Tuesday, August 26, 2008
What Are Some of the Current Challenges and Obstacles to be Overcome?
There will always be current challenges and perceived obstacles impacting upon our distance education deliveries. What challenges and obstacles are you aiming to overcome in order to encourage a better online learning experience for our students?
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7 comments:
Loved the presentation Bill...
Absolutely agree that we struggle to use new media in the government environment with firewalls and IT staff who are not educators, and do not understand that these are actually useful tools for students, not timewasters!!
I have been using coveritlive.com to cover the event!
visit http://www.connectlearn.net and follow the link!
My biggest challenge is reliability of and equitable access to technology. One of the courses I teach is fully online. My students live in remote communities or on remote stations with low bandwidth and limited IT support. Sometimes the only computer breaks down and takes weeks to be fixed or there is only 1 or 2 computers in the classroom to be shared by all. Some Web2.0 tools and online video etc do not always work, or are too slow. Students get tired of having to put in user names and passwords to access the course and Web2.0 tools. When technologies do not work well students and teachers get frustrated. It is sad when a course book and pen becomes the preferred model simply for its reliability. Personally I think we need backup materials so that when technology falls over kids can still access the learning. It can become a good excuse for students "Internet's been down. Computers not working, etc" but sometimes I feel we are creating too many obstacles for the learning to take place.
Thanks Darren your notes have been a handy review tool.
Good thoughts Cathy ... current writing in DE would confirm that we are exacerbating the technology gap ... one of he identified riskd with a current trend to use synchronous tools like online video. I really like the approach Sydney DES suggested - a whole range of delivery solutions - which seems like what you are also suggesting. Backup plans are good!
Totally agree with Darren and Cath. Appropriate central office support is critical - I often say give us bandwidth and then leave us alone - and also the need to have a range of delievry strategies.
A technology educators we always have a plan b - but at times plan d has been used.
The model we are developing at SIDE uses web-based materials as the core with live delivery where possible. The need for a hard copy of the materials is essential.
I also agree with the above comments. We are also developing a CD rom version of our online courses to cater for students who are not ablel to access the online version due to technological problems i.e. bandwidth, computer/IT issues etc. Providing support for families is also an important issue for schools to consider.
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