Choosing & Using Technologies in Education & Training
The computer is increasingly being used as a means of enabling interaction as well as accessing information resources for learning. The most common forms are:
Electronic mail, or e-mail, is increasingly used for communication between education professionals. It is also developing usage as a means for distributing program material, returning assignments, and for teacher-learner and learner-learner communication. E-mail lists, or discussion groups, can be used when the communication is to go to a group rather than between individuals. E-mail can be supported within or between defined organisations on a wide area network, or with broader access on the Internet, using commercial Internet service providers.
It is useful in encouraging learners to interact with each other as well as with teachers, since it tends to develop an informal, conversational style of interaction. And it is particularly powerful where participants work or learn at different times of the day but still want a rapid response to their communications. It can thus be used for learner support as well as for formal program components.
Some e-mail programs support attachments: that is, you can send a file from a word processing or other application with your e-mail message. The file is stored on the recipient's hard drive, and can be worked on and revised in the usual way. This function is valuable for the purposes described above. It can also be used with advantage for administrative purposes, such as the development of learning materials by a team.
Unfortunately, however, not all e-mail programs support attachments, and not all of those that do are compatible, so there are still limitations on the useability of e-mail if users are on different systems.
The use of e-mail requires a computer, modem and telephone line, and therefore presents cost problems to some students studying away from a campus, though for some, workplace facilities can be used. In addition, a subscription to a service provider is needed, and for those outside metropolitan areas, STD telephone charges can be high.
Interactive multimedia is a term used to cover the convergence brought about by the ability to digitise existing technologies of sound, film, video, computer graphics and photography. It also incorporates applications such as simulation and modelling - e.g. in 'MOOs'. It provides powerful potential for users to interact with various forms of information by means of a computer. Learning materials which utilise this interactive multimedia capability are currently mostly based on CD-ROMs for use in stand-alone computer systems. However, developments in broadband access to the Internet and interactive servers are showing the prospects of networked interactive multimedia.
Interactive multimedia offer the opportunity for individuals to choose learning paths, and learning styles, to suit themselves, and to manipulate large quantities of information. Because of its fast operational speed, it is easy to refer back and forth within the material. It is particularly valuable in its ability to simulate processes and situations that would normally be inaccessible to learners, whether because of geographical limitations, because of safety factors in industrial processes, or because of security requirements. It is well suited to the needs of sophisticated, independent learners.
The chief barriers to the use of this technology are the cost to individuals of equipment, and to organisations of buying or developing content material. Production costs are typically around $300,000 for a commercial quality, educational CD-Rom, so a large market may be required to reduce unit costs and extend shelf life. Little content material suited to the vocational education and training sector is at present commercially available.
MOOs (Multi-User Dimensions, Object Oriented) have their origin in role-playing games but are now finding a use in education. MOOs allow learners to assume a role and visit virtual locations where they can interact with other virtual visitors or objects found. Unlike e-mail and chat facilities, MOOs tend to simulate more life-like functions such as speaking with others, calling them, whispering or phoning, and being able to pick up objects and to examine or to carry them. MOOs also have a spatial organisation, with "rooms" where the interaction takes place.
MOOs can be a very powerful tool as they incorporate a programming language, allowing programming of the MOO environment. Additional components include a server, managing the user connections and processing user commands; and a database, containing the definitions of the objects available. The combination of MOOs and Virtual Reality Modelling permits creation of virtual worlds where the learners not only interact with objects but also can actually see the objects and other users that they interact with.
Computer managed learning (CML) offers teachers the ability to record and track the activities and progress of individual students, and to relate them to curriculum and certification. This is a powerful support to training on demand and life-long learning, since it is much easier to maintain, update and transfer student records even when learners drop in and out of training, change programs, undertake individual competencies rather than whole programs, and generally tailor learning opportunities to their own needs.
CML programs enable students to work through learning material at their own pace, in a variety of venues. Facilities may also be provided for learners to manage their own assessment by means such as draw-down assignments (with suitable security provisions). Such programs vary from simple testbanks of text material to sophisticated 3-D simulations and experiments.
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