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Technology in the New Millennium
Open Leaning has gone through many phases in its long evolution,
prompted by changes in technology and custom For many, correspondence
courses were their early experience of a form, albeit restricted, of
open learning.
This in turn evolved by drawing one experience from the world of print
and graphic design and marrying this with educational design
principles to produce open learning workbooks. 'Packages' of learning
in turn included other media, such as video, audio and CBT - and then
there was multimedia.
And now all of a sudden there's 'e-learning'. The proliferation of e's
in the field of learning is increasing in line with the rise in the
price of technology stocks and shares; and where will that go?
If you are thinking of investing hard earned cash, the traditional
view is that it will all end in tears. The bubble will burst. But what
about learning? Is e-learning the panacea, or one more step in the
breaking down of barriers to learning?
A Global Phenomena
We do seem to be breaking new ground. There are vast opportunities.
Globalisation and the communications technologies that in part are
driving that phenomenon are making possible new networks that bring
benefits to both learners and practitioners alike.
The British Association for Open Learning (BAOL), a network of over
200 member organisations from across the education and learning
sectors in the UK, now receive more enquiries from overseas than from
within he UK - through the Internet. We have begun to sign up new
members from across the globe, which will bring an added dimension to
our already active online discussion group - or should that be
e-group?
On a personal basis, and also from BAOL's perspective, I am
particularly keen on these e-developments. They are good news for a
networking organisation that now has new tools to service its networks
even more effectively. More enquiries can be generated, building
membership at an even faster rate. Also, in the interests of promoting
good practice, there is a whole new area of learning activity crying
out for quality criteria so that the learning experience really is
enhanced for the learner.
Broadening Horizons
Will the e-bubble burst? Probably, as with stocks and shares it never
pays to have all your eggs in one basket. But then we knew that
anyway.
In the field of open leaning, we have seen many new methods come and
many have gone. Many stay and get taken into the toolkit of techniques
that practitioners have available to motivate learners and create
interesting learning activities
No one method has, so far, taken over from all the others. So it is
with e-learning.
Integration with Tradition
Surely this is never going to be the only way that learning
experiences are delivered? What will be interesting is how e-learning
can integrate with more traditional forms of learning.
E-tutoring can already bring together groups of students who have
never met fact to face to consider, discuss and learn from materials
they have downloaded from the Web. Even with the most basic e-mail
technology, this really enhances the learning experience - and just
think of the possibilities when we get used to videoconferencing and
know better how to use it; a must for tutorial groups in the future.
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