Inovations in Distance Education

Through interview, Dr Carol Gordon, through interview, explores the work of Deborah Ehler-Hansen outlining both her theoretical evaluation of the needs of children in poverty and the ways school libraries can play a role in assisting their learning development. The article refers to a range of valuable further resources.

a. Les avancées technologiques

Les avancées technologiques ont toujours existé et ont eu un impact important sur les différentes dimensions de la vie. En ce début de siècle, les nouvelles technologies ont mené au développement de nouveaux outils pédagogiques, qui, avec les nouveaux modes de communication ont créé un nouvel état de fait au niveau des formations délivrées jusque là par les moyens classiques.

b. Les acquis de la Psychologie Cognitive

D’autre part, et au delà du simple emploi de l’appareillage technique, l'aspect purement éducatif s’est enrichi des nouvelles avancées de l’approche cognitive, ce qui a mené à éclairer d’un jour nouveau tous les aspects opérationnels qui sous tendent la formation universitaire: La Langue et son rôle formateur, l’appropriation de la connaissance, l’action et son impact sur la conceptualisation et le développement des compétences dans les formations.

c. Problématique et Hypothèse

Ces deux données d'égale importance mettent les éducateurs devant la nécessité d'adopter une nouvelle approche qui se différencie des schémas classiques par son ouverture, sa flexibilité et son efficacité. Est-ce qu’une telle approche nécessite l’adoption d’un nouveau paradigme pédagogique ? Et lequel ? Existe-t-il une stratégie éducative qui répond aux exigences de succès de tels projets académiques? Quelles sont les conditions de succès d'une telle stratégie?

La théorie des Champs Conceptuels forme le canevas théorique de l’approche préconisée. Il s’agira alors de montrer comment ce canevas assure la complémentarité entre une formation par projets, la flexibilité de l’enseignement à distance et les critères de qualité requis. D’où l’hypothèse : Il est possible de mettre au point des formations à distance couplées avec une approche cognitive de résolution de problèmes qui répondent à l’esprit d’innovation et aux exigences de qualité.

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has affected educational systems all over the world, throwing educators and learners into the need for shifting to emergency remote instruction, usually with little time given for preparation.
From April until September 2020 we carried out a custom-made multinational longitudinal survey study involving participants from 118 countries, exploring 435 interlocking factors that potentially influenced the patterns of the stakeholders’ adaptation to teaching during school closures. Using agglomerative hierarchical clustering followed by a k-means cluster analysis, we detect two readily distinguishable groups, of better- and worse-coping instructors. Subsequently, we zoom in on two of the key constructs differentiating the two cohorts, namely teachers’ engagement in remote teaching and teacher coping with remote instruction. We present and discuss the findings against the backdrop of one individual and three contextual variables which were identified as significant moderator predictors: gender, education level handled, mode of delivery (synchronous vs asynchronous), and the economic status of the respective countries. The relative contribution of these predictors is calculated using a general linear model. Apart from their epistemological significance, the non-trivial findings offer valuable pedagogical and administrative guidelines for the continuing wave of the pandemic, as well as for planned online courses ‘proper’. The detection of the contextual effects also underscores the importance of large multisite research.

This paper focuses on promoting reflective skills among trainee teachers for their professional growth in distance ELT teacher education programmes. It is an attempt to analyse how activities in print materials in such distance programmes can be designed effectively to stimulate reflection. As print materials are still the dominant medium of instruction in distance ELT programmes in India, the deliberations will hopefully have significant implications for the teaching-learning process in such contexts. There are many recent studies that consider reflection as a crucial tool for learning and suggest strategies to foster reflection among learners. But in a distance education system, the measures to be adopted for promoting reflection need special consideration, different from those in regular education. Print materials need to be used optimally to help compensate for the physical gap between learners and teachers in such a context. The paper offers some suggestions on how teacher support can be built into distance learning print materials to encourage trainees to reflect, and highlights this as a special need of distance education teacher trainees. Some materials from an existing distance ELT programme will be used to illustrate the case.

This study investigated the challenges faced by secondary school teachers during the emergency distance education process, which was implemented due to the global pandemic. Criterion sampling, a purposive sampling method, was used in this phenomenological study. Therefore, the sample consisted of 36 secondary school teachers of various branches (Turkish, mathematics, science and social studies teacher) who were working in three provinces (İstanbul, Diyarbakır, Ağrı) of Turkey. Thus, 12 secondary school teachers were selected from each of three provinces, including three Turkish language teachers, three mathematics teachers, three science teachers, and three social studies teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interview forms. Teachers working in Diyarbakır and Ağrı provinces were interviewed face-to-face, and those working in Istanbul were interviewed via teleconference. During the data collection process, depending on the participants' answers, additional questions were asked to obtain in-depth information. Content analysis was applied to analyse the data. The findings were provided under 5 headings: technology-related challenges, teaching-related challenges, communication-related challenges, measurement and evaluation-related challenges, challenges related to achieving learning goals. The findings were discussed under these 5 headings. The most significant results achieved in the study were based on difficulties related to technology, students' supervision and assessment-evaluation, and these challenges were found to differ from one province to another. While the inadequacy of technical infrastructure was the primary challenge faced by the teachers working in Ağrı, teachers in Diyarbakır and Istanbul did not experience this problem. On the other hand, the majority of teachers in all three provinces complained that students cannot be supervised, and measurement-evaluation process cannot be performed properly in distance education. The study provided suggestions for technology provider institutions, education planners, teachers, and parents.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a recent addition to the range of online learning options. Since 2008, MOOCs have been run by a variety of public and elite universities, especially in North America. Many academics have taken interest in MOOCs recognising the potential to deliver education around the globe on an unprecedented scale; some of these academics are taking a research-oriented perspective and academic papers describing their research are starting to appear in the traditional media of peer reviewed publications. This paper presents a systematic review of the published MOOC literature (2008-2012): Forty-five peer reviewed papers are identified through journals, database searches, searching the Web, and chaining from known sources to form the base for this review. We believe this is the first effort to systematically review literature relating to MOOCs, a fairly recent but massively popular phenomenon with a global reach. The review categorises the literature into eight different areas of interest, introductory, concept, case studies, educational theory, technology, participant focussed, provider focussed, and other, while also providing quantitative analysis of publications according to publication type, year of publication, and contributors. Future research directions guided by gaps in the literature are explored.

Resumen

Revisión Sistemática Sobre los Factores Para un Buen Diseño de los Cursos a Distancia del Programa de Mercadeo a Distancia de una Institución Post-secundaria Privada de Puerto Rico: 2024. Disertación Aplicada, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler School of Education. Descriptores ERIC: Distance Education, Instructional Design, Courses Desing, Instructional Material

Se investigaron los factores para un buen diseño de un curso en línea en función con las características, necesidades del estudiante y los recursos disponibles para lograrlo, de acuerdo a un análisis basado en la revisión sistemática. Se analizaron diferentes puntos de vista de los autores en la literatura sobre los factores a considerar cuando se diseña un curso en línea, se mostraron los hallazgos y se hicieron las recomendaciones aplicadas hacia el buen diseño de cursos en el área de mercadeo.


 

Palestra / Conferência na iniciativa “Temas Emergentes em Educação Jurídica: Proteção de Dados e Curricularização da Extensão”, da Escola Superior de Advocacia (ESA/RS), em parceria com a Subseção de Santa Maria e a Comissão de Educação Jurídica da OAB/RS (CEJ). Dia 14 de junho de 2021.

This research aims to describe the expected and observed educational-instructional effects of economic globalisation on higher education institutions in so called 'developing countries'. It explores how global capitalism forces universities in emerging economies, such as India, Turkey and China, to build up their education systems in accordance with the demands of the global market system. It concludes that a knowledge driven global economy demands a larger proportion of the human capital and that this forces the higher education systems to redesign their strategies, education systems, policies and structures in order to compete effectively in the global economy and meet the demands of economic globalisation.

Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia memberi batasan, inovasi sebagai pemasukan atau pengenalan hal-hal yang baru, penemuan baru yang berbeda dari yang sudah ada atau yang sudah dikenal sebelumnya baik berupa gagasan, metode atau alat (KBBI, 1990 : 330). Dari pengertian ini tampak bahwa inovasi itu identik dengan sesuatu yang baru, baik berupa alat, gagasan maupun metode. Dari uraian di atas, maka inovasi pembelajaran dapat dimaknai sebagai suatu upaya baru dalam proses pembelajaran, dengan menggunakan berbagai metode, pendekatan, sarana dan suasana yang mendukung untuk tercapainya tujuan pembelajaran. Hasbullah, 2001 berpendapat bahwa " baru " dalam inovasi itu merupakan apa saja yang belum dipahami, diterima atau dilaksanakan oleh si penerima inovasi. Belajar Menggunakan Kekuatan Otak Di jaman modern seperti sekarang, pendidikan menjadi salah satu kebutuhan utama masyarakat. Banyak sekali hal yang berkaitan dengan pendidikan, dari hal sederhana sampai hal yang rumit sekalipun selalu berkaitan dengan pendidikan.

Peer discussion in the H801 - MAODE fora, as it was initiated and evolved around the prescribed assignment questions, concerned the nature of Distance Education and its present state and position within the wider field of education. In search of those attributes which could shape our present and future practice, we each:

- contributed our critical understanding of relevant theoretical and pragmatic considerations as they appear in our course material and other sources, and
- reflected on our individual and collective experiences related to learning, teaching and the general educational practice.

In our attempt to identify the existing trends in today's DE, we came to consider the concept and reality of openness and wider accessibility in education, the changing perception of 'distance' and the impact of new technology, new pedagogy and the new economy on educational theory and practice.

There has been little analysis of how neoliberal adjunctification and online education (OLE) are shaping a new academic division of labour in US colleges and universities. OLE rationalises academic labour by separating it from the delivery of educational content while transforming learning into the self-disciplined completion of sequential tasks (e.g. 'competency-based learning') under the panoptic surveillance of online course management systems (CMS). OLE is subtly shifting the very hidden curriculum of higher education to meet the needs of global capital for a more effectively disciplined labour force that can work contingently and remotely with little or no overt coercion. This analysis of the process by which OLE is rationalising academic labour draws upon the ideas of Foucault and Tronti to argue that OLE is a tool for producing a type of disciplined labour that breaks down the borders between productive and reproductive labour in order to colonise all life as work.

Distance learning is trying to imitate traditional learning through teleconferencing. Naturally, this results in significant lost of effectiveness, which is not too high even in real classroom without imitation. The article develops alternative approach that allows making distance learning more effective than traditional one through individualization of learning. Some ideas of P.Ya. Galperin's theory of the Step-by-Step Development of Mental Actions are elaborated with the aim to develop didactic technology of individualized distance learning. The applications of approach are demonstrated on several examples including history, algebra and foreign language.

Computer-Mediated Communication: Issues and Approaches in Education examines online interactions from different national, cultural, linguistic, legal, and economic perspectives, exploring how the increasingly international and intercultural Internet affects the ways users present ideas, exchange information, and conduct discussions online. Educators, researchers, and practitioners will discover ways to effectively use Web-based technologies, transcending barriers to participate and collaborate in international projects that reflect the scope and scale of today’s global interactions.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of online learning in distance educational delivery at Yellow Fields University (pseudonymous) in Sri Lanka. The implementation of online distance education at the University included the use of blended learning. The policy initiative to introduce online components to distance education in Sri Lanka was guided by the expectation of cost reduction and the implementation was financed under the Distance Education Modernization Project. This paper presents one case study of a larger multiple-case-study research project that employed an ethnographic research approach in investigating the impact of ICT on distance education in Sri Lanka. Documents, questionnaires and qualitative interviews were used for data collection. The lack of access to computers and the Internet, the lack of infrastructure, low levels of computer literacy, the lack of local language content, and the lack of formal student support services at the University w...

This project engaged students, practitioners, and educators from University of Labor and Social Affairs, Cau Giay District, Hanoi and Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, in a cross-cultural distance learning and teaching collaboration. Two groups met simultaneously through Skype videoconferencing to discuss and learn about field supervision and about social policy that supports women who experience family violence. This collaboration strongly demonstrates the usefulness of technology in bridging the learning divide and achieving meaningful cross-cultural educational exchanges from a distance.

L'objectif de cet article est de montrer à travers un exemple comment une formation à distance peut être réalisée en utilisant une méthode d'apprentissage par problèmes qui prend en considération, de façon implicite, les requis de qualité. L'exemple cité dans la seconde moitié de l'article repose sur un canevas théorique exposé dans la première partie, qui sert d'assises au développement de la réflexion pédagogique sur les méthodes de formation. Cet exemple montre comment une scénarisation programmée suivant des principes méthodiques précis permet l'évolution conceptuelle et l'acquisition des connaissances chez les apprenants tout en assurant dans une formation à distance les possibilités du travail de groupe.

El presente trabajo surge de la necesidad de atender a la diversidad en la educacion superior a distancia, donde, en los ultimos anos, se ha detectado un claro aumento del alumnado, viendose incrementada, a su vez, la ratio profesor-alumno. Ello dificulta el correcto desarrollo del proceso de ensenanza-aprendizaje, que tiene lugar en unas aulas virtuales con grupos cada vez mas numerosos y con caracteristicas y necesidades muy diferentes entre si. Partiendo de esta compleja realidad, las autoras del trabajo reflexionan sobre las actuaciones que en este sentido tienen lugar actualmente en la ensenanza a distancia y las posibles consecuencias academicas y personales que de ellas podrian derivarse. Desde este analisis proceden a identificar las demandas que ha de atender el profesorado universitario en las aulas virtuales para dar respuesta a las necesidades educativas y personales de cada estudiante, garantizando el exito en su aprendizaje. Por ultimo, y con el fin de ayudar a los doc...

El concepto de innovación ha estado presente en el ámbito educativo en cada una de las reformas planteadas a nivel internacional y nacional, por lo menos desde los años 60, posicionándose en las agendas políticas como parte importante en la constitución del proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje iterándose y/o evolucionando de forma continua; en este sentido, es fundamental realizar una revisión sobre la vinculación existente entre éste, la inclusión y las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), con el fin de comprender su implementación en los diferentes contextos histórico-sociales en donde se han desarrollado, así como la manera en la que éstos se han insertado y posicionado dentro de las políticas educativas. En México, en las últimas dos décadas, los objetivos y estrategias planteadas dentro de los programas sectoriales se han centrado en la resolución de cinco problemáticas recurrentes: la cobertura, la calidad, la atención a la equidad, la igualdad y la formación de profesores; dichos aspectos demandan la conformación de agendas públicas orientadas a la innovación, la inclusión y el uso de herramientas como las que ofrecen las TIC para mejorar los procesos formativos, produciendo cambios que impacten de forma significativa y positiva en la sociedad, la cultura y en la economía, constituyendo ciudadanos con competencias integrales que puedan hacerle frente a la sociedad del conocimiento. Con base en lo expuesto, el presente capítulo tiene por objetivo realizar un análisis de las políticas educativas planteadas en cuatro programas sectoriales de educación en México, (2001-2006, 2007-2012, 2013-2018 y 2019-2024), atendiendo como categorías centrales el desarrollo de 1) la innovación, 2) la inclusión y 3) las TIC, empleando la metodología comparativa para ubicar sus semejanzas y diferencias para encontrar tendencias, así como los procesos de convergencia y divergencia ubicados al interior de cada programa. Los resultados muestran que la inserción de estas categorías dentro de las políticas públicas parte de las propuestas expuestas desde los organismos internacionales, ajustando los objetivos, estrategias y líneas de acción a las necesidades propias del contexto sociohistórico en donde se implementan.

L'objectif de cet article est de montrer à travers un exemple comment une formation à distance peut être réalisée en utilisant une méthode d'apprentissage par problèmes qui prend en considération, de façon implicite, les requis de qualité. L'exemple cité dans la seconde moitié de l'article repose sur un canevas théorique exposé dans la première partie, qui sert d'assises au développement de la réflexion pédagogique sur les méthodes de formation. Cet exemple montre comment une scénarisation programmée suivant des principes méthodiques précis permet l'évolution conceptuelle et l'acquisition des connaissances chez les apprenants tout en assurant dans une formation à distance les possibilités du travail de groupe.

Through interview, Dr Carol Gordon, through interview, explores the work of Deborah Ehler-Hansen outlining both her theoretical evaluation of the needs of children in poverty and the ways school libraries can play a role in assisting their learning development. The article refers to a range of valuable further resources.

Abstract Evaluation and assessment strategy, procedures, best practices and support infra-structure for large scale distance learning courses are strongly related to the adopted learning process model and, typically, require ICT-based tools that effec-tively translate the overall teaching and evaluation process in a set of manageable and realizable actions and tasks executed by the participants involved in the learn-ing process. This paper introduces an overall evaluation process adopted in large scale distance learning courses and ...

Promoting a knowledge society through Information Technology (IT) to the development of Distance Education or open distance learning is beginning to emerge fast over the last decade. Thus, this paper discusses the extent to which IT is relevant to the development of Distance Education for teachers in Nigeria. Literature were reviewed regarding the concepts of Distance Education as a means of enhancing teachers’ performance, emergence and transformation of Open-Distance Education, the goals of Distance Education, IT and Distance Education, integration and promotion of IT for teachers. Similarly, adoption of IT in teacher education programme and their problems in Nigeria were also discussed. Relevance of IT to the development of Distance Education for teachers in Nigeria was also discussed which is the key assertion to this paper. Based on the discussion, the paper suggested that teachers should enroll for computer training programmes so as to meet with modern trends in education. All stakeholders in education should accept the reality of the need to adopt IT by integrating it into teacher education programmes, effort should be geared towards making IT products through local sources, remuneration review should be given top priority to enhance teachers’ performance, adequate financial backing should be provided for the management of Teachers’ Colleges and Universities. Similarly, curriculum of teacher education programme should also be reviewed to include computer training and practice to the development of Distance Education for teachers in Nigeria.

ABSTRACT What problems were addressed? Every year, India witnesses 56 000 maternal deaths and 1.83 million deaths in children aged under 5 years, most of which are caused by infections, and struggles with supporting 64 million people with diabetes. Large numbers of well-trained, multi-competent family physicians are needed to address this dual burden of disease in India. However, training opportunities are limited and there is no mandated system of revalidation for the 250 000 private practitioners and 30 000 government doctors who function as primary care physicians to the country’s 1.2 billion strong population. There have been very few takers for residential courses in family medicine offered since 1990. The government struggles to release the already lean health workforce for 3 years of training. A 2-year postgraduate diploma in family medicine1 was started as a blended learning programme (distance learning and hands-on components) in 2006 by the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India to increase the skills of generalist doctors right in their workplaces. It was focused on doctors serving in rural settings and in the northern states, which have poor health indices. High enrolments for this course from India and abroad prompted the authors to look at the demographic profile of applicants for this course over 6 years and to use the information as an advocacy tool to inform relevant stakeholders about this approach to addressing the huge training need. What was tried? Existing data (for 2006–2012) on candidates applying for entry to the course were analysed. A dissemination booklet was printed and the information shared with all relevant stakeholders, namely: (i) institutional, national and international faculty staff; (ii) institutional, university and government authorities, and (iii) international partners. What lessons were learned? A total of 1314 doctors applied to enter the course. Of these, 45% were female, 42% were aged 31–40 years and 46% were government doctors (indicating the reach of the course in strengthening public health systems). A total of 90% of applicant doctors were in active practice, 73% had no postgraduate degree and 40% had not engaged in educational pursuits for at least 10 years. Overall, 60% were from the south Indian states, 14% were non-resident Indians from the Middle East, and 4% were of other nationalities, predominantly African. Reasons for application were described as the wish to update knowledge and improve practical skills by 64% of applicants. A total of 77% of applicants indicated that they had applied because they could undertake the course without leaving their workplaces. Disseminating this information has resulted in: (i) better understanding of the students by the teaching faculty who have tailored their teaching accordingly; (ii) policy changes on the part of the institution, for example, increased focus on selecting applicants from the northern states, establishing more northern regional centres and initiating scholarships for students from rural and northern areas; (iii) increased awareness of the need for and commitment to promote family medicine among university and government officials, and (iv) a collaboration with the University of Edinburgh to start an online Masters degree programme in family medicine in India and Africa. Thus, demographic profiling has proven to be an effective advocacy tool to influence relevant stakeholders to promote the much-needed specialty of family medicine in India.

Com este artigo pretende-se apresentar uma revisão de literatura sobre o processo de construção de conhecimento em comunidades virtuais, tendo por base a teoria do construtivismo comunal. De acordo com o modelo de Gunawardena's et al.[1], pretende-se analisar a experiência dos autores deste artigo, num Programa Doutoral, em que as ferramentas da Web 2.0 foram utilizadas para o desenvolvimento do trabalho de diferentes disciplinas.

This paper reports on an Australian-government-funded project, Making the Connection, which facilitates participation in digital higher education in prisons with a view to reducing recidivism. Participation in education can help those incarcerated to develop critical thinking skills, digital literacies and the capacity for self-reflection. In addition, it promotes the prospects for employment on release and promotes positive connection to community and families. This helps reduce the risk of reoffending, by equipping people with the cognitive tools to engage constructively with families, communities and an increasingly digital society. Most correctional jurisdictions prohibit the use of the internet by prisoners, yet most universities are increasingly reliant on the online provision of programs. This often results in the further marginalisation of those who are already marginalised, including prisoners. The Making the Connection project is developing an internet-independent version ...

Com este artigo pretende-se apresentar uma revisão de literatura sobre o processo de construção de conhecimento em comunidades virtuais, tendo por base a teoria do construtivismo comunal. De acordo com o modelo de Gunawardena's et al.[1], pretende-se analisar a experiência dos autores deste artigo, num Programa Doutoral, em que as ferramentas da Web 2.0 foram utilizadas para o desenvolvimento do trabalho de diferentes disciplinas. A abordagem em que o Programa Doutoral foi desenvolvido permitiu:(i) ...

As the world becomes more transnational, with resources and people moving across nation boundaries, there is a need to engage learners in collaborative activities that empower learners with technical skills and diverse cultural perspectives. We advocate extending constructivist educational approaches to transnational setting using rapidly emerging communications, e-communities systems, collaboration and translation technologies. Students work in international teams on topics such as immigration, world health and global warming. Activities are scaffolded beginning with relatively simple team-oriented tasks and culminating in original multimedia projects (wikis, web sites, powerpoint decks) that are posted on public internet sites. An affordable open-source framework is essential in helping students with diverse opportunities to engage in transnational learning. The authors note that language barriers pose a significant challenges facing collaborative transnational education. Universi...