Stephen C. Ehrmann's Blog (4)

"Culture of evidence" is a controversial phrase within the TLT Group. For me, it's the best way I've heard to describe whether an institution informally and formally supports the intentional gathering and use of information before making choices, whether that choice is "How do I teach tomorrow?" or "How do we get more value from what we spend on a learning management system?" Steve Gilbert objects to the phrase. To his ears, it sounds reductionistic, simplistic, divisive, and unintentionally ins… Continue

In the early days of distance learning (correspondence, traveling faculty, telecourses, etc.) the question was always, "Distance learning can't possibly be as good as face-to-face campus learning, can it?" However, the evidence began to pile up that, measured by faculty member's own exams, distance learning courses were usually just as good (bad?) as their campus equivalents. There was 'no significant difference' in exam scores when faculty taught two version of the same course, on at a distanc… Continue

The mantra of many assessment efforts is "outcomes" and its companion concept, Student Learning Objectives. Nothing wrong with either idea, so long as they're not being applied to a fault. It's the tenth anniversary of this invited address to the American Association for Higher Education, 'What Outcomes Assessment Misses." The talk began by stating some common sense ideas about assessment: 1. Create goals for all students in the pro… Continue

It's been fifty years. The dream, ever since computers were first employed in postsecondary teaching and learning, has been to revolutionize education: make higher learning more active, individualized, collaborative, etc., educating students from a wider variety of backgrounds and producing graduates who would be far more creative, effective, and insightful. Technology would provide the power tools, resources, tutorials, simulations, communications channels, and more in order to make such change… Continue