Subject: Re: Concerns about the concept of 'transactional distance'
From: Rick Parkany (rparkany@borg.com)
Date: Sun 07 Nov 1999 - 14:07:57 MET
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 08:07:57 -0500 From: Rick Parkany <rparkany@borg.com> Subject: Re: Concerns about the concept of 'transactional distance'
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Wendy: metaphors are often helpful. I see the same relationships between the
mentor/facilitating teacher (virtual or real social space classrooms) and the
course syllabus, plans, and other curricular components as similar to that
between a play director and the script. We can all read a script or screenplay,
but isn't it a far different experience to see Shakespeare than to read him?
;-} rap.
I teach a teacher training course to enable teachers to use IT in mainstream
classrooms. I agree w/the comments of those who emphasize that distance is a
feature of any *space*--the virtual classroom space is very little different from
those other *spacial* distances mentioned in this thread. The topology of
instruction (mentoring) has a kernal which can be transliterated into any social
space whatever.
The challenge is to adequately describe and model the spacial geometry in a given
space and to transform structures from one to the other across these spacial
barriers w/a good sense of craft. All action is mediated, it is important to
understand the nature of the intervening and supportive medium.
When I presented @ the 5th International ALN Conference @ UMaryland last month, a
fellow from Standford presenting in my session started off by declaring, "We have
always had DL @ Stanford...it's called *the lecture*". I laughed and heartily
agree.
I have my *Provaluation of an On-line Curriculum* available. It is a foundational
work outlining a method of authentic assessment concerning on-line portfolios as
part of my research in these spaces. It can be found @
http://www.borg.com/~rparkany/pr03000.htm. The ALN page is @
http://www.aln.org/alnconf99/proceedings/ ... ;-} rap.
Wendy Lowe wrote:...SNIP...
> As an instructional designer and also a teacher I would be tempted to
> ask: is it the teacher who provides structure (whatever that is) or is
> it the course design?
>
> Wendy Lowe
>
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-- "Dein Wachstum sei feste und lache vor Lust! Deines Herzens Trefflichkeit / hat dir selbst das Feld bereit', auf dem du bluehen musst." Peasant, Richard A. Parkany: SUNY@Albany Prometheus Educational Services - http://www.borg.com/~rparkany/ Upper Hudson & Mohawk Valleys; New York State, USA--------------------------------------------------------- Forum website: http://ifets.ieee.org/ Forum's contact person: kinshuk@massey.ac.nz Info on Join/Leave List: http://ifets.ieee.org/maillist.html ---------------------------------------------------------
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