Anna-Lena Johansson (alj@csd.uu.se)
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 17:50:51 +0200
>Received: from mail.gmd.de (postix) by zeus.gmd.de with SMTP id AA19390 (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for <ifetsarc@zeus.gmd.de>); Thu, 1 Oct 1998 10:45:16 +0200
>Received: from mail.gmd.de (postix) by zeus.gmd.de with SMTP id AA10041 (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for <rashev@zeus.gmd.de>); Wed, 16 Sep 1998 18:17:13 +0200
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 17:50:51 +0200 From: Anna-Lena Johansson <alj@csd.uu.se> Subject: RE: [ifets] Efficiency gains in interactivity
** Digest version of list available -> more information ->
http://ifets.gmd.de/maillist.html
---------------------------------------------------------
I would very much like to have your paper. Please, put it up on your web-site.
Anna-Lena Johansson
>** Digest version of list available -> more information ->
>http://ifets.gmd.de/maillist.html
>---------------------------------------------------------
>Joe Beckman comments on the difficulties of achieving economies of
>scale in 'interactive' aspects of education, despite the
>opportunities offered for conferencing with ICT. This is surely the
>case, but in fact most of the total-distance mega-universities, and
>many other providers, have very little person-to-person interactivity
>built into their courses, with little apparent adverse effect upon
>the quality of graduates.
>
>There has been extensive debate on the role of person-to-person
>interactivity (beyond that required for assessment and feedback,
>which is usually paper-based or occasionally by telephone) in
>distance learning, and the research is inconclusive. There is some
>evidence it improves attrition rates (feel-good factor), but little
>that it significantly improves performance.
>
>Of course, most distance-learners are self-selecting and tend to be
>older and more committed than the average 18 year-old. As we try to
>extend ODL methods to younger cohorts, the evidence may change. It
>may be that interaction is crucial to their maintaining motivation,
>and sustaining performance - but it may be that other social changes
>(and educational changes in schools) mean that tomorrow's 18
>year-olds are better prepared for more independent learning methods.
>
>The opportunities for person-to-person communication and interaction
>proposed by ICT are possibly more exciting than the person-machine
>interaction proposed by computer-driven learning packages. However,
>I understand that the UK Open University's introduction of computer
>conferencing using First Class has not been universally welcomed by
>its students. Such conferencing can impose time schedules and
>therefore some inflexibility into a mode of study selected by
>students particularly for its elastic time scales.
>
>However, I do not think the real challenges lie in the development of
>total-distance education, which has already demonstrated its
>potential and honed excellent methods, but in providing flexible
>learning and flexible modes of study to students within reach of an
>institution or study centre. This is the development of what I have
>called the 'Cheshire Cat' model of a university. I have discussed
>this in a paper delivered to the EDEN Conference in Bologna this
>summer -' The Virtual University and the Cheshire Cat'. This
>university exists on a continuum from reality to virtuality (the
>Cheshire Cat), and, in a modification of Lewis Carroll's vision,
>Alice (the Student) can choose how much 'Cat' she sees at any time in
>her studies - ie the balance of distance and attendance modes,
>anywhere on a scale from total attendance to total distance. Though
>it may be that in practice, in line with Carroll's vision, it is
>sometimes the Cat (university) which determines how much Alice can
>see at a particular moment in her studies.
>
>The reason I believe this is a crucial model for the future is that
>regionality (sub-national) can relate more closely to culture and
>particularly employability: regionality can offer
>productive attendance possibilities. We are still a very long way
>from an international qualifications framework, and a truly
>international labour market. Regional frameworks can also offer
>credit-accumulation, and transfer arrangements are more easily
>arranged between institutions and levels. In fact, I believe this
>kind of institution is critical to extending access on the scale I
>mentioned in a previous mailing. .
>
>I am a bit of a sceptic of 'global' education. How many students
>does Harvard take on its MBA before it is devalued, and Harvard with
>it? How many courses can be adjusted to local employment needs from
>thousands of miles away - some only, and mainly postgrad. Do the
>non-English speaking nations want to be totally dominated by an
>Anglo-American culture?
>
>See:
>
>O'Hagan CM, The Virtual University and the Cheshire Cat. In Szucs A
>& Wagner A, Universities in a Digital Era, Transformation,
>Innovation and Tradition - Roles and Perspectives of Open and
>Distance Learning, Budapest:EDEN. ISBN 963 556 9 O. Don't know if
>EDEN have put the Proceedings on the web. If there is interest, I
>could put it up off our web site.
>
>The metaphor of the Cheshire Cat seems to have caught peoples
>imaginations, so I would be grateful for an acknowledgement if you
>use it yourself.
>
>Sorry to go on at such length.
>
>Chris O'Hagan
>
>============================================
>Christopher O'Hagan
>Dean of Learning Development
>Centre for Educational Development and Media
>University of Derby
>Kedleston Road
>DERBY, DE22 1DA
>England
>
>Tel: +44 (0)1332 622262 (direct)
>Fax: +44 (0)1332 622772
>Email: c.m.ohagan@derby.ac.uk
>WWW: http://www.derby.ac.uk/cedm/welcome.html
>
>CEDM is home to a Teaching and Learning Technology
>Support Network Centre, one of nine in the UK offering
>free support to UK Higher Education Institutions:
>tltsn@derby.ac.uk
>
>Improvement makes strait roads; but the crooked
>roads without Improvement are roads of Genius - Wm Blake
>---------------------------------------------------------
>Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/
>Email address for sending message to everyone on the list ifets@gmd.de
>Forum's contact person ifets-info@gmd.de
>---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Forum website: http://ifets.gmd.de/
Email address for sending message to everyone on the list ifets@gmd.de
Forum's contact person ifets-info@gmd.de
---------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Thu 01 Oct 1998 - 11:13:22 MET DST