Participation In Online Courses Research Articles

A Taxonomy Of Participation In Online Courses

One of the main challenges in web-based education is to encourage student participation. Although many instructors would like to increase participation in their online courses, there is no established body of knowledge on the various forms such participation may take. This paper will propose a taxonomy for classifying different types of participation in online courses, discuss pedagogical issues involved in increasing participation, and suggest testable hypotheses for future research.

Librarian Participation in the Online Classroom

SUMMARY As distance education courses increasingly move to the online environment, librarians are discovering new challenges and opportunities for reaching distant students. Collaboration with faculty is essential in reaching students who may never enter the library building. One such method of collaboration is librarian participation in online courses through “lurking” in Blackboard and Desire2Learn classrooms and monitoring discussion threads devoted to library research. Advantages such as improved access to students, course content, and assessment data are discussed, as are disadvantages, such as time commitment, varying expectations, and privacy issues. Considerations for librarians interested in “lurking” are outlined.

The Online College Library

Abstract This article reports the outcomes of a pilot project at the College of DuPage Library that explored several methods of providing library services to students enrolled in online courses. The project offered students a website from which services could be accessed and a variety of services. These services included reference, circulation, information resources, and instruction. The project focused primarily on the effectiveness of librarians communicating with students online, librarian participation in online courses, and the incorporation of library resources into the online curriculum. Each service is described and recommendations for implementation into dedicated off-campus library programs are offered. The project web site is available at the following URL: http://www.cod.edu/library/libonline.