Blended Learning: Tools for Teaching and Training

A book by Barbara Allan aimed primarily at librarians involved in education and training. The book has been reviewed by Brian Whalley.

New Journal on mobile and blended learning: IJMBL

International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL) – An Official Publication of the Information Resources Management Association — New in 2009

From the website: “Technology supported learning has been increasingly used across a broad spectrum of educational contexts, in many cases being integrated with more traditional forms of teaching. As new opportunities have emerged for mobile, immersive and augmented learning, freeing electronic teaching tools from the desktop, researchers have begun to explore the wide potentials of learning experiences that are integrated with both the classroom and the world outside, leveraging the boundless new possibilities that a pervasively wired and wireless society can support. The International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning aims to provide a forum for researchers in this field to share their knowledge and experience of mobile and blended learning environments”

Dave Parsons is the Editor.

Economies of scale and scope in e-learning

by David Morris. Studies in Higher Education, Volume 33, Issue 3 June 2008, pages 331 – 343.

Abstract

Economies of scale are often cited in the higher education literature as being one of the drivers for the deployment of e-learning. They are variously used to support the notions that higher education is becoming more global, that national policy towards e-learning should promote scale efficiencies, that larger institutions will be better able to compete in the future, and that there should be substantial investment in the development of e-learning materials and online courses. These claims are discussed, but it is argued that the evidence is mixed. In particular, many of the supposed benefits of economies of scale derive from the related concept of economies of scope, and an understanding of how economies of scale and scope interact is important in analysing the future development of e-learning. The article argues that economies of scope need to identified, better understood and planned for if we are to realise the potential economic benefits of e-learning. Click here for the full-text.

Facilitating E-Learning with Social Software: Attitudes and Usage from the Student’s Point of View

by Reinhard Bernsteiner, Herwig Ostermann, Roland Staudinger. International Journal of Web – Based Learning and Teaching Technologies. Hershey: Jul-Sep 2008. Vol. 3, Iss. 3; p. 16

Abstract

This article explores how social software tools can offer support for innovative learning methods and instructional design in general, and those related to self-organized learning in an academic context in particular. In the first section, the theoretical basis for the integration of wikis, discussion forums, and Weblogs in the context of learning are discussed. The second part presents the results of an empirical survey conducted by the authors and explores the usage of typical social software tools that support learning from
a student’s perspective. The article concludes that social software tools have the potential to be a fitting technology in a teaching and learning environment.

Click here to read the article in full.