For the purpose of this study (my D in in ABD)

Online Learning Environment (OLE) is a set of tools designed to deliver instruction and enhance a student’s learning experience. It is the perception and use of these tools by students that concerns this study. The delivery of the OLE to the student is done through the use of Internet technologies and computers. Additional devices such as MP3 audio players and other personal devices may be used to deliver instruction. The principal components of an OLE primarily include curriculum mapping (breaking curriculum into sections that can be assigned and assessed), student tracking, online support for both teacher and student, electronic communication (e-mail, threaded discussions, chat, Web publishing), and Internet links to outside curriculum resources. Within the OLE the instructor has the ability to create or modify curriculum content and track student performance. Figure 1 shows the elements of an OLE. The tools listed on the right are a sample set of possible tools that can be included in the delivery of instruction. Other factors including student and teacher expectations and course content are assumed to influence the OLE.

Tools and Environment

I have been thinking over the past week about tools and environments for online learning. In reviewing my Purpose and Problem statements on my dissertation I find the word tool in the title:

LEARNING IN ONLINE INSTRUCTION: A QUALITATIVE
STUDY OF UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS’ USE OF
ONLINE TOOLS

But in all my discussion I use things like environment and interactions. In interviews students use terms like resources, communication, challenge, and other more general descriptions.

My question is what is a learning environment if it does not include the tools in the description? and can I use the term environment to describe online learning?

Changing the title to something like:

LEARNING IN ONLINE INSTRUCTION: A QUALITATIVE
STUDY OF STUDENTS’ Perceptions and use
of Online Learning
Environments

Twitter Things for My Classes.

I have made a Twitter Feed for my classes next term. I hope that this goes well you are welcome to follow this experiment at OMIS17SCU. I will post comments on how it is working on this blog.

Twitter Things

I have been looking at all the possible things that i can do with some thing like twitter and found this site with 100 other e learning people.
http://c4lpt.co.uk/socialmedia/edutwitter.html

I think this is a must!

40 Years!

Listen to this! 40 years ago the mouse was invented. This was a great show on NPR and said the one thing that I have agreed with in much of the technology debate of the last few years. First is that technology is often used in unexpected ways or even in unintended ways. Next was the bet that things like twitter and facebook are a waist of computing power (this one I am not so sure about). Perhaps they are just a waist of time... something about snowball fights online is indeed a waist of time.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97992287

iTunes Podcast

I have been listening to a few podcasts this week and found one that I like.
E-learning Insights,education.au limited

This is one of the few that is not all about the technology but actually looks at the pedagogy. try the first one and see what you think.
Let me know your thoughts using the comment section.