Desire2Blog

I've been looking over the D2L Conference schedule (checking out the competition) and have found some interesting options for the first morning. After the opening keynote by Dr. Ruth Clark, the first round of sessions (10:15-11:15) are all D2L-led sessions focusing on various aspects of the product line, such as: Accessibility Learning Object Repository (LOR) Overview of Liveroom and Learning Repository Objective Based Learning with Desire2Learn Groups & Sections The next round of sessions (11:30-12:30) are all user-led sessions. At this time I will be presenting a new version of my most popular workshop, Web 2.0 Whirlwind. This time it is titled Web 2.0 Whirlwind Inside Desire2Learn. The main difference is that I am showing how the Web 2.0 tools can be used by both faculty and students inside D2L Content areas, as well as News, Discussions, and possibly other areas within a D2L course. Some of the free web-based tools that I will be showing include: Zoho Writer MeeboMe Slid...

After a rather icky day of traveling yesterday from Beijing to Hanoi, I awoke this morning to prepare for a meeting at the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). My friends Mr. Khanh and Mr. Hoang from Tra Vinh University (TVU) set up this meeting at MOET as a major step in the process to get official approval for the delivery of e-Learning programs in Vietnam by Minnesota Online. MOET tightly controls all forms of education in Vietnam and without their approval we will not be able to move forward with the collaborative relationship between MnOnline and TVU and also between MnOnline and the VACC (Vietnam Association of Community Colleges). Today, the MOET group was led by Dr. Tran Van Nhung, Vice Minister. After brief introductions and welcomes, I made a presentation about Minneota Online emphasizing the student support services that are provided, as well as the types of degrees offered 100% online, and also placed a special emphasis upon the accreditation process in the U...

Today we visited Beijing Normal University (BNU) and had a discussion with representatives from their Continuing Education department that handles e-learning. They have 30,000 students studying in the Continuing Ed department and most of those take some (or only) e-learning classes. BNU is ranked #8 overall of the 701 Chinese universities. They are now a comprehensive university with roots back over 100 years as a teacher's college. Some of the more interesting comments were: In e-learning they have about a 70-80% degree completion rate. This far exceeds the degree completion rate in the U.S. but falls far short of the face-to-face degree completion rate at BNU where 99% of the students finish a degree within four years of starting (that's what they said, so I believe it). Only students who score in the top 20% on the college entrance exam can get into Chinese Universities, and this includes departments like Continuing Ed through distance learning. Therefore 80% of the college-...