新技术在远程开放教育中的运用

本文以教师的视角,阐述了开放远程教育中教学法的变化,即不涉及政策和管理问题。尽管年轻人对初级高等教育的需求尚未减少,与此同时,成年人为了使自己在职场上不被落伍,对继续教育的需求亦不断增加。在美国,有大约40％的成年人参加过正规的成人教育活动。目前,电视传输的形式大为减少,而网络传输的形式却在迅速发展。越来越多的年轻人正运用新的方式,即通过新一代多媒体互动技术开展学习,这种学习方式的转变预计会增加更多的交互式远程学习活动。这一流行的教学法模式具有建构主义特征,而新技术使得建构主义远程教学成为可能。设立和推动学习共同体对于大多数远程教育者来说是一种新的挑战。本文的目的是想激发对于这一论题的讨论和探究。然而在作出结论前,本文对于有些人关于远程开放教育不能适应新技术和教学方法提出了质疑假定。笔者在这一问题上的观点要显得更为乐观。

Using New Technologies in Open and Distance Learning

The perspective taken in this presentation is that of the teacher,i.e.it does not deal with policy and ad- ministrative issues,but addresses the changing pedagogy of open and distance learning.While the demand for pre- liminary higher education by young people has not lessened,it is accompanied by continuously expanding demand for further learning by adults who need to learn to keep up to date in the work-place. About forty percent of American adults participated in formal educational activities(Chapman & O Donnell, 2005).Delivery by television has declined while web-based delivery has exploded. However an increasing number of young adults are learning in new ways through a new generation of interactive multi-media technologies.This in turn is leading to an expectation of more interactive distance learning.The popular pedagogical model is constructiv- ism and the new technology makes constructivist teaching at a distance viable. Setting up and facilitating communi- ties of learning is a new challenge for most distance educators.The purpose of the presentation is to stimulate dis- cussion and questioning of this thesis.However before concluding,the presentation will question the assumption that open and distance learning is failing in its accommodating of new technology and new pedagogy. The presenter (?) view is more optimistic.