Bruce Jones (brucewj@amaonline.com)
Fri, 24 Jul 1998 23:57:19 -0500
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Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 23:57:19 -0500 From: Bruce Jones <brucewj@amaonline.com> Subject: [ifets] A more formal hello
Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/
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I feel like the proverbial poor door mouse in such august company.
There are, in this group, lawyers, editors, authors, PhDs, researchers
and professors. I see Physicist, Biochemists, Psychologists and Deans.
There are Australian, American, British and German scholars and
researchers. We all seem to have the same interest, the use of this
wonderful new toy, tool and Pandora's box we call the internet.
I have just started my studies into this arena. The first thing I have
noticed is the lack of unity in the system. It seems that everybody who
can spell WWW and education in the same breath, without breaking into a
cold sweat, has a theory on how it is to be done. Some say Explore,
Explore, Explore. Others say control, control, control. There are a few
who say Bah Humbug, then hedge their statements with nefarious
statements about the possibility of something that might be done in the
future. That way they can be in the mainstream then claim to be a
supporter if it goes the other way.
I had a professor last semester that stated I was putting too much
emphasis on utilization of the net and CBT. That these were not only in
their infancy but were still germinal in nature. Since I had just been
hired into a new position to build just such courses, I was a little set
back by her statements. She was teaching a course in educational
technology and instructional design .... online.
I guess my point is this: There is NO unified theory of instruction and
instructional design yet developed for use on the WWW. All the theories
being taught are based on the physical classroom with very little
carryover into the realm on the "cyber classroom".
I would like to see three things:
> A unified and practical theory of instruction based on the use
of CBT and WBT
> A course design tool that allows the student to chose the most
effective method of instruction.
> A shift in educational ideology from teaching to the curve to
teaching to mastery and competency
I think that this group could bring forth the ideas and concepts for
this type of learning experience.
Thank you,
Bruce Jones
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