Best Bets' Archive	A publication of Project Eagle, St. Petersburg College

Best Bets Archives

For a subscription to BEEP, contact the Project Manager: lechnerj@spcollege.edu

BEEP's Best Bets' Archives*

Final Revision September 1, 2007**

This archival BEEP feature, available only in the online version of the publication, is an accumulation of the best Websites featured in past issues. These links are arranged in the broad e-learning categories that are of continued interest to those involved in St. Petersburg College’s Project Eagle.

*The number in parentheses indicates the issue of BEEP in which this Website last appeared.

**BEEP ceased publication on September 1, 2007.
For an overview of the accomplishments of Project Eagle, an eight-year effort
(1999-2007) to build a national e-learning model using Congressionally-authorized funds, see
Project Eagle Revisited Part I,
Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), Number 57, 7/1/07
and
Project Eagle Revisited Part II,
Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), Number 58, 9/1/07

Administration

The Game Is On: Applying Computer Gaming Principles to E-Learning. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 1/1/07. Entire issue looks at the increasingly popular idea of adapting video gaming techniques to e-learning materials’ development. (54)
Online Retention: Keeping Students Enrolled and Engaged. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 11/1/06. Entire issue is devoted to the subject of student retention, with links to both online enrollment and retention in general, plus a section on keeping e-learners engaged in their courses. (53)
The Changing Academic Library, Web 2.0 and Putting the Two Together. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 7/1/06. Entire issue is devoted to the revolutionary changes in academic library services, the controversial concept of Web 2.0, and how libraries’ delivery of information may be altered even more dramatically by the use of Web 2.0’s strategies. (51)
"Changing a Cultural Icon: The Academic Library As a Virtual Destination." In-depth article by Jerry D. Campbell in Educause Review (41:1), 1-2/06, on the accepted obsolescence of the traditional academic library, with suggestions for an electronic future. (49)
Educating the Net Generation. Free collection of essays by Educause, 2006, on the concept of "Net Gen" students and implications for their education. Downloadable chapter by chapter. (49)
Dealing with Disaster from a Distance: Hurricane Katrina and Beyond." Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 11/1/05. Entire issue reports on post-hurricane e-learning efforts provided nationwide, as well as information on planning for disaster recovery. (47)
"51 Competencies for Online Instructors." Article by Theodore C. Smith in The Journal of Educators Online, (2:2), July 2005, that identifies 51 specific skill sets needed for e-faculty to succeed and outlines a training program that addresses those needs. (46)
Hybrid Courses: Blending Online and Face-to-Face Instruction. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 7/1/05.Entire issue examines the hybrid or blended course concept, an increasingly popular alternative in which face-to-face and online instruction are combined to a greater or lesser extent. (45)
What Makes an Award-Winning E-Learning Program: A Look at St. Petersburg College's eCampus. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 11/1/04. Entire issue is devoted to the accomplishments of the St. Petersburg College (FL) eCampus. (41)
"Online Course Development: What Does It Cost?" Article by Judith Boettcher in Syllabus (17:12), July/August 2004, that proposes a few guidelines for predicting the costs involved in the design and development of online courses. (40)
Learning Contracts, Service Standards, and Learning Support Agreements. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 5/1/04. Entire issue examines shared responsibility in the e-learning process, as demonstrated by the use of learning contracts, service standards, and learning support agreements. (38)
Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Another complete and downloadable book, this one edited by Terry Anderson and Fathi Elloumi, Athabasca University (Canada), 2004, that is self-described as a "perceptive and complete guide" revisiting "the great dichotomies that have marked the history of open and distance learning." (38)
Instructional Management Systems. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 1/1/04. Entire issue is devoted to an examination of course/learning/learning content management systems: the background/theory behind them, Websites with links to commercial and open software, and case studies that can aid in the selection process. (36)
"Motivation and Incentives for Distance Faculty." Article by Angie Parker, Yavapai College (AZ), that presents the results of a study on what motivates e-faculty. Analysis of more than 100 articles showed that e-faculty teach for self-satisfaction, flexible scheduling, wider audience, stipends, decreased workload, release time and using new technology. (35)
"A New Definition of Technological Literacy." Worth-reading editorial by Geoffrey Fletcher in T.H.E. Focus, on how the 1980's definition of computer literacy has given way to the new concept of technological literacy. The latter, far more integrated than the first, is one of using technology to learn, rather than simply learning about technology. (35)
MIT Open Courseware. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Collection of course materials and other services created by MIT faculty and made available to the public. (26)
Distance Education Clearinghouse. University of Wisconsin Website that brings together e-learning information from local, national and international sources. (15)
Distance Learning Exchange. Free, easy-to-use service maintained by the State of Pennsylvania that provides a clearinghouse for many Web-based educational opportunities. (15)
Web-Based Learning Resources Library. Educator's resource for delivery and management of education via the Internet by Robert W. Jackson of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (12)
Determining the Costs of Online Classes. Interactive Website developed by Brian M. Morgan of Marshall University (West VA) to help users determine if the development of a particular online course is economically feasible for their institutions. (5)

Assessment and Evaluation

"Ten Top Digital Colleges for 2005." Press release, 4/6/05, about the top institutions selected by the Center for Digital Education and American Association of Community Colleges. (45)
E-Learning Evaluation: Standards and Procedures. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 9/1/04. Entire issue examines various aspects of formal e-learning assessment, including general evaluation, evaluation of faculty performance, course content review, and students' assessment of their own e-learning experiences. (40)
Free Assessment Summary Tool (FAST). Simple online tool for instructors to assess students' impressions of their courses and their teaching. (26)
Teaching Goals Inventory. University of Iowa. Web tool that allows instructors to evaluate their own instructional goals. Originally developed by Patricia Cross and Thomas Angelo. (26)
Criteria for Evaluating Online Courses. List of suggested criteria for assessment posted on the Southern Regional Education Board's Website.(25)
Program Evaluation. Penn State Website that provides information to design and implement a useful program evaluation. It includes tipsheets, examples and links to other resources. (17)

Assistive Technologies

"Programmers Try to Keep Disability Access Up to Date with the Web's Dynamic Advances." Associated Press release, 1/16/07, on the need for and development of new systems like iAccessible2 to handle new and dynamic Web 2.0 features. (55)
Google Site to Aid the Blind. Website for the blind and visually impaired. Takes into account several factors, including a given page’s simplicity, how much visual imagery it carries, and if its primary purpose is immediately viable with keyboard navigation. (53)
Innovative Tactile Solutions for the Blind . First released by the VirTouch Corporation in December 2003, the mouse-like VTPlayer lets the visually impaired experience images of all kinds in a tactile way. The company continues to add educational software products compatible with the VTPlayer, which can be installed on almost all Windows-based computers. (45)
AccessDL. Website of the National Center on Accessible Distance Learning, a DOE-funded organization that shares guidance and resources on making e-learning courses accessible to students and instructors with disabilities. (44)
Bookshare.org. Nonprofit digital book service that allows downloading of thousands of titles for blind and learning-disabled students for as little as $6.00 per text. Chosen as one of the top ed-tech stories of 2004 by eSchool News. (44)
Adaptive Technology Resource Centre. Website maintained at the University of Toronto that advances information technology accessible to all.Includes many links to outside sources. (37)
AbleData. Website maintained by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education. Links to many assistive technology resources. (5)

Associations and Organizations

New Media Consortium. International nonprofit consortium of nearly 200 leading learning-focused organizations that explore and use new media and new technologies. (44)
Merlot. Well-known and growing collection of peer-reviewed online learning materials and more. Officially titled Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching. (26)
World Lecture Hall. University of Texas. Links to pages created by faculty worldwide who are using the Web to deliver course materials. (26)
Global Alliance for Transnational Education (GATE). International organization concerned with quality that has devised a standard of best practices for transnational education. (23)
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). Global, non-governmental organization responsible for open and distance learning, with members from 140 countries. (23)
Community College Baccalaureate Association. Association that promotes the development and acceptance of community college baccalaureate degrees. (20)
Consortium of Distance Education. Consortium hosted by Burlington Community College (NJ) to acquire and share knowledge about state-of-the-art e-learning in higher education. (20)
Instructional Technology Council (ITC). Organization that provides leadership, information and resources to expand and enhance e-learning through the use of technology. (20)
League for Innovation in the Community College. Organization that offers innovative solutions and extensive information about e-learning, with a focus on community colleges. (20)
Educause. Association of more than 1900 colleges and 200 corporations formed to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. (15)
Global Network Academy. In addition to a list of thousands of e-courses and e-learning programs, the academy provides some free Website hosting and links to useful resources. (15)
Regional and Statewide Efforts. In addition to national organizations and associations, regions and states have formed agencies that allow participation by those within their boundaries. The Electronic Campus of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), for example, provides services to institutions in that region. State-level ventures like the Florida Distance Learning Consortium is just one of many. (15)
United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). Non-profit organization formed in 1987 to promote development of e-learning at all levels, including home school education, corporate training, military/government training, and telemedicine. (15)
World Association for Online Education (WAOE). International professional organization concerned with teaching online, public services for international society, and collaboration with other educational organizations functioning in cyberspace. (15)

Free Information Sources

Northern Light. Recent reappearance of a venerable search engine (1997-2002), now largely devoted to business research, that provides access to both free and fee-based online sources. (56)
OldMagazineArticles.com Website with free access to magazine articles back to the early 20th century, presented in the same format in which they first appeared, including illustrations. (55)
OpenDOAR. Authoritative directory of academic open-access repositories maintained by the University of Nottingham (UK). As well as providing a simple repository list, OpenDOAR lets users search for repositories or repository contents. (54)
"New Search Engines Help Users Find Blogs." Article by Vauchini Vara, copied from The Wall Street Journal, 9/7/05, reporting on new blog-searching products like Technorati, Feedster, Bloglines, IceRocket, and DayPop. (47)
Free Software and Information Sources for E-Learning. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 4/1/05. Entire issue is devoted to exaamining the latest in free and open source software, as well as new information sources for e-learning. (44)
Distance Education Clearinghouse Conference Database. Excellent month-by-month lists of worldwide conferences, seminars, workshops and other events related to e-learning. (41)
Highbeam Research. Formerly called eLibrary, a Website with more than 32 million documents from 2,800+ sources, updated daily and going back twenty years. Free membership includes searches of both articles (unlimited) and Web sources (five), and allows profiles and search query saves. Paid membership, with full-text articles, is $19.95/month or $99.95/year. (41)
Google and Beyond: Finding Information on the Web. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 7/1/04. Entire issue examines the Google phenomenon, as well its alternatives and methods of conducting Web-based research. (39)
Landmark Citation Machine. Web tool by David Warwick of The Landmark Project that creates bibliographic citations either in APA, 5th edition, or MLA, 6th edition, format simply by entering information about the source, which may include articles, interviews, Web pages, and more. (38)
Educator's Reference Desk. With the terminations of its question/answer AskERIC service in December 2003, the DOE has set up a Website that continues to offer an interface to the ERIC database, plus access to links to online education information previously assembled by AskERIC. (37)
Project Eagle Research Capsules. Summaries of recent e-learning research reports and statstics. Produced by Project Eagle, a $470,750 grant, 8/1/03-7/31/07, St. Petersburg College. (37)
Library.Spot.com. Award-winning, free, reviewed, vertical information portal for easily finding topical information of all kinds. (35)
Libraries on the Web: USA Academic Libraries. Website maintained at the University of California, Berkeley, that lists and links to all academic libraries that offer online services. (27)
Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections. Searchable database with more than 40,000 academically valuable e-sources. (26)
Martindale's - The Reference Desk. Incredibly exhaustive and award-winning Web site created by one individual, Jim Martindale. Includes interactive sign language and Braille access. (26)
The Freebie Directory. Just about anything that can be obtained for free via the Internet. (26)

Innovative Technologies

Part I: A Smarter Web. Article by John Borland in Technology Review, 3/19/07, about the Semantic Web concept, that will make online searching more intelligent by giving computers the ability to understand Web content. See also Part II, 3/20/07, on the same subject. (56)
The Seventh Annual Look at Leading Edge E-Learning Technologies. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 3/1/07. Entire issue is a summary of some of the newest and best innovations. Includes links to major upcoming educational technology conferences in 2007. (55)
How to: Read Wikipedia on an iPod. Perl script created by Matt Swann that can be downloaded to an iPod so users can access the Wikipedia on that device. (54)
"Calif. Regulators OK Broadband over Power Line Test." First practical application of the use of power lines to provide high-speed Internet service. (51)
The Sixth Annual Look at Leading Edge E-Learning Technologies. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 3/1/06. Entire issue is a summary of some of the newest and best innovations. Includes links to major upcoming ed tech conferences in 2006. (49)
iPods and Wikis and Blogs (Oh My!). Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 1/1/06.. Entire issue is devoted to the unexpected impact on elearning of three products: Apple ipod, wiki and weblog. (48)
"When the Web Was New." Reprinted article by Wade Roush from Technology Review, April 1995, that looks at what was then the newest technology, "the vast electronic mall known as the World Wide Web." Worth reading if only to marvel at the advances made in the past ten years. (46)
Imagination at Work. An amazing and free Web-based writing and sketching tool sponsored by GE. Users can create script or images free-hand and in color, then preview and email their completed work to others. (31)
Internet2. Official and comprehensive Web site of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), the Internet2 leaders. (27)
Original Response-O-Matic Free Form Processor. Advertiser-supported Web site that allows the creation of forms of any kind, which can then be downloaded to the user's Web site(26)
Learn the Net. Premier, multi-lingual site offering instruction on every aspect of Internet use. (26)
CNET.com. Ongoing source of evaluation of new and existing technologies of all kinds. (18)

Instructional Resources

Adapting Learning Materials for Distance Learning. Online publication by the Commonwealth of Learning, 2007, with tips on adapting existing materials of all kinds to an online environment. (57)
Designing Learning Objects for Online Learning. Online publication by the Commonwealth of Learning, 2007, with tips on designing reusable learning objects for e-courses. (57)
MIT to Offer Its Courses Free Online by Year’s End. Reuters release announcing that 1800 Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s courses will soon be free to all on a non-credit basis. (56)
"Panel Studies High Cost of College Texts." Article by Stuart Silverstein, Los Angeles Times, 3/7/07, on panel recommendations that instructors use articles, lecture notes, study guides and other materials available free online and provide students with texts they can rent, not buy. (56)
Teaching Critical Thinking Skills and Other Tips for E-Faculty. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 9/1/06. Entire issue is devoted once again to bringing faculty up to date on the latest developments related to online instruction, with a focus on teaching critical thinking skills. (52)
Instructional Best Bets for the New Academic Year. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 9/1/05. Entire issue is devoted to bringing faculty up to date on the latest developments related to online instruction. (46)
Filamentality. Designed primarily for educators, a fill-in-the-blank guide that includes picking a topic, searching the Web, gathering good Internet links, and turning them into learning activities. (43)
Learner's Library. Website that allows instructors to develop "coursepacks" of copyrighted full-text reading materials from a database of more than 120 million book entries, 200,000+ full-text journal articles, and a set of value-added research aids. Flat rate is $15 per coursepack. (43)
LanguageTeach (LT) Development Tool. Software that enables materials developers without special technical knowledge to create and store educational Web-based interactive material. (43)
Portaportal. Web-based bookmarking utility that allows free online storage of links to favorite sources, so that bookmarks/favorites are no longer limited to use on one machine. (43)
Seven Principles of Good Teaching Practice. Comprehensive lists of good practices for instructors both in the regular classroom and online by Dr. James W. King, University of Nebraska. Principles include student-faculty contact, active learning, time on task, cooperation among students, prompt feedback, high expectations and respect for learning diversity. (38)
"Strategies to Succeed in Distance Education." Article by Farhad Saba, Distance-Educator.com CEO, with some new approaches to help e-students learn and their instructors teach. (37)
"Predictors of Engagement and Participation in an On-Line Course." Article by Marc D. Miller and other Georgia university staff in The Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration (6:1), Spring 2003. It explores several models of online course construction that can help develop effective online learning and training programs. (34)
RateMyProfessors.com. Student-generated database with ratings of college professors nationwide. It has hundreds of thousands of entries, some with very candid student comments.(34)
Reusable Learning Objects (RLO's). Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 9/1/03. Entire issue is devoted to an examination of learning objects, both the background/theory of the concept and examples/repositories of the learning objects themselves. (34)
"A Basic Guide to Writing Student Learning Outcome Statements." Step-by-step guide to writing learning outcomes. Created and maintained by the University of Western Australia. (30)
Learning Outcomes: Bibliography of Internet Resources. Website with links to broad issues maintained by Malaspina University-College (Canada). (30)
Learning Style Web Sites. Rated list of sites, with more than just tests, maintained by Athabasca University (Canada). (30)
Portals and Portfolios. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 2/1/03. The entire issue is devoted to an examination of these concepts, both the background of the concept and examples/repositories of both portals and portfolios. (29)
Catalyst. University of Washington. Series of e-learning resources that includes action plans for setting up various elements of a Web-based course, including audio and video components. (26)
Developing and Teaching an Online Course: A Faculty Handbook, May 2000. Grant MacEwan College, Alberta, Canada. An 88-page manual on online course development. (26)
WWW4teachers.org. University of Kansas. A "must" for e-structors at all levels, with reproducible tools, plus links to material for professional development, a site of the week, and much more. (26)
Educating with New Technologies: Networked Learning Communities. Developed at Harvard (MA) to help educators develop effective ways of using new technologies. (24)
Facilitating Online Learning . Tips from Australia on the skills needed for online teachers and students, plus advice on getting started and keeping the momentum. (24)
Teaching Tips Index. Honolulu Community College. Impressive collection of tips for college teaching, both face-to-face and online, that covers 18 topics related to successful instruction. (24)
Higher Education Online Teaching/Learning Resources. National Education Association. (24)
How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Free, 346-page, online book in HTML format by John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown and Rodney R. Cocking. (12)
What Do You Want to Use Technology for? Collection of links to teaching/learning activities using technology created by the University of Maryland University College. (12)

Laws and Legislation

"Questions and Answers on Copyright for the Campus Community." Website maintained by the National Association of College Stores with the latest higher-ed copyright information. (55)
Interactive Guide to Using Copyrighted Media in Your Courses. Free guide for faculty. (44)
Spam Laws: United States. Website maintained by David E. Sorkin, professor at John Marshall Law School (IL), that includes federal laws, state laws and selected cases. (36)
The TEACH Toolkit. A North Carolina State University resource for understanding copyright and distance education as defined by the federal TEACH Act of 2002. Includes background, implementation and best practices. (36)
Using Materials on the Internet: What Are the [Copyright] Rules? University of Texas. The place to look for the use of online materials in academic courses. (24)
University of North Carolina. Intellectual Property, Copyright and Distance Learning. Horizon Website with many links to outstanding Web resources on these subjects. (8)
Distance Education Legislative Links. Website developed by the Instructional Technology Council that covers recent Federal e-learning legislation. (5)

Student Support Services

AskStudent: The Online Student Portal. Website that offers online students information on college life, security, hacking, careers and more. (57)
Colleges.com Website with links to various kinds of colleges, searchable by program and degree, undergraduate and graduate, as well as information on financial aid, careers and travel. (57)
Education Planner. Self-proclaimed "one-step career and college planning site." Includes the categories of discovering, preparing, selecting, applying, deciding and paying. (57)
Guide to Online Education. Website that features "simple-to-navigate, concise, yet in-depth, research, advice and ’how-to’ s ections to answer online learners’ questions." (57)
Serving Students Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 5/1/07. Entire issue is devoted to a look at the state of online student services, for both new and prospective students, distant or traditional. (56)
Hotmath. Website created by math teachers that offers free help with solving math problems included in more than 150 current textbooks. Additional services include personal tutoring, using graphing calculators and more. (53)
Cybercounseling and Cyberlearning: An Encore. Complete online book edited by John W. Bloom and Garry R. Walz, March 2004, offering information related to the counseling side of e-learning. Follow-up to an earlier volume, Cyberccounseling and Cyberlearning: Strategies and Resources for the Millennium, 2000, which is not available online. (46)
LOBO. Library tutorial created by North Carolina State University that provides a step-by-step guide to the research process. Designed for NCSU undergrads, but very useful to all students. (46)
College Results Online. Interactive tool with overall graduation rates at four-year institutions. (43)
New York Life Education Planner. Extensive Website offering information on selecting a career, applying to a school, and paying for a postsecondary education. (43)
Online Academic and Student Support Services, With an Update on Student Portals. Best Educational E-Practices (BEEP), 1/1/05. Entire issue looks at the latest in online support services, including an update on the all-inclusive student portal concept. (42)
Rate Your Campus.com. Website created by FinancialAid.com to allow high school students to see what college life is really like at schools whose students have completed an opinion survey. (36)
Math Courses/Tutorials. Examples are Cool Math Sites and the student-produced Math for Morons Like Us, both of which can be adapted for student use at all levels. (26)
Writing Courses/Tutorials. Included are Paradigm Online Writing Assistant (POWA); Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL); and Darling's Guide to Grammar & Writing. (26)

The contents of BEEP were developed under a grant from the U. S. Department of Education (DOE). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the DOE, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.