E-LearningMyth-busters

Is Conventional Wisdom Wrong?

Lake Superior CollegeDuluth, Minnesota

Vital Stats• Approx. 2,200 students take at least one

online course each semester at LSC.

• 165 sections of online courses are being taught during spring semester 2008.

• 89% of all available seats are taken.

• Approx. 70 faculty members teach at least one online course per year at LSC.

3

4

ITC - North Central States

What is your experience with online education?

16%

52%

20%

12% 1. Taught an online class.2. Taken online class.3. Both 1 & 2 above.4. Neither 1 nor 2 above.

E-LearningMyth-busters

Choose the side that you think is most true – is it

mostly a reality, or mostly a myth?

Questions 1-31.E-Learning students believe that

a sense of community is important

2.Online students plagiarize more than “traditional” students

3.e-Learning enables anytime, anywhere learning

E-Learning students believe that a sense of community (in their e-learning) is important

Reality M

yth

48%

52%

1.Reality2.Myth

Online students plagiarize more than

“traditional” students

Reality M

yth

88%

12%

1.Reality2.Myth

e-Learning enables anytime,

anywhere learning

Reality M

yth

17%

83%

1.Reality2.Myth

Questions 4-54. Cheating is rampant among

online students5. Online students are less

satisfied with their college experience than F-2-F students

Cheating is rampant among online students

Reality M

yth

88%

12%

1.Reality2.Myth

Online students are less satisfied with their

college experience than F-2-F students

Reality M

yth

81%

19%

1.Reality2.Myth

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

Importance Scale - PSOL

Plagiarism

Anyone can learn anytime and anywhere.

Not true for most e-learners.

Cheating isrampant!

Really? Prove it!

Online students less satisfied?

Student Satisfaction Ratings

Questions 6-86. Online faculty work harder7. Web accessibility is NOT my job!8. Through the use of rubrics and

standards related to the quality of online courses (i.e. Quality Matters™), we are sufficiently addressing the questions about e-learning quality.

Online faculty work harder

Reality M

yth

27%

73%

1.Reality2.Myth

Faculty: Web accessibility

is NOT my job!

Reality M

yth

73%

27%

1.Reality2.Myth

Through the use of rubrics and standards related to the quality of

online courses (i.e. Quality Matters™), we are sufficiently

addressing the questions about e-learning quality

Reality M

yth

80%

20%

1.Reality2.Myth

Online Faculty: Are they the busiest bees?

Mohan.M.’s CC photo: http://flickr.com/photos/mohanm/1497839736/

Original photo by –Chad_Johnson (Flickr CC)

Web Accessibility is EVERYONE’S

Job

Still don’t believe me?

QualityMatters is Sufficient

• QualityMatters looks at the quality of course design.

Learning

QualityConcerns

DesignTeaching

• That’s good, but it’s only one leg holding up the stool.

• Um, no, it isn’t!!

Learning LevelIs High

Teaching LevelIs High

Course DesignMeets Standards

Learning Assessment

Perform

ance Eval Q

ualit

yMat

ters

®

Learning LevelIs Low

Teaching LevelIs High

Course DesignMeets Standards

Learning Assessment

Perform

ance Eval Q

ualit

yMat

ters

®

Learning LevelIs High

Teaching LevelIs High

Course DesignBelow Standard

Learning Assessment

Perform

ance Eval Q

ualit

yMat

ters

®

Learning LevelIs High

Teaching LevelIs Low

Course DesignMeets Standards

Learning Assessment

Perform

ance Eval Q

ualit

yMat

ters

®

Learning LevelIs Low

Teaching LevelIs Low

Course DesignMeets Standards

Learning Assessment

Perform

ance Eval Q

ualit

yMat

ters

®

Learning LevelIs Low

Teaching LevelIs High

Course DesignBelow Standard

Learning Assessment

Perform

ance Eval Q

ualit

yMat

ters

®

Learning LevelIs Low

Teaching LevelIs Low

Course DesignBelow Standard

Learning Assessment

Perform

ance Eval Q

ualit

yMat

ters

®

Questions 9-109. A VLE is an important

component of e-Learning10. Through web analytics

reporting, we are learning a tremendous amount of useful information about the behavior and activities of our online students.

A Virtual Learning Environment (or LMS) is an important component of e-Learning

15%

12%

31%

31%

12% 1. Absolutely Essential2. Very Important3. Important4. Slightly Important5. Not Really Necessary

Through web analytics reporting, we are learning a

tremendous amount of useful information about the

behavior and activities of our online students.

1.Reality2.Myth

VLE or PLE?• Virtual learning environments

need to become more open, more flexible, more creative and less reactive.

• VLE’s need to become more personal.

Sarah M. Stewart http://www.flickr.com/photos/92632631@N00/2530138127/

Scott Leslie http://flickr.com/photos/nessman/2590572476

Web Analytics• The amount of

information available about our students is mind boggling.

• However, we are not mining it and using it.

Other Myths or Realities?• I have 35 items on the list so

far.•Send me your ideas to add to

the list.

b.dahl@lsc.edu

More about e-Learning Myths at:

Desire2blog.blogspot.com