WEEK6 - IACT303/ITCS923/MCS9303WEEK6 - IACT303/ITCS923/MCS9303

Education, Business and Government: Local and International Web-based Policy and Practice

Peter Eklund

Materials used in the production of these slides are suitably acknowledged and/or where appropriate © the author, the intended use is for educational purposes not for publication or public broadcast or profit. The majority contents of this lecture are drawn from an invited talk and paper by Driving the Future of e-Learning. Keynote Address to Fifth International Conference on Communication Technologies in Education. In: Fenstrom K (Ed.) Proceedings of The Fifth International Conference on Communication Technologies in Education, Samos, Greece July 1-3, 2004. P. 2-13.

From subject outline

From subject outline

Mid-semester break after week 10, sorry

Lecture OverviewLecture Overview• Recap IACT303 so far: OSI Layers, SSL,

CGI, Web Languages RoadMap This Week

Flexible Learning, What is it?

What’s happening in Australia and OS?

Its impact on teaching and Learning

The Future

Basic Protocol InfrastructureBasic Protocol Infrastructure

How Web servers workHow Web servers work

• Disguises the attack as a HTTP packet

• This executes via CGI

http://research.lumeta.com/ches/map/gallery/wired.gif

Bastion Host

Web server

Mail server

http(cgi(shell commands))

Web ProgrammingWeb Programming

Morrison et al. 2002

PHP

e-learninge-learning learner-centred and client-focused approach

to delivery methods e-learning includes computer-based learning,

Web-based learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration and uses.

technology is both a delivery mechanism and an enabler

Summary of DriversSummary of Drivers

The advent of new technologies; The expectations of users growing up with new

technologies and increasingly using them for productivity;

The quest for efficiencies in the delivery of training; Organisational initiatives to maintain currency with

developments in technology Government Policy initiatives

The size of the e-learning marketThe size of the e-learning market In Europe in 2002 pure e-learning and blended learning accounted for a

quarter of the time users spent in training. In the US in 2001 43% of businesses involved in the survey were in the

process of implementing e-learning or had already done so. The corporate market in the US estimated as $3.5 billion, and $5 billion

globally pointing to a $50 billion market by 2010. The largest growth is predicted to be in provision of content for e-

learning. the e-learning market in Australia will be worth US$65 million by 2005,

growing at an annual compounded rate of 22%. (Payne, 2002)

From a recent report on The Australian Flexible Learning Frameworkthis figure plots a number of different variables over time. For each variable a trend line has been plotted on the chart, with actual figures to the end of 2003. The chart includes five variables relating to VET in Australia:§ NSW students utilizing online materials§ NSW online modules available§ Victoria’s Virtual Campus registered students§ Tasmania WebCT page hits§ Flex e-News (an online newsletter) visitor sessions.The point is not to look at any one variable, but the overall trend

This shows that the number of students registered on Victoria’s Virtual Campus has increased from 935 in August 2000 to over 65,000 in February 2004, a seventy-fold increase in the space of three and a half years.

A Phase of Consolidation

There have been many failures The current trend is characterised by caution – yet

growth It is OK to be an e-learning skeptic

“Our attention is moving from the technology and the infrastructure, towards the practice, the pedagogy, the content …We are now concerned with issues of: context, effectiveness, efficiency, standards and quality.” Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Education and Culture

Evidence of ConsolidationEvidence of Consolidation

A recent set of sub-trends such as the development of technical standards for interoperability of e-learning content

The rationalisation of the tool market through the emergence of larger, fewer providers

Development of standards in development processes

Technical StandardsTechnical Standards

The development of technical standards are key activities underpinning e-learning globally.

To maximise the ROI in learning technology, content & services the systems they use must be interoperable, usable, manageable, and durable

Shareable Content Object Resource Model (SCORM): aims to develop interoperable, sharable content: XML/SOAP-like API

The Jargon: A Learning ObjectThe Jargon: A Learning Object

A digital entity designed to support a particular learning experience, that can be re-purposed for use in another setting, and which forms or is part of an IMS (Instructional Management Systems) content package

Maturing software development Maturing software development practicespractices

Multimedia/web development industry is maturing Knowledge of User Centred Design (UCD) standards

and the importance of usability in design, and these improved processes are assisting to create better quality e-learning resources

These principles are not new, but being rediscovered

Trends in educational theory and Trends in educational theory and practicepractice Cognitivism: Based on the thought process behind the

behaviour Constructivism: problem solving, activity-based

Cognitivism and constructivism focuses on achieving higher-level learning in engendering independent, self reliant learners who can employ a range of strategies to construct knowledge.

ICT is an enabler, sometimes called a meta-cognitive tool

Lifelong learning and multiple careers to engender both individual and organisational growth.

The acceptance of blended learningThe acceptance of blended learning

Blended learning is incorporating the use of ICT into the instructional process to augment rather than replace face-to-face delivery.

Blended learning as the strategic use of learning delivery channels -physical classroom, a virtual classroom, print, email, etc

Elements of a successful e-learning Elements of a successful e-learning implementationimplementation

An enthusiastic teacher(s) Local support from, and direct access to, an ICT-

experienced teacher/mentor Significant institutional support in the form of relief

time and/or encouragement An implementation appropriate to the local

environment, one that allows the teacher to review the ICT materials and discover their value

Positive initial experiences with the materials

E-learning as a component of knowledge E-learning as a component of knowledge managementmanagement

Learning as part of an organisation’s service offering

Knowledge management – capturing, reusing and propagating knowledge

e-learning becoming a component of these functions

learning, information, marketing, and enrolment are also emerging

The future of e-learningThe future of e-learning Drivers are technical, teaching and development

practices or organisational initiatives Dramatic changes in hardware and software and

the continued mainstreaming of technologies Organisations, including schools, are developing

better IT infrastructure and systems for efficient business and will be seeking to leverage off those efficiencies for the delivery of training

TechnicalTechnical

Learning design based on learner engagement via active simulation and micro worlds for personalized construction of knowledge, and collaborative problem-based learning

Distinction between multimedia authoring and delivery disappears

Content presentation will become more interactive Blended designs using paper-based textual information

and interactive web-based content will be popular

Teaching and Development PracticesTeaching and Development Practices

Constructivism will eventually be recognised as a philosophy about curriculum design rather than learning theory

Uni and Schools will gradually reform their curriculum and learning structures

Problem-based learning using ICT where students access a variety of resources and collaborate to solve problems will find its way into Secondary and Primary Schools

The teacher role as a guide, mentor and facilitator will continue to develop

Organisational InitiativesOrganisational Initiatives

Part time study will increase Education will be more commoditized and

expensive User pays, so user-centered patterns of

learning are more appropriate Some online courses offered at most training

organisations Students choose offerings from multiple

institutions

SummarySummary

e-learning is growing. Students demand it It’s still developing – there will always be change Enthusiast driven but becoming mainstream Standards work is good but problematic Developing quality processes is important Challenges are more organisational than

technical Context is critical - so is the role of the teacher

 Professional development

Communication and leadership

New practices in flexible learning

Resources for teaching,

learning and assessment

Policy and research

 

Framework Implementat

ion Plan 2004

 

Goal 1Creative

capable people

Goal 2Supportive

technological infrastructure

Goal 3World-class

online content development, applications and services

Goal 4Enabling policies

Goal 5Problem-solving

regulation

The Flexible Learning Framework is a good example of The Flexible Learning Framework is a good example of Business and Government Policy and PracticeBusiness and Government Policy and Practice

Key Referenceshttp://www.rhassociates.com/scorm.htmhttp://www.adlnet.org http://moodle.orghttp://www.apconnections.com/perspective/02-March.html (Payne,

2002)http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/ Eklund, J (2004)

Driving the Future of e-Learning. Keynote Address to Fifth International Conference on Communication Technologies in Education. In: Fenstrom K (Ed.) Proceedings of The Fifth International Conference on Communication Technologies in Education, Samos, Greece July 1-3, 2004. P. 2-13.