Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 2, Fall 2014 | Page 18

Internet Learning
Adaptability to Online Learning:
Differences Across Types of Students and
Academic Subject Areas go.nmc.org/adapt
(Di Xu, Community College Research Center,
February 2013.) A comparison study
examines student success in an online environment.
Colleges Adapt Online Courses to
Ease Burden go.nmc.org/ease (Tamar Lewin,
The New York Times, 29 April 2013.)
Nearly half of all undergraduates in the U.S.
arrive on campus needing more work before
they can begin regular classes for credit.
Colleges are beginning to experiment with
online versions, which allow students to
take these initial courses easily and cheaply.
College Is Dead. Long Live College!
go.nmc.org/ylazv (Amanda Ripley, TIME,
18 October 2012.) When the Pakistani government
shut down access to YouTube, an
11-year old girl continued her online studies
using Udacity.
Credit for MOOCs Presents Challenges
in Australia go.nmc.org/credmo
(Charis Palmer, The Conversation, 7 November
2012.) Following the news that Antioch
University was working with Coursera
to offer credit towards a degree, Australian
tertiary education providers debate the
possible negative consequences of this approach.
How Online Learning is Saving and
Improving Rural High Schools go.nmc.
org/rural (Tom Vander Ark, Getting Smart,
26 January 2013.) Rural high schools face
immense challenges, including federal and
state education funding inequities, which
causes thousands of schools to close down
per year. Online schools even the playing
field.
How 'Open' Are MOOCs? go.nmc.
org/ope (Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed,
8 November 2012.) This article explores several
misunderstandings in the way many
chief academic officers view massively open
online courses and their potential to supplement
traditional university classes.
Jump Off the Coursera Bandwagon
go.nmc.org/cou (Doug Guthrie, The
Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 December
2012.) This author observes that as universities
rush to deliver online education,
they may be too quick to launch insufficient
models. As a result, many MOOCs are not
addressing critical pedagogical issues, in addition
to interactivity and customization.
MOOCs and Money go.nmc.org/
money (Matt Greenfield, Education Week,
1 October 2012.) MOOCs have some possible
monetizing strategies that can work as
long as they continue to attract millions of
students. The author argues that many current
students are attracted to MOOCs out of
curiosity, and ponders whether enrollment
numbers will continue to be high over the
next few years.
The Single Most Important Experiment
in Higher Education go.nmc.org/single
(Jordan Weissmann, The Atlantic, 18 July
2012.) This article discusses Coursera's new
partnerships with several other universities.
One school, the University of Washington,
is giving credit for its Coursera courses. The
funding from all these new universities will
allow the company to blossom as a market
for learning.
States, Districts Require Online Ed
for High School Graduation go.nmc.org/
require (Kelsey Sheehy, US News, 24 October
2012.) A growing number of school
districts, including those in Virginia and
Idaho, have recently signed legislation making
it mandatory for students to take at least
one online course in order to graduate high
school.
The Teacher You've Never Met: Inside
an Online High School Class go.nmc.
org/onlinete (Nick Pandolfo, TIME, 13 June
2012.) This article explores the life and work
of an online K-12 teacher at Colorado's 21st
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