Advances in website interactivity, high-powered programming languages that create webpages with dynamic functionality, and “intelligent” file-sharing programs have made first-generation connectivity (modem or T1) hopelessly ineffectual at providing the bandwidth or speed necessary to support them. This is unfortunate, because the paying clients in the world’s urban areas have access to high-speed connections. The fact that corporations, governments, and monopolistic providers are (depending on how you look at it) subsidizing or enabling this trend obscures a very basic issue: the populations that were “rescued” by the first digital divide, and now being excluded by a new barrier: a “second generation digital divide.” Continue reading ‘Second Generation Digital Divide: Its Implications for Online Education’
Archive for October, 2003
Whether it is tacitly acknowledged or not, there are two competing (and divergent) philosophies with respect to cognition and online course design. Is online learning a learner-driven game, or guided mentoring? Continue reading ‘Cognition and Online Course Design: Game, or, Guide on the Side?’
The Potential of Personal Publishing in Education III: Where to now?
James Farmer
So, in part one I briefly pondered what was happening, in part two what was working and am now, not-at-all-predictably, casting an eye to the future and making a few rash predictions about the role personal publishing might play in online education over the next x years or so and why it might or might not.
Whether it is tacitly acknowledged or not, there are two competing (and divergent) philosophies with respect to cognition and online course design. Is online learning a learner-driven game, or guided mentoring?
Although almost all would agree that courses should be learner-centered and incorporate active (rather than passive) learning strategies, there is a great deal of disagreement about the implementation and underlying philosophy. Philosophy 1 would suggest that the experience replicates that of a game or a simulation, and the mindset is one of learner-driven exploration in an ongoing journey. Philosophy 2 maintains that the learning experience a sheltered one, with a mentor or guide on the side who gives the student a list of outcomes to be linearly achieved by means of readings, activities, and assessments. Continue reading ‘Back to the Basics: What is an online course? Who takes them? Who offers them?’
“Susan, the instructional designers are rude and unprofessional to me!” Over the phone, the professor’s voice was tight with outrage. “How ironic,” I thought to myself. The instructional designers constantly complained that this particular professor sent hyper-critical e-mails in response to their work. Even her compliments came across as insincere if not downright rude, said Cassidy*, one of the most experienced instructional designer on the team, with five years of experience with online courses. Continue reading ‘SURVIVING COURSE DEVELOPMENT WARS’
Being a technology trainer, and an educator, I am often faced with the arduous task of creating and giving presentations. I say arduous because nine times out of ten it is hard to create an exciting presentation from a dull topic. With all things being equal, audiences, and students alike, are much more likely to remember a presentation, and the content of that presentation, when it is visually appealing. An average audience has most likely seen all of the standard templates that Microsoft’s PowerPoint has to offer and is not impressed by the graphics and look and feel. Additionally, most presenters do not have the time to create new master slides with graphics and effects that can hold an audience’s interest. Continue reading ‘Keynote: A Presenter’s Dream’
One of the primary appeals of online education is its claim to be able to offer a high-quality educational experience to underserved populations, and thus provide access where it did not exist before.
Continue reading ‘Online Courses and Underserved Populations’
The Potential of Personal Publishing in Education II: How’s it going & what’s working?
Following on from part 1 I figure a good way to go would be to say ‘OK, so these are some of the things being done out there… how are they going?’ And so I am 
) Continue reading ‘Incorporated Subversion’
Is our familiar friend, the textbook, extinct? Many have argued that e-learning will put a silver bullet through its heart. Actually, just the reverse is happening. Textbooks provide the content so desperately needed in online learning. What is emerging is the need for new content items for facilitated e-learning. These are provided in the form of e-content. A brief discussion follows:
Continue reading ‘Future of Textbooks in Facilitated e-Learning’
Successful online course development is a mission-critical element for universities and continuing education units, particularly when demand requires an inventory of more than one hundred courses and/or customized sections.
Continue reading ‘Successful Online Course Development: Key Factors’
Loading ...