I am Director of Research and Evaluation at the Institute for Learning Technologies as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Program in Computers, Communication, Technology, and Education at Teachers College. As a researcher and evaluator, I work on all kinds of projects, mostly K-12 classroom-based curriculum interventions and mostly in math, science, and engineering (because that is where the funding is, both at the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education). As part of this work, I have researched many teacher professional development initiatives, including some that were offered online, and in 2005 I was invited to conduct one of eight studies funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education to study online learning. Since then, I have done more and more research on the rapidly growing world of online learning. Since 2006, I have also been evaluating the new International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme Online, which is increasing the number of courses offered each year. This has given me a great opportunity to look closely at online teaching and learning.
Although I have been studying online teaching and learning for several years, last year was the first year I taught one. I found creating the course an interesting challenge, particularly coming up with assignments that would be learning experiences. The students in last year's course liked it but had some helpful ideas that I have incorporated this year. I will be soliciting your ideas for improving this iteration at the end of the course.
I should add that I am an anthropologist, which means that I am always interested in the big picture (the context) as well as the little picture (interactions between people, or between people and context). You can read more about my past and my current work on the ILT website:
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/about/staff_list.html
Hi Susan. I had read your bio back in December when I first saw the link to preview our course outline as a guest on Moodle, and just revisited it again today. Your background is impressive and diversified. You have worked on so many different initiatives, many I am unfamiliar with, but as a librarian a few caught my eye, namely the Reinventing Libraries Project and Living Schoolbook Project. When I googled both to find out more about them, I came away with a few questions:
ReplyDelete1. "Reinventing Libraries" has become a bit of a catch-phrase. What was the meaning or focus with the particular initiative you worked on?
2. Of the projects or collaborations from the Living Schoolbook which do you personally feel have provided the most successful innovations or reform? Why?
Dr. Lowes-
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really amazing that you are working with the online IB program. Last year our high school eliminated the IB program for the students due to funding issues. I think that many times, the issue of funding overtakes the issue of what is best for the students. We do still have the AP courses offered in the high school, yet the students do not have the opportunity to take the IB courses anymore. The high school in which I work, used to pride itself on that it was an IB school; however, now we cannot. By providing the courses online to the students through an IB fostered environment the students are able to experience the IB world and gain the knowledge that they should be receiving in high school.
I wish that our school would not have eliminated these courses/program; however, I as one person cannot do anything. I am glad though to see that the students someday will be offered the options to possibly work online instead of not receiving the education at all.
Thank you and I am looking forward to learning a lot this semester.
-Lindsay