Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:3270] FW: RE: education & training: best pract ices apply everywhere
From: Mark Nichols (M.Nichols@ucol.ac.nz)
Date: Tue 23 Apr 2002 - 05:52:13 MEST
From: Mark Nichols <M.Nichols@ucol.ac.nz> Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:3270] FW: RE: education & training: best pract ices apply everywhere Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 15:52:13 +1200
Hello Peter,
I would be a 5, excluding brackets, and a 7 from your list! You asked:
> Can we create virtual environments
> that have a similar psychological impact on the learner, while offering
> enhanced features (search engines, knowledge objects & learning objects)?
I think yes - based on both research and experience as a teacher and
learner. As has already been discussed, we can facilitate the 'timeless'
best practice principles using multiple means. Technologies give us more
opportunities to realise best practice in innovative ways.
> What does this require?
More attention at the level of course design, and an increased empowering of
tutors (and more favourable tutor-student ratios). Coupled with this is a
commitment to using technology as a means, not an end - a healthy respect
for what technology can and cannot do at present.
> How will the real environment relate to the virtual one?
I suggest that this relates back to course design. Jim Dobbins shared his
use of PBL - a fantastic example of how the real world can be explored
through learning facilitated over the Web. It is also possile to encourage
students to learn from one another's real life experience through both
structured and unstructured online discussion (or even face to face when
available). Virtual learning need not take place in isolation to RL ('real
life').
> Another example would be the relationship between formal, semi-formal
> and informal exchange, how this conditions learning and how the electronic
> tools we use for teaching and learning may be optimised to take this into
> account.
Great point. Once again, I think that the assumptions we make when we
actually prepare our courses go towards shaping how formal, semi-formal and
informal exchange will occur because these assumptions determine what we
encourage and what we discourage.
I guess I've let my guard down a bit in this message - I confess that I am
interested in how actual course design enables or limits the realisation of
best practice in education and pre-determines the role that a teacher takes
(be it as an instructor, facilitator, mentor...) Decisions made at the
course design stage - when the keel of the course is laid - determine the
type of exchange and learning that takes place, the degree to which a course
will relate to real world conditions, and the course's potential to
meaningfully engage students.
Mark Nichols
eLearning Consultant
UCOL, Universal College of Learning
Private Bag 11022, Palmerston North
New Zealand. +64 6 952 7327
http://www.ucol.ac.nz
Imagination is more important than knowledge - Albert Einstein
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