Arun-Kumar Tripathi (tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de)
Wed, 28 Apr 1999 23:09:19 +0200 (MET DST)
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 23:09:19 +0200 (MET DST) From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi <tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de> Subject: THE EVOLUTION OF ONLINE LEARNING
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Greetings ifets community,
IT training provider Infotec is changing the online learning
environment to encourage distance learners, who have low course
completion rates, to finish courses. By 2005, at least 50 percent
of IT training will happen online, according to International ata
statistics. However, most of today's online course designs focus
on cutting-edge technology and the quality of course content, without
providing a supportive environment for the student. Infotec's online
training (OLT) site, Infotec Online, recently began accepting students
for Microsoft's MCSE certification program. Infotec Online links every
course to a Microsoft Certified Trainer, who develops the course
syllabus, a basic course track, and lecture notes for each primary
objective. Infotec director of distance learning C.J. Trayser says,
"Students complete reading assignments with the guidance of the
instructor's notes and are even periodically quizzed so the instructor
can monitor their progress." The program uses hard copy texts, which
allow students to make notes and retain the material as a post-graduate
reference. In addition, the Infotec Online site promotes interaction
between students by offering chats, a bulletin board, e-mail, and
instructor lectures. Although students can study and take tests and
quizzes on their own time, each course has a time limit, the longest of
which is nine weeks, which provides the motivation often lacking in OLT
courses. The site is heavily text-oriented, and does not make wide use
of multimedia, since many students do not have the fastest modems or the
latest hardware to accommodate the technology. (Sun Server 04/99)
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