Teaching and Learning Online
The Teaching and learning Online, a Beginner’s Guide to e-learning and e-teaching in higher education by Ron Oliver & Jan Herrington states that the premise of the publication is to provide information for people who already believe that online learning exists to enhance learning. The publication is clearly outlined, easy to follow and provides thorough guidelines for online education development.
Three factors are mentioned early in the publication that support the reasons for the continued growth of online learning. They include flexibility of the ability to create custom learning to the needs of the learner; the economy of mass delivery, and enhancing the capabilities of learners to become self-sufficient.
The authors provided a good argument for online learning based around the constructivist principles of knowledge construction. Conventional instructional design has been well defined but models supporting knowledge construction are lacking for instructional designers. Conventional principles focus on supporting the learners acquisition of knowledge versus using a constructivist model that supports learning outcomes where learners can use and apply the knowledge in new and meaningful ways.
The framework described in the publication was comprised of learning tasks, learning resources and learning supports. According to the framework the learning tasks take the lead in the design process based on the intended learning outcomes. Types of learning resources or the content are chosen based on the learning tasks and can include graphics, audio, video, simulations or PDF documents. An added advantage to learning support is the communication and social constructivist model of learning provided by the Internet. It provides new tools and opportunities for learners to collaborate with classmates, practitioners and experts. Learners are enabled to learn more by socialization than if they learn alone.
Another learning support is learning communities. Educators have an interest in these communities that share similar interests, purposes and goals. They have a certain amount of commitment to each other for the purpose of personal growth and well-being for themselves and members of the community.
Many examples for learning design were provided such as situated learning, problem-based learning, case-based learning, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, role-playing and simulations.
Guaranteed identity of the learner and plagiarism of information is a big concern within many institutions. Suggested forms of learning tasks can help minimize the opportunity for learners to copy information of others in an online setting. The USA accessibility guidelines for electronic information mandates that Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information. This is something to consider when designing online education.
I enjoyed reading this publication and will have to re-read because it’ a 130 page document but I found it to be useful and I will refer to it when I design online modules.
References:
Oliver, Ron, & Herrington, Jan. (2001, December). Teaching and learning online: A beginner’s guide to e-learning and e-teaching in higher education. Centre for Research in Information Technology and Communications Edith Cowan University Western Australia. Available at: http://elrond.scam.ecu.edu.au/oliver/2002/TALO2.pdf.
How Does Distance Education Compare with Classroom Instruction?
This publication shows research comparing Distance Education with Classroom Instruction. Literature was analyzed from 1985 to the end of 2002 taking into consideration age groups, media types, instructional methods and outcome measures. The questions the research tried to answer were the following:
1. Overall, is interactive DE as effective, in terms of student achievement, attitudes, and retention, as its classroom-based counterparts?
2. What is the nature and extent of the variability of the findings?
3. How do conditions of synchronicity and asynchronicity moderate the over- all results?
4. What conditions contribute to more effective DE as compared with class- room instruction?
5. To what extent do media features and pedagogical features moderate the influences of DE on student learning?
6. What is the methodological state of the literature?
7. What are important implications for practice and future directions for research?
Distance Education (DE) has been around for a very long time. I wanted to take one of the questions and focus on that topic so I chose to what extent do media features and pedagogical features moderate the influences of DE on student learning.
The early years were considered correspondence education because the media used was print and the post office. Now media can consist of print, radio, television, interactive multimedia, the Internet, access to Web-based resources, computer-mediated communication (CMC) and campus portals. There are 5 generations of DE that have all progress because of technology and the different types of media.
1st – early days of print-based correspondence
2nd – print materials were integrated with broadcast TV and radio
3rd – hypertext and teleconferencing
4th –, Internet-accessible courses
5th – online interactive multimedia, Internet-based access to Web resources
The report talked about three arguments regarding instruction and media in the DE comparison. Clark argued that the instruction is the “active ingredient” not the medium or content. They are two distinct entities. Komza argued that Clark assessment was based on old non-interactive technology and that there is a distinction for media to support teaching and to support learning. Cobb on the other hand argued that media may have advantages over other media providing easier ways for the learner to learn. The media is no longer an independent component of the instruction and used just for delivery, in fact, the media becomes a part of the learner’s cognitive engagement. I would have to agree with all three arguments and say that the merging of the three ideas will make a better learning experience. Understanding the problem and designing a solution based on how to deliver the instruction and understanding the use of media as content and how it really fits into the instruction whether it will truly benefits the learner is important. Technology has changed in a way that allows learners to take more control of their learning through technology and it has become a part of their cognitive skill set. A programmer friend of mine told me once that he never allowed the computer to control him instead he controlled the computer. But he understood how to use the computer and create the program to solve the problem.
References:
How Does Distance Education Compare with Classroom Instruction? A Meta-Analysis of the Empirical Literature Author(s): Robert M. Bernard, Philip C. Abrami, Yiping Lou, Evgueni Borokhovski, Anne Wade, Lori Wozney, Peter Andrew Wallet, Manon Fiset, Binru Huang Source: Review of Educational Research, Vol. 74, No. 3, (Autumn, 2004), pp. 379-439 Published by: American Educational Research Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3516028 Accessed: 15/07/2008 12:45
