Dear colleagues,

Vol. 9, No. 2 of the MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT at http://jolt.merlot.org/) has been published and is available online. The contents of the issue are listed below. In this issue you will find 12 peer-reviewed scholarly articles, nine of which comprise the much-awaited Special Issue on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), guest edited by Dr. George Siemens (Athabasca University), Dr. Valerie Irvine (University of Victoria), and Dr. Jillianne Code (University of Victoria). The remaining three articles are regular-issue articles relating to various aspects of online education. I hope you will find several articles of interest, and that you will take the time to forward this notice to colleagues who might also be interested.

Due to the overwhelming interest and the large number of high-quality submissions we received for the MOOCs special issue, we will be publishing a second special section on this topic as part of an upcoming issue. If you would like to register to receive notification of newly published JOLT issues, including the issue containing the upcoming special section, you may do so at the following URL: http://grapevine.merlot.org/joltnews/joltlistserv.php?action=add .

Kind regards,


Mark J. W. Lee
Editor, MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching


*** JOLT VOL. 9, NO. 2 CONTENTS ***

** SPECIAL ISSUE ON MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES **

A Message from the MERLOT Executive Director: MOOCs, MERLOT, and Open Educational Services
Gerard L. Hanley
i-ii

Guest Editors' Preface to the Special Issue on MOOCs: An Academic Perspective on an Emerging Technological and Social Trend
George Siemens, Valerie Irvine, and Jillianne Code
iii-vi

* Research Papers *

Patterns of Engagement in Connectivist MOOCs
Colin Milligan, Allison Littlejohn, and Anoush Margaryan
149-159

Learner Participation and Engagement in Open Online Courses: Insights from the Peer 2 Peer University
June Ahn, Brian S. Butler, Alisha Alam, Sarah A. Webster
160-171

Realigning Higher Education for the 21st Century Learner through Multi-Access Learning
Valerie Irvine, Jillianne Code, and Luke Richards
172-186

* Case Studies *

Wrapping a MOOC: Student Perceptions of an Experiment in Blended Learning
Derek O. Bruff, Douglas H. Fisher, Kathryn E. McEwen, and Blaine E. Smith
187-199

Liminal Participants and Skilled Orienteers: Learner Participation in a MOOC for New Lecturers
Marion Waite, Jenny Mackness, George Roberts, and Elizabeth Lovegrove
200-215

* Concept Paper *

Evaluating the Strategic and Leadership Challenges of MOOCs
Stephen Marshall
216-227

* Position Papers *

Massiveness + Openness = New Literacies of Participation?
Bonnie Stewart
228-238

The Inside Story: Campus Decision Making in the Wake of the Latest MOOC Tsunami
Marilyn M. Lombardi
239-248

MOOCs and the Liberal Arts College
Claudia W. Scholz
249-260

** REGULAR ISSUE PAPERS **

* Research Paper *

Investigating Student Engagement in an Online Mathematics Course through Windows into Teaching and Learning
Teresa Petty and Abiola Farinde
261-270

* Case Studies *

Blended Learning: An Institutional Approach for Enhancing Students' Learning Experiences
Joanna Poon
271-289

Online Student Support Services: A Case Based on Quality Frameworks
Barbara L. Stewart, Carole E. Goodson, Susan L. Miertschin, Marcella L. Norwood, and Shirley Ezell
290-303