Book Description
For courses in Computers in Education and Educational Technology.
Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, 4
th edition, by M.D. Roblyer, provides hands-on practice with technology tools to illustrate how to integrate technology into the curriculum to support and shape learning. The author’s five-part Technology Integration Planning Model (TIP Model) shows teachers how to create an environment in which technology can effectively enhance learning.
For this 4
th edition, the author has developed a cohesive, comprehensive technology integration framework that builds on the strong research, the TIP model, and the numerous integration strategies of previous editions, and includes powerful classroom video clips of effective use of technology to shape learning.
Customer Reviews:
Perhaps the most vague textbook ever.......2007-01-31
I have been working on computers for 8 years and have found that this book could perhaps be the most thrown together and least informed of any I have read. For me it appears that some people had a dead line to write a book in which they knew nothing about.
I understand that there is argument of what teachers need to know about computers and technology and how useful it can be in the classroom buttttt..... Computers are here and for me a teacher of 8 years I have learned by teaching how to integrate to creat a better environment unlike the writers of this book who probably have never been teachers.
How do you say it..........2006-12-16
Propaganda. BS. In a big way. Required for courses, too bad. Tech in the classroom has so far to go. How many F-22s could provide broadband in every school? Not many. But this book is not looking at that. Bland writing, rehashed, cheerleaderish. Get a clue.
Great Resource for Teachers .......2006-07-25
This book is a great resource for any teacher who would like to incorporate technology into the classroom. It not only gives useful information about each type of technology, but it also offers great ideas on how to integrate the specific technolgies into your lesson plans. This book is engaing, interesting and useful.
Appropriate Use of Technology is the Knowledge Challenge.......2006-06-15
A very worthy book. In the technology realm, people are the greatest challenge, in maximizing best use of technology, and in securing its appropriate use. I'm David Scott, author of I.T. Wars: Managing the Business-Technology Weave in the New Millennium. There are many parallels between the educational challenges and business challenges in the coming years, in aligning technology to the business at-hand. Technology is now a foundational underpinning to everything, and dependencies and vulnerabilities are best understood through early and ongoing education.
Excellent book.......2006-03-20
This book is great at providing ideas to help teachers integrate Technology into their classrooms focused around the content areas. There are also a wide variety of computer software programs mentioned in the book. The programs can be helpful for both teachers and students.
Book Description
As online courses proliferate, teachers increasingly realize that they have to connect with their students as they would in face-to-face classes. They have to provide true opportunities for inspirational and meaningful learning, rather than a sterile experience of clicking within a labyrinth of links.
With the specific purpose of switching emphasis from the technical issues of online teaching to the human implications of teaching and learning through the Internet, Tisha Bender draws on her extensive research, her training of online faculty, and her own online teaching experience, to create a fresh vision of online pedagogy. Discussion-Based Online Teaching to Enhance Student Learning consists of three parts:
Theory
Practice
Assessment
The author shows how she applies learning theories to online discussion-based courses. She presents a wealth of suggestions and techniques, illustrated by real examples, for stimulating and managing online discussion effectively, and for improving teaching practices. The book concludes with methods for assessing the efficacy of online courses.
This accessible and comprehensive book offers an engaging and practical approach to online teaching that is rooted in the author's experience and enthusiasm for creating a virtual environment that engages students and fosters their deep learning. This is a book for all educators and administrators in higher education, in any discipline, engaged in, or contemplating offering, online classes that involve discussion or collaborative learning. It is relevant both to faculty teaching a hybrid and face-to-face classes, and courses conducted entirely online.
Customer Reviews:
I only read it because I was required to........2007-06-27
This was a required reading for an online course I needed in order to teach onlne courses. The buzz-word in the course and in the book is "asynchronous collaboration" which translated means "group work when the group is never in the same place at the same time." A lot of educationists are vested in distance learning; they want to prove it is at least as good as, if not better, than classroom teaching. This book certainly falls into this mold. Every time the author sites a person or study that is critical of distance learning, he refutes it by citing his own opinion.
tips for on-line teaching.......2007-05-16
This book is really helpful with the on-line course I am currently taking. It points out the pros and cons of on-line learning and teaching, and gives information on on-line etiquette. Very helpful.
Good read for Online Instructors.......2007-05-13
I felt that this book gave concise and clear meanings and was quite a good read. I particularly like the innovative online teaching techniques and the aspects of online communications.
Best of it's subject.......2005-10-20
I am an instructional designer of online learning and in an effort to implement discussions in the courses I create, I ordered four books on discussion-based online learning. This book was by far the most comprehensive, balanced, and useful book of the four. While reading the book, I was immediately able to implement the strategies outlined in the book, and justify my reasons for implementing groups/discussions to the college instructors teaching the courses I create. I think that this book is valuable to anyone creating and supporting online learning: instructors, professors, instructional designers, trainers, and training managers. I even copied several pages of the book that justify online learning as a whole for my director.
Getting Beyond the Technology to Constructivist Learning.......2004-03-17
Dr. Bender offers a well balanced view of online discussion as a teaching tool in asynchronous education. Clear, concise, practical and well documented concepts and applications fill this easily read textbook. The last section of the book provides a wonderful overview of the hot buttons on assessment in the online environment. Regardless of whether you are already implementing online discussion or if you are just considering online discussion as a new tool to add to your arsenal, you will find helpful insight in this book.
Book Description
In e-Learning and the Science of Instruction authors Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer— internationally recognized experts in the field of e-learning— offer essential information and guidelines for selecting, designing, and developing e-learning courses that build knowledge and skills for workers learning in corporate, government, and academic settings.
Customer Reviews:
E-Learning and the Science of Instruction.......2007-01-03
(My first language is Spanish, so excuse any misspells) I have been working on delivery management, and now development, of online courses ind Guatemala since 1999, for a private university, international training organizations and government. Among all my research to learn about the topic and improve my work, this piece of literature is among the very best. It bases its conclussions on research results, it places the human being (who is the target of e-learning programs) in the center of the process and, based on that, and other aspects, it provides valuable information on what works and what doesn't, concerning teaching methodologies for online teaching and/or training programs. Though, it does not concentrate or cover management systems for e-learning program delivery, another very important issue for successful distance programs. The book is great, simple and clear. Bright!!
Valuable resource........2006-11-11
Ruth Colvin Clark continues to put out valuable resouces for those interested in multimedia education. This would be a valuable addition to any library.
Great for eLearning Designers and Reviewers.......2006-08-01
With many years of experience in building eLearning and educational software I was looking for a reference to back up my "I know it when I see it" thoughts on good and bad courseware. This book met or exceeded my expectations. I like that the chapters are shorter and that the observations are backed up with study results. The References section is a valuable collection of eLearning studies in itself. There are also useful checklists included with the book.
There are some newer technologies such as Wikis and Blogs that are not covered in the book, but since the authors focus on proven techniques with studies to back them up it's unlikely such technologies would receive a lot of coverage at this point.
If you're responsible for designing or reviewing courseware this is a very good nuts-and-bolts reference.
A book that every person in this field need to use.......2005-06-04
e-Learning and the Science of Instruction is a must have for anybody that is already a pro, or just starting out at designing web-based instruction. The authors give outstanding guidance for every step of the way, from explaining theories to the best way to set up your web site. It shows excellent illustrations of what to do, as well as what NOT to do. This book is a tool that every one in the business shouldn't be without.
Excellent practical book for practitioners.......2005-05-16
I have been designing and developing e-Learning for 6 years and this book has been wonderful to help remind me of some basics, teach me a few things, and give excellent practical advice as I continue developing. I am not one to read textbooks or non-fiction but I find this writing style very easy to read and I am able to easily apply the concepts. If you have never developed e-Learning but are studying the topic in school, this book may come across as dry and hard to read. Hold on to it and pick it up after you've been developing for a year or so and I'm sure you'll find it as useful as I have.
Book Description
This book offers a pragmatic, reader-friendly approach that helps teachers explore, evaluate, and effectively integrate the full range of instructional technologies they are likely to find in their classrooms.
Founded in learning theory and instructional design, this book explores the current and emerging technologies available to teachers while consistently maintaining an instructional focus. Using practical applications and real-world examples, the book offers readers the opportunity to explore technologies as tools to enhance and support instruction. It culminates with an exploration of the teacher's role in technology planning and in ensuring its ethical implementation. The reader will find Web activities and a wide range of activities in each chapter including reviews, group, critical thinking and hands-on experiences.
Teachers and technology coordinators.
Customer Reviews:
Useless, outdated, and idiotic.......2007-03-04
I had to read this book for a Technology and Education class, and it was a total waste of time and money. I'm a professional computer consultant in the middle of a Masters in Education, so I feel qualified to discuss the technical aspects of this book.
While this book was Copyrighted in 2005, almost all the pictures and content are so dated I think that little has changed since the first edition. A Third edition has just been released, which may be more up to date, but I feel it will be just as useless.
The main problem with this book is that it covers everything with no regard to technical ability. For instance, the book informs the reader what a scanner is, and then says they can be usefull for converting a printed page to editable text on the computer. If you are learning what a scanner is for the firs time today, then you AREN'T ready to start using OCR to import documents. In other places, it says floppy disks (yes, the 3.5 disks) are useful for storing information (most computers don't even accept floppy disks).
Additionally, the book is entirely pro-microsoft. It briefly touches upon 'free' software as it distinguishes between shareware and freeware, but doesn't mention Free/Libre Open Source Software. Between Sakai, Open Office, Firefox, and the myriad of other programs, this is inconceivable. All the pictures are for Word, Outlook, and Internet Explorer. It also makes no mention of Apple Computers (at least I didn't find any) or GNU Linux/*BSD.
Finally, it is filled with cute buzzwords that mean nothing, at least to me, such as "The DID's formative feedback look ensures performance objective validity." which appeared on the sidebar with a lightbulb.
Basically, if you don't know anything about technology, this book will be of no use, as much of it will gloss over what you need to learn, and if you are already a competent computer user, this book will be dated and provide scattered information that might have been helpful 5 years ago.
I would recomend not buying this book. If you are a teacher and want to see how technology can be used in your classroom (without learning useless information like what a POST is) I'd try Will Richardson's Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts. That was useful and interesting, while not being too technical.
Book Description
A complete guide to successful learning using Moodle, focused on course development and delivery and using the best educational practices. This unique book gives you more than just a guide to the Moodle software; it uses Moodle as a route to better teaching, more motivated students, and more successful courses. Moodle E-Learning Course Development shows you how to use Moodle as a tool to enhance your teaching. It will help you analyse your students' requirements, and come to an understanding of what Moodle can do for them. After that you'll see how to use every feature of Moodle to meet your course goals. The social constructionist learning philosophy is at the heart of Moodle: we all "construct" knowledge through interation with one another and with learning materials in a social way. Moodle E-Learning Course Develelopment will show you how to add static learning material, interactive activities, and social features to your courses so that students reach their learning potential. Whether you want to support traditional class teaching or lecturing, or provide complete online and distance learning courses, this book will prove a powerful resource throughout your use of Moodle.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good.......2007-10-19
I have to be fair and admit that I haven't read the whole book. I have skimmed it, and read some parts very carefully. It is a fairly good guide to this learning program, but it's a steep learning curve for a non 'techie.' I am a teacher who is looking to put coursework on line. A note in the beginning to start with chapter three would have been very helpful here. As it is, the book has convinced me that it would take me considerable time to use this program. I was hoping for short cuts, and instead, the book provided more details than I needed to know to just hoist my courses up on line. While I am not a techie, my son is a professional and teaches this stuff, and he says it not very transparent for him either. Obviously, my lack of technical computer knowledge is getting in the way of my understanding of this text, but the text certainly didn't make it easier. If anything the text was harder than 'click and see' with the real program.
All at one place at least.......2007-10-17
Just the fact that there is one place away from the online medium where one can access information on moodle is good enough to give this book kudos - to be able to read it when not in front of the computer. On first glance through (and in that, this may not be termed a review), the books seems quite expansive. Complimented by the online documentation, the prospect of working on moodle looks exciting - now there are two sources against just one online documentation source.
As mentioned, this is just a first impression. Hope to add more to this as I get deeper into the book.
So far, not so good........2007-10-01
My first complaint is that the author abandoned their demo site only a year after publication, so you won't be able to refer to many of the examples in the book. Second complaint, the installation instructions aren't clear or helpful, except for the suggestion to refer to the moodle.org web site instructions. Maybe if I ever get moodle running, the rest of the book will be useful.
A valuable resource for all Moodle users.......2006-11-02
As a long-time Moodle user and trainer, I read Moodle E-Learning Course Development with a critical eye. I work with many Moodle users who are looking for manuals or printed resources and it is important to me that the options I offer are well-written and accurate. On a personal level, I also wondered if, as an experienced Moodler, the book could hold my interest.
Overall, I found that William Rice's Moodle book is a good addition to my collection of Moodle resources. The book held my attention and I found myself highlighting various passages as I picked up new ideas and information. Since reading the book, I have started offering it as a potential resource to my training participants.
Moodle E-Learning Course Development has a number of strengths that make it a worthwhile investment. It is generally easy to read and follow. Most of its sections had information and screenshots that allowed the reader to follow along, step-by-step. While there are some sections dedicated to the more technical aspects of Moodle, they are not overwhelming, rather their inclusion simply makes this book a more well-rounded resource for Moodle users.
The sections on the Lesson module and the Workshop module, two of the most complex Moodle modules are especially well-written. Each setting in these two modules is described in detail. Furthermore, the screenshots throughout the text to accompany instructions are an important component of any well-written technical resource.
The final positive I will highlight is that the examples used throughout the book are applicable to a wide range of Moodle implementations; K-12 schools, businesses, universities, and individuals will all find the examples are general enough to apply to their own situations. I especially liked some of the suggestions geared toward developing your site to promote and drive business; such as in those situations when a person is using Moodle to offer classes for a fee to the Internet community.
While the book has many strengths, there are several weaknesses as well. The first is one that challenges all print materials, especially in regard to technology, and that is the book is slightly out-of-date. Fortunately, many of the components of the book will still hold true despite the version changes. The second weakness is that the screenshots, while useful, lacked any graphics (arrows, etc.) to help the reader identify the parts of the screen being referenced. I also thought that a few of the transitions in the book were difficult to follow; I found myself wondering where the author was headed. Finally, there are a few places in the book where I disagreed with the author about the function of a particular setting or feature. Some of these disagreements may be the result of differences in the version of Moodle, but there are one or two places where the author didn't quite seem to completely grasp the feature being described.
User documentation is a generally acknowledged trouble spot for many open source projects like Moodle and William Rice has made a valuable contribution to the Moodle community. New and experienced Moodlers alike will benefit from William's efforts.
A Complete Introduction on Using and Managing Moodle........2006-10-14
A Complete Introduction on Using and Managing Moodle.
Moodle: E-Learning Course Development is a complete guide to using and managing Moodle. It introduces all aspects of Moodle from technical issues on how to install, backup, restore, where to edit PHP codes, to pedagogic issues on how to put in contents - resources and activities. Each chapter is independent for your reference, but is also developed from simple to advanced control of Moodle system. The book is well-organized with no difficult technical terms or complicated explanation for any teacher who want to use Moodle.
Although some teachers are afraid of the technical issues, such as MySQL database, installation, backup/restore, it is worthwhile to have the necessary technical ideas that will help you to design and manage your course. The book offers the minimal knowledge of server, Php, database for teachers to understand the Moodle system, and then to know how and when to use different tools provided by Moodle.
The book also gives its readers detailed instruction of how to create and mange a course. While there are many options in the Moodle system, the book tell you when and how to use different options. The book categorizes course materials into 3 categories: Static Course Material (text pages, web pages, links to web, file directories, label), Interactive Course Material (assignment, choice, journal, lesson, quiz, SCORM, survey), and Social Course Material (chat, forum, glossary, wiki, workshop). All these are tools to add Resource and Activity in Moodle system. Besides explaining how to add these materials, the book tells you in what occasion to apply the material. For some complicated materials, such as Lesson, Workshop and Wiki, the author gives a very good instruction on how to set up and when to use them. A fly in the ointment is without demonstrative examples. Thus, the readers should not just read, but have to experiment each adding tools by themselves.
The last three chapters are useful for teachers to manage a more inviting course in Moodle including 1) changing or editing theme, logo, header and footer; 2) analyzing students' logs and grades; 3) installing other modules and different ways of backuping Moodle system. These are powerful tools and safety of a Moodle system that teachers should know if they want to have complete control of Moodle.
Moodle is a free course management system which is especially good at social interaction. This system is even better than the commercial WebCT and Blackboard. Teachers should not wait for their institute to install a course management system for them, but begin to follow the instruction of this book to persuade your institute to set up a Moodle or even install a Moodle by yourself. It is a time of open source. Join open source club, and open your mind.
Book Description
The surge in the number of online training sites has created an unprecedented demand for experts who know all aspects of Web-based training (WBT) site design. Written by bestselling author William Horton, this book provides the hands-on and practical guidance that trainers demand. Packed with over 100 examples, this well-illustrated guide walks you through every phase of designing WBT, from analyzing your course requirements and assessing the needs of potential students to designing a course for a global audience.
You'll find out how to combine elements into effective and interesting learning sequences, discover how to overcome any technical hurdle that may arise, how to offer materials that motivate learning, and how to use Web technologies to create 21st-century alternatives to traditional courses.
Praise for Designing Web-Based Training
"Horton has done it again! He's addressed the cutting-edge problem of Web-based training design with his pragmatic, research-based approach. His work is task-oriented and down-to-earth. He doesn't waste our time with excessive educational philosophy. In short-comprehensive overview, practical advice, engaging presentation."-Robert E. Horn, Author, Visual Language: Global Communication for the 21st Century
"As each new media wave is adopted for instructional pur-poses, there is a lag in effective exploitation of the unique features the medium brings for supporting learning. Designing Web-Based Training bridges the gap by providing a rich and detailed reference."-Ruth Clark, EdD, President, Clark Training & Consulting
"Designers have been seeking guidance on how to exploit the Web's distribution potential while combining it with powerful instructional programs. Horton provides structure, stimulation, and substance in this important book. Web-based training is definitely what is happening now. Designing Web-Based Training will be a de facto classic in the field." -Gloria Gery, Principal, Gery Associates, Author, Making CBT Happen
The companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/horton/ features:
* Design guidelines
* Live versions of many examples from the book
* A course shell and sample lessons
* Links to helpful references
Customer Reviews:
Value of the Book.......2007-03-08
I found the book to be very informative if you are a developer of web-based training. It gave a lot of good ideas that you can copy, especially about standards and best practice. It was certainly worth the money to me.
Perfect Crash Course on Web-Based Training.......2006-08-01
If you are new to web-based training, stepping into a new web-based instructional design position, have been teaching or developing web-based training but suspect that there is a better way to do it, or you simply want to establish a solid foundation in building engaging online learning envrionments, this book must be on your shelf. I am a higher education instructional design consultant and I find this book to be an excellent ongoing resource. Not only is it full of specific and practical tips, but the content is organized into dozens of useful tables and charts. Chapter 6, "Activate Learning" is an especially useful chapter, providing lists of potential learning activities and explaining some of the reasons to choose one learning activity over another.
This is a book that emaphsizes matters of pedagogy and instructional design rather than the technical side of things. Among books with a similiar empahsis I place it among the top 10%.
Long on tips. Weak on theory........2003-02-28
This book contains a collection of web design tips which are in the main useful but not earth shattering. Where the book fell down, for me at least, was in the area of theory. It is weak here, and that can be a major problem if you want to conduct a scientific evaluation of the work using the umpteen heuristics suggested by the author. I doubt that there is enough information in the text to adequately help one frame an evaluation of a course, let alone put one together.
The book really has very little to say on instructional design methodologies. The reader is told to bear X, Y and Z in mind and then thrown a few sample scenarios (with screen shots). In many ways this is the tenor of the whole book: a vast and never ending list of do's and don'ts and qualifications to those do's and don'ts. I have to demure from the consensus among the other reviewers and adopt a minority position because quite frankly compared to other eleraning books, I found this one almost unreadable. The book is fullof particularities that are never adequately situated within a theoretical framework. It just seems like bad science to base so many recommendations on induction.
To be fair, it's good stuff in places, and frequently relevant, but can you retain it? Who wants to read a several hundred page long list of tips?
In terms of theory, balance and scientific worth a far better book, for my money, is by Alessi and Trollip.
Excellent e-learning overview.......2003-01-21
I am a corporate trainer who seeks to convert much of his highly successful classroom-based training to the Web. This book was EXACTLY what I was looking for and met my very demanding criteria for a 'how-to' book.
It succeeds in that it:
1. Takes the reader step by step by step through all of the big-picture considerations (and several subtle but important nuances) one must undertake to create an e-learning program from scratch, or convert an existing training program to one that can work on the Web
2. Is written clearly, concisely and simply - - an absolute rarity in a world of technology handbooks that are muddled and/or require the reader to already have a Ph.D. in computer science to understand.
3. Introduced me to small and large ideas that I had not considered but that made perfectly common sense when I thought about them.
This book made me a disciple of William Horton, and gave me the confidence that if I wanted to, I could transform my classroom training to the Web yet avoid a lot of errors I would have committed had I not read this book.
Great, Great Book.......2002-03-26
Most of the book covering e-learning are too much based on northamerican politics and standards since that's the reality for authors but, Horton's ideas and guidelines can be applied virtually in any country. He english is very to understand, he does not use word taken from slangs, or any "strange" word.
Chapter Organization is very good, every chapter can be read as whole unit, without going backward and forward reading other chapters because ideas are completely developed within a chapter.
Horton, is my fav. author on e-learning topics.
Book Description
Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning takes a unique, cognitive approach to technology, distinguishing itself from other texts by emphasizing meaningful learning with technology for both teachers and students. It provides K-12 classroom teachers with the essential information and motivation they need to use technology as an everyday tool.
The text also strikes an important balance between practical applications and theoretical issues, so teachers concentrate on the connections between learning tasks and the mental activities of their students. The new edition expands its coverage of using the Internet as a communication and inquiry tool and includes up-to-date information on emergent technology.
- New! An increased emphasis on Internet applications includes updated references to Internet-based technology throughout the text and additional material from Grabe/Grabe, Integrating the Internet for Meaningful Learning.
- New! Coverage of applications concentrates on readily available software, making the book is as useful as possible for classroom teachers. This edition gives increased attention to PowerPoint presentation software and digital video.
- New! The authors expanded the new edition's emphasis on higher-order thinking by adding information on critical thinking. The unregulated access to sources provided by the Internet necessitates the development of critical-thinking skills in today's students.
- New! Marginal icons representing the companion web site and CD-ROM direct students to electronic resources for additional information.
- New! An enhanced student CD-ROM contains web links, short video "cases" with footage of teachers and students in action, reflection questions, and flashcards for vocabulary building.
- New! An expanded companion web site incorporates more content-area resources for instructors and students. It contains chapter summaries, direct links to online resources, a searchable database of web links, and video segments. The instructor's web site includes class planning and assessment help, as well as PowerPoint slides.
Customer Reviews:
You can find better...keep looking!.......2007-08-22
Not that helpful. Very confusing when explaining some information and way overly detailed when explaining other information. There are better resources out there. The class I used this for was very helpful, but the book itself did not teach me anything new. Other books that are more hands on and have you try the things they are talking would be a better buy.
A must have book for classroom teachers using technology........1999-03-15
A thorough look at the impact of technology on classroom teaching. Describes technology as a tool for teaching, not as an end in itself. Good description of individualizing teaching for different learners, when you are beginning to use new technology in your classroom. Explains the different uses of different kinds of computer software for educational uses, and is written in a reader-friendly style. I use it in my 'Integrating Computers into the Classroom' course and get very positive feedback from my students on this book.
Book Description
Authors Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt have written a comprehensive reference for faculty to use to hone their skills as online instructors and for students to use to become more effective online learners. Filled with numerous examples from actual online courses and insights from teachers and students, Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom covers the entire online teaching process. This essential guide offers helpful suggestions for dealing with such critical issues as evaluating effective courseware, working with online classroom dynamics, addressing the needs of the online student, making the transition to online teaching, and promoting the development of the learning community.
Download Description
Authors Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt have written a comprehensive reference for faculty to use to hone their skills as online instructors and for students to use to become more effective online learners. Filled with numerous examples from actual online courses and insights from teachers and students, Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom covers the entire online teaching process. This essential guide offers helpful suggestions for dealing with such critical issues as evaluating effective courseware, working with online classroom dynamics, addressing the needs of the online student, making the transition to online teaching, and promoting the development of the learning community.
Customer Reviews:
Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom.......2005-03-17
"Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom: The realities of Online teaching" is a great book for someone who is interested in the possibilities of online education and teaching. Palloff and Pratt offer a lot of great tips and ideas that are very concise and easy to understand. They provide commonsense guidelines in conducting online teaching in a way that is simple to digest, entertaining, and useful to teachers, administrators, or whoever else is interested in the realm of online teaching and education.
I personally liked the way the authors really tried the simplify their views on how to make a successful online teaching experience. Their "Keys to Success" seemed to be very helpful and realistic for many institutions to implement with careful planning.
Another especially helpful idea throughout the book was their tips at the end of some sections. By providing these simple tips it helps readers summarize the section and allows readers to easily review the material after they have read though the book once or twice.
I feel that this book is a "must-have" for people who have some interest in this relatively new and every changing field of online teaching.
Fosters Community Among Educators And Their Students!.......2002-02-11
Growing numbers of K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and businesses have begun offering online instruction, taking advantage of computer and Internet technologies to deliver instruction once confined to the realm of physical classrooms. Indeed, the Internet, so-to-speak, has become a virtual classroom and community where all kinds of instruction can take place - anytime day or night, anywhere around the world.
Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom offers readers a broad treatment of the issues involved in planning, creating, and carrying out distance education via the Internet. In a concise manner the book introduces the issues, raises many serious questions, and provides many solutions to help meet the educational goals of instructors, their learning institutions, and their students.
The real beauty of the book lies in its effort to motivate instructors and learning institutions to think through the issues for themselves - to evaluate the unique circumstances they face and to encourage them to seek more effective ways of accomplishing their goals. Because each virtual learning experience will be unique, a number of important considerations should be weighed to determine course structure, content, and delivery, such as:
What technologies should be used?
Who will create the course?
Who will own the course material(s)?
How will the course be delivered?
How will assignments, projects, and exams be administered?
How will instructors and students be prepared?
How will student participation be controlled?
How will student behavior be controlled?
Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom does a superb job of fostering community among educators and their students. The authors express the importance of creating learning communities were serious dialogue takes place - dialogue that enhances the learning process and leads to achieving specific educational goals. This book is must reading for online educational course development.
A Reality Check for Distance Learning.......2001-06-21
If "the devil is in the details" of online learning, Paloff and Pratt have done an excellent job exploring the promise and pitfalls of distance learning programs. Anyone in the process of designing online courses or programs in higher education should read both this book and their earlier book before they launch a new course or program. Personally, this book helped me avoid several mistakes I otherwise would have made in my first distance learning adventure.
The book looks at both teacher and administrator perpsectives, and understands that both insitutional support and instructor skill are key elements for success. While the authors are genuine advocates for the medium, they understand that interactivity does not equal mouse clicks, and that building learning communities takes skill, practice, and structures. The book is full of very helpful examples, learning constructs, and realistic assessments of distance learning successes and failures.
Book Description
For hundreds of years verbal messages have been the primary means of explaining ideas to learners. Although verbal learning offers a powerful tool for humans, this book explores ways of going beyond the purely verbal. An alternative to purely verbal presentations is to use multimedia presentations in which people learn from both words and pictures--a situation the author calls multimedia learning. Multimedia encyclopedias have become the latest addition to students' reference tools, and the world wide web is full of messages that combine words and pictures. This book summarizes ten years of research aimed at realizing the promise of multimedia learning.
Customer Reviews:
Thoughtful balance of theory and suggestion.......2007-09-06
This book is not a guide on how to implement multi-media learning in the classroom, but instead an investigation of different cognitive theories. Mayer does not see multi-media models as infallible and provides ideas on how and why they need to be improved. The more theoretical aspects are clearly explained and the book is very engaging. Highly recommended for anyone who is designing or implementing multi-media tools.
MultiMedia Learing (the Encarta way).......2006-11-15
Read this book if you are feeling nostalgic for your graduate school scientific methods class. My first problem with it was the writing that goes way beyond formula and redundancy -- all the way to boring. But the writing can be survived. The larger problem is the incongruity between title and actual subject matter. Mayer says the research reported in the book took 10 years to complete, which I find extraordinary. I suppose it can take ten years to complete an Associates degree, too. What the research accomplished was a face off between cognitive theory and information transfer theory when tested against the sort of short, non-interactive multimedia presentations you might find in an Encarta encyclopedia-on-CDRom. The publishers of Time-Life libraries might be challenged by this book, or those designers who create 2-minute how-to Flash animations for appliance manufacturer web sites. The designers who are tackling fully interactive curricula (academic, industrial, or for continuing professional education) and who buy this book will have paid for a multicourse dinner and been given an hors d'oeuvres.
Outstanding Work on the Science of Learning.......2005-05-20
This is one of the best books I have read on how students learn. Mayer's cognitive model, while limited to visual and auditory channels, provides a wealth of possibilities for maximizing the retention and understanding of information by students. Mayer practices what he preaches and writes a compelling, easy-to-understanding, summary of his ten years of research on the subject. The most important part of the book is that Mayer backs up his statements with data from the classroom. I can think of no other book that can make that claim. Like another reviewer said, if it doesn't change the way you teach or think about teaching, it should!
Will Change Your Teaching!.......2004-03-02
This is a fantastic book! It has a very nice discussion and a summary of the relevant research documenting that students learn best with multimedia presentations (pictures and words). The research results and guidelines for designing figures and computer-based materials will change the way you teach forever, or at least should! As a University Geology Professor, this book has truely been an inspiration to my teaching and writing. The only drawback is that it is a little repetitive, but not enough to detract from the great message contained within.
Good research and a good read.......2002-05-13
This is a very well presented description of Mayer's research on whether people learn better using multimedia (as opposed to just reading text). He describes the tests he and colleagues have performed to see how much learners are able to remember (retention) and how much learned information they can apply to new situations (transfer), and presents the results in manner that is relatively easy to understand (you have to know a little something about statistics, but not too much). The number of subjects tested is small, and Mayer is sure to point that out - but the basic research should lay groundwork for others to conduct similar tests on larger groups. The design principles Mayer puts forth (e.g. "contiguity") are very much in keeping with the general principles of good visual design (esposed by design notables such as Robin Williams (not the actor)). It's both a good read and good research.
Book Description
This book provides educators with both the theoretical and the practical considerations for planning and implementing technology in schools. It is one of the very few books directed to educational leaders who realize the importance of a long-term vision and investment in technology. Emphasis is placed throughout on the importance of the total application as opposed to any individual component of technology planning. Staff development, facilities, and finances are treated with the same importance as hardware and software. It is meant to form a foundation from which educators will provide the leadership and become agents for realizing the powerful potential of technology in their schools.
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General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Multimedia for the Web: Creating Digital Excitement, Revealed, Deluxe Education Edition (Revealed)
Learning to Solve Problems with Technology: A Constructivist Perspective (2nd Edition)
Instructional Technology and Media for Learning & Clips from the Classroom Pkg (8th Edition)
Systematic Design of Instruction, The (6th Edition)
Instructional Technology and Media for Learning (9th Edition)
