Choosing &
Using Technologies in Education & Training
Computer Mediated
Communications
Bates, A. W.
1995, Technology, Open Learning and
Distance Education, London: Routledge.
A book which provides an eminently
useable 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.
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.
Eastmond, Daniel V.
1994, Adult distance study through
computer conferencing, Distance Education, Vol.
15, No. 1, pp.128-152.
A study of adult students
experience of learning through computer conferencing which
analyses the variety of learning styles, the social dynamics
of the student group, and effectiveness of the learning
experience from students viewpoints. The article
includes a useful survey of literature on study through
computer conferencing.
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/evans/
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ross, John A, Crane, Carole A, &
Robertson, Don
1995, Equity of access to
computer-mediated distance education, Journal of
Distance Education, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 17-32.
A practical survey of problems which
off campus students typically face in accessing the
institutions computer remotely - e.g. technical
difficulties, getting help, and acquiring information
literacy skills. The solution chosen was to use a CMC
coach as a mentor to novice users. Ross et al outline
the coachs strategies and provide a useful discussion
of broader equity issues which need to be addressed.
Spennemann, Dirk H. R.
1997, 'Use of electronic mail among Park
Management students at Charles Sturt University', Occasional
Papers in Open & Distance Learning, No. 21, Open
Learning Institute, Charles Sturt University, p. 29-40.
An analysis of internal and external
students' expectations, attitudes and abilities in relation
to email as a core part of a park management unit. It
provides a 'warts and all' look at attitudes to email in
general and they way they were used in the unit. The paper
includes a useful list of other (mainly American) references,
and a methodology for surveying students on this subject.
Tkal, Lucy (Series editor)
1997, Technology Survey Report (3rd
ed.), Open Training and Education Network, NSW TAFE.
A deservedly popular and eminently
useable introduction to the communications technologies
available for flexible learning, the Report is a handy
reference to keep at one's elbow. Technologies covered
include the range of teleconferencing, computer mediated
communications, computer managed learning, broadcasting, and
online technologies. Each section describes the technology,
its applications, equipment and service requirements, its
advantages and disadvantages, and cost factors.
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