of action research in her approach to teaching and learning... Farren demonstrates how an action-research approach to pedagogy that includes a commitment to both a "web of betweenness" and "living educational theory" can provide opportunities for educators to inquire into their educational influences, establish living standards of judgment, and take responsibility for their own learning. [text from http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=543]

What is "significant learning"? (pdf)

by L. Dee Fink
[also can be accessed at http://www.ou.edu/pii/significant/WHAT%20IS.pdf]

An overview of "significant learning." [See below for information on Dr. Fink's book related to this topic.]

Creating Significant Learning Experiences (pdf) - Chapter 1 of the book

by L. Dee Fink

In his book Creating Significant Learning Experiences, Dr. Fink poses a fundamental question for all teachers: "How can I create courses that will provide significant learning experiences for my students?" In the process of addressing this question, he urges teachers to shift from a content-centered approach to a learning-centered approach that asks "What kinds of learning will be significant for students, and how can I create a course that will result in that kind of learning?"

Fink provides several conceptual and procedural tools that will be invaluable for all teachers when designing instruction. He takes important existing ideas in the literature on college teaching (active learning, educative assessment), adds some new ideas (a taxonomy of significant learning, the concept of a teaching strategy), and shows how to systematically combine these in a way that results in powerful learning experiences for students. Acquiring a deeper understanding of the design process will empower teachers to creatively design courses for significant learning in a variety of situations. [text from http://www.bgsu.edu/ctl/page23573.html]

Online Courses and How They Change the Nature of Class (pdf)

by Scott Reid

This paper presents findings related to how the nature of class changes when asynchronous online courses are used rather than classrooms. The qualitative study involved interviews with 32 university professors who have taught both in?class and online courses. The findings provide insight into how when the medium of teaching changes, there is also significant change in the composition and indeed the very nature of class. Such change occurs as the students attracted have more work experience and groups such as those living in rural areas, older students with work experience or those living outside the province are more likely to be included in the composition of class. Also, the medium itself changed the dynamics of class interactions, not only those between students and professor, but also the interaction between students themselves. [March 09]