远程与开放教育中新技术的使用

在年轻人对初级高等教育的需求还没有减少之时,随之而来的是那些在工作中与时代保持步伐需要学习的成人对进一步学习不断增长的需求。在美国,大约40%的成人接受过正规的教育(查普尔,奥朵尼尔,2005)。在通过网络发送课程激增时,通过电视发送课程就减少了。然而,越来越多的年轻成人正在通过新一代交互式多媒体技术,用新的方法进行学习,这样反过来就引发了对更具有交互性的远程学习的期望。流传的教育模式是构建主义,新技术打破了构建主义教学方法,使受到距离限制的教学变为可行。建立和完善学习社区对大多数远程教育者来说是一个新的挑战。本文的目的意在引起对提出的观点进行提问和讨论,但是,在结束之前,还提出了远程与开放教育在使用新技术和新教育方法上可能出现失败的设想,本人的观点更为乐观。

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 administrative issues, but addresses the changing pedagogy of open and distance learning. While the demand for preliminary 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 constructivism and the new technology makes constructivist teaching at a distance viable. Setting up and facilitating communities of learning is a new challenge for most distance educators. The purpose of the presentation is to stimulate discussion 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's view is more optimistic.