The resources in our Online Education Resources section represent a selected list of resources dealing with various aspects of online education and the online environment in general. ION has been developing these resources since the mid 1990's, and they have been divided into the categories shown below. This is not a comprehensive search engine of links to online education information but rather a comprehensive collection of documents produced by ION along with some selected outside links when they are found to be exemplary to the information needed (especially in IP and Online Ed Info sections) and when the links have a low likelihood of breaking. Note that you can find even more resources (in these categories and others) in our Pointers and Clickers, Institutes, and Presentations, or you can take one of our online courses.
Type of Material:
Collection
Recommended Uses:
This resource may be used in all aspects of faculty development for online teaching and learning at all levels of higher education.
Technical Requirements:
Any browser and Adobe Reader
Identify Major Learning Goals:
The purpose of this site is to provide faculty development in emerging best practices and pedagogies in the medium online teaching and learning to public and private colleges and universities. It also aims to provide the most timely and comprehensive instruction in the continuously-evolving practices, technologies and pedagogies in teaching and learning online.
Target Student Population:
Faculty at all levels of higher education, TAs, and interested teachers in secondary education.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
A keen interest in and fundamental knowledge of online teaching and learning.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The content quality of this resource is outstanding. It presents valid and accurate concepts, models, and skills that are educationally significant for teaching online. Some examples include libraries online, successful programs, the basics of online teaching and learning, assessment online, instructional design, pedagogy and learning such as just in time teaching, communication, software and technology, web design, and intellectual property. It is complete in scope and ready for immediate use. Where appropriate, valid and accurate references, bibliographies and other supporting material, especially researched-based, are provided.
Concerns:
None
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This resource clearly articulates its purpose and goals. The user will be able to effectively achieve these goals. Compared to other resources for online teaching support and evidence-based practices, this resource is just as effective or better. The content level is appropriate for higher education instructors. The resource has visual appeal and prompts the user to go further by taking courses that are offered and lead to certificates. This resource promotes creative use beyond the site while intriguing the user intellectually. It is innovative, new, and original. The Online Teaching Activity Index is an excellent example. It is also interactive and does so effectively by supporting community interaction. It provides effective introductions, overviews and summaries when applicable. It allows for connections to community. It prompts users to adapt and experiment with ideas in their own disciplines. There is a mechanism for contacting the managers of the site for consultation/questions.
Ease of use and the range of materials covered makes this site one of the best for online course developers.
Concerns:
Some of the materials in this collection seem to be due for updating.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
This resource presents the information clearly and arranged in an orderly fashion according to the following topics: Online Education Overview, Assessment/Evaluation Topics, Instructional Design, Pedagogy and Learning, Communication, general Online Education Information (Associations and journals; Listservs and Forums), Software and Technology, Web Design (including accessibility, usability, etc.), and Intellectual Property. This information is well organized and logically ordered. The content level is appropriate for the expertise level of the intended audience of higher ed faculty, TAs, and some secondary teachers. This resource presents information in ways that are familiar to the intended audience and that would be attractive to them: tutorial, handouts, charts, guides, etc. The website is clearly designed with no distracting design elements.
Concerns:
Broken links such as those to Case Studies, the ION Blogs, and individual associations such as the American Journal of Distance Education and the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. The link to Pointers and Clickers is looped to itself and the Presentations topic is linked to the Online Teaching Activity Index. All links should probably be checked.
Creative Commons:
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