The initial idea was to use this site to explore global e-learning issues. This idea is still in place. I have been quite busy of late, but I have to explore this further. The roles of ICT is globalized. As indicated in my earlier blog, International Development organizations are promoting universal access to telecommunications as part of the initiatives. A lot has been done in Africa already, but there is more to do when it comes to infrastructure and software development. The emergence of open software is an area worthy of study. Hope to get back to this topic later.
Meanwhile, the ratio of person-to-computer is high, plus high cost of access, relative to other economically endowed places and global average. Based on partnerships between and across Africa, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is promoting an African-owned and Africa-led effort to accelerated economic growth. The ICT initiative project is a priority. Fast track programs are being implemented for ICT literacy fluency, benefit awareness and technology professional development. I can't wait to see how far the programs have advanced to meet its goals. Again the NEPAD initiative calls for further study to see how far the program is meeting the needs of its clients on the African continent, and in education. Will be back!
Jal
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
FIT Team Project
The FIT Team B is composed of four members who were assigned to facilitate twenty-two students in an IT course with the consent of the host instructor. We were to practice facilitation and e-moderating in real online context, write and present our reports F2F and as a term paper. Each guest facilitator was assigned to facilitate a team of two to three students who were required to choose a topic in emerging technologies for presentation, post questions and lead the class in a meaningful discourse. This project commenced from October 23, 2007 to November 19, 2007. The duration for each project was approximately two weeks, December 06, 2007.
The team’s experience as facilitators, e-moderators and observers in practice was presented to the class last week. Prior to the presentation, each member debriefed other group members about their own experiences. Together, we worked as a team to write edit and publish our presentations. Working together has been fruitful; so far we have had no problems. Our main means of communication were through emails and face-to-face meetings in class. There were few differences in our observations and expectations with the facilitation process, but they are all learning experiences. For example, I found members in my assigned group responsive; however, other guest facilitators felt differently. My major observation was that the students did not use most of the resources provided; hence, could not provide in depth knowledge about the topic – Social Networking Websites. I would suggest that students use the resources to expand their scope of knowledge.
As a group, we recommend the use of technology tools such as Skype and simple Homepage development in Bb to communicate – get connected, establish their social presence, and practice with some of these tools. Practice makes perfect. The importance of students to express their views online is extensively discussed by Price & Oliver (2007) and Salmon (2006). In addition, we suggest students provide technology resources, especially, those used in their presentations to others – to share and practice. The experience is worth the time, and I say KUDOS to all the group members.
JAL
The team’s experience as facilitators, e-moderators and observers in practice was presented to the class last week. Prior to the presentation, each member debriefed other group members about their own experiences. Together, we worked as a team to write edit and publish our presentations. Working together has been fruitful; so far we have had no problems. Our main means of communication were through emails and face-to-face meetings in class. There were few differences in our observations and expectations with the facilitation process, but they are all learning experiences. For example, I found members in my assigned group responsive; however, other guest facilitators felt differently. My major observation was that the students did not use most of the resources provided; hence, could not provide in depth knowledge about the topic – Social Networking Websites. I would suggest that students use the resources to expand their scope of knowledge.
As a group, we recommend the use of technology tools such as Skype and simple Homepage development in Bb to communicate – get connected, establish their social presence, and practice with some of these tools. Practice makes perfect. The importance of students to express their views online is extensively discussed by Price & Oliver (2007) and Salmon (2006). In addition, we suggest students provide technology resources, especially, those used in their presentations to others – to share and practice. The experience is worth the time, and I say KUDOS to all the group members.
JAL
Reflection - General 2
Now is the time to monitor students’ collaboration in computer-mediated collaborative problem-solving. How do functions such as tracking, motivation and emotional state play out in this situation? To analyze the effects of these factors, Zumbach, Reimann and Koch (2006) concluded from two empirical researches that feedback is advantageous on processes of group well-being, parameters of participation, collaboration, and interaction. Combining feedback approach for monitoring and fostering collaborative behavior with a design-based approach using distributed learning in the second study, the authors suggest that by distributing learning materials, collaborative behavior can be positively influenced. There was no significant effect on cognitive outcomes in both studies.
Online collaboration is important to keep focus and engage in meaningful discourse. Therefore, it is important that, facilitators provide guidelines and ask specific questions to elicit responses on particular topics. How often do we see learners drift off the main topic and drag the process endlessly, without making any meaningful contributions? According to Beaubin (1999), person-to-person interaction plays an important role in e-learning. The learner-learner interactions and team processes including team task, team development, peer relationships and communication media as regards the dynamics of online collaboration is expertly articulated by Zhang and Ge (2006). The dynamics of this learning environment is complex, involving intensive task definition, engagement, exploratory activities as well as identification of other relevant factors to move the process. However, constraints that may impact negatively on the process must be identified and addressed.
Inter-subjectivity defined simply as shared understanding that helps (facilitators) to relate one situation to another is a topic discussed by Bober and Dennen (2001). These authors focus on technological means to foster inter-subjectivity in knowledge construction graduate level courses and programs in online environment. I am most fascinated by Gilbert and Dabbagah (2005) on how to structure online discussion for meaningful discourse. This is one of my favorite articles. It is authentic and practical. They define meaningful discourse as the ability of learners to demonstrate critical thinking skills by relating course content to prior knowledge, interpreting content through the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of others understanding, and making inferences. Relating this definition to the FIT project, I found the learners to be only engaged in relating the contents to their experiences. However, what was lacking was the critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The process was too superficial with no deeper insight.
Tsu and Gory (2003) discuss asynchronous communication strategies in designs and management tactics. Methods suggested include discussion, case study, role plays, debates read and respond, and publishing. These are relevant learning methods, and through careful planning and management, will possibly contribute to improvement in the learning and facilitation processes. I will agree that online discussion is not only about posting and responding to questions and queries. Learners must be actively engaged in problem-solving through critical thinking, analysis and synthesis of the problem.
JAL
Online collaboration is important to keep focus and engage in meaningful discourse. Therefore, it is important that, facilitators provide guidelines and ask specific questions to elicit responses on particular topics. How often do we see learners drift off the main topic and drag the process endlessly, without making any meaningful contributions? According to Beaubin (1999), person-to-person interaction plays an important role in e-learning. The learner-learner interactions and team processes including team task, team development, peer relationships and communication media as regards the dynamics of online collaboration is expertly articulated by Zhang and Ge (2006). The dynamics of this learning environment is complex, involving intensive task definition, engagement, exploratory activities as well as identification of other relevant factors to move the process. However, constraints that may impact negatively on the process must be identified and addressed.
Inter-subjectivity defined simply as shared understanding that helps (facilitators) to relate one situation to another is a topic discussed by Bober and Dennen (2001). These authors focus on technological means to foster inter-subjectivity in knowledge construction graduate level courses and programs in online environment. I am most fascinated by Gilbert and Dabbagah (2005) on how to structure online discussion for meaningful discourse. This is one of my favorite articles. It is authentic and practical. They define meaningful discourse as the ability of learners to demonstrate critical thinking skills by relating course content to prior knowledge, interpreting content through the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of others understanding, and making inferences. Relating this definition to the FIT project, I found the learners to be only engaged in relating the contents to their experiences. However, what was lacking was the critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The process was too superficial with no deeper insight.
Tsu and Gory (2003) discuss asynchronous communication strategies in designs and management tactics. Methods suggested include discussion, case study, role plays, debates read and respond, and publishing. These are relevant learning methods, and through careful planning and management, will possibly contribute to improvement in the learning and facilitation processes. I will agree that online discussion is not only about posting and responding to questions and queries. Learners must be actively engaged in problem-solving through critical thinking, analysis and synthesis of the problem.
JAL
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Reflection - General 1
I have had lots of experience, actually for more than a decade with face-to-face teaching. I have a passion for teaching, and also to challenge myself with new ideas and innovations. I have had the chance to present seminars in International Development Projects working with Professors and personnel from institutions as the World Bank. It is all face-to-face with minimal technology. With the emergence of distance education and e-learning, the journey continues as more and more educational institutions are either shifting or engaging in blended learning – synchronous and asynchronous – call it what you will. International Development, one of my fields of practice, is shifting towards technology-based projects in presentations and application. Again, I have used both an open-source and commercial learning/course management systems to present instructions as part of my course of study; however, my expectation of this course was to explore and apply the tools necessary for online teaching in the real context.
The readings, class presentations, instructions and the FIT project has served the purpose. The 5-stage framework of e-tivities (Salmon, 2006) provides the model for teaching and learning on-line through on line networking. Practically, the process allow me to relate the reading to practice - with the FIT project, as I monitored closely from the beginning to present how students pass through the five stages of learning and interactivity. Again, the Australian Flexible Learning was a valuable tool for effective online facilitation. The scope and challenges were articulated. They were practical and effective.
Together with class presentations, FIT project, and concepts and case study of Motschnig-Pitrik and Holzinger (2002), I better understood that with learner-centered online instruction, learners can have the freedom to explore new areas of technology and media, based on their interests with assistance from the instructor. Since, there exist individual differences and learners may also have different preferences, the R2D2 Model by Bonk and Zhang (2006) provides a new model to address individual learning styles, motivation and preferences. Yes, this model is for the diverse learners of this world – Interesting!
What are the theories behind some of these practices? Read the article on “Two scaffolding: the dialectical process within the authenticity-generalizibility (A-G) continuum" for issues with compatibilities between traditional views of school-based learning and situated cognitive instructional approaches. The result of knowledge is a richer understanding of concepts, procedures and processes for transfer in the real world. What students learn in most part must be practiced. How do students evaluate their performances when they engage in team projects and dialogue online? Consider Leinonen and Jävelä’s (2006) article on facilitating interpersonal evaluation of knowledge in a context of distributed team collaboration. Wait a minute! This process was utilized by the instructors of IT 7130 and IT 6135. But how do students get to know how they have been evaluated by their peers? Were the assessments fair, with no biases? Think about it! It may be worth researching and discussing. What is my role as an instructor, facilitator, and e-moderator in all these? According to Maor (2003), the role of the teacher in developing interaction and reflection in an online community is to make learning interactive and collaborative. This application is most valuable to me as I aspire to engage in higher education blended learning. The metaphor of the four hats – pedagogical, social, managerial and technical action couldn’t have come at a better time. There is much to say, but hold on for now, till then.
Jal
The readings, class presentations, instructions and the FIT project has served the purpose. The 5-stage framework of e-tivities (Salmon, 2006) provides the model for teaching and learning on-line through on line networking. Practically, the process allow me to relate the reading to practice - with the FIT project, as I monitored closely from the beginning to present how students pass through the five stages of learning and interactivity. Again, the Australian Flexible Learning was a valuable tool for effective online facilitation. The scope and challenges were articulated. They were practical and effective.
Together with class presentations, FIT project, and concepts and case study of Motschnig-Pitrik and Holzinger (2002), I better understood that with learner-centered online instruction, learners can have the freedom to explore new areas of technology and media, based on their interests with assistance from the instructor. Since, there exist individual differences and learners may also have different preferences, the R2D2 Model by Bonk and Zhang (2006) provides a new model to address individual learning styles, motivation and preferences. Yes, this model is for the diverse learners of this world – Interesting!
What are the theories behind some of these practices? Read the article on “Two scaffolding: the dialectical process within the authenticity-generalizibility (A-G) continuum" for issues with compatibilities between traditional views of school-based learning and situated cognitive instructional approaches. The result of knowledge is a richer understanding of concepts, procedures and processes for transfer in the real world. What students learn in most part must be practiced. How do students evaluate their performances when they engage in team projects and dialogue online? Consider Leinonen and Jävelä’s (2006) article on facilitating interpersonal evaluation of knowledge in a context of distributed team collaboration. Wait a minute! This process was utilized by the instructors of IT 7130 and IT 6135. But how do students get to know how they have been evaluated by their peers? Were the assessments fair, with no biases? Think about it! It may be worth researching and discussing. What is my role as an instructor, facilitator, and e-moderator in all these? According to Maor (2003), the role of the teacher in developing interaction and reflection in an online community is to make learning interactive and collaborative. This application is most valuable to me as I aspire to engage in higher education blended learning. The metaphor of the four hats – pedagogical, social, managerial and technical action couldn’t have come at a better time. There is much to say, but hold on for now, till then.
Jal
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
FIT Project - Social Networking
Participants kept the dialogue only around safety issues without referencing the materials provided by the Team or the facilitator on education and other benefits of social networking. Resources that were posted by me to inform the class include video presentations on education, business and economic benefits. Articles that address kids/teens safety and social networking tools were provided, including links to other similar articles. Examples
- Yalsa (March 2007). Teen & Social Networking in Schools and Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarian & Library Workers, Young Adult Library Services Association (yalsa) http://www.ala.org/yalsa
- UNESCO UNI TWIN http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=41557&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
- A parents guide http://www.onguardonline.gov/socialnetworking.html
- Social Networking in the workplace http://video.zdnet.com/CIOSessions/?p=73
http://video.zdnet.com/ - Elgg on campus: The University of Brighton, UK http://community.brighton.ac.uk/
- Blogging Consider blog security – the curse of daily post
- Buzz Marketing: Creating buzz around your products, service or website, but do not know where to start. Check this section
- Del.icio.us – Social book marking website. This a place for your web browser’s bookmarks that you can share with everyone
- Design: Resource for designing your website
- Digg; Social news website.
Will be back
jal.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
FIT Project - Social Networking
Discussion board - reflection
Q. Do you have an unpleasant experience related to a networking site?
A. I personally have no interest in actively using such sites. However, some of my students do. My students are 20 to 26 with cognitive impairments. I have visited several of my students sites that I could access after hearing my students talk about it last year. One young lady had not made good choices in how she presented herself and went for sex appeal to put it politely. My concern with this was she also included her home address on her my space account. In my opinion she made herself an easy target for sexual predators and needless to say I spoke to her mother about my concern. My other students my space accounts were I guess you could say innocent.
Q How would you use these sites to educate students? Is it possible?
A. I don't think I would use the actual sites themselves, but instead teach and review safety skills. My students especially would benefit from using protective skills when creating and actively utilizing such sites. I think it is important that students recongize using caution when networking.
I feel that if special education students are going to use these web site then as special educate teachers we need to develop some type of educational use that is appropriate in teaching these students consequences that could arise from presenting something on there page that is inappropriate or could put them in harms way.
Anon
Q. Do you have an unpleasant experience related to a networking site?
A. I personally have no interest in actively using such sites. However, some of my students do. My students are 20 to 26 with cognitive impairments. I have visited several of my students sites that I could access after hearing my students talk about it last year. One young lady had not made good choices in how she presented herself and went for sex appeal to put it politely. My concern with this was she also included her home address on her my space account. In my opinion she made herself an easy target for sexual predators and needless to say I spoke to her mother about my concern. My other students my space accounts were I guess you could say innocent.
Q How would you use these sites to educate students? Is it possible?
A. I don't think I would use the actual sites themselves, but instead teach and review safety skills. My students especially would benefit from using protective skills when creating and actively utilizing such sites. I think it is important that students recongize using caution when networking.
I feel that if special education students are going to use these web site then as special educate teachers we need to develop some type of educational use that is appropriate in teaching these students consequences that could arise from presenting something on there page that is inappropriate or could put them in harms way.
Anon
FIT Project Reflection 4
You have raised genuine concerns about social networking - from legal to misapplication, acceptability, potential use in educational setting, etc. - as with any "new" tech. Social networking is organic and self-organizing, supported by the dynamics that parallel natural processes. It has tremendous use and impact on education and learning. It is not only about MySpace and Facebook; though Facebook is a potential open source for learning and course management system. Just focus a bit on the potentials, because you will agree with me that there are negative and positive sides to every technology - social networking inclusive.
There is documented evidence of significant application of social networking technologies in e-commerce/business, education, and as forum for consumers. Again, it is not only about "kids"; it is about using new technology to reach out to people on the global market. Think about it, are scientific breakthroughs the preserve of journals and conferences currently? What about social journals such as PLoS One and JIME? Do they have a place in this process. What of Digg? Breaking news is no longer the preserve of the established press. Digg is counted as one of the relevant and responsive news media today. What are the first point of call for those seeking understanding of specific and unfamiliar topics? Google? Wikipedia?
This topic is "huge", but I do not want to be carried away. Please find below what the American Library Association, the University of Brighton, UK, and many others are using social networking for. You may copy the links to your browser, or right click, and open the hyperlinks.
Good job, Maia and Janice for opening the dialogue.
jal
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Reflection: FIT Project 3
It is interesting how participants are using their collaborative efforts to share and learn. Meaningful to the discussion process is the ability of participants to demonstrate critical thinking skills by relating prior knowledge and experiences to the topics and course contents. Really, online discussion can be structured for meaningful discourse. Meaningful discourse explains the process of collaboration and social negotiation with the aim of storing different viewpoints and ideas on building problem solving and knowledge activities. Articulation of experiences and reflections support knowledge construction and allows participants to relate course materials to what they already know. The process can serve as a catalyst for analysis, synthesis and evaluation of course content and understanding from different perspectives.
As I continue to read participants postings, I can really appreciate the concept of knowledge construction and social networking. Come think of the fact that participants are sharing knowledge by posting links to relevant information and discussing how they acquire new knowledge and access technology for their working environments. Online discussion promotes constructive thinking and maximizes interactions between and across participants with different experiences. Generally, I find these participants to be very active and experienced.
With the FIT project, the facilitator is using discussion cycles to moderate the topics for the team projects. Each cycle’s duration is about three weeks, even though; Tu & Corry (2003) suggest a week or two for each discussion cycle. There are eight team projects going, and I will have the opportunity to facilitate the Social networking Group. I look forward to the opportunity. Stay tuned…….
JLA
As I continue to read participants postings, I can really appreciate the concept of knowledge construction and social networking. Come think of the fact that participants are sharing knowledge by posting links to relevant information and discussing how they acquire new knowledge and access technology for their working environments. Online discussion promotes constructive thinking and maximizes interactions between and across participants with different experiences. Generally, I find these participants to be very active and experienced.
With the FIT project, the facilitator is using discussion cycles to moderate the topics for the team projects. Each cycle’s duration is about three weeks, even though; Tu & Corry (2003) suggest a week or two for each discussion cycle. There are eight team projects going, and I will have the opportunity to facilitate the Social networking Group. I look forward to the opportunity. Stay tuned…….
JLA
Mid-semester Reflections
I am looking back at what we have been able to achieve over the past few weeks. The readings are substantial, yet, informative, insightful, and thought provoking. For example, Gill Salmon’s (2002) E-tivities discusses in detail the 5-Stage Model – a structured, paced-program that is essential to support and develop online learners/participants in their attempt to build up their expertise in learning online. The main key to the E-tivities program is "Scaffolding" – a gradual process of building on participants’ pervious experience to develop competence. It is proposed that participants will benefit from increasing skills and comfort in working, networking and learning as they “scaffold” through the online learning process. The 5-Stage Model consists of access and motivation, online socialization, information exchange, knowledge construction and development.
I find the processes practical and real as I relate them to the FIT project. Most of the participants went through these stages (as articulated by Salmon). The majority of the participnats have progressed into the fourth stage. Presently, there are course-related group discussions and the interaction is more of a collaborative process as the participants are primarily engaged in group-projects at this stage. Participants are engaged in sharing experiences, ideas and different viewpoints to solve problems and build knowledge.
Also remarkable is the real-time application of the article from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework Project. This article is particularly helpful as it defines facilitation from different perspectives and contexts: applied to managing learning, and communication (Coghlan, 2002), and student-centered pedagogical approach (Kempe, 2001). The scope of the guide, in addition to the definitions, explains the importance of facilitation and how the effectiveness of facilitation is measured. One of the challenges I find intriguing is the decision to stay back as a facilitator and allow your students to discover the power and the potential of the online medium for self and group learning, and not purposefully, dominating inadvertently or stifling the process or discussion. The question is “where is to draw the fine line?” I am not sure the criteria to use in assessing the frequency of participation of a facilitator in a group discussion. How “far” do you stay back?
Generally, it is a useful tool to define the role of the facilitator, direct the facilitation process, and provide needed resources for successful facilitation process. It is succint and well-articulated.
I will not conclude this section without referring to the Bonk & Zhang’s (2006) article on the R2D2 Model. The R2D2 Model is a framework for online learning for diverse learners of this world. I am not sure what “this world” means, but that is beside the point. What I find very significant and interesting about this model is the appeal to diverse audiences (learners) with different learning styles, in different contexts, as well as the choice and selection of strategies and media to meet the needs and requirements of the targeted audience. A variety of suggested learning activities supported by a range of e-leaning technologies have been tabulated for active and effective online learning. The R2D2 Model is dynamic, engaging, responsive and rich. Take a moment to explore the four quadrants, and you will understand what I mean.
JLA
I find the processes practical and real as I relate them to the FIT project. Most of the participants went through these stages (as articulated by Salmon). The majority of the participnats have progressed into the fourth stage. Presently, there are course-related group discussions and the interaction is more of a collaborative process as the participants are primarily engaged in group-projects at this stage. Participants are engaged in sharing experiences, ideas and different viewpoints to solve problems and build knowledge.
Also remarkable is the real-time application of the article from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework Project. This article is particularly helpful as it defines facilitation from different perspectives and contexts: applied to managing learning, and communication (Coghlan, 2002), and student-centered pedagogical approach (Kempe, 2001). The scope of the guide, in addition to the definitions, explains the importance of facilitation and how the effectiveness of facilitation is measured. One of the challenges I find intriguing is the decision to stay back as a facilitator and allow your students to discover the power and the potential of the online medium for self and group learning, and not purposefully, dominating inadvertently or stifling the process or discussion. The question is “where is to draw the fine line?” I am not sure the criteria to use in assessing the frequency of participation of a facilitator in a group discussion. How “far” do you stay back?
Generally, it is a useful tool to define the role of the facilitator, direct the facilitation process, and provide needed resources for successful facilitation process. It is succint and well-articulated.
I will not conclude this section without referring to the Bonk & Zhang’s (2006) article on the R2D2 Model. The R2D2 Model is a framework for online learning for diverse learners of this world. I am not sure what “this world” means, but that is beside the point. What I find very significant and interesting about this model is the appeal to diverse audiences (learners) with different learning styles, in different contexts, as well as the choice and selection of strategies and media to meet the needs and requirements of the targeted audience. A variety of suggested learning activities supported by a range of e-leaning technologies have been tabulated for active and effective online learning. The R2D2 Model is dynamic, engaging, responsive and rich. Take a moment to explore the four quadrants, and you will understand what I mean.
JLA
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Reflection: FIT Project 2
It is interesting to see how Salmon’s (2002) E-tivities play in the FIT course. In deed some learners are experiencing the access and motivation stage. There is interplay between participants and technical access and skills. Even though some students feel they are good at using computers, the online learning experience seems quite new and challenging. Some have commented on the need to step out of their boxes. One participant feels he is “cut out of the loop”. Some participants are intimidated by the information load and time constraints considering the fact that most of them are full-time workers. You could actually feel the frustrations and apprehensions. I guess at this stage the facilitator is allowing participants to “arrive” (Salmon, p.19). I also feel that these initial frustrations are not just about the competencies with using the technology, but rather with the unfamiliar and relatively new software, the Bb, and experience – but there are always the laggards and the novice. It’s just a matter of time.
Almost six week into the program, some participants are still in the ‘trying’ stage. Some are still asking for help to post materials and submit assignments. Hei! some are blaming it on blockers and bugs, while others are socializing and identifying with groups of interest for the class project. One participant remarked: “I am trying to get hold of someone in my group to talk about what needs to be done. Can anyone help me?”
Another lost soul: “I am not sure (or I can’t find) how to post our group project once it is ready. Do we put it in the digital drop box and Prof. Z. uploads it? Also I want to make sure that we heard correctly, we don’t need to narrate the ppt. if we maintain the discussion board?” But I also see this as a sign to initiate communication, interestingly, no one has responded or offered any help yet. I guess by the sixth week into the program, participants would have completed forming groups and started with the information exchange.
JAL
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Life Science
The nature and function of living things, genes, cells, adaptation, life cycles...
It's time for science! Are you ready?
Friday, September 21, 2007
Links to educational resources
Hello,
This is an open forum to share your experience as an online learner and/or using technology as an effective tool for teaching and learning. All practitioners, theorists, domestic and international students, and sundry are encouraged to contribute to this forum. All of you have tons of experience to share. Join, comment, and suggest ways to integrate technology to the educational curriculum back in your home countries. Your input is most valuable to this forum. What do you think is the current situation in your home country? Is technology integration in education possible in developing economies? What are the challenges and potentials? What is the way forward?
E-learning connects people globally to educational resources, which otherwise, are unavailable or inadequate in especially, developing countries. Imagine having to share three text books among 70 students. These books can be borrowed from the library for three weeks, and renewed once in a semester by the borrower. If three borrowers decide to renew these books as required, what happens to the remaining 67 students?
Let's review some of the available educational resources to increase our understanding, scope and benefits of e-learning. Click on the links below, review and post your comments and suggestions.
Jal
This is an open forum to share your experience as an online learner and/or using technology as an effective tool for teaching and learning. All practitioners, theorists, domestic and international students, and sundry are encouraged to contribute to this forum. All of you have tons of experience to share. Join, comment, and suggest ways to integrate technology to the educational curriculum back in your home countries. Your input is most valuable to this forum. What do you think is the current situation in your home country? Is technology integration in education possible in developing economies? What are the challenges and potentials? What is the way forward?
E-learning connects people globally to educational resources, which otherwise, are unavailable or inadequate in especially, developing countries. Imagine having to share three text books among 70 students. These books can be borrowed from the library for three weeks, and renewed once in a semester by the borrower. If three borrowers decide to renew these books as required, what happens to the remaining 67 students?
Let's review some of the available educational resources to increase our understanding, scope and benefits of e-learning. Click on the links below, review and post your comments and suggestions.
Jal
Reflections: FIT Project
Generally, my expectation of a facilitator is being able to design and manage instruction in a virtual world for diverse audiences, locations, and contexts. Even though I have been involved in observing and designing instructions for virtual learners as part of the required courses for the IT program, I am looking forward to apply some of these ideas in the real context. I do hope that this course will provide the opportunity to understand the dynamics of online communication and facilitation and provide effective techniques to apply in facilitating and teaching online.
This is my journal as well as a platform for discussing global e-learning issues. I invite you and all to join in the discussion. I am already excited about the fact that we will have the opportunity to facilitate other online courses. Supported in literature, the dynamics of familiarizing with learning online have been initiated by the facilitator and learners in the “FIT” project. Hei! You can feel the tension and frustrations of the learners. But, it is just a matter of time – can’t wait to see what happens next.
See ya!
Josephine
This is my journal as well as a platform for discussing global e-learning issues. I invite you and all to join in the discussion. I am already excited about the fact that we will have the opportunity to facilitate other online courses. Supported in literature, the dynamics of familiarizing with learning online have been initiated by the facilitator and learners in the “FIT” project. Hei! You can feel the tension and frustrations of the learners. But, it is just a matter of time – can’t wait to see what happens next.
See ya!
Josephine
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Technology and African Universities: The way forward.
Available literature indicates that technology in education in developing countries is a mirage. Others belief the Internet will be indispensable for especially Africa's continued development. Studies show that Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Burkina, Faso and Kenya among others, have achieved some successes in addressing issues relating to effective utilization of computers and the Internet in education.
The Association of African Universities is a TCP/IP system that was created to connect African Universities. For example, Ghana's three premier universities are all connected to the Internet. Most of the departments, faculty and individuals use the system for research and communication, such as e-mails and Internet access. But, is that enough? Is it possible to move past these basics? What are the challenges?
Think about it!
Josephine.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)