Choosing &
Using Technologies in Education & Training
Teaching, Learning
and Evaluation
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.
Birks, A., Donnan, P. & Messing, J.
1995, 'A hypermedia teaching/learning
resource for Grape and Wine Production', Occasional Papers in Open and Distance Learning,
Charles Sturt University, Vol. 18, Nov.
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/oli/oli-rd/ Available in hard
copy from CSU or online (site accessed June 1997)
A report on the design and teaching of
a CD-Rom Macintosh program for the subject Grape and Wine
Production. It analyses the development process, sets out an
evaluation framework for the program, and concludes with
comparisons between the CD-Rom and an earlier print version
of the unit.
Evans, Peter,
1996, 'Development and delivery of a
Graduate Certificate (Open and Distance Learning) via the
WWW', paper presented at AusWeb96,
Southern Cross University.
http://www.scu.edu.au/sponsored/ausweb/ausweb96/educn/ Site
accessed July 1997.
A report on this course which is
offered online by the University of Southern
Queensland. Evans covers
the rationale for offering the course, the pedagogical
principles underpinning its design and delivery, the course
structure, materials development and production processes,
the designs and software tools used in course construction,
site creation and maintenance, and interaction with students.
Franklin, Nancy, Yoakam, Michael,
Warren, Ron
1996, Distance Learning: a Guide to
System Planning and Implementation.
Indiana University.
http://www.indiana.edu/~scs/dlprimer.html Site accessed July
1997.
A 'primer' for those planning and
managing distance or flexible learning systems, which
provides an introduction to flexible delivery, the
technologies and keys to success. It covers needs assessment,
technology selection, design and implementation of a distance
learning system, management issues, training of teachers and
support staff, and evaluation. The site provides information
on how to order a hard copy of the 135 page guide.
Hills, Howard
1997, Lloyds Bank and
multimedia, in Open and Distance Learning: Case
Studies from Industry and Education, ed. Stephen Brown,
London: Routledge.
A report on how a large British bank
introduced technology-mediated teaching into its clerical and
management training programs, beginning with interactive
video systems in 1984 and moving on to computer-based
training from the late 1980s. More recently, these approaches
have been merged with face to face training, with multimedia
providing a consistent training platform throughout the
Banks branch network, in conjunction with local
flexible learning coordinators.
Gilbert, Cheryl
1996, Teaching and learning on the web
at Queensland University of Technology, Paper presented at AusWeb96 Conference, Southern
Cross University.
http://elmo.scu.edu.au/sponsored/ausweb/ausweb96/educn/gilbert/paper.html
Site accessed July 1997.
A report on ways in which Web
technologies are being used in teaching a variety of science
and social science subjects at QUT, recognising that most
teachers presently see the web as 'foreign technology' and
are concerned about its effectiveness. Gilbert describes a
QUT professional development initiative to help overcome this
problem. QUT has set up a Webworkers group of staff from 27
different Faculty schools and service areas to share
information and collaborate in designing, teaching and
evaluating web-based learning.
Jegede, Olugbemiro J., Gooley, Anne
& Towers, Stephen
1996, November, 'An
evaluation of the Queensland Open Learning Network
audiographic conferencing professional development programs', Journal of Instructional Science and Technology,
Vol. 1, No. 4.
http://www.usq.edu.au/electpub/e-jist/vol1no4/abstrac4.htm#AbstractJegede
Site accessed June 1997.
An evaluation of the QOLN audiographics
professional development program which found that the
majority of participants found the workshop beneficial; it
was easier than they had expected, and their prior computing
skills were irrelevant to their mastery of the use of
audiographic conferencing equipment. They enjoyed the
interactivity and learning environment characteristics of the
audiographic equipment. The study comments on policy on
training and professional development opportunities for
teachers using audiographics conferencing.
Journal of Instructional
Science and Technology
http://www.usq.edu.au/electpub/e-jist/homepage.htm
An Australian electronic journal (based
at the University of Southern Queensland) which began in
October 1995. Its focus is the design of instructional
materials with particular interest in issues of instructional
design in mixed mode teaching, on and off campus, in
education and training. The journal publishes evaluations and
other research reports, and also work in progress.
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.
Lee, Victor, Murphy, David, Chan, C.C.
& Chung, Linda
1997, Computer-aided distance
learning: a case study, Open Learning, Vol. 12,
No. 1, February, pp. 58-62.
A short but useful summary of the steps
required to design, implement and evaluate a CAL package to
teach elements of a computer and network architectures course
which students had found difficult when taught more
conventionally.
MacKinnon, Allan, Walshe, Bridget,
Cummings, Michael & Velonis, Ursula
1995, An inventory of pedagogical
considerations for interactive television, Journal
of Distance Education, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 75-94.
The presence of cable TV has enabled
British Columbian educators to use TV for teaching in
increasingly sophisticated ways over the last 20 years. This
article describes the use of multi-point interactive
television conferences using a fibre optics telephone
network; some were used as professional development for
teachers, others for bringing together school students in
scattered locations. The examples show much imagination and
ingenuity.
Mitchell, John & Bluer, Robert
1997, A Planning Model for Innovation:
New Learning Technologies, report
commissioned by Office of Training and Further Education,
Department of Education, Victoria.
http://www.otfe.vic.gov.au/vet_vic/model/ Available in hard
copy and online.
A study of whether, and under what
circumstances, technologies such as computer-mediated
communication, audiographics, computer conferencing and
videoconferencing lead to improved learning outcomes in
vocational education and training. It provides eight
Australian case studies. It is a sober, realistic report
which finds that learning outcomes have not been the
strongest criterion for success in many Australian studies to
date; that attitudes of teachers and students to new learning
technologies is variable and sometimes idealised; that access
remains a difficult issue; and that returns on investment
must be evaluated not only in terms of cost savings but also
in terms of access and learning outcomes. Mitchell and Bluer
set out a planning model for optimal use of new learning
technologies, based on performance indicators and staged
implementation.
Moran, Louise
1997, Flexible learning as university
policy, in Open and Distance Learning: Case Studies
from Industry and Education, ed. Stephen Brown, London:
Routledge.
A case study of a whole-of-institution
approach to converging face-to-face and distance methods. The
aim is a comprehensive transformation of teaching and
learning, in which the use of appropriate technologies and
learning resources plays a key role. The study outlines
strategies for corporate planning, quality assurance and
management of the processes involved.
Nash, Chris & Alexander, Shirley
1995, 'Australia Street archive on the
World Wide Web', paper presented at
AusWeb95 Conference.
http://www.scu.edu.au/sponsored/ausweb/ausweb95/papers/education3/nash/
Site accessed June 1997.
A summary of a large multidisciplinary
project - the Australia Street Archive - creating curriculum
materials in prototype multimedia form for distribution on
CD-Rom for use in school and tertiary courses. It describes
the project development strategy, narrative structures, and
collaborations required to make it work.
National Council for Educational
Technology,
1993, Direct Broadcasting by Satellite, National Council for Educational Technology, UK.
http://www.ncet.org.uk/projects/dbs/ Site accessed August
1997.
An evaluation by the Faculty of
Education, University of Leeds, of a large-scale program
called Satellites in Schools which involved direct
broadcasting by satellite to 226 secondary schools in Wales.
The report covers details of the equipment, its installation
and support, program development and scheduling, and a
formative evaluation of teaching/learning issues including
interest and motivation, providing up to date resources,
authenticity, learning effectiveness, learner independence,
etc. Several case studies follow the project in detail.
Oliver, Ron & Omari, Arshad
1996, The place of the WWW in an
undergraduate multimedia degree program, Paper presented at AusWeb96 Conference, Southern
Cross University.
http://elmo.scu.edu.au/sponsored/ausweb/ausweb96/educn/omari/
Site accessed July 1997.
An outline of experience at Edith Cowan
University in developing and teaching an undergraduate degree
in Interactive Multimedia Technologies. The paper discusses
the form and structure of the program and the place of the
Web as an authoring medium. Teachers will find especially
useful the sections on teaching and learning issues raised by
the program, such as catering for individual and diverse
learning needs, demonstration of skills acquisition, and
choice of pre-requisite knowledge bases on which to develop
course content.
Oliver, Ron
1995, Networks Into the 21st Century: an
Evaluation of the Western Australian Telecentre Network.
Report commissioned by the Western Australia Department of
Training. Perth.
A comprehensive evaluation of a
vibrant, highly successful organisation comprising (in 1995)
68 linked Telecentres providing enhanced access to education,
training, communication and enterprise for rural communities
in Western Australia. While the evaluation's purpose was to
consider future organisational arrangements for the Network,
the report also provides valuable data on how such access
centres can/should be set up and run to support
technology-mediated education and training in harmony with
other entrepreneurial activities.
Open Learning Technology Corporation
Models for evaluating technology
- a bibliography.
http://www.oltc.edu.au/reports/models/modelsft.htm
An annotated bibliography of papers and
other materials providing models for evaluating each type of
technology commonly used in distance and flexible learning,
plus general models for evaluating flexible delivery and for
conducting cost benefit analyses.
Open Training Services, Western
Metropolitan College of TAFE, Victoria.
Teaching and Learning Online: Case Study One: Learning
Management System.
http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/cis/onlinetraining/talon/coursenot/Assess/case1.htm
Site accessed August 1997.
The Learning Management System (LMS)
has been used in many TAFE and tertiary institutions across
Australia in the last decade. Although the technology is now
(1997) somewhat outdated, its use for online assessment and
management is well tested, and many of the benefits, problems
and issues associated with the system will be relevant to the
use of emerging technologies. This report outlines use of the
LMS in a Pulp and Paper Making Certificate.
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.
Robson, Joan
1996, The effectiveness of
teleconferencing in fostering interaction in distance
education, Distance Education, vol. 17, No. 2,
1996, pp. 304-334.
A detailed study of the use of
teleconferencing in teaching Year 11 and 12 mathematics
students in a cluster of rural schools in NSW. Although one
aim was to improve interaction among students, most
interactions were between individual students and the
teacher, and the study raises useful questions about lesson
structuring, power and control in the class, and the
potential advantages of using audiographics rather than
audioconferencing for the purpose.
Taylor, Peter G., Lopez, Lucy &
Quadrelli, Carol
1996 (Dec.). Flexibility, Technology and
Academics' Practices: Tantalising Tales and Muddy Maps. Evaluations & Investigations Program,
Department of Employment, Education, Training & Youth
Affairs, Canberra, AGPS.
http://www.anu.edu.au/uniserve/eip/muddy/muddy.html Site
accessed August 1997.
A project which investigated the
relationships between diversification in modes of delivery,
use of information and communications technologies, and
academics' teaching practices, and the context in which those
practices are employed. The investigation used three sites in
Brisbane - education and law at the Queensland University of
Technology, and humanities at Griffith University. The
project found that flexible modes of delivery can be
educationally defensible and professionally satisfying, and
that the attitudes and beliefs of academics, managers and
support staff about teaching and learning can represent
formidable barriers to change. The report proposes ways of
creating conditions conducive to change. It also provides
seven case studies drawn from the three sites.
Thorpe, Mary
1988, Evaluating Open and Distance
Learning, London, Longman.
One of the major texts on evaluation
for practitioners of distance and flexible learning, this
book includes a useful chapter on strategies for piloting
course materials (meaning mainly print) during the stages of
development/production and delivery, including peer and
teacher feedback.
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
Willis, Barry
Distance Education at a Glance.
http://www.uidaho.edu/evo/distglan.html.
Site accessed July 1997.
A set of 14 concise, well-presented
guides on distance learning, covering an overview, teaching
strategies, instructional development, evaluation,
instructional television, instructional audio, computers in
distance education, print in distance education, learning
strategies, distance education research, interactive
videoconferencing, the worldwide web, copyright, and a
glossary of terms. The guides can be downloaded free.
Wood, H.
1995, 'Designing
study materials for distance students', Occasional Papers in Open and Distance Learning,
Charles Sturt University, Vol. 17, May.
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/OLI/oli-rd/occpap17/design.htm
Available in hard copy from CSU or online.
An evaluation of good practice in
designing and teaching science subjects at a distance,
especially one which would normally involve laboratory work.
The subject evaluated was an introductory biology unit
comprising a print and video package built around a
commercial text.
Yetton, Philip et al
1996, Managing the Introduction of
Technology in the Delivery and Administration of Higher
Education, Evaluations & Investigations Program,
Department of Employment, Education & Youth Affairs,
Canberra, AGPS.
Report of a project conducted by a team
coordinated by the Australian Graduate School of Management
at the University of NSW. The project investigated how
Australian universities are managing the introduction of
technology to delivery and administer higher education,
studying 12 universities in some detail, and another eight in
follow-up studies. It examined five factors - strategy,
developing new roles and skills in staff, management
processes and evaluating IT investments, IT management
structures, and managing change and IT integration, and
outlines three emerging models of the university of the
future.
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