global opportunities for distance learning andrew bollington chief operating officer march 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Global opportunities for distance learning
Andrew BollingtonChief Operating Officer
March 2012
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
The historic role of distance learning
“The wife of a professional man of limited income and the mother of children, the elder of who with others I was engaged in teaching during part of the day, I had neither time nor money for attendance at college classes, but I gladly availed myself of the first opportunity for graduation offered by the new Charter, and felt justified in devoting what leisure I had, which was chiefly after 10pm, when the children were asleep, to the work of preparing for graduation”
Elizabeth Hills, 1881
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
Distance becomes mainstream
“cottage industry”
programmes
New external forces
Consumer IT platforms
Open education resources
Adaptive learning
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
New external forces
The sector is facing “the most exciting, dramatic and completely terrifying period…for at least 30 years”.Paul Marshall, Chief Executive 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
New external forces
• Teaching rises in relative importance• Private investment• Size matters
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
So, we have the technology …
… what about the content?
The technology now supports (demands?) production capability beyond that of any individual.
•Academic content specialists•Instructional designers•Graphic designers•Audio-visual producers•Learning technologists
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
Open Educational Resources
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
Open Educational Resources
“Yet, like open source code, OER is free like a puppy, not free like a beer. Schools and teachers are challenged in how to find it, sort it for quality, and integrate it into what they already do”.
(InfoTech Research)
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
Adaptive testing
10 + 15 = ?
a)25b)30c)35d)40
23 + 17 = ?
a)30b)35c)40d)43
5 + 6 = ?
a)8b)9c)10d)11
12.5 + 5.25 = ?
a)16.00b)17.75c)18.00d)18.75
5 + 3 = ?
a)6b)7c)8d)10
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
Adaptive instruction
Instruction that changes the lesson, and creates a learning plan, based on how well a student understands the digital content
Worldwide Access | Opportunity | International Standards
Global opportunities for distance learning
“cottage industry”
programmes
New external forces
Consumer IT platforms
Open education resources
Adaptive learning