Dear Colleagues,

Two colleagues, Chuck Dziuban (University of Central Florida) and Charles Graham (Brigham Young University) and I are editing a new book on blended learning research (see blurb and chapter proposal format below).  If anybody would like to submit a chapter proposal, the deadline is July 1, 2012.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or one of my co-authors (email addresses below).

Tony

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Research Perspectives in Blended Learning

(Publisher:  Taylor and Francis, Inc.)

Authors:

Anthony G. Picciano

City University of New York

Charles Dziuban

The University of Central Florida

Charles R. Graham

Brigham Young University

In 2007, twenty-five researchers in the United States contributed to Blended Learning:  Research Perspectives.  It was hailed as the first and most comprehensive book dedicated entirely to research in blended learning and examined issues related to definition, conceptual frameworks, and models and reported on primary research in what was a new instructional technology phenomenon.  A. Frank Mayadas (The Alfred P.  Sloan Foundation) commented that this book “is the first major and long-overdue work of research on blended learning…A must read for anyone serious about understanding today’s pedagogical practices”.  Diane Oblinger (President, EDUCAUSE) stated “If you’re an administrator or faculty member who wants to do blended learning really well, this [book] is an important resource that integrates theory, research and experience”.  At recent meetings of the Sloan Consortium, several of the original contributors, discussed whether or not the time had come to publish a new edition of this work.  Given the growth and importance of blended learning environments to education at all levels, the authors are preparing a new edition that will update as well as seek new research and knowledge about blended learning as it has evolved over the past five years.

Blended learning presents one of the most important vehicles for education reform and improvement in our educational system.   As government, foundations, schools and colleges move forward with plans and investments, the timing is perfect for a new examination of the research on blended learning. This proposed book will be designed to provide this new examination. The first edition of Blended Learning: Research Perspectives was published by the Sloan Consortium primarily as a resource for its members, however, with minimal marketing, it received widespread distribution. The first edition remains the only exclusively research volume on this subject. We anticipate that this new edition will be more popular because of the growing interest in blended learning.

Chapter Proposal

1. Title (APA Format)
2. Author(s)
3. Brief Statement of the Problem
4. Brief Statement of the Methodology
5. Brief Statement of Findings or Conclusions (if available)

Sample Chapter Proposal

Title:  Relationship of computer science aptitude with selected achievement measures among junior high school students.

Authors:  Sam Smith (University of Denver) and Jane Lewis (University of Denver)

Statement of the Problem 

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between computer science aptitude and achievement at the junior high school level.

Hypotheses/Research Questions 

1. A correlation exists between computer science aptitude and general achievement, mathematical achievement, and achievement in courses using computer-assisted instruction (CAI).
2. Are there differences for the above based on the sex of students?

Methodology 

Seventh and eighth grade upper-middle class students from a private metropolitan junior high school participated in this study (N=69). The Konvalina, Stephens, and Wileman Computer Science Placement Test (KSW) was used as the computer science aptitude measure. The Science Research Associates Survey of Basic Skills Test, the students first semester mathematics grade, the students second semester mathematics grade, and the final first semester exam score of programming work done in BASIC were the achievement variables. To measure the relationship between the aptitude and achievement variables, the Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient was used. The 2-sample t-test was used to test for differences in computer science aptitude for males and females.

Findings 

A high positive correlation between KSW performance and each of the achievement variables was found for all groups. The findings indicate no difference in computer science aptitude test scores between males and females.

Proposal deadline: July 1, 2012

Send proposals to: Anthony Picciano (apicciano@g.cuny.edu),

Charles Dziuban (Charles.dziuban@ucf,edu), Charles Graham (Charles.graham@byu.edu)

Dear Commons Community,

In the past few months, several of the elite colleges, Stanford, M.I.T., Harvard, and Princeton, have embarked on offering massive open online courses or MOOC’s free of charge and not for credit.  The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article speculating on why and specifically what is the business plan for these endeavors.  These institutions are investing tens of millions of dollars in developing and offering MOOCs, what is the return on their investment.   The article suggests:

“They could eventually follow the iTunes model and sell access to a course for $1.99. That starts adding up to real money if you get 100,000+ people to sign up. Depending on the course subject, they could sell access to corporate recruiters. That’s essentially what Sebastian Thrun did last fall, when he sent the résumés of his best students from his Stanford MOOC to Google and other Silicon Valley companies.

Perhaps the best idea I’ve heard so far is that the universities could use these courses as an alternative admissions system. This makes sense given these institutions recruit far and wide to expand their pool of applicants in the hope of finding that perfect student. Most of the time they choose correctly. Sometimes they miss. Either way, it’s a time-consuming, difficult, and expensive process each and every year.

The MOOCs enable the elite universities to discover talented students participating in classes just like the ones offered on their campuses, and completing assignments made by their professors. It’s an easier and cheaper way to find that diamond-in-the-rough student from a village in Turkey. And it’s a safer bet that these students will ultimately succeed, given they’re already doing the work.”

The admissions rationale makes a lot of sense.  Here come the MOOCs!

Tony