The availability of large-scale learning data presents unprecedented opportunities for investigating student learning processes. However, it is challenging for instructors to fully make sense of this data and effectively support their teaching practices. This study introduces LearningViz, an interactive learning analytics dashboard to help…

Data-driven decision making, popularized in the 1980s and 1990s, is evolving into a vastly more sophisticated concept known as big data that relies on software approaches generally referred to as analytics. Big data and analytics for instructional applications are in their infancy and will take a few years to mature, although their presence is…

With the increase in available educational data, it is expected that Learning Analytics will become a powerful means to inform and support learners, teachers and their institutions in better understanding and predicting personal learning needs and performance. However, the processes and requirements behind the beneficial application of Learning…

Discusses the use of course management systems in the context of the development of the U.S. higher education system. Course management systems automate and standardize elements of the higher education mission that have been the subject of refinement for nearly 1,000 years. (SLD)

A major change has occurred in the way Web technology is being used in society. The change is grounded in user empowerment using Web 2.0 tools and processes. Students are already sophisticated users of these tools and processes, but outside of the mainstream instructional practices in higher education. In this reflection, the educational potential…

To overcome the barriers that deny part-time adult learners the opportunity for continuing their educations, the University of Mid-America proposes the creation of a nationwide American Open University (AOU). The AOU will be an independent, accredited institution with its own board, faculty, and administration. It will have regional centers across…

This paper underlines the need for training teacher educators and developing readiness that will enable them to adapt the benefits of information technology for use in teacher education and related research. Information technology and its challenges for teacher education are examined, as far as the student is concerned, from two points of view:…

Computers have affected higher education in several ways. The content of instruction has changed to include learning about computers and problem solving with computers. The impact of computers on the method of instruction has been less significant. (JN)

The significance of innovations in educational technology is examined. Issues such as measuring effectiveness and analyzing costs and the impact of these issues on classrooms, schools, and whole systems of education are discussed. A listing of current projects, with summaries, is provided. (Author/CO)

The emergence of wide-spread interest in computer managed instruction systems brought a course in the design of software systems. The resulting course Hardware/Software Systems for Instructional Use'' is described. (Author/HB)

Course management systems (CMSs), such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, or WebCT, have become a common resource at universities, colleges, and distance learning organizations. Research into how these systems are used for learning is in an early state. Currently, this research focuses on technical features in a CMS more than research about how people…

Intended to provide educators with enough information about the educational uses of computers so that they can make responsible decisions about the usefulness of computers in their own instruction, this paper defines and describes a variety of computer uses and gives advice on the selection of appropriate computer equipment and software. The first…

This book is a collection of new works that inquire into the nature of media and technology as found and practiced in the social world of schooling. It creates a forum for investigating the social, institutional, historical, and epistemological relationships between media, education, culture, and technology. Contributions to the book include:…

This paper was written to assist institutions in understanding the costs associated with providing online courses. An accompanying Web site was created to allow users to enter data specific to their institution in order to estimate costs associated with a venture into online courses. The paper addresses: (1) background of online courses…

Helping teachers understand the relationship between the message of instructional content and the medium of instructional technology is a legitimate focus for colleges of education. Colleges of education can respond to the need for computer sophistication by creating survey courses on the uses of computers in education. (JN)