Delivering Learning On The Net: The Why, What And How Of Online Education (open And Flexible Learning Series)

Educators cannot ignore the net or its implications for their course or institution, but where to begin? Good Web-based education is complex, and does not occur in a vacuum. The educational, administrative and organizational aspects all need to be understood -- in addition to a sound understanding and vision of the requirements of online technologies. Simple, straightforward and direct, this book will guide readers through each of these issues. This is not a book for those fixated by technology. Instead, it will show any educator, teacher, or indeed trainer, how to understand and develop effective online courses. It avoids reducing the issues of good Web-based education to a simplistic cookbook approach: this is not possible for anything other than the most basic material. Rather, it clearly and authoritatively develops an understanding of the basic principles, and essential components of good online education. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 2 Copyright......Page 3 Contents......Page 4 Foreword......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Dedication......Page 12 Who this book is for......Page 13 The approach of the book......Page 15 You, your computer and the Net......Page 17 Educational technology: promise unfulfilled......Page 19 Broadcast media and CD ROM......Page 20 1 Social acceptance......Page 22 2 Educator proximity......Page 23 3 Generic interface......Page 24 4 Interactivity and personalization......Page 25 5 Sustaining and disruptive technology......Page 26 2 Do not adopt it in isolation......Page 28 4 Make the Net central to the course......Page 29 Summary......Page 30 Introduction......Page 31 The Internet will mean the commercialization of education......Page 32 The Internet will mean the globalization of education......Page 35 The Internet will mean the death of the campus university......Page 37 The Internet will mean declining standards in education......Page 40 The Internet is good for training but not for education......Page 42 2 Be adaptable in courses and approach......Page 43 3 Make a virtue of what you can offer......Page 44 Conclusion......Page 45 Summary......Page 47 Deconstruction......Page 48 Affiliation and cooperation......Page 50 Intermediaries......Page 52 Richness and reach......Page 54 Clicks and mortar......Page 56 Boom and bust......Page 57 1 Add both richness and reach......Page 58 4 Use the Net to develop a network of partners and contacts......Page 59 Conclusion......Page 60 Summary......Page 61 Educator enthusiasm......Page 62 The medium is the message......Page 66 Pedagogic suitability......Page 67 Institutional benefit......Page 68 As a delivery mechanism for CAL......Page 70 1 Start with the enthusiasts......Page 72 2 Implement a staff development framework......Page 73 Conclusion......Page 74 Summary......Page 75 Constructivism......Page 76 Resource based learning......Page 79 Collaborative learning......Page 80 Problem based learning......Page 83 Narrative based teaching......Page 85 Situated learning......Page 87 Lessons for implementation......Page 88 3 Be prepared to take a different role......Page 89 Conclusion......Page 90 Summary......Page 91 Differences from face to face communication......Page 92 Synchronous communication......Page 95 Types of computer conference......Page 97 Teaching via CMC......Page 101 1 Devise a structure that meets the needs of the course and students......Page 104 2 Take advantage of the possibilities asynchronous communication offers......Page 105 4 Develop a moderating style and guidelines......Page 106 Summary......Page 107 Team working......Page 109 Using the technology......Page 111 Elsewhere in the organization......Page 114 Using the technology within the organization......Page 116 Workload......Page 119 Information overload......Page 120 Stress......Page 121 Technology churn......Page 122 Intrusion......Page 123 Social life......Page 124 2 Develop coping mechanisms......Page 125 Summary......Page 126 Assessing group work......Page 128 Exams and projects......Page 129 Automatic assessment......Page 130 The Web as resource......Page 132 New student roles......Page 133 Web sites......Page 134 Plagiarism......Page 135 Award board issues......Page 136 Assignment submission routes......Page 137 Graceful degradation......Page 138 1 Rethink assessment methods and procedures......Page 139 2 Strike a balance......Page 140 Summary......Page 141 Introduction......Page 142 Text and images......Page 143 Video and audio......Page 145 Computer assisted learning (CAL)......Page 147 Virtual worlds......Page 148 Intelligent agents......Page 149 Data mining......Page 150 XML......Page 151 Web based course delivery systems......Page 152 2 Make the technology cost-effective......Page 154 Conclusion......Page 155 Summary......Page 156 Introduction......Page 157 A framework for classifying online courses......Page 158 Categorizing online courses......Page 159 Low technology-didactic......Page 160 Technology rich-constructivist......Page 161 High technology-didactic......Page 162 Low technology-didactic......Page 163 High technology-constructivist......Page 164 A case study......Page 165 Technology......Page 166 Pedagogy......Page 167 Issues of scale......Page 168 2 Determine the presentation and production costs and allocate resources accordingly......Page 171 Conclusion......Page 172 Summary......Page 173 Video and cinema......Page 174 Intellectual property......Page 176 Broadband......Page 179 Success of e-commerce......Page 180 Learning technology standards......Page 181 The course of the future......Page 183 Conclusion......Page 184 Summary......Page 185 References......Page 186 Index......Page 191 Open and Distance Learning Series......Page 193 As online education becomes more familiar, so the reality of using it in teaching and learning has moved beyond the realm of the specialist. Pedagogy and best practice -- and indeed conversations along the lines of 'does anyone know how to...' -- are no longer confined to dedicated journals or conferences.Delivering Learning on the Net explores the reality of online education today. Accessible and stimulating, it will make a real impact on the way educators use and approach Net based learning. It presents a detailed global picture of issues, values and experiences, and shows how to approach developing and using the Net for learning.Martin Weller chaired the groundbreaking Open University course 'You, Your Computer and the Net', which is now the largest forcredit online course in Europe. Based on this and his experiences elsewhere, the book is a comprehensive resource grounded in practical reality as well as in research.Teachers, trainers, technologists, administrators and decisionmakers working in higher and further education will all find much of value in this book.

As online education becomes more familiar, so the reality of using it in teaching and learning has moved beyond the realm of the specialist. Pedagogy and best practice Delivering Learning on the Net explores the reality of online education today. Martin Weller chaired the groundbreaking Open University course You, Your computer and the Net, which is now the largest for-credit online course in Europe. Based on this and his experiences elsewhere, the book is a comprehensive resource grounded in practical reality as well as in research. Key issues covered include:
*the Net and its relation to education;
*developing and implementing online courses;
*the key issues surrounding online education.
Teachers, trainers, technologists, administrators and decision-makers working in higher and further education will all find much of value in this book.

As online education becomes more familiar, so the reality of using it in teaching and learning has moved beyond the realm of the specialist. Pedagogy and best practice Delivering Learning on the Net explores the reality of online education today. Martin Weller chaired the groundbreaking Open University course You, Your computer and the Net, which is now the largest for-credit online course in Europe. Based on this and his experiences elsewhere, the book is a comprehensive resource grounded in practical reality as well as in research. Key issues covered *the Net and its relation to education; *developing and implementing online courses; *the key issues surrounding online education. Teachers, trainers, technologists, administrators and decision-makers working in higher and further education will all find much of value in this book. As online education becomes more familiar, so the reality of using it in teaching and learning has moved beyond the realm of the specialist. Pedagogy and best practice Delivering Learning on the Net explores the reality of online education today. Accessible and stimulating, it will make a real impact on the way educators use and approach Net-based learning. It presents a detailed global picture of issues, values and experiences, and shows how to approach developing and using the Net for learning. Martin Weller chaired the groundbreaking Open University course You, Your computer and the Net, whi