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Blended Learning Resources

As the staff of OnlineUniversities.com writes, despite early fears that the iPad would replace real education with light entertainment, in the years since its development it's proved its use. While there are plenty of purely amusing apps, there are also apps which promote hands-on learning and exploration from students of all levels. In 2012, OU developed a list of the 50 Best iPad apps around for use in STEM education.The list includes an impressive array of different topics, including a...


WeBWorK is an open-source online homework system with a library of homework problems for math and science courses. Their National Problem Library currently contains over 20,000 problems directed primarily at lower level undergraduate courses, with a few more advanced options. WebWorK is community-oriented, and claims that they have over 450 institutional users. The math and statistics courses featured on the...


One of Next Generation Learning Challenge's profiles featured Thinkwell, a multimedia company which creates online video textbooks.

Profiles of Next Generation Learning: Thinkwell from NextGenLC (NGLC) on...


The Open Learning Initiative, or OLI, is a group based out of Carnegie Mellon University geared towards creating and and distributing online education courses and conduct further research into maximizing the effectiveness of online higher education. Their courses and materials are freely accessible and shareable, in part because the OLI aspires to create a community of users providing continuous feedback and thereby supporting continuous improvement. Student use and interaction with OLI materials...


Piazza creates wiki-style questions and answers that can keep up with a traditional classroom, updating in real time. Students can ask and answer questions, including anonymously, and then instructors can highlight their responses and endorse selected student responses.  Piazza can also be used to get anonymous feedback from the class, and to stay in constant contact, including using mobile apps.

R is a vehicle for statistical and graphical computing and analysis. The source code is available as Free Software so users can modify it for their needs. The R Project maintains the R Journal, which features articles on projects completed using R.


A free, open collection of college course material hosted by Saylor Foundation. It is designed to replicate an entire college curriculum with freely available course materials, although they do not offer college credit. (Eventually they will to host all materials on their own site so they can ensure long-term stewardship, but in currently some is available only through links to other sites). Currently the courses consist largely of recorded lectures and readings. There are a few quizzes, but few interactive...

Began as a series of video lectures in mathematics, goal is now to cover a range of topics at K-12 and college level. Khan has also branched out to tutorials/formative assessment exercises, currently mostly in math -- these contain links to associated videos where students can watch worked examples. Instructors can set up a "coach" account, and have students sign up to view their progress. See Salman Khan's TED...

Website of the Exploratorium: Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception in San Francisco. No courseware, but links to some fabulous multimedia and interactive features and offline "things to make and do" activities that the museum has developed on a wide range of topics related to math, science, art, and human understanding. Elementary school to adults. The Exploratorium also offers two apps, "Sound Uncovered" and "Color Uncovered," which are free, interactive iPad books.

One of the strengths of blended learning is that computer-based technologies are able to provide quick and easy ways of visualizing data and processes. While these tools can be useful for anyone, they are particularly helpful to visual learners working to grasp complex mathematical and abstract concepts that often feel abstract in a traditional classroom.

What makes Java-based tools like Demos for Probability and Statistics,...