Put this book in your digital library RIGHT NOW!

Somewhere in the programme for pretty-well every workshop I’ve run in the past decade and more has been an activity for participants on analysing educational technologies, using Tony Bates’ SECTIONS model. It’s an update on his previous ACTIONS model, which I unsurprisingly also used in the dim and distant past. The model is useful, it engages participants and leads to fruitful discussion and debate. Continue reading

The wisdom of the ancients: A new book on research in online distance education

Browse the currentĀ ICDE website and your eye will likely focus on the the word MOOC. Yes, like everyone else, the ICDE is entranced by the notion and all that it entails, and in doing so has provided helpful summaries of reports and articles that have emerged in the past year. I urge you to ignore it and follow the link under ‘More new items’ to New book from Athabasca University on Online Distance Education. Continue reading

My little book of ODL activities

When designing materials for both open and online learning courses, I’ve always been especially interested in the activities. They allow for creativity, at the same time offering the challenge to ensure that they will engage learners. This is important, as research and evaluation continue to affirm , if irrelevant or simply boring, activities will not be attempted. Continue reading

Here at last!

Popped into my old office at Monash yesterday and there, in brown cardboard wrapper, was a very welcome surprise: my copy of theĀ International Handbook of Distance Education! Over three years in the making, and the product of countless hours by dozens of authors (60, in fact) from twelve countries, it has finally emerged, Continue reading