ICT in Education

All about: Technologies of Online Learning (McGreal, J. & McNamara, S. 2003)

April 19, 2007

McGreal, R. & Elliott, M. (2004). Technologies of Online Learning
(E-Learning) In T. Anderson 
& F. Elloumi (Eds.). Theory and practice of online learning. (pp115-135). Athabasca University.

After my last effort which clocked in at a fairly ridiculous 4000 words, I’ve decided to take a more sane approach and really just try to focus on the heart of these articles.

This article on possible uses of current technology was written in mid-2003 and while many aspects of it are still quite pertinent, some already seem a little quaint. There is a large focus on what might be done, less so on what is being done and it takes a slightly tech-evangelical bent at times – but it’s nice to see enthusiasm.

In short:

• Edutainment is the meshing of education with entertainment
• Audio and video files are large and accessibility issues should be considered
• Streaming’s advantage is that files begin to play while they are still being downloaded
• As chunk 1 of a file is playing, chunk 2 is being downloaded. When chunk 2 plays, chunk 1 is deleted and chunk 3 is downloaded (Funnily enough, I didn’t actually realise that chunks were deleted)
• Uses of audio – lectures, guest speakers, student projects, classroom interaction, audio files, music performances, readings of language pieces,
• Uses of video – lectures, demonstrations of how to do things, adding motivation/interest to content
• Push technology creates channels to put created content on desktops (This has been and gone and surpassed by pull technology such as RSS)
• Educators should be watchful that push technology is used in schools for educational, not commercial purposes in schools
• VOIP – it works and is cheap and good for distance learning and accessibility
• Uses of VOIP – supplement to classroom based e-mail pen pal programmes, good for language, cultural exchange
• Web Whiteboard tools – useful for collaboration, graphical display and brainstorming
• Instant messaging – useful for immediate communication between teachers and students
• Handheld/Wireless/Mobile technology – it’s coming and will be bigger than Ben Hur (It’s here, some uses but we’re still waiting for the oohh-ahhh moment I think)
• Uses of mobile learning – accessibility
• Peer to peer file sharing – good for exchanging files (well duh) and setting up repositories of learning objects
• Knowledge objects – discrete items which might be image, text, video, audio etc
• Learning objects – Knowledge objects with a lesson attached to them.
• Usefulness of learning/knowledge objects – breaking learning into digestible chunks.

Looks like they missed the whole Web 2.0 boat, as well as Learning Management Systems, Personal Learning Environments and a few other things.

Not a bad article for an overview of some things but definitely a reminder of how quickly things are changing.

Entry Filed under: 911, audio, computer mediated communication, e-learning, eLearning, multimedia, resources, video. .