In his EvalTalk post of 5 Feb 2007 titled "approaches to the
evaluation of e-learning programs," Don Buchanan asked:
"Can anyone recommend any articles, etc. that deal with the
evaluation of e-learning programs."
The Etzionis' (1997) cogent discussion of the many virtues of
"virtual communities" lists one of them as being "STRONG MEMORIES."
But what good are strong memories if discussion-list subscribers
rarely, if ever, use them?
As of 6 Feb 2007 10:25:00-0800 typing the indicated terms into the
"Search for" slot of the powerful LISTSERV
<http://www.lsoft.com/products/listserv.asp> search engines for:
yielded the indicated numbers of hits (with hopes that
discussion-list servers don't muddle the tabulation):
.................................................................EvalTalk...ASSESS...POD...AERA-D
a. "e-learning" (WITHOUT the
quotes):......46..............13.........172..........4
b. "distance learning" (WITH the
quotes):..124.............46.........238........17
c. "online learning" (WITH the
quotes):......26..............10.........167..........9
I particularly recommend from search "c": Gross (2007a,b) and
Williams (2007)].
IMHO, the terms "x-learning" such as the above, and also
"collaborative learning," "active learning," "hands-on learning,"
"discovery learning, " etc., etc., are poorly chosen because they
all *assume* what needs to be shown: whether on not any learning
actually takes place - see "Online Learning - Is There Any? [Hake
(2007a,b)].
For those concerned with the "x-learnings," the insightful POD post
"On 'The Learnings'" by the late biologist by Bob Leamnson (2000a -
see also 1999, 2000b), might be of interest.
REFERENCES [Tiny URL's courtesy <http://tinyurl.com/create.php>.
Etzioni, A. & O. Etzioni. 1997. Communities: Virtual vs. Real,
editorial, Science 277, 29 (1997) and (as befits the theme) on-line
at <http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/etzioni/E30.html>: "Virtual on-line
communities complement and reinforce "real" off-line communities and
have several advantages over the latter, e.g.,
(a) easy communication over national borders and time zones;
(b) inclusion of homebound (aged, ill, or handicapped) people;
(c) accommodation of more individuals than off-line meeting rooms;
(d) STRONG MEMORIES;
(e) high safety;
(f) allowance for exploration of new relationships and identities -
as documented by MIT's Sherry Turkle (1995), and
(g) indifference to physical appearance and off-line identity - how
many would even consider this post if it were
known that I'm a bloodhound?
Hake, R.R. 2007a. "Online Learning: Is There Any?" online at
<http://tinyurl.com/ypndll>. Post of 5 Jan 2007 13:23:44 -0500 to
AERA-D, ASSESS, EvalTalk, and STLHE-L. See also Hake (2007b).
Hake, R.R. 2007c. "Re: Online Learning: Is There Any?" online at
<http://tinyurl.com/24qq2c> . Post of 6 Jan 2007 20:31:58 -0800 to
AERA-D, ASSESS, EvalTalk, and STLHE-L.
Turkle, S. 1995. "Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the
Internet," (Simon & Shuster). For more on Turkle's work see her web
page at <http://web.mit.edu/sturkle/www/>.
Williams, J. 2007. "Re: Online Learning: Is There Any?" EvalTalk
post of 5 Jan 2007 23:49:46-0600; online at
<http://tinyurl.com/y4e7ce>. Unfortunately, Williams fails to unpack
her bare URL's into more informative academic references.