- Ormond Simpson is a consultant in distance education, currently at the London University International Programmes whe... moreOrmond Simpson is a consultant in distance education, currently at the London University International Programmes where he is a Visiting Fellow. His most recent post was at the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand where he was Visiting Professor. Prior to that he was Senior Lecturer in Institutional Research and Director of the Centre for Educational Guidance and Student Support at the UK Open University.
He has given keynote presentations in Mexico, South Africa, Ghana, China, the West Indies, Colombia, Brazil, South Korea, The Gambia, Holland and Papua New Guinea.
His distance education interests are in student support and retention, cost-benefits of student retention activities, ethical issues, learning motivation, e-learning and staff development. He has written several books, the latest of which ‘Supporting Students for Success in Online and Distance Education’ (2012, Routledge) which has just been translated into Chinese. He has also written ten book chapters and more than thirty journal articles, the most recent of which is “Challenging the ‘distance education deficit’ through ‘motivational emails’” Open Learning 2015: 30, (2) (with Inkelaar, T.)edit
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ABSTRACT The UK Open University has been in the business of attempting to widen participation in higher education for 35 years. This article gives a brief history of widening participation in the OU, surveys some of the issues involved... more
ABSTRACT The UK Open University has been in the business of attempting to widen participation in higher education for 35 years. This article gives a brief history of widening participation in the OU, surveys some of the issues involved including an analysis of the costs and benefits, and reports on the successes and failures of a recent set of widening participation projects. It concludes that whilst there have been some successes, the 'paradox of the title' means that the OU has not made the progress in widening participation that some of its founders had hoped. Nevertheless, the OU remains the largest single institution in the UK encouraging entrance to higher education for students with low previous educational qualifications, and its experience may be of interest to other institutions. The OU's most important contribution to widening participation appears to be the production of access materials such as the 'Openings' courses, although there is still scope for community-based projects. However, the OU is currently moving towards a policy of requiring its students to have access to the Internet by 2007. Current evidence suggests that access by disadvantaged groups will consequently be greatly restricted to the point where the OU's widening participation mission may be effectively closed down and the OU will become 'just another university'.
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Chapter from “Online Distance Education - Toward a Research Agenda" pub. Athabasca University Press (2014). This chapter is in the form of a dialogue between two educational researchers - both partly retired, but who have between... more
Chapter from “Online Distance Education - Toward a Research Agenda" pub. Athabasca University Press (2014). This chapter is in the form of a dialogue between two educational researchers - both partly retired, but who have between them spent more than 70 years in distance education, albeit in a large scale distance teaching institution, and the chapter should be read with that in mind The chapter is not an academic treatise – it does not contain an argument that is punctiliously supported by references. It is unashamedly polemical and reflects the authors’ contention that, while the research says quite a lot about the relative drop-out rates among students with various social and psychological characteristics and across different types of course delivery, there is an issue often (and indeed even scandalously) neglected in the hype about distance higher education, We are talking about the sheer volume of student dropout – this is our elephant in the room.
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About the book: This book provides a comprehensive overview of the organizational models of distance and online learning from an international perspective and from the point of view of economic planning, costing and management... more
About the book: This book provides a comprehensive overview of the organizational models of distance and online learning from an international perspective and from the point of view of economic planning, costing and management decision-making. The book points to directions for the further research and development in this area, and will promote further understanding and critical reflection on the part of administrators, practitioners and researchers of distance education. The experiences and perspectives in distance education in the US are balanced with those in other areas of the world.
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ABSTRACT In the chapter ‘Open to people – open with people: Ethical issues in open learning’, Ormond Simpson attributing multi-culturalism as the causative factor to study ethical dimensions in higher education in the UK, Stressing the... more
ABSTRACT In the chapter ‘Open to people – open with people: Ethical issues in open learning’, Ormond Simpson attributing multi-culturalism as the causative factor to study ethical dimensions in higher education in the UK, Stressing the need to review ethical issues in the light of recent developments like the increasing use of e-learning - Osmond laying emphasis for the need for formulation of models by Practitioners to judge ethical issues in distance and open learning instead of adapting from the medical fields, pose as a challenge that the Research, theory and practice should be focused to have optimum ethics in the field of distance education.
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A teacher deals with his own disapproval, strong emotions and judgemental attitudes while working with a student who has a past.
This article argues that universities' attitudes to student retention are essentially ambivalent. For example, increased retention can be seen as a sign of lower academic standards and thus, lower institutional status. The authors... more
This article argues that universities' attitudes to student retention are essentially ambivalent. For example, increased retention can be seen as a sign of lower academic standards and thus, lower institutional status. The authors suggest that this need not be the case and that retention can be increased with no effect on standards. However 'retentioneering' an institution in this way is likely to require substantial changes in institutional structures and staff attitudes. This article suggests ways in which such attitudes can be understood and possibly changed.
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ABSTRACT Abstract not available.
About the book: E-learning is growing around the world, with applications from schools to non-profits to business and industry and, of course, higher education. It has been heralded as the next democratizing force in education for... more
About the book: E-learning is growing around the world, with applications from schools to non-profits to business and industry and, of course, higher education. It has been heralded as the next democratizing force in education for offering access regardless of physical limitations, job status, geography, etc. It has also been challenged as representative of the myth of meritocracy for exacerbating the view that education alone rectifies failures to meet social needs. Further, the financial incentive to privatize education leads many to question its democratic merits. Global Perspectives on E-Learning: Rhetoric and Reality presents several cases of international online education and the rhetoric that surrounds this form of teaching and learning. Editor Alison A. Carr-Chellman examines the impact of online distance education throughout the world in an effort to understand more deeply the merits of such initiatives. Written from a critical perspective, the book sheds light on some of t...
This paper will argue that the future of distance education will be decided at least as much by economic factors as by technical ones. Distance education will need to demonstrate that it is a good solution in financial terms to the... more
This paper will argue that the future of distance education will be decided at least as much by economic factors as by technical ones. Distance education will need to demonstrate that it is a good solution in financial terms to the education needs of students facing the labour market in the 21 century and in fiscal terms to governments investing in educational systems. The paper explores the economic concepts of ‘return on investment’, ‘willing to pay’, ‘resale value of an education’ and ‘investment risk’ as they apply to distance education. In particular it will suggest that distance education, both as it stands today and in terms of current trends towards e-learning, may be either too inaccessible or too risky an investment for most potential students, and that distance education will fail to reach its potential unless it can increase its availability in the market and its rate of student success. Chapter written by Ormond SIMPSON 2 Distance and E-learning in Transition
Research Interests: Efficiency and Internet
The concept of sustainability is gaining acceptance in society and in business, but as this awareness has grown with available information, there are still some issues to address. One of these is gaining agreement on the effective... more
The concept of sustainability is gaining acceptance in society and in business, but as this awareness has grown with available information, there are still some issues to address. One of these is gaining agreement on the effective responses to maintaining business today ...
To my daughters, Anina and Leila, who gave the best kind of support I was at the Mathematical School, where the Master taught his Pupils after a Method scarce imaginable to us in Europe. The Proposition and Demonstra-tion were fairly... more
To my daughters, Anina and Leila, who gave the best kind of support I was at the Mathematical School, where the Master taught his Pupils after a Method scarce imaginable to us in Europe. The Proposition and Demonstra-tion were fairly written on a thin wafer, with Ink ...
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Course choice is an important part of the progression of transforming a potential student into a successful undergraduate. Yet the processes and materials of course choice have attracted little attention, it being assumed that the... more
Course choice is an important part of the progression of transforming a potential student into a successful undergraduate. Yet the processes and materials of course choice have attracted little attention, it being assumed that the activity will involve an adviser ...
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This review is of the role of face to face (f2f) study in distance education and comprises an international review with a set of case studies.
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Abstract Graduation rates in distance higher education are low compared with full-time higher education - often less than 20% compared with full time UK rates of around 80% - the ‘distance education deficit’. In the University of London... more
Abstract
Graduation rates in distance higher education are low compared with full-time higher education - often less than 20% compared with full time UK rates of around 80% - the ‘distance education deficit’. In the University of London International Programmes the difference between the face-to-face graduation rate of 61.5% and the distance version at 15.7% is particularly marked.
A previous paper in Open Learning reported evidence that ‘proactive motivational support’ to distance students had some effect on their success rates. This paper reports an attempt in the International Programmes to use proactive motivational support in the form of ‘motivational emails’ which found an increase in retention of 2.5%. Although this increase was small, it had a positive financial return on investment to the institution.
The paper suggests that motivational emails could be made more effective through the use of interactivity, nudging and priming. However it also argues that distance student retention will always depend less on technology and more on personal human support.
Keywords
Distance education, graduation, retention, dropout, motivational emails, cost/benefits of retention activities
Graduation rates in distance higher education are low compared with full-time higher education - often less than 20% compared with full time UK rates of around 80% - the ‘distance education deficit’. In the University of London International Programmes the difference between the face-to-face graduation rate of 61.5% and the distance version at 15.7% is particularly marked.
A previous paper in Open Learning reported evidence that ‘proactive motivational support’ to distance students had some effect on their success rates. This paper reports an attempt in the International Programmes to use proactive motivational support in the form of ‘motivational emails’ which found an increase in retention of 2.5%. Although this increase was small, it had a positive financial return on investment to the institution.
The paper suggests that motivational emails could be made more effective through the use of interactivity, nudging and priming. However it also argues that distance student retention will always depend less on technology and more on personal human support.
Keywords
Distance education, graduation, retention, dropout, motivational emails, cost/benefits of retention activities
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A short report of some research I've completed for the UKOU on the role of f2f teaching in distance education.
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Whilst accepting that distance education has been a huge success in many ways this paper suggests that there is evidence that there a ‘distance education deficit’ with many distance institutions having less than a quarter of the... more
Whilst accepting that distance education has been a huge success in many ways this paper suggests that there is evidence that there a ‘distance education deficit’ with many distance institutions having less than a quarter of the graduation rates of conventional institutions.
The paper surveys some of the reasons why such a deficit should occur and asks what damage it might do to students, institutions and society. It suggests that one reason for the deficit is the ‘category error’ of confusing teaching with learning and that institutions have focused too much on the provision of teaching materials, especially online, and too little on motivating students to learn. It maintains that there is accumulating evidence for the essentiality of proactive contact for overcoming dropout and the importance of making that contact motivational. It shows that such an approach is financially viable and can make a surplus for the institutional if carefully designed.
Finally whilst briefly surveying some of the new developments in distance education in the form of MOOCS, learning analytics, and the use of smartphones, it suggests more speculatively that rather than resources or organization, the main barriers to increasing student success in distance education are institutional attitudes to student retention.
The paper surveys some of the reasons why such a deficit should occur and asks what damage it might do to students, institutions and society. It suggests that one reason for the deficit is the ‘category error’ of confusing teaching with learning and that institutions have focused too much on the provision of teaching materials, especially online, and too little on motivating students to learn. It maintains that there is accumulating evidence for the essentiality of proactive contact for overcoming dropout and the importance of making that contact motivational. It shows that such an approach is financially viable and can make a surplus for the institutional if carefully designed.
Finally whilst briefly surveying some of the new developments in distance education in the form of MOOCS, learning analytics, and the use of smartphones, it suggests more speculatively that rather than resources or organization, the main barriers to increasing student success in distance education are institutional attitudes to student retention.
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Whilst accepting that distance education has been a huge success in many ways this paper suggests that there is evidence that there a ‘distance education deficit’ with many distance institutions having less than a quarter of the... more
Whilst accepting that distance education has been a huge success in many ways this paper suggests that there is evidence that there a ‘distance education deficit’ with many distance institutions having less than a quarter of the graduation rates of conventional institutions.
The paper surveys some of the reasons why such a deficit should occur and asks what damage it might do to students, institutions and society. It suggests that one reason for the deficit is the ‘category error’ of confusing teaching with learning and that institutions have focused too much on the provision of teaching materials, especially online, and too little on motivating students to learn. It maintains that there is accumulating evidence for the essentiality of proactive contact for overcoming dropout and the importance of making that contact motivational. It shows that such an approach is financially viable and can make a surplus for the institutional if carefully designed.
Finally whilst briefly surveying some of the new developments in distance education in the form of MOOCS, learning analytics, and the use of smartphones, it suggests more speculatively that rather than resources or organization, the main barriers to increasing student success in distance education are institutional attitudes to student retention.
The paper surveys some of the reasons why such a deficit should occur and asks what damage it might do to students, institutions and society. It suggests that one reason for the deficit is the ‘category error’ of confusing teaching with learning and that institutions have focused too much on the provision of teaching materials, especially online, and too little on motivating students to learn. It maintains that there is accumulating evidence for the essentiality of proactive contact for overcoming dropout and the importance of making that contact motivational. It shows that such an approach is financially viable and can make a surplus for the institutional if carefully designed.
Finally whilst briefly surveying some of the new developments in distance education in the form of MOOCS, learning analytics, and the use of smartphones, it suggests more speculatively that rather than resources or organization, the main barriers to increasing student success in distance education are institutional attitudes to student retention.
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An interview about the high dropout rates in distance education
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An interview of Professor Ormond Simpson by LIU Yongquan and LI Ying on the high dropout rates from distance education.
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ABSTRACT The UK Open University has been in the business of attempting to widen participation in higher education for 35 years. This article gives a brief history of widening participation in the OU, surveys some of the issues involved... more
ABSTRACT
The UK Open University has been in the business of attempting to widen participation in higher education for 35 years. This article gives a brief history of widening participation in the OU, surveys some of the issues involved including a brief analysis of the costs and benefits, and reports on the successes and failures of a recent set of widening participation projects.
It concludes that whilst there have been some successes, the ‘paradox of the title’ means that the OU has not made the progress in widening participation that some of its founders had hoped. Nevertheless the OU remains the largest single institution in the UK encouraging entrance to higher education for students with low previous educational qualifications and its experience may be of interest to other institutions.
The OU’s most important contribution to widening participation appears to be the production of access materials such as the ‘Openings’ courses although there is still scope for community-based projects. However the OU is currently moving towards a policy of requiring its students to have access to the Internet by 2007. Current evidence suggests that access by disadvantaged groups will consequently be greatly restricted to the point where the OU’s widening participation mission may be effectively closed down and the OU will become ‘just another university’.
KEYWORDS widening participation, educationally disadvantaged students, low previous educational qualifications, ‘Openings’ Courses, Open University, e-learning, retention, costs and benefits
The UK Open University has been in the business of attempting to widen participation in higher education for 35 years. This article gives a brief history of widening participation in the OU, surveys some of the issues involved including a brief analysis of the costs and benefits, and reports on the successes and failures of a recent set of widening participation projects.
It concludes that whilst there have been some successes, the ‘paradox of the title’ means that the OU has not made the progress in widening participation that some of its founders had hoped. Nevertheless the OU remains the largest single institution in the UK encouraging entrance to higher education for students with low previous educational qualifications and its experience may be of interest to other institutions.
The OU’s most important contribution to widening participation appears to be the production of access materials such as the ‘Openings’ courses although there is still scope for community-based projects. However the OU is currently moving towards a policy of requiring its students to have access to the Internet by 2007. Current evidence suggests that access by disadvantaged groups will consequently be greatly restricted to the point where the OU’s widening participation mission may be effectively closed down and the OU will become ‘just another university’.
KEYWORDS widening participation, educationally disadvantaged students, low previous educational qualifications, ‘Openings’ Courses, Open University, e-learning, retention, costs and benefits
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Chapter argues that issues of social exclusion still exist in e-learning
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Chapter from “Online Distance Education - Toward a Research Agenda" pub. Athabasca University Press (2014). This chapter is in the form of a dialogue between two educational researchers - both partly retired, but who have between them... more
Chapter from “Online Distance Education - Toward a Research Agenda" pub. Athabasca University Press (2014).
This chapter is in the form of a dialogue between two educational researchers - both partly retired, but who have between them spent more than 70 years in distance education, albeit in a large scale distance teaching institution, and the chapter should be read with that in mind The chapter is not an academic treatise – it does not contain an argument that is punctiliously supported by references. It is unashamedly polemical and reflects the authors’ contention that, while the research says quite a lot about the relative drop-out rates among students with various social and psychological characteristics and across different types of course delivery, there is an issue often (and indeed even scandalously) neglected in the hype about distance higher education, We are talking about the sheer volume of student dropout – this is our elephant in the room.
This chapter is in the form of a dialogue between two educational researchers - both partly retired, but who have between them spent more than 70 years in distance education, albeit in a large scale distance teaching institution, and the chapter should be read with that in mind The chapter is not an academic treatise – it does not contain an argument that is punctiliously supported by references. It is unashamedly polemical and reflects the authors’ contention that, while the research says quite a lot about the relative drop-out rates among students with various social and psychological characteristics and across different types of course delivery, there is an issue often (and indeed even scandalously) neglected in the hype about distance higher education, We are talking about the sheer volume of student dropout – this is our elephant in the room.
Research Interests:
This paper brings together some data on student retention in distance education in the form of graduation rates at a sample of distance institutions. It suggests that there is a ‘distance education deficit’ with many distance... more
This paper brings together some data on student retention in distance education in the form of graduation rates at a sample of distance institutions. It suggests that there is a ‘distance education deficit’ with many distance institutions having less than a quarter of the graduation rates of conventional institutions. It looks in some detail at the data for one well-known institution - the UK Open University - and surveys some of the reasons why such a deficit should occur and asks what the effects are on students, institutions and society as a whole.
The paper suggests that one reason for the deficit is the ‘category error’ of confusing teaching with learning, and that institutions have focused too much on the provision of teaching materials, especially online, and too little on motivating students to learn. It maintains that there is accumulating evidence for the essentiality of proactive contact for overcoming dropout and the importance of making that contact motivational. It claims that such an approach is financially viable and can make surpluses for the institutions concerned if carefully designed.
Finally whilst briefly surveying some of the new developments in distance education in the form of MOOCS, learning analytics, and the use of smartphones, it suggests more speculatively that rather than resources or organization, the main barriers to increasing student success in distance education are institutional attitudes to student retention.
The paper suggests that one reason for the deficit is the ‘category error’ of confusing teaching with learning, and that institutions have focused too much on the provision of teaching materials, especially online, and too little on motivating students to learn. It maintains that there is accumulating evidence for the essentiality of proactive contact for overcoming dropout and the importance of making that contact motivational. It claims that such an approach is financially viable and can make surpluses for the institutions concerned if carefully designed.
Finally whilst briefly surveying some of the new developments in distance education in the form of MOOCS, learning analytics, and the use of smartphones, it suggests more speculatively that rather than resources or organization, the main barriers to increasing student success in distance education are institutional attitudes to student retention.
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Chapter from 'Captivation: Student Engagement and Development through Assessment’ Ed. Clouder, Brougham, Jewell, and Steventon iPED Coventry University, pub. Routledge ISBN 978-0-41561820-5
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This article argues that in the drive to develop e‐learning initiatives in distance learning, simpler ways of supporting students for retention may be overlooked; for example, the linking of students in the form of mentoring and peer... more
This article argues that in the drive to develop e‐learning initiatives in distance learning, simpler ways of supporting students for retention may be overlooked; for example, the linking of students in the form of mentoring and peer support networks. The article reports on three mentoring projects, in the United Kingdom, Korea and New Zealand, and shows that apparent retention gains of up to 20% with a return on investment of the order of magnitude of several hundred per cent may be possible. Whilst accepting the limitations of these studies, the article argues that there needs to be a clearer understanding of the benefits of such initiatives when deciding to invest time and funding in distance education support. It suggests that there is still much mileage to be made out of mentoring and ‘study dating’.
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This article argues that universities’ attitudes to student retention are essentially ambivalent. For example, increased retention can be seen as a sign of lower academic standards and thus, lower institutional status. The authors... more
This article argues that universities’ attitudes to student retention are essentially ambivalent. For example, increased retention can be seen as a sign of lower academic standards and thus, lower institutional status. The authors suggest that this need not be the case and that retention can be increased with no effect on standards. However ‘retentioneering’ an institution in this way is likely to require substantial changes in institutional structures and staff attitudes. This article suggests ways in which such attitudes can be understood and possibly changed.
Research Interests:
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This paper reviews some of the ways in which student success can be predicted in conventional and distance education. Predicting such success is particularly important for new students where the pre‐course start information available is... more
This paper reviews some of the ways in which student success can be predicted in conventional and distance education. Predicting such success is particularly important for new students where the pre‐course start information available is sometimes slight and withdrawal often occurs very early in a course. It suggests that, in such cases, statistical methods involving logistic regression analysis are more useful than questionnaires or tutors’ opinions. Identifying students with low probability of success allows support to be targeted on them. However, there are ethical dilemmas to do with targeting support and openness with students about the results of any analysis.
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Research Interests:
Introduction “Follow the money” – ‘Deep Throat’ There are many excellent reasons for promoting the idea of personal tutoring in UK higher education. Some arguments centre around essentially ethical ideas of giving students a fair and... more
Introduction
“Follow the money” – ‘Deep Throat’
There are many excellent reasons for promoting the idea of personal tutoring in UK higher education. Some arguments centre around essentially ethical ideas of giving students a fair and just deal, some arguments around the fact that as participation widens increasing numbers of less well-prepared students may enter higher education and require increased support and so on. This chapter will attempt to argue the case for personal tutoring from a financial perspective – in the words of Bernstein and Woodward’s secret source in the Watergate affair ‘Deep Throat’, it will attempt to “Follow the money”.
“Follow the money” – ‘Deep Throat’
There are many excellent reasons for promoting the idea of personal tutoring in UK higher education. Some arguments centre around essentially ethical ideas of giving students a fair and just deal, some arguments around the fact that as participation widens increasing numbers of less well-prepared students may enter higher education and require increased support and so on. This chapter will attempt to argue the case for personal tutoring from a financial perspective – in the words of Bernstein and Woodward’s secret source in the Watergate affair ‘Deep Throat’, it will attempt to “Follow the money”.
Research Interests:
The increasing multi-culturalism in its society has recently encouraged the study of ethical dimensions in higher education in the UK. Distance and open learning has long had such a dimension but this paper will argue that ethical issues... more
The increasing multi-culturalism in its society has recently encouraged the study of ethical dimensions in higher education in the UK. Distance and open learning has long had such a dimension but this paper will argue that ethical issues need to be reviewed in the light of recent developments. Three examples in distance education are taken: the increasing use of e-learning, dropout rates, and the development of methods of predicting student success. Some evidence suggests that e-learning may harm the openness of open learning given the numbers of educationally disadvantaged potential students which it will exclude. Dropout rates in distance education appear to be markedly higher than is conventional learning which raises ethical issues of honesty and openness, and finally the use of methods in which a student’s success can be predicted raises ethical issues about if and how that information should be communicated to that student.
Considerable work has gone into the development of a discourse of medical ethics in response to modern developments in medicine. But this chapter suggests that medical models are inadequate to judge ethical issues in distance and open learning and it calls for the development of a similar discourse in the ethics of distance and open learning.
Considerable work has gone into the development of a discourse of medical ethics in response to modern developments in medicine. But this chapter suggests that medical models are inadequate to judge ethical issues in distance and open learning and it calls for the development of a similar discourse in the ethics of distance and open learning.
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A Guide to Adminstering Distance Learning
Ed Lauren Cifuentes, Pub Brill (2020), ISBN 978-90-04-47136-8
CHAPTER 13
ADMINISTERING DISTANCE EDUCATION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
Ed Lauren Cifuentes, Pub Brill (2020), ISBN 978-90-04-47136-8
CHAPTER 13
ADMINISTERING DISTANCE EDUCATION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
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This chapter is a little different from other chapters in this book. It is in the form of a dialogue between two educational researchers, both partly retired, who have between them spent more than 70 years in distance education. The... more
This chapter is a little different from other chapters in this book. It is in the form of a dialogue between two educational researchers, both partly retired, who have between them spent more than 70 years in distance education.
The chapter is not an academic treatise—it does not contain an argument supported by references. It is unashamedly polemical and reflects the authors’ contention that there is an issue often (and indeed even scandalously) neglected in the hype about distance education: student dropout.
The chapter is not an academic treatise—it does not contain an argument supported by references. It is unashamedly polemical and reflects the authors’ contention that there is an issue often (and indeed even scandalously) neglected in the hype about distance education: student dropout.
Research Interests:
Supporting Students for Success in Online and Distance Education This is a book and regrettably I cannot supply it online for copyright reasons. It is available from the publishers Routledge of New York. See:... more
Supporting Students for Success in Online and Distance Education
This is a book and regrettably I cannot supply it online for copyright reasons. It is available from the publishers Routledge of New York. See: https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Students-for-Success-in-Online-and-Distance-Education-Third/Simpson/p/book/9780415509107 You can find many articles and presentations on distance education on my website - www.ormondsimpson.com - all of which are freely available.
This is a book and regrettably I cannot supply it online for copyright reasons. It is available from the publishers Routledge of New York. See: https://www.routledge.com/Supporting-Students-for-Success-in-Online-and-Distance-Education-Third/Simpson/p/book/9780415509107 You can find many articles and presentations on distance education on my website - www.ormondsimpson.com - all of which are freely available.
A video of a presentation given in the Empower series of the EADTU - 28 September 2016
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Face to face contact in distance education
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What are the chances? - Predicting student success - letter to Times Higher
Education
Education
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Depersonalising the UK Open University - how the UKOU's current strategy is degrading the personal link between students and tutors with consequences for its success rates.
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An EdTech note in the Commonwealth Educational Media centre for Asia (CEMCA) series edited by Ramesh Sharma. it covers - Why Student Support? - Defining Student Support - Academic and non-academic support - Instigating support -... more
An EdTech note in the Commonwealth Educational Media centre for Asia (CEMCA) series edited by Ramesh Sharma. it covers
- Why Student Support?
- Defining Student Support
- Academic and non-academic support
- Instigating support
- Sources of support
- Timing of support
- Media for support
- Support for different students
- Institutional organisation for support
- Costs and benefits of support
- Why Student Support?
- Defining Student Support
- Academic and non-academic support
- Instigating support
- Sources of support
- Timing of support
- Media for support
- Support for different students
- Institutional organisation for support
- Costs and benefits of support
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CEMCA works in two major sectors: Education and Livelihoods & Health. In both these sectors, it’s main focus is on the use of appropriate educational communication technologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning. CEMCA has... more
CEMCA works in two major sectors: Education and Livelihoods & Health. In both these sectors, it’s main focus is on the use of appropriate educational communication technologies to improve the quality of teaching and learning. CEMCA has been engaged in the promotion of low-cost open source technologies for promoting online learning in the Asian region. While it is not a technology organization, it is engaged in experimenting with learning technologies to showcase the benefits and guide others on how to use technology for learning. CEMCA has promoted the following:
Educational Multimedia
eLearning
Radio Enabled Learning
Open Educational Resources
Community Radio
Television
Teleconference
Educational Multimedia
eLearning
Radio Enabled Learning
Open Educational Resources
Community Radio
Television
Teleconference
Research Interests: Information Technology, Communication, Teaching and Learning, Education, Media Studies, and 19 moreNew Media, Educational Technology, Teacher Education, Research Methodology, Higher Education, Digital Media, Educational Research, Learning and Teaching, Community Development, Human Resource Management, ICT in Education, Digital Media & Learning, Social Media, Education Policy, Agriculture, Market Research, Marketing Research, Media, and Educación
A video of a presentation given at the Open University of Sri Lanka on 1st June 2017. A survey of the technological, social, ethical, psychological, financial and political futures of online and distance education.
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I'm pretty sure all distance educators like the concept of students learning collaboratively. But nothing's straightforward in ODL and it's worth asking some questions: 1. Why do we like collaborative learning? 2. Is it to improve... more
I'm pretty sure all distance educators like the concept of students learning collaboratively. But nothing's straightforward in ODL and it's worth asking some questions:
1. Why do we like collaborative learning?
2. Is it to improve learning, overcome isolation or to save money?
3. What's the best way to help students get together? - forums, mentoring, 'study dating'?
4. Do students really like it? Or do some find it unhelpful and even threatening?
5. What are the potential pitfalls? Group assessment? Internet harassment? Most importantly! - does it work?
1. Why do we like collaborative learning?
2. Is it to improve learning, overcome isolation or to save money?
3. What's the best way to help students get together? - forums, mentoring, 'study dating'?
4. Do students really like it? Or do some find it unhelpful and even threatening?
5. What are the potential pitfalls? Group assessment? Internet harassment? Most importantly! - does it work?
Research Interests:
I'm pretty sure all distance educators like the concept of students learning collaboratively. But nothing's straightforward in ODL and it's worth asking some questions: 1. Why do we like collaborative learning? 2. Is it to improve... more
I'm pretty sure all distance educators like the concept of students learning collaboratively. But nothing's straightforward in ODL and it's worth asking some questions:
1. Why do we like collaborative learning?
2. Is it to improve learning, overcome isolation or to save money?
3. What's the best way to help students get together? - forums, mentoring, 'study dating'?
4. Do students really like it? Or do some find it unhelpful and even threatening?
5. What are the potential pitfalls? Group assessment? Internet harassment?
Most importantly! - does it work?
1. Why do we like collaborative learning?
2. Is it to improve learning, overcome isolation or to save money?
3. What's the best way to help students get together? - forums, mentoring, 'study dating'?
4. Do students really like it? Or do some find it unhelpful and even threatening?
5. What are the potential pitfalls? Group assessment? Internet harassment?
Most importantly! - does it work?