Contemporary Best Practices in Distance Education Technology With Implications for Adult Education. • Bill McNutt: Technology specialist, university of Tennessee Division of Outreach and Distance Education – mcnutt@ utk . edu - www.outreach.utk.edu/mcnutt • Duren Thompson: Research associate for technology training, university of Tennessee center for literacy studies – solveig @ utk . edu
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Contemporary Best Practices in Distance Education Technology With Implications for Adult Education. Bill McNutt: Technology specialist, university of Tennessee.
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Contemporary Best Practices in Distance Education Technology
With Implications for Adult Education.
• Bill McNutt: Technology specialist, university of Tennessee Division of Outreach and Distance Education – [email protected] - www.outreach.utk.edu/mcnutt
• Duren Thompson: Research associate for technology training, university of Tennessee center for literacy studies – [email protected]
• Learning that happens when the instructor and student are in different physical locations
• First ‘distance education technology’
Why DE?
– To reach more students– Because Time = $
• Kids/family
• Job issues
• Transportation
• Course accessibility, e.g. ESOL courses
• Confidentiality
Initial Decisions
• Synchronous vs. Asynchronous
• Independent vs. cohort/group
Synchronous
• A synchronous learning environment is one in which the student(s) and instructor attend at the same time, and can all interact.– Classrooms– Sports training– Military training
Synchronous• Pros:
– Looks like “school”– Allows for peer tutoring/mentoring
– Simulates a traditional classroom environment
– Addresses the needs of the Interpersonal Learner
– Provides for Immediate Feedback
Synchronous
– Not self-paced
• Cons:
– Some retraining required for the instructor
– Can be intimidating for the student
– Typically more costly
– Typically more work for the instructor
– Requires dealing with scheduling issues
Asynchronous
• An asynchronous environment is one in which the student and the instructor never meet.– Correspondence school– A text book– Road signs
Asynchronous
• Pros:
• Self Paced• Schedule Independent• Less expensive• Higher Literacy Level
• Addresses the needs of the textual learner
Asynchronous• Cons:
– Does not provide a sense of community
– Increases feelings of isolation
– Does not address the needs of the interpersonal learner.
– Does not provide for immediate instructor feedback.
– Does not “feel like ‘school.’”
DE Modalities
• Traditional Correspondence
• Audio/Video Tapes– Stock
– Production
• Electronic Mail
• Television– Broadcast
• Television– Video Teleconferencing
• Internet Teleconferencing
• WWWeb Delivery
• Virtual Classrooms
US Mail
• Traditional correspondence
• Epistolary distance education
• Asynchronous
US Mail Pros:
– Cheap for program and student– Low start-up cost– Re-training minimal– Unintimidating to instructor and student– Self-paced
US Mail
Cons: – literacy level requirements
– turn-around time for each assignment/communication
– stigma
– hard cases
– no community
– limited learning styles
– no real-time interaction w/ instructor
Video/audio tapes - Purchased
• checkin/out system - – asynchronous- independent or group
• Pros: – re-training minimal, unintimidating to prof and student,
self-paced, literacy level requirements, addresses more learning styles,
• Cons: – Acquiring tapes, shipping costs, equipment for student,
turn-around time for each assignment, no community, no real-time interaction w/ prof., tape attrition, storage
Video/audio tapes - Production
• Taping scheduled class – asynchronous- group– Pros: keep pace with cutting edge topics, some
community, literacy level requirements, addresses more learning styles, self-paced (less)
– Cons: re-training instructor, equipment for student, program equipment - own vs. rent, infrastructure – schedules/timelines
mail access exists), self-paced, accommodates disabilities,
– Cons: computer access and e-mail account for prof and student, re-training of student & prof, more learning styles require more technology, literacy level
Television - Broadcast
• Broadcast TV – one way – asynchronous- independent very similar to video tape– Pros: student needs only TV, no shipping, tape
attrition, etc.– Cons: not self-paced, cost of broadcast, limited
“time-slots” on public TV, geographic boundaries, more intimidating to prof.
Television - Video Teleconferences
• Teleconferencing – two way – synchronous, group– Pros: community (meet some of classmates, hear others
ideas), real-time many to one visual interaction w/ instructor, more learning styles, “looks like school”
– Cons: $200,000 up front cost per site 20-50 seats, $200/hr – technicians and line fees, hard copies in advance, live TV, intimidating to profs, transportation
Internet Teleconferencing –
• Via computers - two way – synchronous – group– Pros: community (meet some of classmates, hear others
ideas), real-time many to one visual interaction w/ instructor, more learning styles, “looks like school,” more features (document sharing, whiteboard, chat)
– Cons: technician (much lower skill), transportation issue OR equipment for a student, training for student and prof.
Internet Teleconferencing –
• two way – synchronous – one to one (Net -meeting)– Pro: office hours, one-to one tutoring w/
instructor or peer, lower cost (one or no cameras),
– Con: ONLY one to one, equipment needs, literacy level, training for student and prof., no community,
Web Delivery –
• WWWeb Courses - asynchronous independent or group– Pros: Can be very cheap, self-paced, can have
community, can have many learning styles, flexible, easy to update for cutting edge, faster turn around
– Cons: Site/course development costs, computer access for prof. and student, training for prof & student, literacy level, intimidating to profs and students,
Virtual classrooms –
• Via computers synchronous, group– Pros: community (speak and listen), real-time audio
(and video) interaction w/ instructor & peers, more learning styles, “structured like school,” more features (application sharing, document sharing, whiteboard, chat), prof. control of interaction, conducive to small-group work, low equipment specs required
– Cons: Upfront costs $10-20,000 (to own), technicians, training for prof. and student, intimidating to prof and student, course development,
Recommendations/Issues
– Authentication – Building community vs. authentication– Retraining of staff – instructors– “The post office/internet ate my homework”– Funding
For Further Reference
Jackson, Robert (2001). Web Based learning Resources Library, University of Tennessee Division of Outreach and Distance Education. http://www.outreach.utk.edu/weblearning
Additional Sources:• Cahoon, Brad, Ed. (1998, summer). Adult Learning and the Internet, New
Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 78, 1-82.
• Klass, Gary (2000, July). Plato as Distance Education Pioneer: Status and Quality Threats of Internet Education, First Monday, 5, 1-16. http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue5_7/klass
• Phillips, Vicky (1998). On the Evils of technology in Academia, Get Educated, 1-5. http://www.geteducated.com/articles/eviltech.htm