Choosing &
Using Technologies in Education & Training
Organisation
Management and Change
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.
Boalch, Greg
1996. 'WWW as an
educational support medium: an Australian case study'. Paper presented at AusWeb96 conference, Southern
Cross University.
http://www.scu.edu.au/sponsored/ausweb/ausweb96/educn/boalch/
Site accessed July 1997.
The paper describes the use of the Web
as a support medium for an undergraduate Information Systems
unit taken by over 1000 commerce students at Curtin
University of Technology, in a 15 week semester. Students are
given online access to their support material from any
machine on campus or from home (some live over 2000 km away
from the home campus in Perth). The study examined whether
and how students used the Web material (a majority preferred
to access information via the Web than to use paper-based
sources), and implications for reduction in costs of running
the unit (course administration improved).
Browell, Sue
1997, Open learning and multimedia -
the legal issues, Open Learning, Vol. 12, No. 1,
February, pp. 52-57.
Australia has a statutory licensing
system which simplifies copyright clearance for most types of
resource-based learning materials, but there are many complex
issues of copyright and intellectual property in multimedia
and online teaching which have not yet been solved. While its
emphasis is the British legal situation, this article
describes very well many of the issues managers and teachers
in Australia should take into account in technology-mediated
teaching.
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.
Chambers, Ellie
1994, Collaborative publishing in
distance education: economics and pedagogy, in Economics
of Distance Education, eds. G. Dhanarajan, P. K. Ip, K.
S. Yuen, & C. Swales, Hong Kong: Open Learning Institute
Press.
Co-publishing of learning resources by
institutions and commercial publishers is becoming more
common as a way of improving quality, achieving cost
effectiveness, and opening up new markets. Chambers outlines
how the British Open University is pursuing this, and the
effects on internal planning and restructuring of materials.
Commonwealth of Learning
1997, Remote delivery of
courses: guidelines for students and institutions, Distance Education, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp.
198-203.
http://www.col.org/
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is
an international agency fostering cooperation among
Commonwealth nations in course development and delivery
through the use of distance education and flexible learning.
These guidelines are succinct pointers for students making
decisions about enrolling in courses (especially those
offered internationally), and institutions collaborating in
developing and offering such courses. The bottom line is the
quality of the education and training provided, and ensuring
successful student outcomes.
Cukier, Judith,
1997, Cost-benefit analysis of
telelearning: developing a methodology framework, Distance
Education, Vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 137-152.
A clear, easy to read, summary of the
four main methodologies for cost-benefit analysis of
technology-mediated education and training - values,
mathematical models, comparative studies, and return on
investment approaches - and an argument for an integrated
methodology for evaluation of educational technologies.
Flexible Delivery Working Party
1993, A Guide to Implementing Flexible
Delivery, Flexible Delivery Working Party, Brisbane.
A Guide for practitioners and managers
on the issues which should be taken into account in
implementing a flexible learning program. Each section
includes a 'toolbox' (checklists, references, pro-formas,
inventories and so on) to assist the user. Sections cover
planning and management decisions and structures, staff
development, determining the market and learners' needs,
developing and delivery flexible courses, and administering
flexible delivery. The Guide takes the learner as the key
focus for each aspect of flexible delivery. It is one of six
resources developed by the National Flexible Delivery Working
Party and assists implementation of the National Training
Reform Agenda.
Flexible Delivery Working Party
1993, Appropriate Technologies for
Flexible Delivery - a Decision Making Framework, Flexible
Delivery Working Party, Brisbane.
This package of book and computer discs
provides a computer-assisted decision making framework to
support managers and teachers in selecting appropriate
technologies for the delivery of vocational education and
training. The framework comprises a process which is not
bound to any particular technology or learning outcomes, so
that it may be used for emerging technologies and changing
goals. The user is assisted to identify and act on choices,
gains, risks and goals, and to review results. The package is
one of six resources developed by the National Flexible
Delivery Working Party and assists implementation of the
National Training Reform Agenda.
Flexible Delivery Working Party
1993, Cost Benefit for Flexible Delivery
- Operating Manual, Flexible Delivery Working Party,
Brisbane.
A package of text and computer disks
which is designed to assist providers of vocational education
and training to implement approaches to teaching/learning
which are flexible, cost-effective and responsive to the
needs of clients. The user is guided through a process of
identifying the context within which technology choice is
made - including the institutional and learning objectives
and constraints - and then using the computer program to
match these with appropriate technologies. The package is one
of six resources developed by the National Flexible Delivery
Working Party and assists implementation of the National
Training Reform Agenda.
Hesketh, Beryl, Gosper, Maree, Andrews,
John & Sabaz, Mark
1996, Computer-mediated Communication in
University Teaching, Evaluations & Investigations
Program, Department of Employment, Education, Training &
Youth Affairs, Canberra, AGPS.
Report of a project to estimate the
extent to which computer-mediated communication is likely to
penetrate traditional instruction in the next 3-5 years, and
to identify barriers to introduction of new technologies in
higher education. It shows that, despite public rhetoric,
'there is no groundswell of movement towards the use of
technology; only patches of enthusiasm', and proposes ways of
resolving this. It will be of particular interest to
educational managers developing policy and allocating
resources in relation to electronic technologies for
teaching/learning.
James, Richard, & Beattie, Kate
1995, Expanding Option: Delivery
Technologies and Postgraduate Coursework, Evaluations
& Investigations Program, Department of Employment,
Education & Training, Canberra, AGPS.
This investigation of the
practicalities of using various technologies and 'delivery'
methods to create flexible and effective postgraduate
learning environments is equally relevant to other areas of
education and training. Practitioners will find particularly
useful: Chapter 5 on delivery modes and practice - classroom
interactions, computer-mediated communications and
instructional techniques, audiovisual and print strategies,
and other techniques. Managers will also find Chapter 8 on
implementation and integration useful - covering
administrative structures and support, cost comparisons, and
copyright. Chapter 9 deals with changing teaching roles and
staff development needs
Lewis, Justus H. & Romiszowski,
Alexander
1996, November, 'Networking and the learning
organisation: networking issues and scenarios for the 21st
century', Journal of
Instructional Science and Technology, Vol. 1, No. 4.
http://www.usq.edu.au/electpub/e-jist/vol1no4/lewis.htm Site
accessed June 1997.
The concept of the learning
organisation which constantly updates the skills of its
members and, in the process, is itself transformed, has
become an important idea in management and planning theory in
recent times. Lewis and Romiszowski apply this concept to
distance and other educational institutions in Singapore,
Europe and the Americas, which have taken up new
technologies, especially those involving networking through
computer-mediated communications (CMC). They argue that
knowledge of the technology is insufficient in itself for the
kinds of organisational transformation desired, while the use
of CMC in a learning environment changes the dynamics of the
teaching/learning process and thence the decision-making and
management processes which underpin it.
Lundin, Roy
1993, Overseas Experience in
Non-traditional Modes of Delivery in Higher Education using
State-of-the-Art Technologies, Occasional Paper Series,
Department of Employment, Education & Training, Canberra,
AGPS
A survey of best practice in North
America, Europe and Asia, covering pressures leading to the
projects being established, their effectiveness, the elements
of 'best practice', major trends, and applicability to
Australian education and training.
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.
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.
National Board of Employment, Education
and Training
1995 (Nov.), Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, Report to NBEET from Employment and Skills
Formation Council, Canberra, AGPS.
A report on identification of the
skills and attributes required by the workforce as a result
of the growth in converging technologies. It includes a good
brief review of technology developments, plus sections on the
need to develop a 'learning society' and the role of the
various education and training sectors in relation to
technology convergence. Section 7 on linking technology with
teaching and learning indicates the areas of information
literacy and professional development required by students
and teachers alike.
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.
Oliver, Ron & Grant, Mike
1994, Distance Education Technologies: a
Review of Instructional Technologies for Distance Education
and Open Learning. Perth: InTech Research, Edith Cowan
University.
A highly practical and very useable
guide to the various instructional technologies that can be
used to support distance teaching and flexible learning. Four
groups of technology are outlined - telelearning (including
various forms of television and teleconferencing); computer
mediated communications; computer mediated instruction; and
print and other 'hard copy' materials. Each section briefly
describes the technology, its instructional applications and
learning opportunities, its relative strengths and weaknesses
as a delivery medium, the costs and equipment required to
support its use, and information on groups and organisations
able to provide services and assistance to providers of
education and training.
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.
Taylor, James, Kemp, James E., &
Burgess, James V.
1993, Mixed-Mode Approaches to Industry
Training: Staff Attitudes & Cost Effectiveness,
Evaluations & Investigations Program, Department of
Employment, Education & Training, Canberra, AGPS.
An analysis of the cost effectiveness
of a variety of teaching methods and technologies in
workplace-based industrial training provided by the
University of Southern Queensland on contract to two
organisations - the Queensland Fire Service, and Woodside
Offshore Petroleum Pty. Ltd. It is one of the most
comprehensive Australian cost effectiveness studies presently
available.
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.
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
Tinkler, Don, Smith, Tony, Ellyard,
Peter, & Cohen, David
1994, Effectiveness and Potential of
State-of-the-Art Technologies in the Delivery of Higher
Education, Occasional Paper Series, Department of
Employment, Education and Training, Canberra, AGPS.
The technical 'state-of-the-art' has
moved on since this report was published, but it continues to
provide a valuable set of examples of good practice across a
wide range of subjects and technology types, mainly from
Australian universities. The report also canvasses at some
depth the effectiveness and potential of computer-based
technologies, and desirable frameworks for policy and
budgetary initiatives.
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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