Posted 7:58 AM by George Siemens
Hey...some "good pickin's" on the Internet worth reading:


Directions for elearning
Quote:
"So what will e-learning look like in 2002? Well, don’t expect too much too soon - it will take more than a year for the medium to fulfil its potential. What you will see is a greater use of simulations, games and other more adventurous forms of interactivity."

Comment:
I think one of the biggest changes in elearning over the next year will be a continuation of what we are seeing...many colleges/universities "getting into" elearning, with others "getting out" of big, expensive partnerships. Elearning is here to stay...yet groups like U21, Fathom, etc. are trying to profit from a style of learning that has not reached the peak of its "uptake cycle" with the general population.

As well, I think organizations will make a shift from viewing elearning as "the solution" to viewing it as "the tool" for greater learning...this will probably bring about a more blended approach to learning. This week I attended the "Using Information Technology in a Traditional Classroom" (PBS Satellite event...tape should be available in the library), and one of the speakers made the point that the biggest impact of technology on learning will be in the classroom, not distance learning (distance learning is often veiwed as the primary benefactor of elearning)...I agree...

In terms of increased interactivity, I had a moment of "faith in the value of elearning". My daughter, who is 7, is having difficulty with math in school. I picked up a copy of Math Blaster, and I was amazed at how quickly she took to learning. She spends hours a day working through the CD...this is the power of elearning...improving learner, making learning a "by-product" of another activity (i.e. "playing a game"), motivating the learner, etc. Years ago, a parent would not have this elearning option with a child struggling in school...the real value of elearning can be best attested by those who have used it...not those who argue against it without ever having experienced it...

Computer Mediated Education
Quote:
"The addition of the Web to the range of technologies which humans have used to mediate between themselves and the world has contributed to problems as well as advantages in the area of school education. Historical antecedents in areas such as writing, printing and industrialisation provide a context in which mediated experiences can be examined."

Pedagogical Challenges of the Internet
Quote:
"The World Wide Web (Web) is the latest in a long line of technological tools which can be used in teaching and learning at universities. Current interest regarding its use coincides with increased use of different methods of teaching and learning at universities and with increasing use of the Web to deliver courses to internal and external students."

The Value of Technology in Education
Quote:
"As related by Plato , Socrates was one of the first great educators to complain about the impact of new technology - his argument with the invention of the alphabet was that writing causes the memory to shrivel through lack of use, and hinders the internalisation of information on the path to wisdom."