‘Distance education’ and ‘e-learning’: Not the same thing

This article examines the distinct differences between ‘distance education’ and ‘e-learning’ in higher education settings. Since the emergence of the new information and communication technologies (ICT), many have related to them as the new generation of distance education, and some have referred to their implementation in academia as challenging the very existence of campus-based universities. Many policy makers, scholars and practitioners in higher education use these two terms interchangeably as synonyms. But the fact is that distance education in most higher education systems is not delivered through the new electronic media, and vice versa – e-learning in most universities and colleges all over the world is not used for distance education purposes. ‘Distance education’ and ‘e-learning’ do overlap in some cases, but are by no means identical. The lack of distinction between ‘e-learning’ and ‘distance education’ accounts for much of the misunderstanding of the ICT roles in higher education, and for the wide gap between the rhetoric in the literature describing the future sweeping effects of the ICT on educational environments and their actual implementation. The article examines the erroneous assumptions on which many exaggerated predictions as to the future impact of the ICT were based upon, and it concludes with highlighting the future trends of ‘distance education’ and ‘e-learning’ in academia.     

`Emergency Education': The Missing Dimension in Education Policy

Large numbers of children regularly experience educational disruption because of natural disasters. Donor and rehabilitation agencies, using an ‘emergency education’ framework, have usually addressed the immediate needs of such children and longer-term educational reconstruction. However, the imperative of continuous educational access to all children, and the need for resource and curricular policies to deal with frequent disruption, call for the inclusion of an emergency education dimension in traditional educational policy. This article outlines the features of such a dimension by drawing on the experiences of an earthquake rehabilitation effort in India (2001-02). Policies that target an improved post-crisis educational system create an opportunity to redress past disadvantages. Helping local educational institutions build capacities in curriculum development and continuing education of emergency personnel is crucial. Some new features highlighted include tracking local demographic shifts with the help of local leaders and the use of innovative teachers to handle children’s immediate recreational needs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

加强教育科研 促进教育创新

联合国教科文组织 (UNESCO)一贯重视科学研究在增强国家社会经济发展潜力 ,尤其是促进教育创新及改革过程中的作用。在国际教育发展大背景下 ,教育研究的地位相应提高。教育研究注重加强与教育决策和创新实践的联系 ;注重对影响教育质量和学习成绩因素的研究 ;加强对生本课程和学生学习标准及相应的教师专业标准的探索 ;从新的广度及深度探讨信息通讯技术对教育的影响 ;教育研究日益全球化。教育科研要促进教育的全面发展 ,提高改革的成效 ,还应关注和解决诸如教师在教育科研中的作用、恰当地认识和加强研究与决策的关系、教育研究成果的推广应用、教育研究方法的改进等方面的问题。     

Problematising ourselves: continuing professional development in higher education

The problem of continuing professional development (sometimes capitalised as CPD) of professionals in higher education is that it operates around a series of unresolved tensions: between higher education institutions as major providers for other professionals and as a relatively new provider in terms of its own professional development; between the prestige associated with continuing professional development in the service of research and that accorded to learning and teaching. These problems are compounded by a tendency to regard professional or staff development as comprising only those sorts of activities that are formally recognised. Rather than attempting to resolve these two tensions, the paper argues that problematising our conceptions of continuing professional development can open up space for debate. The paper re‐visits some of the recent history of CPD in order to pinpoint some of the contradictions. This allows new questions to emerge: for example about whether the multiple practices of continuing professional development constitute “domesticating” (Land, ) or more critical tendencies within the newly emerging regimes in higher education. The arguments have implications for practising educational developers in meeting the challenges of a broader mandate for CPD, and in recognising the importance of the non‐formal in development practice. The paper takes its examples mostly from an English context, but many of the contradictions highlighted are relevant to other state‐dependent higher education systems.     

E-learning in engineering education: a theoretical and empirical study of the Algerian higher education institution

Technology-mediated education or e-learning is growing globally both in scale and delivery capacity due to the large diffusion of the ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICT) in general and the web technologies in particular. This statement has not yet been fully supported by research, especially in developing countries such as Algeria. The purpose of this paper was to identify directions for addressing the needs of academics in higher education institutions in Algeria in order to adopt the e-learning approach as a strategy to improve quality of education. The paper will report results of an empirical study that measures the readiness of the Algerian higher education institutions towards the implementation of ICT in the educational process and the attitudes of faculty members towards the application of the e-learning approach in engineering education. Three main objectives were targeted, namely: (a) to provide an initial evaluation of faculty members’ attitudes and perceptions towards web-based education; (b) reporting on their perceived requirements for implementing e-learning in university courses; (c) providing an initial input for a collaborative process of developing an institutional strategy for e-learning.

Statistical analysis of the survey results indicates that the Algerian higher education institution, which adopted the Licence – Master and Doctorate educational system, is facing a big challenge to take advantage of emerging technological innovations and the advent of e-learning to further develop its teaching programmes and to enhance the quality of education in engineering fields. The successful implementation of this modern approach is shown to depend largely on a set of critical success factors that would include:

1. The extent to which the institution will adopt a formal and official e-learning strategy.

2. The extent to which faculty members will adhere and adopt this strategy and develop ownership of the various measures in the context of their teaching and research responsibilities.

3. The extent to which the university will offer adequate support in terms of training, software platform administration, online resource development and impact monitoring and assessment.

     

A holistic approach towards Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for addressing education challenges in Asia and the Pacific

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers opportunities for governments to address key education challenges of quality, equity, and efficiency. While governments and educational institutions in developed countries may have taken up these opportunities, many developing countries in Asia and the Pacific region have often missed them out. This may be due to countries’ socioeconomic settings, approaches towards design and implementation of the ICT in education plan, and investment on research and development of ICT in education. This paper explores the current challenges of education in Asia and the Pacific and explains how these challenges may be overcome by the strategic use of ICTs when a holistic approach towards ICT in education is adopted.     

数字出版背景下出版从业人员继续教育策略

数字出版是出版产业的发展趋势,对出版人才提出了新要求,而当前,复合型数字出版人才极其短缺。传统出版单位必须重视人力资源开发,尤其要重视继续教育;应针对数字出版人才的特点,通过营造终身学习氛围,完善继续教育机制,创新教育模式,鼓励产学研结合等途径,促进人才"转型"。     

Transition partnerships: the views of education professionals and staff in support services for young people with learning disabilities

Transition to post-statutory education and employment for young people with learning disabilities has become a hotly debated issue among professionals in education and support services in the UK. Partnerships between educational institutions and voluntary sector providers are supposed to be ideal vehicles for delivering transition services and securing outcomes for young people with learning disabilities. In this article, Axel Kaehne and Stephen Bayer of the Welsh Centre for Learning Difficulties report the findings of a survey of the views of special educational needs co-ordinators and professionals who are involved at operational and strategic levels in the work of transition partnerships. The data show that undue emphasis is often placed, by all stakeholders, on the soft, rather than the concrete, outcomes of transition; that smooth transitions are still hampered by insufficient flow of information between collaborating agencies; and that there are still significant gaps in provision, in particular in the supported employment field, due to funding or referral restrictions. To deliver first-class transitions, argue Axel Kaehne and Stephen Bayer, partnerships that support young people with learning disabilities need to address these difficulties with some urgency.     

开放大学的发展历程与重心位移

开放大学是在以现代信息技术为支撑,以实体综合性大学为依托,在开放的公共教育环境下以满足学习者各种类型及层次的教育需求为目标,既坚持高等教育学历提升,又积极推进非学历继续教育及公共教育服务支持的开放性高等教育机构。作为一种新型的高等教育机构,开放大学促进了世界高等教育的民主化和公平化,也将终身教育的理念推行至实处。开放大学的质量保障涉及多个因素,要在学生、教师、课程和良好的师生互动等方面进行严格把关。开放大学不仅仅应该充当一种新型的教育机构,更应该成为一种无形的教育理念贯穿于有形的教育机构中。鼓励开放大学与传统大学走向融合,这将会为高等教育全民化的到来作出更大的贡献。     

远程教育与终身教育和学习化社会--世界远程教育发展历史追溯和展望(5)

从精英教育到大众教育和普及教育;从成人教育到全民教育和继续教育;从终身教育、终身学习再到全民终身学习;从学习化社会到学习型组织等。这些教育思想的提出及相应教育实践的开拓,不仅适应了、信息时代和知识经济的到来,也为教育技术的应用、远程教育的持续发展奠定了思想理论基础。     

远程继续教育和企业教育的新型关系与合作机遇

在许多大型企业中,企业培训部门向企业大学的发展和转变,改变了企业教育的理念、模式以及实践,企业教育与远程继续教育的关系也随之发生了根本性的变化,产生了前所未有的新型关系和教育合作机遇。本文旨在分析远程继续教育和企业教育的关系变革和教育合作的机遇及优势。文章分为四个部分,第一部分介绍企业大学兴起的背景和现状;第二部分阐述企业培训部门转向企业大学后,在教育目标、教育策略、管理模式、课程类型、教学模式、学习对象六个方面产生的变革;第三部分分析远程继续教育和企业教育产生的新型关系,表明企业大学和远程继续教育走向一致的发展趋势;第四部分分析远程继续教育机构和企业大学教育合作的机遇和优势,说明双方的合作能够达到优势互补,通过分享办学理念和优质教育资源,取得良好的社会效益和成本效益,最终获得远程继续教育机构、企业大学以及企业员工的三赢成效。     

Out of Asia: learning re-examined,teacher education re-configured

The impetus for this argumentative paper is anecdotal evidence overheard in West Australian educational settings indicating that there continues to be “othering” of learners from Asian backgrounds. Exploring prevailing Western social, theoretical and educational discourses associated with Asia, the author argues that teacher education in Western Australia be reconceptualized in three main ways. Firstly, levels of meta-cultural sensitivity in pre-service and in-service educators should be ascertained. Secondly, there needs to be a more rigorous theoretical and conceptual framework for pre-service/in-service teacher education informed by cross-cultural, historical knowledge and awareness of the social and personal constructions of reality – views of the “other” and “self”. Thirdly, teacher education courses must offer opportunities to examine current developments in educational research which encourage reconceptualization and replacement of traditional East/West dichotomies. The paper aims to review literature related to theoretical Thirdness as an ontological, educational principle and to contribute to Thirdness discourse by situating the argument in a particular context in Western Australia. It is hoped that papers such as this may lead to more informed and symmetrical dialogue between educators in the Asia Pacific region.     

Good education in an age of measurement: on the need to reconnect with the question of purpose in education

In this paper I argue that there is a need to reconnect with the question of purpose in education, particularly in the light of a recent tendency to focus discussions about education almost exclusively on the measurement and comparison of educational outcomes. I first discuss why the question of purpose should always have a place in our educational discussion. I then explore some reasons why this question seems to have disappeared from the educational agenda. The central part of the paper is a proposal for addressing the question of purpose in education—the question as to what constitutes good education—in a systematic manner. I argue that the question of purpose is a composite question and that in deliberating about the purpose of education we should make a distinction between three functions of education to which I refer as qualification, socialisation and subjectification. In the final section of the paper I provide examples of how this proposal can help in asking more precise questions about the purpose and direction of educational processes and practices.     

Paulo Freire: Dialogue,Politics and Relevance

The paper seeks to present a reconceptualization of non‐formal education (NFE). The argument is based on developing nations of Asia, Africa and the Pacific. The reconceptualization is based on bringing together three different types of NFE: NFE as complement, alternative and supplement to the formal education system. The first type represents the role of NFE in providing a means of satisfying unfulfilled provision from the school system; the second type is equated with the use of traditional or indigenous learning; the third is related to the sorts of educational activities associated with development activities following the end of the Cold War. While it is argued that NFE is nation and culture specific, analytic tools are suggested that allow NFE in its three types to be discussed across nations as well as for any individual developing nation. The tools used for the analysis consist of methods to describe the providers of the various forms of NFE‐agencies and institutions‐and three concepts to examine the three types of NFE, namely as a system, setting and process.     

谈高等教育的e-学习

阐述了e-学习的理论内涵，介绍了高等教育领域e-学习的表现形式，论述了高等教育e-学习的特点，指出了e-学习对传统的高等教育的模式、教育思想与教育理念产生的冲击，是对传统教育模式的补充。     

近20年我国学历继续教育研究现状、热点与发展趋势——基于CNKI期刊论文的可视化分析

以中国知网(CNKI)收录的2001—2020年学历继续教育文献为数据源,借助文献计量方法和CiteSpace知识图谱分析软件对我国近20年来学历继续教育研究的总体特征、演进过程和前沿热点进行可视化分析,得到如下结论:近20年来学历继续教育的概念用词多元,直到2015年得以基本统一;学历继续教育研究的文章主要见于继续教育领域专业期刊和继续教育类学报;高被引论文集中在继续教育概念的辨析、广播电视大学和开放大学研究、学历继续教育对从业人员的影响研究;研究者之间、机构之间合作松散,但不同研究者都在尝试探索继续教育的发展新路径;研究热点集中在学历继续教育相关概念、办学生态、在职人员培训、发展对策方面。     

What leads people to keep on e-learning? An empirical analysis of users' experiences and their effects on continuance intention

User retention is a major goal for higher education institutions running their teaching and learning programmes online. This is the first investigation into how the senses of presence and flow, together with perceptions about two central elements of the virtual education environment (didactic resource quality and instructor attitude), facilitate the user's intention to continue e-learning. We use data collected from a large sample survey of current users in a pure e-learning environment along with objective data about their performance. The results provide support to the theoretical model. The paper further offers practical suggestions for institutions and instructors who aim to provide effective e-learning experiences.     

我国高校网络教育公共服务体系发展的比较分析与思考

本文从依托单位、合作网院、学习中心、门户网站、支撑平台及发展趋势等方面比较分析奥鹏、弘成和知金三个公共服务体系及试点项目的发展现状,并认为全国和区域性多样化公共服务体系并存可能成为一种发展趋势.     

Asia and the Pacific in 2020: scenarios for educational research

By 2020 our world will have changed and with it the shape and role of education and of educational research. One cannot predict the future, but in this paper three possible scenarios are outlined reflecting alternative approaches of government to the economic, political, social and environmental challenges facing the Asia Pacific region. For each scenario (loosely-labelled: conservative-hierarchical, pragmatic-competitive, utopian-co-operative), the goals, structure, policy and practice of education and educational research are outlined, and the implications for the development of educational research and for the Asia Pacific Educational Research Association (APERA) are explored.