Choosing &
Using Technologies in Education & Training
Student-centred
Learning
Alexander, Shirley
1996, 'Teaching and learning on the
World Wide Web', paper delivered at
AusWeb95 conference.
http://www.scu.edu.au/sponsored/ausweb/ausweb95/papers/education2/alexander/ Site accessed June 1997.
A thoughtful analysis of the way new
applications of technology begin with a roar and fade with a
whimper, with sound advice on establishing what teachers want
their students to learn, and designing Web-based instruction
and interaction accordingly.
Bates, A. W.
1997, The impact of technological
change on open and distance learning, Distance
Education, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 93-109.
Bates is a leading writer about
technology-mediated education. Here he outlines the major
structural and conceptual changes required in both dual mode
and dedicated open learning institutions to achieve the most
cost effective use of the new technologies.
Bates, A. W.
1995, Technology, Open Learning and
Distance Education, London: Routledge.
A book which provides an eminently
usable methodology for making competent and informed
decisions on choice and use of technologies in education.
Bates sets out criteria for decision-making based on an
analysis of common questions each institution must answer for
itself, to do with access, costs, teaching and learning,
interactivity and user-friendliness, organisational issues,
novelty, and speed.
Teachers and managers will find the
first chapter especially useful. In it, Bates proposes
12 golden rules for using technology in education
and training: good teaching matters; each medium has its own
aesthetic; educational technologies are flexible; there is no
super-technology; all major media types should be
available to teachers and learners; balance variety with
economy; interaction is essential; student numbers are
critical; new technologies are not necessarily better than
old ones; teachers need training to use technologies
effectively; teamwork is essential; and technology is not the
issue but how and what do we want students to learn is.
Subsequent chapters deal with the
educational, technical and cost issues involved in technology
selection and implementation of four major types of media:
print, television, audio (including telephone), and the
computer. He concludes with a thoughtful look at the future
of technology and its limitations in education and training.
Brown, Stephen (ed.)
1997, Open and Distance Learning: Case
Studies from Industry and Education, London, Routledge.
A book aimed at educators and managers
considering how to introduce forms of technology-based
flexible learning into a conventional, face-to-face setting,
or grappling with the problems of doing so. It comprises 14
case studies from industry, commerce and education in Britain
and Australia which show that the main issues tend to be
related to human and educational factors rather than
technical ones or even cost.
The case studies cover topics such as:
costing models and investment strategies; user expectations
and reactions; role of the tutor/trainer; methods of
integration of technologies and flexible learning; leadership
and the role of champions in introducing flexible learning;
dissemination of expertise; staff development and student
learning support systems; cultural change and vested
interests; scalability and rates of change; evaluation
strategies and techniques; collaboration and competition; and
models for priority setting, planning and resource
allocation. They also cover a range of old and new
technologies, including print-based materials and video,
stand-alone computer-based learning, and a variety of
electronic and Web-based approaches.
The final chapter, by Stephen Brown, is
a useful synthesis of the lessons learned in the diverse
settings of the case studies, especially in relation to
technology, human factors, and institutional cultural change.
He argues that there is no one best practice, but each
proposed innovation must take into account issues such as
whether to set up an internal design and development team or
outsource the specialist services; centralised versus
distributed models of development and support; growth and
integration of the innovation into the mainstream; learning
support; and costing models.
Burge, Elizabeth
1994, Learning in computer
conferenced contexts: the learners perspective, Journal
of Distance Education, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 19-43.
A very readable and realistic account
by a leading writer on computer-mediated learning, which
examines the pros and cons of computer conferencing, and
provides advice for teachers on good practice.
Laurillard, Diana
1993, Rethinking University Teaching: a
Framework for the Effective Use of Educational Technology,
London, Routledge.
This book, written by a leading UK Open
University academic, has greatly influenced approaches to
staff development in Australian universities in recent years.
Laurillard sets out a framework to help teachers think about
the nature and processes of learning and how best to use and
combine new and established media in their teaching. Part 1
explores students' learning, and what it is that they need
from educational technology. Part 11 looks at individual
teaching methods and media, including non-interactive media
(lectures, print, audio), hypermedia (CD-Rom and the Web),
and interactive media (simulations, modelling programs). Part
111 examines design methodology, designing learning
activities, setting up the learning context, and maintaining
quality.
Mason, Robin
1994, Using Communications Media in Open
and Flexible Learning, London, Kogan Page.
An accessible, practical and reliable
introduction to three telecommunications technologies:
computer conferencing, audiographics and videoconferencing,
which demystifies the jargon. In the first three chapters,
Mason covers issues for teachers, organisations and students
considering courses and training programs based on these
media, the educational value of interactivity, the support
mechanisms which are necessary, and the broader implications
of asynchronous media. Chapters 4-6 are especially useful,
being devoted to the types of educational use, advantages and
disadvantages, equipment and techniques, and future trends in
each medium. She argues that the three components of success
in each case (course design, quality of teaching, and support
facilities) are not medium-dependent, but that these
components in turn depend on a thorough understanding of the
strengths and limitations of the medium used.
Mason, Robin & Kaye, Anthony (eds.)
1989. Mindweave: Communication,
Computers and Distance Education.
Oxford, Pergamon Press.
http://www-icdl.open.ac.uk/mindweave/mindweave.html
A classic text, now out of print but
available electronically for research/study purposes. The
book comprises 20 chapters on a wide range of issues under
the broad headings of themes and issues to do with
computer-mediated communications (CMC) and distance
education; computer conferencing and mass distance education;
applications of CMC in education; and reflections on CMC as a
medium for education.
Moore, Michael G. & Kearsley, Greg
1996, Distance Education: a Systems View,
California: Kearsley, Wadsworth Publishing Co.
For practitioners, the most useful
chapters are those on technologies and media, course design
and development, teaching and tutoring, and the distance
education student. Managers will find the chapters on
fundamentals of distance education, and administration,
management and policy particularly useful overviews of the
present environment and requirements. In addition, the book
includes an extensive set of sources on published material,
online networks, journals and databases.
Oliver, Ron, Herrington, Jan, &
Omari, Arshad
1996, Creating effective instructional
materials for the World Wide Web,
Paper presented at AusWeb96 Conference, Southern Cross
University.
http://elmo.scu.edu.au/sponsored/ausweb/ausweb96/educn/oliver/
Site accessed July 1997.
Firmly grounded on learning theory,
this paper proposes design strategies for Web materials aimed
at improving the instructional effectiveness of the media.
The authors explore in some detail aspects of information
organisation and selection of the most appropriate forms of
hypermedia for the intended learning outcomes - e.g.
strategies such as placement cues and semantic nets to help
orient the learner within learning materials; navigation
between nodes; text structure and its readability; and
effective forms of interactivity. They consider ways of
varying the role of the learner (e.g. collaboration,
reflection and articulation), and implementation strategies
such as coaching and scaffolding, and integrated assessment.
Race, Phil
1993 (2nd ed.), The Open Learning
Handbook, London: Kogan Page.
A down-to-earth handbook for teachers
and specialist staff involved in resource-based learning
delivered on campus, at home and at work. The approach and
style exemplify Race's views about good practice in designing
and presenting material and the book is very easy and
practical to use. Regardless of the mode of delivery,
practitioners will find helpful the chapters on designing for
flexible learning, the preparation of 'study guides',
learning outcomes, assessment, tutor-marked assignments, tone
and style, tutoring and mentoring. Chapter 7 covers computer
marked assignments (design, scoring, feedback, etc), while
Chapter 10 deals with flexible learning in traditional
classroom settings.
Ramsden, Paul
1992, Learning to Teach in Higher
Education, London: Routledge.
This well researched, thoughtful book
by a leading Australian academic addresses the problem of how
best to evaluate and improve the standard of teaching in a
climate of accountability and appraisal. Designed for
practitioners, it links educational theory and the practical
realities of teaching, arguing for a more professional
approach to teaching.
Ramsden outlines the experience of
learning and teaching from the student's point of view, sets
out a set of principles for effective teaching. He then
considers these principles in the light of four problems
commonly encountered by teachers - organising course content,
selecting teaching methods, assessing student learning, and
evaluating the effectiveness of teaching. Case studies of
good practice are used to link theory and practice, and the
book concludes with examination of appraisal, performance
indicators of teaching, accountability, and educational
development and training.
Rowntree, Derek
1993, Preparing Materials for Open,
Distance and Flexible Learning, London, Kogan Page.
Rowntree guides the reader through all
the key stages of planning and developing learning materials,
no matter which medium they will be provided in. He includes
sections on profiling your learners, agreeing on aims and
objectives, deciding context and sequence, making materials
user-friendly. A text to keep close to the elbow when
developing curricula based on learning resources.
Rumble, Greville
1997, The Costs and Economics of Open
and Distance Learning, London, Kogan Page.
Rumble uses examples from around the
world to dissect the costs and economics of flexible
delivery, and builds on his earlier work in this area. He is
one of the leading writers on distance education systems and
economics, and this book will be of particular use to policy
makers and program managers.
Tinkler, Don, Lepani, Barbara, &
Mitchell, John
1996, Education and Technology
Convergence, Commissioned Report No. 43, National Board
of Employment, Education & Training. Canberra, AGPS
NBEET commissioned this report as part
of its examination of the nexus between employment,
convergence of communications technologies, and the ability
of the education and training systems to equip the workforce
with the required knowledge and skills. The report focuses on
three aspects. It provides an overview and assessment of the
technological infrastructure used in the delivery of
education and training, including availability and
application of computing and communications technologies and
technical support services. It identifies needs and
opportunities for professional development and support of
educators and trainers as a key priority. And it reports on
strategies available and required to ensure maximum access
for students, especially those in equity targeted groups.
Notwithstanding rapid changes in the technological, if not
the policy environment, the report is a valuable survey of
what is happening 'on the ground', and the emerging problems
and issues which policy makers and educators must deal with.
Each area is illustrated with case studies.
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