Online universities have become so ubiquitous that almost everyone has heard about the University of Phoenix Online, Kaplan, Devry University, Capella University and American Intercontinental University. These learning institutes have branded online learning to the point where most people have accepted an accredited online experience in job applications and as a socially-acceptable learning experience. But, are these online colleges and universities your only options

The following list of the ten best online universities may boggle your mind. You may not have thought about them or even heard about them. But, they offer a top-notch education, as witnessed by their standings in OEDb’s Top Ten Online College Rankings 2009. Note that none of these colleges or universities are household names…yet they offer the same advantages as the top five online degree programs listed in the first paragraph.

First, the online courses and degree programs listed below are accredited; therefore, you know you’ll receive a solid education with the ability to transfer credits and to build upon a higher degree if you desire in the future. Additionally, their locations are a moot issues — all the degree programs offered are available to anyone who can gain admission to these programs. Finally, all the programs listed below offer financial aid to those who qualify. Additionally, many of these programs offer discounts for military personnel and their families.

So, why attend a “crowded” online class when you can gain access to a program that is top-notch, yet less well known. After all, your success in the future could make one of the following online degree programs famous. It’s up to you — each program offers a way to earn a degree from a distance while you work your way up that career ladder or while you serve in the military.

The online colleges, universities and degree programs listed below are in the same order as shown on OEDb’s Top Ten Online College Rankings 2009. The links, however, take you directly to the listing’s online program offerings at the specified institution so you can learn more about their programs.

1. Nova Southeastern University: Nova Southeastern University is the tenth-largest independent university in the country and a pioneer of non-traditional approaches to high-quality education. NSU provides distance-learning programs that range from bachelor’s to doctoral programs, all obtained through online or off-campus learning processes. Seventy-six of the university’s online undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs have been certified by the Southern Regional Education Board’s Electronic Campus, and are offered through this highly successful consortium.
2. Regent University: This Christian university is famous for its combination of Biblical principles and rigorous academic curriculum. Regent University online is a fully accredited program that uses the same rigorous curriculum as the on-campus programs. Their programs range from communications and the arts to divinity school and a school of education. They also offer a schools of government, psychology and counseling and a school of undergraduate studies that provide degrees in majors from accounting to psychology.
3. Champlain College: Champlain College is a 126-year-old institution that has been delivering online education for over 10 years. They offered their first online course in 1993, followed in 1996 by its first entirely online bachelor’s degree. Currently, Champlain is the only college in Vermont to offer bachelor’s degrees 100 percent online in business, writing, technology, paralegal and allied health careers. Champlain College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges.
4. Upper Iowa University: UIU’s online Bachelor of Science, Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Higher Education Administration degrees are designed to give you the flexibility you need to balance classwork with your career. They offer a discount to military personnel and their family members as well as employee discounts for those who work with cooperating corporations and organizations. Applicants may transfer up to ninety hours of undergraduate credits.
5. LeTourneau University: Inspired by faith and a spirit of ingenuity, LeTourneau University integrates learning, living and Christian leadership in a community of integrity, academic quality and technological innovation. This university offers an associate degree in interdisciplnary studies, bachelor’s degrees in business and in psychology and master’s degrees in a variety of majors. They also offer teacher’s certifications (PACT) and the Texas Principalship Certification. LeTourneau has a history of over 60 years of providing exceptional higher education, including our online education.
6. Liberty University: Liberty has become the world’s largest evangelical university and has never lost sight of its mission — equipping men and women with Christ-centered education to impact their world and workplace. Liberty’s mission is “Training Champions for Christ” in majors such as business, counseling, criminal justice, education, nursing and in Christian ministry. But, don’t stop there, as LUOnline offers a variety of degrees in more than forty programs and ninety areas of specialization.
7. Grand Canyon University: Grand Canyon University is a student-focused institution that provides academically challenging education in a Christian community for students from diverse backgrounds. They offer undergraduate and graduates degree programs in education, nursing and health sciences, business and liberal arts. Grand Canyon University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
8. Dickinson State University: This North Dakota university offers online degrees in agriculture sales and service equine management, an associate in arts, and degree programs in business administration, finance, human resource management, international business, technology and in university studies. Dickinson also offers these courses in an extended learning environment. All courses are offered online so you can finalize a degree while you are working from a distance. they have been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central (regional) Accrediting Association since 1946.
9. Western Governors University: WGU is the recipient of the USDLA 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning for 2008, awarded in recognition of their success in expanding access to higher education. WGU is a fully-accredited non-profit online university that offers online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in a wide range of interests. If you want to pursue business management, information technology, teaching or the health professions, this university might have special appeal for you.
10. Salem International University: Salem University has a tradition of academic excellence and innovation. Complete your Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Associates in Business Administration or Bachelors in Business Administration or Bachelors in Information Technology on your time. Classes start every month, and financial aid is available for those who qualify. Just think — you could earn your project-based (not thesis based) MBA in as little as twelve months.

If you want a college degree to boost your credibility in the job market, but you cannot afford the time nor the money for a traditional on-campus education, how do you find an equally credible solution? You might think about an online degree, but you may wonder about that online education’s reliability and authenticity. Fortunately, over the past few years, online degrees have gained a foothold in the business world as a viable source for continuing education.

Other questions may concern you, such as distance learning technologies, the possibility of a higher degree online and even whether learning a course without credits is a viable option. The following list of twenty articles, search engines and rankings may provide answers for you, as these listings focus solely on online education from reliable sources.

Articles

1. 6 Free Online Courses to Beef Up Your Resume: What about online uncredited classes? SmartMoney thinks that free courses offered by institutes such as MIT and Yale are great options and should be listed on your resume.
2. Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning [PDF]: The U.S. Department of Education offers a meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. This study includes all age levels, from K-12 to online learning for adult students.
3. Finding an accredited distance learning program: Scholarships.com not only offers a list of some of the more reputable accredted online learning institutions, they offer advice on how and why you might consider an online degree.
4. Get a Grad Degree Without Going Broke: SmartMoney offers solutions to a less expensive college degree. It seems logical that they provide information about online degrees, as this option can prove to be a less expensive educational choice.
5. Online Schools Find Ready Market in Military [PDF]: MSNBC provides examples of how military personnel are seeking online degrees, bu how critics state these degrees offer minimal education on U.S. tab. The positives outweigh the negative aspects in this article, however.
6. The Benefits of an Online College: Top Colleges offers an article that points to benefits of online education at the end of this article, which addresses the benefits of returning to college after some time in the workforce.
7. The Education Solution: Forbes states that “to teach, train and retrain millions of people, online education is the only scalable option.” Learn about this perspective to continuing education online.
8. The Sound of One Hand Clicking: Newsweek provides solid proof that online schools are booming. Why? Because they are convenient, cost less and have improved dramatically. Learn more.
9. U.S. Department of Education Study Finds That Good Teaching can be Enhanced With New Technology: U.S. News & World Report offers this perspective on online education and technology.
10. What You Need to Know About E-Learning: Kiplinger provides an article that focuses on the online courses and degree programs that might prove to be a good fit for you.

Ratings, Rankings and Searches

11. Best Online Colleges: Use this resource and its accompanying blog to learn more about online education. Use the “Quick Degree Finder” to locate schools by degree level, category or subject.
12. Campus Grotto: Use this resource to find online colleges by major, including degrees in accounting and digital and media arts. This site also carries articles that address night classes, going back to school as a working adult, online MBA programs and more.
13. College Navigator: This site does not rank colleges, but it does offer a ton of information on online schools. You must, however, know the college you want to investigate before you use this search engine.
14. College Stats: This list of online colleges and universities offers a variety of searches for online degrees by largest, smallest and oldest colleges as well as listings for online educational institutions by cost and demographics. College Stats uses freely available data collected by the U.S. Department of Education and most data reflects collections by the National Center of Education Statistics.
15. eLearners: This site is gaining wide recognition as the site to go to for online education. The tabs across the top of the page offer resources for online degrees, programs, courses, colleges, programs, articles and resources as well as blogs and forums.
16. Get Educated: Use this site to rate, rank and compare online schools and degrees. This site also offers financial aid information, advice, a resource for careers and jobs and a special section called, “Diploma Mill Police.”
17. Guide to Online Schools: The table included on this page shows overall rankings for online colleges and universities. You also can search for online educational possibilities by degree, by subject and by searching for a specific school.
18. OEDb: Online Education Database is a top choice in learning about online degrees. The metrics are thorough, including acceptance rates, financial aid availability, graduation rates, peer Web citations, retention rates, scholarly citations, student-faculty ratios and years accredited for top online educational resources. Rankings go to 2008.
19. SHG Resources: This site provides a search for online degrees by location, subject, program and degree sought. Once you obtain your online degree, you also can use this site to search for jobs by state.
20. U.S. News & World Report: This report provides information you might need in your online degree search, including searches by degree, major and more.

Part of succeeding in school is knowing how to study properly. Indeed, knowing how to study and focus on your tasks is important. Understanding how to learn something, and knowing how to retain what you have learned in your memory are vital skills. You can go to school all you want, but if you don’t know how to learn, it will be more difficult. Here are 50 bloggers who can help you study and learn better:

Study Tips and Skills

First of all, it is helpful to have an idea of how to study most effectively and efficiently. Brushing up on your study skills can help you learn much better and quicker.

1. Study Skills Blog: Offers resources for studying, and helpful tips on improving your study.
2. Study Hacks: Learn study skills from Cal Newport, a postdoc at MIT.
3. Study Prof: Offers tips on how to study smarter from test prep coordinator Cody Blair. Also includes helpful hints and clues for studying for standardized tests.
4. Grace’s Homework: This study tips blog from About.com features tips from education guru Grace Fleming.
5. How to Study Bootcamp Blog: This blog features information and tips on studying, as well as sharing common study mistakes.
6. How to Study Blog: Learning how to study better with tips and hints.
7. HackCollege: Get plenty of useful study help and ideas, as well as general hints on other aspects of student life.
8. College and University Blog: This blog includes study skills ideas, as well as general information on succeeding in college.

Learning

Sometimes, it helps to learn about…learning. There are a number of great blogs on learning that can help you figure out your learning style, and utilize to increase your abilities.

9. Special Needs Learning Blog: If you have a learning disability, you can still succeed. This blog helps you learn how to learn — even if you have special difficulty.
10. Creative Learning Systems: Learning Styles Blog: This blog focuses on learning styles, and how you can adapt your learning to your style to make it more effective.
11. The eduFire Blog: Light a fire under your learning abilities with help from this insightful blog.
12. The Rapid eLearning Blog: Want to be a better distance learner? This blog can help you learn more effectively online.
13. Nik’s Learning Technology Blog: Get an idea of how to be a better learner, and how technology can help.
14. TechTicker: Another tech learning blog that addresses learning with technology. Also includes excellent insight on learning styles.
15. The Learning Circuits Blog: Get an idea of how to learn better and the state of learning in general.
16. Learning Blog: This blog helps you learn how to learn. Helpful tips on discovering your learning style so you can succeed.

Memory and Brain Training

Understanding how memory works, and knowing how to train your brain can be very helpful as a student. There are many blogs that can help you give your brain a good workout.

17. Grey Matters: Train your brain with exercises, games and techniques to help you learn and retain all sorts of information much better.
18. Mind Hacks: Learn how to unlock the power of your mind and use it more effectively.
19. Improve Your Learning and Memory: Bill Klemm offers ideas on learning, as well as a number of different systems you can use to improve memory and recall.
20. Improve Your Memory and Better Your Brain Performance: This blog is focused on helping you improve your memory and exercise your brain for better performance.
21. Judy Marcus — Memory Improvement Tips: The “Memory Lady” helps you learn different techniques to improve your memory.
22. Brain Health Blog: This blog offers information and helpful exercises and tips on improving your brain performance.
23. SharpBrains: A blog about improving your brain fitness and training your mind.
24. Mind360: Games, tips and techniques to help your memory stay sharp.
25. The Online Brain Games Blog: A fun blog that helps you find games online to help you train your brain for better memory.

Productivity

Learn how to better manage your time and boost your productivity. You’ll get more done in less time, and become a more efficient student.

26. Productive Scholar: Ph.D. student Vincent discusses how you, too, can be productive while roaming the halls of academia.
27. Student Hacks: Learn a number of tricks and tips to improve your productivity as you gain knowledge.
28. Zen Habits: This is a great blog that offers simple productivity tips and hacks.
29. Productivity 501: Learn how to better manage your time and do more.
30. Lifehack.org: Get a better idea of how to enjoy life more — and have more time.
31. Ririan Project: Get helpful productivity tips and guides to developing your own productivity style.
32. Neat and Simple Living: Reduce your life clutter and increase your productivity with organization expert Ariane Benefit.
33. Instigator Blog: Helpful tips on turning your ideas into actionable efforts from Ben Yoskovitz.
34. The Lazy Way to Success: It’s not really about being totally lazy. Instead you learn about how to do things more efficiently so you do less while actually accomplishing more.
35. Laura Stack – The Productivity Pro: Idea for increasing your productivity from guru Laura Stack.

Focus

Understanding how to focus, and what to focus on, can be very helpful. These blog posts offer insight into how you can improve the way you focus on information, studying and other pursuits.

36. Heart of Things: This blog post on on five tips for better concentration can aid you as you study.
37. Chetan Bhawani: Provides a helpful post on improving your concentration as you study your school materials.
38. Mary Gardner: A blog post on increasing focus and balancing mood can help you clear the “brain fog” that might affect you.
39. Law School Academic Support Blog: While aimed at law students, the advice in this post on concentration is helpful for anyone who has a difficult time staying focused while studying.
40. Frontline Focus: There is a great blog post on increasing insight and creativity.
41. Sri Chinmoy Inspiration: Offers great tips on improving concentration, including how you can choose surroundings that help you concentrate better.
42. Consistent Parenting Advice: An interesting post on the benefits of concentration, and how to promote better focus.

Relaxation

It may seem odd that relaxation is a study tip, but it is. You will be able to study better, and feel less stress in general if you know how to relax and meditate.

43. Inner Health Studio: Great relaxation tips, techniques and coping skills ideas.
44. Marita’s Daily Relaxation Blog: Helpful hints on how you can relax and learn to rejuvenate yourself.
45. Meditation DNA: Helpful hints for meditation, including visualization meditation.
46. Meditation Zeitgeist: Get help with meditation and relaxation that can help you better focus your energies.
47. Relaxation at Home: Posts that provide you with ideas for more refreshing relaxation at home.
48. Water Fountains and Relaxation: While this blog focuses a great deal on how you can use the soothing sounds of water to relax, it also contains other practical tips on relaxing.
49. DailyOM: This blog focuses on meditation techniques, as well as helping you live a more balanced life.
50. 1,000 Petals: This blog provides insight into meditation and how it can work for you.

Technology has made it possible to connect with others and find information in a number of amazing new ways. Education has also become more accessible than ever. Many universities — including some of the most prestigious — offer open courseware that can help you learn concepts, often for free, in the comfort of your own home. It is also possible in many cases to find more than just a syllabus, reading materials and ideas for assignments. You can also find, in some cases, free educational videos and college lectures. Many colleges now film their lectures and turn them into videos that can be viewed online for free.

Free College Video Lectures

Some of the most well-known universities offer free video lectures that anyone can watch. While you can use Google or YouTube to find video lectures, there is no need to. (Find lectures using Google Videos by going to the search field, and then typing genre:educational followed by the name of the subject you are looking for. For example, genre:educational history or genre:educational science.) You can visit the web sites of prestigious schools and look for their video archives. Here is a list of 10 places where you can find free free college video lectures:

1. Harvard: One of the most recognized schools in the world, Harvard also provides a way for you to learn about a variety of subjects. The Harvard@Home web site is a great home base to find a number of videos from several different programs. There are physics videos, lectures on gender issues, anatomy course materials and even law and justice. It is also possible to go to individual schools at Harvard university and watch video lectures. Both the School of Public Health and the Department of Physics offer their own video lectures, as do the other schools and departments. Well worth poking around on the Harvard web site.
2. MIT: The best open courseware offerings are to be found at MIT. There are few schools that boast the wide range of free educational offerings that MIT provides. And video lectures are no exception. MIT has a very impressive collection of video courses and audio courses at its open courseware site. Some of the free lectures that you can view from MIT include anthropology, engineering, languages, physics, music, women’s studies, recreation and biology. There are a number of video lectures and courses that can be used with other courseware at MIT, to enhance the experience.
3. Yale: Many people would surprised to think that they could see first-rate lectures from an ivy-league school like Yale for free. One of the best places to go to find free college lectures from Yale is to visit the Office of Public Affairs. Not only is there news and information, but you can also see lectures. The “news channels” links in the side bar can connect you to other areas of the Yale web site that can help you see additional lectures. You can also find educational videos with a global scope by visiting the YaleGlobal Online Magazine.
4. UCLA: Some of the video lectures offered by UCLA are only available students and faculty. However, there are still hundreds of video lectures that the public are welcome to view. BruinCast offers course lectures from a number of courses being taught each term. It is also worth noting that there are archives going back to the 2005-2006 academic year. It is an interesting feature of UCLA’s web casts that they are actual lectures from actual courses being taught at the time.
5. Princeton: One of the cool features of the Princeton University video lecture portal is that it offers the chance for you to learn from schools all over the world. UChannel is designed to connect you with educators from around the globe, providing access to free college video lectures from Britain, Europe, Asia, Russia, and Canada in addition to lectures from around the country. You can find educational video lectures on just about any subject you are looking for that is related to public affairs and global interaction.
6. Columbia University: If you are looking for a little more elucidation on a wide variety of topics, you head over to Columbia Interactive. This site contains access to a number of video lectures and other online learning resources. Online education and video lectures on subjects covering the spectrum from architecture to medicine to philosophy to engineering can be found from Columbia University. And it’s all free to the public.
7. Stanford: If you are interested in business, you can learn more about the subject from Stanford University. This prestigious school provides a number of video lectures, as well as audio podcasts, from the School of Business. Stanford also has its own video channel on YouTube, bringing a number of lectures, seminars, round-tables and more to the public. If you are interested in engineering, there is also an easy to use page from the School of Engineering that connects you to a number of free lectures. You can use iTunes U to download instructional video and audio to your iPod or iPhone as well.
8. UC Berkeley: Another school that offers a wide variety of free course lectures is the University of California at Berkeley. From a course lecture on cognitive neuroscience to a lecture on literature in English, you can enjoy learning about nearly anything. You can also watch some of the course live, seeing web casts through Berkeley’s courses page. On-demand and replay are available as well, and you can search the archives for free video lectures from courses taught in other years.
9. University of South Carolina: If you are interested in microbiology and immunology, then the University of South Carolina is the place to go. The School of Medicine offers a number of video lectures on subjects related to the medical field. You can see videos, as well as download slide presentations to files that are easy to view on the computer or with an mp3 device.
10. University of Oxford: It’s not just American universities that offer free video lectures. You can also see college lectures from one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Oxford provides a number of web casts that are educational and insightful. Most of the lectures, however, relate to issues addressing the Internet, and policy, law and society that come with social media interactions. The Oxford Internet Institute is one of the best places to go if you are looking to be more educated about online technology and its implications.

Social media is the thing right now. It provides a way to connect people of similar (or dissimilar) interests from around the world. Social media also provides networking tools for professionals and even for job hunters. And it offers a platform for friends and family to keep up with each other.

But social media isn’t just for professionals, computer geeks and families who prefer not to send email; increasingly, social media is becoming a part of the classroom. It is possible to use social media in such a way as to enhance the learning environment, and to provide an education. Here are 13 case studies that show that social media does have a place in the classroom:

1. City University of New York: Newsgathering with Social Media

It isn’t surprising that social media is used in newsgathering. Indeed, it’s fairly clear that many journalists are finding use in social networks when it comes to locating sources, finding supplemental information and learning about items of interest. As a result, Jeff Jarvis, a professor at the City University of New York, is teaching a class on using social media for newsgathering.

This is a graduate level class in the Graduate School of Journalism that teaches students that they can use real-time searches to find breaking news — and to find comments on that breaking news. Examples of social media search used in the class include Twitter, FriendFeed, Scoopler and SearchMerge, a service that allows you to search, in real time, a number of sites. Practical, in-class demonstrations are helping the next generation of journalists learn how to make use of all the tools at their disposal.

2. Stanford University: Showcasing Faculty and Student Work on Facebook

Many universities are interested in sharing projects with the world — not to mention educating others in the school. To that end, Stanford University is providing access to faculty and student projects on its Facebook page. Students looking for inspiration for projects can see videos, pictures and other previously done projects.

Also, gathering this information into one place makes it a little bit easier to search for news and research being done at Stanford. The university has multiple pages, making it easy to locate information on the Green Library, hospital and a number of the colleges and departments. Stanford University also offers Facebook office hours, at which time faculty is available to answer questions on Facebook.

3. Vestavia Hills High Schol in Birmingham, Alabama: Twittering Lesson Plans

Chris Copeland is all about using Twitter to help his students. He has a Twitter profile (@ccopeland), and we Twitters lesson plans and notes, as well as answers questions. He teaches language arts in Birmingham, Alabama, helping students learn more about literature and how to love it. His tweets make it easier to keep up with what’s going on.

Additionally, Copeland points out that using Twitter to share lesson plans can help other teachers get good idea for their own lessons. And, it helps teachers keep things straight. It can also serve as a record of what has been happening in the classroom, which means that absent students can get an idea of what they are missing, and prepare for lessons when they return.

4. Northwestern University: “NewsMixer”

In a class with a practical application, students at the Medill School of Journalism created the “NewsMixer.” The idea was to pull local, national and global news from a variety of sources. There are places for users to connect, integration with Facebook, the opportunity to write letters and share quips. It is basically a social network created by the students. The Web site is pretty much dead right now, but the practical application of creating one’s own social network, right in the classroom, is definitely an inspiration.

Encouraging students to explore using technology, and use their own creativity to create their own social network, is a great, hands-on activity that can translate into the “real world,” teaching technology skills, and providing valuable marketing knowledge and offering insight into how social media works.

5. Stockholm University: Streaming Seminars

Sometimes, students can’t make it to seminars and other events. Broadcasting these events is a good way to help them reach a wider student audience. Stockholm University in Sweden provided a live streaming video of an environmental seminar that allowed students to watch remotely, or save and watch later. The university also used this technique for a seminar on file sharing.

It is easy to see that such a use has immense application in the classroom. It would be possible to watch presentations from other schools, and to “attend” lectures remotely. Additionally, it would be useful to students to be able to replay seminars and lectures to look for information they might have missed the first time around.

6. Orono Middle School, Long Lake, Minnesota: Tech Wiki

Orono Middle School has a great tech wiki that can be used by students and teachers alike. The tech wiki is a great place to ask questions, and find answers. It includes interactive tutorials on a number of subjects, as well as provides information for students.

Caitlin Cahill (@CCahillMN), one of the technology folks at Orono Middle School, suggested that it is possible to use Twitter in the classroom to help students learn about a certain subject. Students compete to find resources, and be the first to post to Twitter. It’s like a kind of scavenger hunt, and it teaches students research skills.

7. Duke University: Mobile Web Client

If you are looking to register for classes, check email or even access class notes posted up from professors, it is possible to do so with a mobile Web client. Duke University (as well as Georgia Tech and several other schools) is making it easier to complete a number of tasks using a cell phone. Enhanced learning from anywhere can take place using social media networks and Web clients.

8. Birmingham City University, Great Britain: Degree in Social Networking

If you want to be able to teach social networking like a pro, there is now a place you can turn to. Birmingham City University is offering a year-long Master’s degree in social networking. As you might imagine, course offerings include Facebook and Twitter, as well as other social networks such as Bebo. The idea is to help people learn how to use social media in a number of ways to benefit them, whether it is study skills or marketing skills.

9. Cardiff University, Wales: Tweprints

Looking for help finding peer-reviewed information for a science paper or project? Tweprints can help. Robert J. Simpson, a Ph.D. student at Cardiff University, began a project that puts twitter information about scientific papers in one place. It even includes the arXiv ID number, so it is easy to track down the papers themselves online. It is even possible to narrow your search by category (astrophysics, maths, condensed matter, etc.) This is a useful tool that students can use for a number of purposes.

10. University Laboratory High School, Illinois: Twittering Dante

Want to learn more about a great piece of literature? Steve Rayburn, a teacher at the University Laboratory High School, had his students consider Dante’s Divine Comedy. Students used Twitter to post updates from Dante to Beatrice for inside each of the nine circles of Hell. Not only did it require students to read the assignments, but it also got them excited about it — and thinking about what they would post.

11. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: YouTube

You can put up your own YouTube channel, creating videos and providing ingormation. The University of North Carolina offers a number of helpful videos for students and faculty alike on its YouTube channel. Videos relating to health and medicine, business and information technology can supplement student learning, and be used as teaching aids in thse classroom.

12. Georgia Southern University: Blog for a Social Media Course

Barbara Nixon teaches a course titled “Making Connections: Facebook & Beyond,” which aims to teach communication and networking skills. Not only does the course teach one how to use social media, but it teaches the value of communication with others through online assignments using Twitter and Facebook, as well as other social media Web sites. Students are required to start a blog, and Nixon herself keeps a blog on the class assignments and answers questions through here Twitter account (@barbaranixon)

13. University of Wisconsin, Madison: CoveritLive

In order to facilitate more students listening to a lecture on journalism ethics at the University of Wisconsin, Katy Culver encouraged her students to use CoveritLive. This is a social media tool that can be embedded into a blog or Web site and then used to comment on proceedings, link to appropriate content, and even ask questions. This is a great way to provide distance learning for those who may not be physically present, and offer them a way to ask questions and get answers.

When you are an online learner, it is important to have access to the tools you need to expand your knowledge and learn more efficiently. The Internet has provided online learners with open courseware, which is available to all — even if you do not attend the university that provides it. When you find something good, you want to be able to access it quickly, and use it again. Here are 25 helpful Web resources that can help you as you search, bookmark and browse open courseware:

Open Courseware Search Engines

Search engines can help you find the open courseware that you are looking for. There are a number of search engines focused on helping online learners find open courseware.

1. OpenCourseWare Finder is just what is sounds like: a search engine specifically designed to help you locate open courseware. Use this engine to help you find courses on a number of subjects of interest.
2. Directory of Open Access Journals provides a search engine that allows you to search full text articles from scientific and scholarly journals. The project is part of the Lund University Libraries.
3. Google Scholar offers access to videos, images and papers associated with learning. Searching for open courseware and other educational materials with the power of Google.
4. INFOmine provides searchable access to scholarly information, courses and more. Categories are searchable, and you can look for materials in a number of categories, including humanities, sciences and a number of other subjects.
5. Internet TV Search Engine isn’t just for scholarly information, but it is sure helpful for those looking for documentaries and even lectures. Use the “online lectures” link to view scholarly lectures on a number of subjects.
6. World Public Library provides access to learning materials from all over the world. Look for collections, open courseware and educational eBooks with help from this search engine.

Open Courseware Directories

There are a number of directories that can point you toward open courseware in a number of subjects. If you are looking for sites that have already done the legwork for you, visit some of these directories to browse open courseware offerings from a number of reputable sources:

7. Free Open Courseware Directory from College@Home offers a helpful resource for browsing your online learning options, from health and medical to engineering to business.
8. Self Made Scholar provides helpful links to all available open courseware from colleges and universities. Browse open courseware options from Tufts, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Stanford and more.
9. iBerry is an “academic porthole” that provides you with access to open coureseware offerings from around the world. Categorized so that it is easy to find what you are looking for, it is simple to browse open courseware offerings and materials.
10. World Lecture Hall is provided by the University of Texas at Austin. This is a searchable directory that provides you the ability to find different open courseware options from around the world.
11. Wayfaring Map offers the interesting Stingy Scholar’s University Podcasts, Webcasts & OCWs directory that helps you find open courseware from around the world. Provides you with access to offerings and course materials from world institutions of higher learning, including Harvard, MIT, CERN, Japan OCW Alliance, and more.
12. 100 Killer Open Courseware Projects from Around the World: Ivy League and Beyond provides information on some of the top open courseware projects. These projects provide you with access to free and low-cost courses available to anyone.
13. 236 Open Courseware Collections, Podcasts, and Videos gives you a list of a number of collections from many different sources. Includes audio and video presentations and courses.

Open Courseware Social Media, Bookmarking and Tagging

Social bookmarking and tagging can be exceptionally helpful when it comes to organizing open courseware and re-visiting helpful sites. Here are some social bookmarking and tagging sites that you can use to keep track of your open courseware options:

14. OpenCourseWare – SWiK provides a place for materials and courses with the “opencourseware” tag (and similar tags) to be aggregated. Find new sources for educational resources and add your own.
15. 43 Things is a social bookmarking site that connects you to others with simliar interests. Additionally, it can help you find information on open courseware, and put yourself out there as some interested in open courseware.
16. Delicious provides an easy way for you to bookmark your open courseware and organize it so that it is easily accessible from any computer with Internet access.
17. Facebook is fast becoming a social site that allows you to tag and bookmark a number of useful sites. It is possible to add some open courseware collections as “friends” or become a “fan”. This ensures that you get updates on specific information and tools related to your preferred open courseware.
18. Wikiversity is a Wiki that allows you to add open courseware and learn more about available offerings. You can save your favorites and access them later.

Open Courseware Web Tools

There are a number of Web tools that can help you with elearning. Find open courseware, organize it and better manage your online education.

19. Curriki is a community of those dedicated to education and online learning. You can find lesson plans, learn about open courseware, collaborate with other learners and even contribute your own knowledge.
20. Moodle is a content management system aimed at helping learning. While aimed at teachers, it is possible for you to organize your own open courseware and use this Web tool to enhance your elearning.
21. Docebo is an elearning Web tool aimed at helping you find open courseware materials, as well as connect with instructors and others. You can organize your materials and even submit your own courses.
22. e-Learning Guru provides information on open courseware, offers you access to Web conferencing and provides other helpful information about online learning.
23. Edubuntu take ubuntu and takes to the educational level. This Web tool can help you enhance your online education efforts by offering applications, content, tools and providing you with a powerful search tool for open courseware.
24. Osalt is about finding open source software to replace some of the more expensive applications you have. This can be helpful in terms of replacing educational software and other applications you might use in your online learning.
25. Dimdim provides helpful tools for elearning through its conferencing capabilities. If you are planning to join a conference or Webinar, Dimdim can help.

Are you a student who browses the Internet with Firefox? If so, then you already may realize the number of extensions available to Firefox users. Many of these extensions can be used to deepen your e-Learning experiences, so we’ve compiled a list of twenty-five Firefox extensions that may help speed up your studies in a secure and easy-to-use environment.

The following list is compiled in alphabetical order under various categories to show readers that we do not favor one extension over another.

File Sharing

1. Drag & Drop.io 2.0.1: Store and share pictures, videos, audio, documents and more without an account, registration or email address. Sharing is private.
2. FireShot 0.77: Use this extension to create screenshots of Web pages and upload them to public screenshot hosting.
3. Fleck – Save the best of the Web 1.2.2: Bookmark Web sites, leave notes and share with other members in your study group or class.
4. Notefish 1.0.1.13: Save, organize and share snippets of Internet Web pages.

Notes and Organization

5. Copy Plain Text 0.3.3: Have you ever copied text and picked up on the formatting? Lose that code with this Firefox add-on, where you can set it to trip extra space in and around the copied text as well.
6. List.it: Keep track of research project developments, daily chores, class schedules and more with this handy sidebar tool. This is an open source MIT project that will help keep your tasks organized.
7. QuickNote 0.6.0.4: Use this simple note-taking extension that comes with tabs, automatic save and basic integration with an email client to simplify your life.
8. Wired Marker: This tool provides a permanent indelible highlighter you can use to mark up Web pages and – in the process – file those highlights into an “electronic book mark.” Use various colors for various projects.

Reference

9. Answers 2.3.50: Just point at any word on a Web page, hold down the Alt key (Ctrl in Linux) and click. When you release, a popup appears with an AnswerTip that may help define or answer your query about a given word.
10. Headup 1.0.4.8332: Highlight and click to discover new content related to any Web page subject. You can boost searches, reduce browser clutter and increase privacy protection with this add-on.
11. Hyperwords 5.5.4: Select any word on a Web page and use commands to search, translate, email, or add to Twitter, Facebook and more. Customizable and easy to use, this extension can help with your reference work.
12. ImTranslator 3.2.8: This online translator includes language combinations for everything from Albanian to Romanian and more. Includes spell checker, decoder and localization.
13. Merriam-Webster 20080326: Use this English dictionary search add-on to help with word definitions.
14. Read it Later: This add-on allows users to save a Web page to read it later. It helps to eliminate bookmark clutter.
15. WikiLook 2.0.7: Use this Wikipedia and dictionary look up to define words and discover inside information on your research searches.

Security

16. BetterPrivacy 1.29: Prevent tracking while researching online with a “Super Cookie Safeguard” that blocks longterm tracking on Google, YouTube, eBay and many other domains.
17. Dr. Web LinkChecker: Right click on a link you want to visit, and scan to check if the link is safe to follow.
18. QuickJava 0.4.2.1: If you browse online constantly, you may want a tool that helps to enable and disable Java and Javascript at your fingertips for security reasons. This is a light extension that serves its purpose.
19. WOT 20090414: If you browse constantly searching for research material, then this extension may go a long way in avoiding risky sites. WOT delivers a front-line layer of protection that provides safer surfing.

Speed Up the Work

20. Automatic Save Folder 0.9.3: This extension allows users to quickly specify the ’save’ location for any download.
21. Brief 1.2.1: Read your RSS feeds quickly through a seamless and interactive page that lets you bookmark and tag items with a single click.
22. iMacros for Firefox 6.2.3.0: Record and replay repetitious work such as filling out registration forms, remembering passwords and revisiting sites that you use constantly for research.
23. Morning Coffee 1.33: An easy and quick way to open your browser to sites you read every day. Organize Web sites by day and open them simultaneously as part of your daily routine.
24. SmarterFox: Browse Faster 1.3.9.2: Browse faster, search instantly from your address bar or popup, find related information in your searches and more.
25. TidyRead 0.4.0: Turn your Web reading into a no-fringe experience. This tool extracts core text from articles and blog posts to help you quickly grasp the important message.

Sure, the iPhone is pretty great. However, not everyone is into the iPhone. There are other smart phones. One of those is the Palm Pre. Applications have been developed for the Palm Pre, and there are fast becoming plenty of interesting ways to carry your personality around with you. You can even use the Palm Pre to help you learn better. Here are 25 free Palm Pre apps that can help you be a better e-learner.

Language Arts

Improve your command of the language — and even learn other languages — with the Palm Pre. You can also learn about other countries and customs, increasing your knowledge of the world. Language arts have been shown to be helpful in developing creativity and increasing one’s mental capacity. Plus, you’ll sound smarter.

1. eReader allows access to free ebooks that can help you enhance your learning and become better acquainted with literature — no matter where you are.
2. Charming increases your literary prowess by helping you learn all of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
3. Talking English-Japanese Dictionary Phrasebook helps you learn basic and useful Japanese phrases. This application speaks to you, so that you can learn proper pronunciation. There are also Palm Pre language applications for other tongues.
4. TranslatorPlus Online Translation Tool helps you translate between different languages. English, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish are all supported. You can also get Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional.
5. World Pro Edition Encyclopedia offers you insight into other countries and cultures. Look at maps, including physical and political, and learn facts about 220 countries.
6. Madrid DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide and Map can help you learn more about Madrid, Spain. You can even find your way around. Palm Pre apps for other cities (such as Vienna and Paris) are also available.

Math and Science

Access to math and science right at your fingertips. Improve your skills, or just have handy information readily available. Science and math are often overlooked, but these are important components of a well-rounded education. Palm Pre makes it easy to study anytime, anywhere.

7. Periodic Table of Chemical Elements offers you an easy way to learn about all of the chemical elements. This Palm Pre app includes details about each of the elements, and shares atomic numbers and chemical symbols.
8. iFD Convert for Palm is a handy tool that provides you with the means to convert measurements between different units of mass, length and volume.
9. Math456 allows you to brush up on your multiplication and division skills. These are valuable math skills that provide the basis for many other types of applications — and something that you can use almost everyday.
10. TouchMaths is more advanced than Math456. TouchMaths allows you to use graphs, conversions and more as you work out problems and learn concepts.
11. Human Biology Quiz can help you learn more about what makes humans “tick”.
12. Science Manual offers you access to a number of helpful science facts, equations and constants. Also includes a unit converter and information on the elements.

Reference Materials

Get the information you need quickly with Palm Pre reference apps. Very helpful for when you are looking for just the right thing to say, or if you need to find the meaning of something that may not be entirely clear. Also, you can get quick and easy access to information that might help your personal spiritual study.

13. MSDict Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus provides you with definitions for 140,000 words. Additionally, you can find words with similar meanings by using the thesaurus feature.
14. Marketing Terms Dictionary for Palm OS offers you access to a number of marketing terms that you might come across. Not only is this valuable for business, marketing and PR types, but it can also be helpful for the consumer.
15. LexSpell is a spell checker that can help you proof what you are writing, and help you find the correct way to express yourself. Multiple languages are supported with this spell checker.
16. Vocabulary Ample can help you find just the right word. Access to this vocabulary reference ensures that you are unlikely to be stuck searching for the words to convey what you are trying to say.
17. Holidays and Holidates provides access to a number of holidays and dates of interest from all of the world — and from a variety of religious traditions.
18. Streams in the Desert comes in both English and Chinese versions. This is a devotional that provides inspirational Christian insights into God’s purposes and plans.
19. Bible Verse provides you with easy access to the Word. Learn Bible verses and references with the easy categorizing offered by this Palm Pre app.
20. Prayer Times Athan and Qibla is perfect for Muslims looking for prayer times during the day. Automatic alerts for different cites can be set.

Study Aids

Get help with your learning ability. There are several Palm Pre apps that can help you become a better e-learner, enhancing your study skills and your ability to organize and retrieve information.

21. DicMake v1.5 is designed to help you build your vocabulary. This study aid is one that can help you actively increase your ability to use words.
22. Homework Helper helps you organize your study agenda and keep track of what you have been learning.
23. SpellIt coaches you in proper spelling and testing, as well as helps you build vocabulary.
24. QuizWiz allows you to import quizzes or make up your own. A great way to study and test what you have learned.
25. LiteNotes lets you take notes easily, saving your observations and what you have learned for later study.