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Service-learning in on-line
courses: An introduction to our research
How
do professors incorporate service-learning into online courses and
teach students to reflect and learn more deeply in an online
environment? This project will attempt to document the extent and
character of service-learning use in on-line courses and courses that
are at least in-part conducted on-line.
According
to Carolyn Corbin, Director of the Center for the 21st Century, on-line
degrees will comprise over 25% of all degrees awarded by institutions
of higher education by the year 2015. Further, a recent article
by Brown (2000) stated that on-line opportunities show the most
promising enrollment trends in traditional institutions that offer
on-line programs.
With this backdrop, it is important for educators to understand how
instruction is being delivered in on-line programs. How do
on-line teachers ensure that their classes are engaging, challenging,
and rigorous?
This investigation will pilot a series of questions aimed at
determining the extent and general characteristics of experiential
learning models in on-line learning environments. Faculty who
teach in courses that are in whole or in part, online are the subjects
of our inqury.
A “paper-and-pencil” survey will be distributed electronically to
faculty. An online survey service will be used for this purpose.
Participants will be solicited via an introductory email.
The survey questions are for the most part simple yes/no questions with
a space for further comments. This project’s goal is to pilot the
instrument and to gather general frequency data. No particular
hypothesis regarding the use of service-learning in on-line courses is
proposed at this time.
--> Click here to participate in the survey
