Implications of Internet Technologies for Higher Education: North American perspectives

Internet-based technologies are triggering significant changes in higher education. While in some cases the applications are limited to enhancing face-to-face instruction (Level I applications) or to enhancing existing distance education provision (Level II), in other cases instruction is taking place entirely online (Level III). As higher education institutions seek to exploit these different levels of application of emerging information technologies to deliver education courses and programmes at a distance, they are encountering a number of difficulties. This article presents what a number of higher and distance education observers in North America consider the most pertinent issues related to Internet technologies. The relevance of those issues for an existing distance teaching university, Athabasca University - Canada's Open University, is also discussed.     

Blending Synchronous Face-to-face and Computer-Supported Cooperative Learning in a Hybrid Doctoral Seminar

Online education is often assumed to be synonymous with asynchronous instruction, existing apart from or supplementary to face-to-face instruction in traditional bricks-and-mortar classrooms. However, expanding access to computer- mediated communication technologies now make new models possible, including distance learners synchronous online attendance of face-to-face courses. Going beyond traditional uses of videoconferencing (e.g., real-time remote viewing with limited student interaction), this article describes the use of freely available technologies to support synchronous cooperative learning activities involving both face-to-face and hybrid doctoral students. Specifically, we describe the rationale behind pedagogical choices and specify how various technologies were re-purposed to create a virtual classroom space in which all possible combinations of face-to-face and hybrid students worked together in multiple small-groups across single class sessions. Implications for course development, the implementation of cooperative learning activities in online settings, and the use of both synchronous and asynchronous methods of online instruction are discussed.     

Pedagogical practices of NetNZ teachers for supporting online distance learners

A supportive online learning environment entails teachers using effective pedagogical practices to meet the needs of their students and developing a positive teacher–student relationship to foster learner motivation and engagement. This paper reports a study investigating how 32 secondary teachers in New Zealand taught their online distance classes and how they related to their students. These classes were administered by NetNZ, an online distance education community. An online survey conducted in 2016 found that NetNZ teachers used inquiry-based practices including flipped learning and knowledge-building pedagogies to support agency, autonomy, collaboration, and community development. They also used synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies to overcome barriers of relationship building in online settings. NetNZ was unique in delivering distance education in the New Zealand context in that it used a community approach to encourage a more active participation of its member schools and teachers in delivering distance courses to secondary students.     

影响学生有效参与在线互动的原因及其对策研究

随着网络教育的蓬勃发展,网上论坛已经成为网上教学传递信息加强沟通的重要渠道,也是实现教学目标的重要方式,是使网络教育产生良好效益的关键。因此,在线互动成为保证网上教学质量的一个重要方面,在远程教育中的地位越来越重要。文章通过分析学生参与在线互动的现状,从学生、教师和网络环境三个方面分析出现这些现状的原因,旨在找到促进学生有效参与在线互动的对策,以提高在线互动质量。     

专家系统在远程教育中的应用及发展趋势

计算机、多媒体网络技术、通信技术在近几年的迅猛发展,奠定了网上远程教育的坚实基础。并使它得到了长足的发展。当前网络教学平台具有海量的资源且增长迅速,但学生对网上的教学资源利用率却不高。利用专家系统,对现代远程教育保证教学质量、提升网上教学资源的利用率具有重大的意义。专家系统与现代远程教育的结合,提高了学生学习的兴趣和积极性,使得远程教育教学的质量和效果得到了很大的提升。     

平板电脑在远程教育应用中的制约因素及发展策略

新媒体联盟《2012年地平线报告》指出,平板计算是未来五年可能影响教育发展最重要的六项技术之一。平板电脑由于克服了传统PC在时间、地点等方面的客观限制,一经问世,即抢占电脑市场,成为颇具前景的电子产品。它颠覆了以往PC已经成熟的Web模式,其多媒体特性、移动性、便捷的操作性以及资源分发模式,可能会对目前在线学习模式进行迭代和补充,促进远程教育教学发展,因此受到国内外广泛关注。目前,平板电脑在远程教育中的应用已经涉及数字阅读、视频公开课、电子教材、电子书包等多方面,但由于普及率、资源开发成本、交互屏障、消费意愿等综合因素,其在远程教育中的广泛应用还没有形成整体的成熟方案和模式,还需要远程教育机构、教学设计者、软件开发者及决策部门实践创新破局,构建符合各类学员特点,更方便易用、大众化的全民教育、终身教育的远程教育模式。     

人工智能时代教育人工智能研究与应用现状、问题及对策

为了促进教育与技术融合,提高教育的“教育力”,实现人工智能技术促进教育发展,做到以人为本、因材施教,基于人工智能环境,从现有人工智能技术入手,构建人工智能框架,使教育工作更加高效,为了促进教育与技术融合,提高教育的“教育力”,实现人工智能技术促进教育发展,做到以人为本、因材施教,基于人工智能环境,从现有人工智能技术入手,构建人工智能框架,使教育工作更加高效,教育活动更能体现学生个性。研究表明,人工智能技术与教育结合可更好促进教育发展,培养社会所需人才;基于人工智能的学习可为师生提供一个良好的教育教学环境。通过对关键技术和典型应用的分析,构建教育人工智能技术框架,并针对现有教育人工智能存在的问题提出解决方案。     

Academic Achievement and Perceptions of the Learning Environment in Virtual and Traditional Secondary Mathematics Classrooms

This study identified pre-entry variables related to course completion and noncompletion in university online distance education courses. Four hundred and sixty-four students who were enrolled in online distance education courses participated in the study. Discriminant analysis revealed six pre-entry variables were related to retention, including cumulative grade point average, class rank, number of previous courses completed online, searching the Internet training, operating systems and file management training, and Internet applications training. Results indicate prior educational experience and prior computer training may help distinguish between individuals who complete university online distance education courses and those who do not.     

DeMOOCing society: Convivial tools to systems and back again in the information age

Since early development of information technologies, in particular computers and the Internet, there has been tension between those who believe these new technologies and their applications they have been mired in tension. Originally conceived and developed as tools for enabling high level, nonhierarchal engagement in problem-solving and development of information sources they have more recently been appropriated by those who believe the new technologies are best used for creating expert driven systems that guide users in obtaining important outcomes. One of the most eloquent social/educational theorists in recognizing this tension was Ivan Illich. Some of the most important early pioneers in computing technology were influenced by Illich’s writings on tools conviviality, while many of the networking researchers were highly sympathetic to his ideas. In spite of this the idea of development of closed networks gained traction in popular culture, including in education. Many Internet-based education interventions, for instance, focus on creating directive systems that mimic traditional educational tools and goals in guiding students and/or teachers. One of the most important things education can do is teach students to reclaim conviviality of new information tools, especially applications focusing on engagement that have emerged in the last decade.     

B/S结构与C/S结构的网络考试系统的比较性研究

随着网络技术的发展,以网络教育为主的现代教育和远程教育方式已经成为一种重要的教学方式,网上考试是现代教育和远程教育必不可少的学习考核辅助工具,网上考试具有的操作简单、可靠性强,方便检索,信息存储量大等特点是传统的考试方式无法比拟的。当前网络考试系统主要有B/S和C/S两种。B/S网络考试系统有着广阔的发展前景,对传统的考试管理模式有着深远的影响。这两种模式的考试系统各有各存在的优点和缺点,都难以同时满足现代网络教育和远程教育对考试环节的需要。本文通过对当前现行网络考试系统的应用现状进行分析,提出了网络考试未来即将可能的发展大方向。     

Determining If Distance Education Is the Right Choice

Abstract

Making decisions about which technologies, if any, are appropriate for your classroom or educational institution has never been easy. These difficult decisions are, however, increasing in their complexity as new technologies continually enter the marketplace, expectations of parents and students rise for more technology in the classroom, budget constraints require institutions to do more with less, and the benefits of distance education place mounting pressures on educators to provide resources beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom. So how do you as an educational leader make the challenging decisions related to distance education and other technologies in your school? This article provides a framework for results-focused decision making that can help you make complicated choices in even the most challenging of circumstances.     

网络教育中流式技术的应用研究

随着Internet的发展,多媒体信息在网上的传输越来越重要,流式技术以其边下载边播放的特性深受教育、娱乐等行业的喜爱,本文主要阐述了目前网络教育中的各种流媒体系统以及它们的应用,并以我校第一批网络课程的制作为例介绍流媒体技术在网络教育的应用。     

Understanding students’ learning practices: challenges for design and integration of mobile technology into distance education

This study explores the design requirements for mobile applications for second language learning in online/distance higher education settings. We investigate how students use technology and how they perceive that these technologies-in-practice facilitate their language learning. Structuration Theory is used for the analysis. Results show that design needs to consider that (i) students use their private mobile technologies frequently when conducting self-initiated learning tasks, (ii) students’ mobile technologies-in-practice are important, and course designers should design materials and tools for such use practices, and (iii) students prefer to work on their own due to the limited time they want to devote to their learning. Consequently, in regard to the pervasive nature of mobile technology integration in society and into students’ habitual use, they need various software tools on such devices to support individual learning.     

Are interpersonal relationships necessary for developing trust in online group projects?

Trust between group members has been suggested as an important part of small group work in online classrooms. Developing interpersonal relationships with group members may promote a sense of trust among them; however, research shows mixed results. The current study explored how students’ perceptions of the importance of interpersonal relationships in online groups affected their perceptions of trust and experiences within the group. Students enrolled in online classes that incorporated a group project were surveyed about their experiences with online group projects. Participants did not find interpersonal relationships as necessary in trust development. However, student gender and type (i.e., distance versus on-campus) were important factors in determining the type of experiences students had within their online groups. Males reported more negative experiences than females, and distance education students desired relationships with group members more than on-campus students.     

The Luddite Revolt continues

The bicentenary in 2011 of the Luddite Revolt prompts us to ask ‘what would Ned Ludd think of today’s automated styles of distance education?’ He would no doubt echo the common criticism that educational technologies create an impersonal style of teaching and learning, and devalue the teacher. He would probably agree that online methods have major potential for millions of distance‐based students who cannot attend classroom‐based education and training; but he would emphasise the need for quality assurance and cost‐effectiveness studies in distance education implementation. He might also ask why anyone would encourage the development of e‐learning in countries where the Internet is largely inaccessible. This article uses the Luddites’ views of workplace automation to explore how global distance education practices might be improved. It suggests that the intentions of the original Luddites were laudable and worthy of application in distance education today.     

浅谈音像教材资源二度开发在教学服务中的作用

音像教材资源二度开发是现代教育技术发展到一定阶段的必然趋势。目前,它的技术支持条件且已具备,通过音像教材资源的二度开发可以使一批高质量的音像教材重新用于教学活动,音像教材资源得到充分利用,缓解目前远程开放教育教学资源相对匮乏问题,从而为远程开放教育网络提供更丰富的学习资源。     

远程教育在线教学辅导模式设计研究

本文通过对国内远程教育在线教学辅导实施过程的回顾,对在线教学辅导的优劣势、教师角色定位等内容进行了分析,提出构建远程教育在线教学辅导模式等设计思路,重点分析了＂兴趣激发＂、＂时间优化＂两个控制因子的作用机理。开创性地提出了构建在线教学辅导模式的研究思路,从整体高度提升远程教育在线教学辅导能力与交互效率,为学生支持服务质量的全面提升提供了保障。     

Time on task in intensive modes of delivery

This paper reports on an investigation into how staff teaching in compressed courses can encourage student engagement and enhance student use of learning time, despite significant restraints of time as well as distance. Typically these courses (described here as units) are expected to have comparable learning outcomes to their full-semester counterparts and provide an opportunity for students to either retake failed units or to acquire credit for their chosen degrees in accelerated time. Organising teaching and learning through intensive modes of delivery may require different approaches to curriculum development and pedagogy compared to traditional unit planning and delivery, especially when the intensive delivery utilises online technologies. This paper explores strategies employed by successful intensive mode teachers in the development and delivery units for maximised student engagement. It concludes that many of these strategies are equally applicable in online and distance education regardless of the unit being intensive or otherwise.     

The Impact of Mobile Technologies on Distance Education

This article considers the growing amount of research on using mobile technologies in education. As mobile devices become increasingly more prevalent, it is imperative to study their use and effect on the growing field of distance education. This brief review of existing literature indicates that traditional theories of learning, in both traditional and distance settings, are relevant and applicable to mobile learning, and that mobile devices can be brought thoughtfully into pedagogy at the distance level. Flexibility, portability, and accessibility contribute to an overall positive impression on students, while faculty concerns can be met with appropriate training and tailoring to the various teaching and learning styles present in distance education. Student and faculty expectations of a mobile-integrated distance education experience will continue to grow, while teaching and learning should thrive in this increasingly more connected environment.     

美国网络高等教育的学习支持服务研究

目前,美国有近90%的传统高校开展网络教育,而且对学术质量的要求与在校生完全相同,其中网络教育中的学习支持服务为其质量保障做出了巨大的贡献.同时,学习支持服务也是远程教育中一个非常重要的研究方向.本文着重研究了美国网络高等教育的学习支持服务情况,将美国网络高等院校的学习支持服务分为学术支持服务、对网络学习者的管理服务和对学习者提供学习资源及技术支持服务三种类型.并分别加以论述.