Contributed by Organizations or Campuses; Articles, Papers, and Reports; and Virtual Community
Emerging Visions for Access in the Twenty-first Century Library
| Title: | Emerging Visions for Access in the Twenty-first Century Library (ID: CSD4038) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2003) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | Abstractpub119 Emerging Visions for Access in the Twenty-first Century LibraryCONFERENCE PROCEEDINGSDOCUMENTATION ABSTRACTS, INC.INSTITUTES FOR INFORMATION SCIENCEAPRIL 21–22, 2003Presented by the Council on Library and Information Resources and the California Digital Library(8/03, 84 pp.) $20ISBN 1-932326-03-0 "Emerging Visions for Access in the Twenty-first Century Library" is the second in a series of international symposiums that are supported by a grant from Documentation Abstracts, Inc. (DAI). The institutes will address key issues in information science relating to digital libraries, economics of information, or resources for scholarship.This volume of conference proceedings is from the April 2003 symposium. Included are the following:
* Welcoming Remarks, Lawrence H. Pitts
* Reaching across Library Boundaries, Robert S. Martin
* The Personal Library: Integrating the Library in the Networking Society, Jens Thorhauge
* Libraries Empower People to Participate in a Civil Society, Gary E. Strong
* Toward Supported "Communities of Interest" in Digital Environments, Robin Stanton
* The Library and Education: Integrating Information Landscapes, Michael McRobbie
* The Open Access Movement in Scholarly Communication, Michael Eisen
* Lessons in Deep Resource Sharing from the University of California Libraries, Daniel Greenstein
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Growing Virtual Communities
| Title: | Growing Virtual Communities (ID: CSD3421) | | Author(s): | Debbie Garber (Athabasca University) | | Source: | International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | As online collaborative technologies become easier to use, an increasing range of "virtual communities" are being established, often for educational purposes. This report stresses that an efficient technology is only part of the process underlying a successful online community. It considers the social process on which an online learning community must be founded if it is to flourish and be useful. Definitions of community, learning community, and virtual learning community are reviewed, and the experience of an online community member is discussed. The importance of nurturing the community's health, and the natural life cycle of a virtual community, are examined. | | View this resource: | |
Online Learning: Social Interaction and the Creation of a Sense of Community
| Title: | Online Learning: Social Interaction and the Creation of a Sense of Community (ID: CSD3306) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | This paper centres on the sense of isolation that online study may engender among learners, a factor often ignored by many educators, but one that may make the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful online learning environment for many students. The importance of a proper appreciation of the learners' social context is stressed, as is the concept of the 'virtual self' that individual learners may choose to portray during online communication.
The authors suggest three protocols that can be built into the fabric of online courses in order that a sense of community may be enabled to exist, and productive social interaction can occur. These are (1) the greater use of synchronous communication facilities (in addition to, rather than instead of, asynchronous ones), (2) the deliberate design and inclusion of a 'forming' stage, or 'warm-up' period, incorporated as an essential component into the course structure, and (3) a much greater emphasis on the provision of (and adherence to) guidelines for successful online communication.
The paper concludes by suggesting that by creating an online sense of 'self', the participants of an online course can alleviate feelings of isolation, and create an online community that assists the learning process. | | View this resource: | |
Expected and Actual Student Use of an Online Learning Environment: A Critical Analysis
| Title: | Expected and Actual Student Use of an Online Learning Environment: A Critical Analysis (ID: CSD3186) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | While Online Learning Environments (OLEs) can potentially support learning that is more autonomous and authentic in nature than traditional instructional environments often allow, students do not always use OLEs in the ways expected or desired by their tutors. This paper examines the findings of a recent evaluation of an OLE designed for Masters-level engineering students and, drawing on relevant research, offers possible explanations for the particular ways in which the students used the environment. The paper concludes with a short set of general recommendations for practitioners. | | View this resource: | |
The Social Shaping of a Virtual Learning Environment: The Case of a University-wide Course Management System
| Title: | The Social Shaping of a Virtual Learning Environment: The Case of a University-wide Course Management System (ID: CSD3184) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | Expectations surrounding the role of e-learning need to be tempered by an awareness of the variety of technical, institutional, social and economic constraints on the innovation process. This paper reports on a case study of the introduction into a university of one of the most central e-learning initiatives in higher education, an enterprise-wide virtual learning environment. Findings identify constraints on innovation and highlight changes likely to evolve from the diffusion of such environments, which can be amplified by interrelated technical changes underway in universities. | | View this resource: | |
Learner Support Services for Online Students: Scaffolding for Success
| Title: | Learner Support Services for Online Students: Scaffolding for Success (ID: CSD2943) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2003) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | A critical component of an effective retention program for online students is a learner support services program. While many factors contribute to attrition, at the top of the list are level of interaction and support. To this end, some students in distance learning programs and courses report feelings of isolation, lack of self-direction and management, and eventual decrease in motivation levels. This article describes the types of learner support services strategies that can effectively address these retention challenges. Examples from Western Governors University (WGU) are provided to describe these strategies in action. | | View this resource: | |
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