Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:952] on-line curriculum
From: Muhammad Betz, Ph.D. (mbetz@sosu.edu)
Date: Wed 24 Jan 2001 - 16:42:13 MET
From: "Muhammad Betz, Ph.D." <mbetz@sosu.edu> Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:952] on-line curriculum Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 09:42:13 -0600
Brent Muirhead asks the following questions:
"What landmark technologies might alter the future of computer-mediated
education? What additional skills will future online teachers need with the
advent of
major changes in the technological landscape?"
I made mention a few months ago about an exciting new project in Oklahoma,
in which select public school educators, were being trained to use
sophisticated web design and web course software in an effort to put public
school curriculum on-line. This project is called VISION (Virtual Internet
School in Oklahoma), and it will offer math courses for fourth and seventh
grade students at nine pilot schools. If the pilot project proves
successful, other subjects could be offered and made available statewide.
VISIION is sponsored by the OK State Legislature to the tune of several
millions of dollars and is being subsidized by many major companies, such as
Microsoft and Intel. In the view of the OK State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, "From the smallest, most remote schools to the urban,
inner-city schools, this would ensure equal opportunity." see
http://www.oklahoman.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=627798&pic=none&TP=geteduca
tion
This project indicates a huge step forward in on-line education. Until now,
on-line education has been confined to what are, in the main, electronic
correspondence-type courses, notwithstanding the increase in student
participation via email, bulletinboards, email, and primarily static web
sites. Projects like VISION are the first efforts to construct highly
interactive, multimedia oriented, curriculum content, that could prove to be
independent of instructor intervention and which suggests putting the entire
public school curriculum on-line.
It is in this direction that on-line education must evolve, and I am struck
by the potential that this type of on-line education holds for many
varieties of learners.
Regards,
Muhammad Betz
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Muhammad K. Betz, Ph.D.
M.Ed. Graduate Coordinator and Associate Professor
Department of Educational Instruction & Leadership
School of Education & Behavioral Sciences
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
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Phone: (580)745-2262
Fax: (580)745-7508
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Mail:
1405 N.4th Avenue, P.O. Box 4086
SOSU
Durant, OK 74701
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