Distance learning Archives

eLearning: the key concepts

July 6, 2009 by Roy Johnson

up-to-date survey of online learning

Online learning is everywhere these days – for good reasons. Schools want to encourage the use of IT; colleges want their courses to be available 24/7; and universities want to sell their courses to people all around the world. eLearning: the key concepts is aimed at intermediate to advanced users which seeks to explain the main issues. An introductory essay clears the ground by looking at the many terms used in eLearning to describe what is sometimes almost the same thing (eLearning, distance learning, blended learning, flexible learning, and computer assisted learning).

They are nearly the same, but not quite, and the authors do a good job of making the necessary distinctions. This also acts as a survey of the problems and possibilities of teaching and learning in the online world. They take account of such issues as the fact that many tutors in higher education receive no career advancement or recompense for the courses they might design. And they recognise that students are often more advanced than their conservative tutors in the adoption of digital technology and its multimedia attractions.

The second and major part of the book is an extended glossary of terms, explaining in detail everything from (alphabetically) ‘accessibility’ to ‘wireless networks’. All the entries are extensively cross-referenced, and there are web links to further resources where appropriate.

Some of the terms are to do with educational theory, such as ‘assessment’ and ‘problem-based learning’; others are technological, such as ‘open source software’ and ‘voice over Internet protocol (VOIP); and others deal with educational issues, such as ‘plagiarism’, ‘feedback’, and ‘quality assurance’.

Wherever possible, they give examples of the topic. Defending the use of video animations and blogging as educational tools for instance, they give examples of sites where these techniques are being used to advantage.

They have some interesting things to say about ‘learning objects’ – small, subject-independent re-usable units of teaching. These can be taken off the shelf and combined with others to save course designers the trouble of re-inventing wheels. They’re an amazingly good idea – yet very few people use them. Why? Because teachers traditionally wish to create their own materials, and they want to place the items of instruction in the context of their own subject discipline. It’s often said ironically of learning objects that they are the solution to a problem which has not yet been identified.

I have been designing and teaching online courses more or less since they first came into being, and this book seems to me as up to date as its possible to be in the plodding world of dead tree publishing. They missed the spectacular growth of Moodle which has replaced almost all other virtual learning environments (VLEs) in the last couple of years. But apart from that, everything you need to know about eLearning is well defined here.

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Robin Mason and Frank Rennie, eLearning: the key concepts, London: Routledge, 2006, pp.158, ISBN: 0415373077

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Studying at a Distance

July 20, 2009 by Roy Johnson

learning skills for further and higher education

Distance learning is nowadays much more than receiving correspondence course units through the post. Radio and TV broadcasts, video tapes, CD-ROMs, email, online courses, and Web-based conferencing are all common means of learning. This book offers support and learning skills for anybody undertaking this form of education – which goes under lots of different names. Having taught distance learning courses for over thirty years myself, I can confirm that Christine Talbot covers all the important issues. She starts with preparation for studying, showing you how to assess your existing skills and identify what you will need. This also involves becoming aware of the different modes of learning.

Next comes a chapter on E-learning, now rapidly expanding to include submitting electronic assignments, conferencing, and using virtual learning environments. This is becoming a more and more important part of most distance learning courses – for economic as well as technological reasons. She tells you what equipment you will need, how to plan your time, and how to make the best use of the support and resources available to you.

There’s also coverage of the core skills required for any form of course in further or higher education – note-taking, essay writing, and revision and examination skills.

The guide ends appropriately enough with advice on tackling a research project – probably the largest piece of work you will have to undertake below post-graduate level.

This is a short and readable guide which offers a clear explanation of how to prepare for independent study. It will be particularly useful for those people returning to education after a gap of some years.

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Christine Talbot, Studying at a Distance, Maidenhead: Open University Press, third edition 2010, pp.256, ISBN: 0335238068

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the Online Learning idea book

July 17, 2009 by Roy Johnson

95 ways to enhance technology-based learning

I’ve been teaching online learning courses almost as long as they have existed, and I know that both course designers and students need as much support as they can get. This book is aimed at the tutors and course designers and has the sole aim of helping them make the experience of learning on line more interactive, more enjoyable, and more effective. There are two in-built problems with online courses. Schools, colleges, and universities (to say nothing of commercial enterprises) want to eliminate expensive tutor-contact time, and make courses available any hour of the day. But anything beyond elementary lessons requires students to produce work which is assessed by a live tutor – who needs to be paid for reading on screen or on paper. That’s the first problem: it’s not easy to teach complex issues and subjects on a computer screen.

The second is that making online courses truly interactive is an expensive business. Confronting students with rich learning experiences usually ends up requiring Flash animations, specially shot video footage, or interactive games of one kind or another – all of which are costly to produce. Faced with these problems, many teachers end up doing nothing more than sticking their lecture notes online in the form of downloadable Word files.

This book is a collection of techniques and strategies which have been tried out by practising teachers – who are confident enough to give their names and the web addresses of their own materials. Suggestions start at a point even before formal learning begins, with ideas for ‘learning agreements and ‘study schedules’ which students sign up to and which hopefully keep them on track and up to date. Some struck me as mildly utopian, but I liked the ‘eLearning Portfolio’, which would undoubtedly be useful.

The next section deals with learning via social interaction – collaborative projects and team-working – then what follows naturally from that, learning via discussion. The guidance ‘rules’ for forum postings are sound – though in my experience it’s quite difficult to enforce these without seeming over-controlling.

For completely individual learners working in isolation, the suggestions include visual diaries, email biographies, shared bookmarks, ‘visiting’ expert speakers (using podcasts), the ‘mini quest’ (which I would call a ‘small project’) blogs, and peer editing.

Synchronous learning activities rely heavily on chat, instant messaging, and pre-arranged forums. The main thrust in the suggestions made here are to enable participants to feel comfortable interacting with each other.

When it comes to self-assessment exercises we are into puzzles and games, flash cards, drag-and-drop activities, and multiple choice questions. But be warned – these can be expensive, unless you use off-the-shelf templates.

The latter part of the book deals with the actual structure, design, and navigation systems of online courses. This offers templates to cut down on design time, tips for maximising usability, and ideas for creative design – including some very funny clips at www.zefrank.com.

One interesting feature in my reading of this book was that ideas for one learning strategy or technique would come to me whilst I was busy reading about suggestions for something completely different.

Two things are for certain: the range of suggestions is amazing, and you’re sure to find something amongst them which will appeal to you. The editor Patti Shank has wisely stuck to a very tight formula for presenting these ideas. None takes up more than three pages, including screenshots, and the authors are even asked to show how their ideas can be adapted for other uses. This is a boon for online course designers.

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Patti Shank (ed) the Online Learning idea book, San Francisco: John Wiley, 2007, pp.354, ISBN: 0787981680

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up-to-date survey of online learning

learning skills for further and higher education

95 ways to enhance technology-based learning

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