EDUCAUSE | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses; Articles, Papers, and Reports; and Community College

Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning

ckeller — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:03:37 -0500

Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning represents the fifth annual report on the state of online learning in U.S. higher education. This year’s study, like those for the previous four years, is aimed at answering some of the fundamental questions about the nature and extent of online education. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and based on responses from more than 2,500 colleges and universities, the study addresses the following key questions:

How Many Students are Learning Online?
Where has the Growth in Online Learning Occurred?
Why do Institutions Provide Online Offerings?
What are the Prospects for Future Online Enrollment Growth?
What are the Barriers to Widespread Adoption of Online Education?

Using Asynchronous Learning in Redesign: Reaching and Retaining the At-Risk Student

drupal — Wed, 03 Mar 2004 13:08:28 -0600

Many students who begin postsecondary education drop out before completing a degree. According to the Lumina Foundation, an estimated 60 percent of students at public institutions fail to complete degrees within five years, and half of these students leave during the freshman year. As shown by research by the Policy Center on the First Year of College at Brevard College (NC) and others, the first year of college is the most critical to a college student's success and to degree completion. Successful completion of introductory courses is critical for first-year students, but typical failure rates in these courses contribute heavily to overall institutional drop-out rates between the first and second year. Although success rates vary by institutional type and by subject matter, Research I universities commonly cite a 15 percent drop-failure-withdrawal (DFW) rate in introductory courses. Comprehensive universities' DFW rates range from 22 percent to 45 percent in these courses. Community colleges frequently experience DFW rates of 40 percent to 50 percent or more.Most of the weaknesses attributed to large introductory courses are generic in nature and have as their source the limitations of the predominant form of instruction in U.S. colleges and universities: the didactic lecture. An overwhelming body of research shows that students do not learn effectively from lectures, and testimony from the field corroborates the literature.

An Organizational Model for Instructional Support at a Community College

drupal — Wed, 15 Oct 2003 16:56:40 -0500

The Instructional and Information Support Services (IISS) division at North Seattle (Wash.) Community College brings together the college's Library, Media Services, and Distance Learning (DL) units, and the Teaching and Learning Center to support instruction campus-wide under a dean with a required MLS. With its active instructional focus, the Library is integral to the division. IISS is also the administrative home of Interdisciplinary Studies. This organizational model promotes interaction, collaboration, and innovation among disparate units that have the same overall goal of fostering teaching excellence and student success. A connection to Internet II and a campus gigabit backbone make possible a variety of advanced technological options to enhance instruction.

Most Community Colleges Switch to '.edu' Addresses

drupal — Fri, 18 Oct 2002 09:24:15 -0500

In the year since community colleges have formally been permitted to obtain ".edu" Internet addresses, over half of the 1,171 two year institutions have done so.

Aha! Making the Connection Between the Internet and Learning

drupal — Fri, 24 Mar 2000 10:25:24 -0600

It is clear that the Internet has amazing potential as a learning tool when used well. This article gives examples of how institutions of higher education are using this technology to help students make connections with content, context, and community.

Community Colleges Bridging the Digital Divide

drupal — Fri, 24 Mar 2000 10:20:01 -0600

Alarming research shows that a significant number of low-income and minority students do not have access to computers or the Web at home or in school. This article offers recommendations to help community colleges bridge the "digital divide" and ensure that their students acquire the tools they will need in order to survive in today's ever-changing digital economy.