Online Learning Survey
Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning is based on data collected for the fifth annual national report on the state of online education in U.S. higher education. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group in partnership with the College Board, the report, based on responses from over 2,500 colleges and universities, examines the nature and extent of online learning among U.S. higher education institutions. More...
- Nearly 3.5 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2006 term.
- Nearly twenty percent of all U.S. higher education students were taking at least one online course in the fall of 2006.
- Virtually all (83 percent) institutions with online offerings expect their online enrollments to increase over the coming year.
- Higher costs for online development and delivery are seen as barriers among those who are planning online offerings, but not among those who have online offerings.
- Online is not seen as a way to lower costs; reduced or contained costs are among the least-cited objectives for online education.
The survey analysis is based on a comprehensive nationwide sample of active, degree-granting institutions of higher education in the United States that are open to the public. Download the free PDF version.
Thai International Conference
Thailand Cyber University (TCU), a project of the Ministry of Education Commission on Higher Education, emphasizes expanding educational opportunities for people via online education. Its second annual conference, "Cyber Education for the Next Generation," brought together international educators to share resources on policy and strategy for integrating e-Learning with traditional education, quality assurance and standards, project management, learning design, and innovative technology. The conference audience of 1500 participants also attended workshops and a Moodle Moot.
Download a summary of conference proceedings, see Thailand Cyber University National E-Learning Conference, August 2007.
Free Downloads
The Sloan Consortium provides a number of free publications in furtherance of our mission. The publications include our survey reports, special selections from numerous publications, short reports, information on Effective Practices, and the Sloan Consortium awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and for Effective Practices.
Web 2.0 Conference Report - EDEN
In June 2007, the European Distance and e-Learning Network (EDEN), celebrated its 16th anniversary by looking ahead to educational impact of new web-based technologies. The annual EDEN conference, held in Naples, Italy, focused on a theme that captures the questions facing the profession as it looks to a future driven by the next generation of the Internet: New Learning 2.0?: Emerging Digital Territories, Developing Continuities, New Divides.
Download a free copy of an overview of the three-day conference showcased numerous innovations by European institutions with the new social networking applications, while exploring the implications for institutions, research, and quality assurance.
Book Reviews
Book reviews by Sloan-C members to keep you informed of useful publications. The reviews are presented both as web pages and as PDF files you can download and print.
Weblogs
We are pleased to present blogs (weblogs) created by Ray Schroeder. Ray
is one of the pioneers in online learning. Winner of the Sloan-C 2002 Award
for "Most Outstanding Achievement in ALN by an individual," Ray
is Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS).
In retirement, he is able to fully devote his days to online learning -
producing news about online learning each morning. Enjoy his superb work.
Interviews
Read two important interviews about the evolution of online learning.
The first is with Richard Fasse, Ed.D, the Instructional
Technology Specialist for the Educational Technology Center (ETC) at
the
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). ETC provides the behind-the-scenes
technology support for RIT's distance learning department, which is one of the
most successful regionally accredited higher education distance learning
programs in the country.
Dr. Frank Mayadas, a Program Officer for the Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation discusses Asynchronous Learning Networks and Distance Education in an interview by Gary E.
Miller, Associate Vice President for Distance Education at The Pennsylvania
State University.
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics, Office of Educational Research &
Improvement, U.S. Dept. of Education, provides a number of publications
relevant to online education. Among these are the annual Projections
of Education Statistics and the Condition
of Education (an annual compendium report to Congress that describes
the current status and recent progress of education in the U.S. It includes
some information on online
learning.) Of special interest to those studying online education is
the report "Distance
Education Instruction by Postsecondary Faculty and Staff: Fall 1998"
which focuses on whether instructional faculty and staff indicated teaching
at least one distance class. This report uses data from the 1999 National
Study of Postsecondary Faculty to study the question.
Student Participation
in Distance Education
Table 38-1 Percentage of undergraduates who participated
in distance education classes at postsecondary institutions, by
type of institution and selected student characteristics: 1999-2000
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, NCES. National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000).
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