Internet Learning Volume 6, Number 1, Spring 2017/Summer 2017 | Page 6

Internet Learning Volume 6 Number 1 - Spring 2017/Summer 2017
Letter from the Editor
Kathleen J. Tate, Ph.D.
Welcome to the Spring 2017/Summer 2017 issue of Internet Learning
journal! In this issue, you will find book and media reviews, perspectives
from the field, and research and theoretical articles. Themes of
motivation and collaboration are woven throughout the topics in this issue, which
include student interactions, student success, immersive technologies, and assessment.
Dr. Tisha Duncan’s book review provides an overview of the Whitaker, Zoul, and
Casas (2015) book, What Connected Educators do Differently. She states that the
text provides guidance about how to increase professional and personal connections.
Dr. Duncan shares that the book is relevant for educators at all levels from
primary to post-secondary in both traditional and online settings.
Dr. Christina Dryden addresses assessment, data, and rubrics in her media review.
Choosing a rubric type for an institution or program can be a daunting process.
She focuses on a short list of features such as ease of use and uncomplicated reporting
to consider, simplifying the rubric selection process.
In the From the Field section, Russell Poulin, Director, Policy & Analysis, WCET—
The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Cooperative
for Educational Technologies, is featured in 3 Questions for an Online Learning
Leader. He offers insights about regulations from different oversight agencies regarding
the state authorization of distance education programs. Russ also discusses
e-learning issues and solutions, the shift to mobile learning, and digital tools
that are underutilized.
Research and theoretical articles in this issue examine student success, connections
between constructivist teaching and student interactions, and immersive technology
in a preservice teacher context. Drs. Vignare, Wagner, and Swan explore the
use of data analytics as an innovation trigger for supporting student success. They
frame their work through innovation science and the predictive analytics reporting
(PAR) framework. The authors make a compelling argument for an external
community approach for developing common data definitions and an organizing
framework that identifies and categorizes student success interventions.
Drs. Michael Miller-First and Kristin Ballard present a way to apply constructivism
to adult learners in the online classroom. They elucidate five user friendly
constructivist-based teaching methods, including interactive learning, facilitative
learning, authentic learning, learner-centered learning, and high-quality learning.
Miller-First and Ballard emphasize that students should not merely navigate an instructional
environment; rather, they should experience meaningful and authentic
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doi: 10.18278/il.6.1.1