ECDL Hellas

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ECDL Hellas Dr. Ioannis Markassiotis Training
Manager
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Distance Learning

• What is distance learning?
• What does distance learning look like?
• Can effective learning occur within distance
  learning environments?

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Distance Learning- Definition

• Structured learning that takes place
• With or Without
• the physical presence of the instructor

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What is distance learning?

• Distance education takes place when teacher and
  student(s) are separated by physical distance,
  and technology (i.e, voice, video, data, and
  print), often in concert with face-to-face
  communications, is used to bridge the
  instructional gap.
• Any time, any place, self-directed learning at a
  distance!

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Distance Learning

• Training Models

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Benefits to the Customer

• Distance Learning works when customers
• Dont have the time to sit in ILT
• Want a combination of self study and instructor
  led training
• Want a more effective way to learn than
  traditional eLearning
• Want hands on experience
• Want the highest quality content and instruction
  available for online learning

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Active Learning

• If you tell me, I will listen
• If you show me, I will see
• If you let me experience, I will learn.
• Lao Tzu (6th Century BC)

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Distance Learning - Outline

• Need
• Definitions
• History
• Delivery models
• Opportunities
• Barriers
• Internet and the World-Wide-Web
• Economic and social issues
• Case Studies

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Distance Learning The need

• Any time, any place
• Convenience
• Asynchronous access
• Remote locations

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Distance Learning - Definitions 1

• Distance learning -- student and teacher
  separated in place and/or time
• Asynchronous learning -- educational material may
  be accessed at the students convenience
• Distance education -- the delivery of a complete
  course or program at distance
• Multimedia courseware -- course material
  containing a variety of media types, e.g., text,
  audio, graphics, video, animation

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Distance Learning - Definitions 2

• Distance learner -- the student receiving
  educational material at distance
• Distance teacher -- the person primarily
  responsible for developing and delivering the
  educational material
• Mentor -- a person responsible for assisting the
  distance learner
• Competency-based education -- assessment of
  knowledge learned versus the accumulation of
  credits

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Distance Learning - Definitions 3

• Content provider -- the institution that owns
  the course
• Course broker -- the institution that offers
  the course
• Educational infrastructure provider -- the
  institution that provides the services to develop
  and/or delivery courses at distance

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Distance LearningHistorical perspective

• Correspondence courses (1940s to present)
• Remote classroom facilities (1960s to present)
• Closed-circuit television networks (1960s to
  present)
• Video tape delivery (1980s to present)
• Satellite television (1980s to present)
• Video conferencing (1990s)
• Internet delivery (1990s)

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Distance Learning The Providers

• Traditional universities
• Not for profit institutions, e.g.
• National Technological University (NTU)
• Western Governors University (WGU)
• Open University
• For profit institutions, e.g.
• University of Phoenix
• Open University
• .

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Distance LearningTypes of programs

• Continuing education
• Specialized training courses
• Graduate courses and programs
• Undergraduate courses

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Distance Learning The Five Dimensions

• Consider how a traditional face-to-face
  instructional process could be facilitated in the
  same synchronous manner using the Internet
• Five dimensions of the model can be identified
  as
• Role (teacher, student),
• Participant (individual, group)
• Venue (specific, any)
• Interaction (one-way, two-way)
• Delivery (playback, live)

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Distance LearningSynchronous

• Synchronous - Within synchronous learning
  learning and teaching takes place in real time
  (same time) while the trainer and learners are
  physically separated from each other (place
  shift).
• Examples include
• listening to a live radio broadcast
• watching live a television broadcast
• audio/video conferencing
• Internet telephony
• online lectures
• two-way live satellite broadcast

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Distance LearningSynchronous

• A real-time, instructor-led online learning event
  in which all participants are logged on at the
  same time and communicate directly with each
  other. In this virtual classroom setting, the
  instructor maintains control of the class, with
  the ability to "call on" participants.

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Distance LearningSynchronous

• Advantages
• Live interactionspontaneity, immediate
  reinforcement
• Shorter completion time
• High completion ratesoptimizes pacing
• Disadvantages
• Schedule may be inconvenient
• Requires a dedicated facility

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Distance LearningDelivery Models

• Asynchronous - Within asynchronous learning
  learning and teaching takes place with time delay
  (time shift) and while the trainer and learner
  are physically separated from each other (place
  shift).
• Examples include
• self paced courses taken via Internet or CD-Rom
• videotaped classes
• stored audio/video Web presentations or seminars
  recorded audio tapes
• Q A mentoring
• reading e-mail messages

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Distance LearningAsynchronous

• Participants take asynchronous courses whenever
  it is convenient for them. The interaction
  between instructors and participants occurs
  intermittently with a time delay.

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Title
Distance Learning - Asynchronous

• Characteristic for asynchronous learning is the
  fact that that the trainer prepares the
  courseware material before the course takes
  place. The learner is free to decide when he
  wants to study the courseware.
• Advantages
• Self-paced
• Anytime, anywhere
• Disadvantages
• No live interaction
• Longer completion times

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Distance Learning
Examples of asynchronous and synchronous learning
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Distance LearningA Common Theme

• Interaction
• Communication

So, by definition, e-learning is not meant to be
a solitary activity
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Blended Learning

• There are two types of blended learning, which
  includes
• E-Learning and Classroom Training
• Synchronous and Asynchronous E-Learning

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Blended Learning
What is blended learning?
a solution that combines several different
delivery methods, such as collaboration software,
Web-based courses
learning that mixes various event-based
activities, including face-to-face classrooms,
live e-learning and self-paced learning.
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Distance LearningOpportunities

• Increase access to education around the world
• Improve the quality of learning
• Expand the educational marketplace
• Partnerships

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Distance LearningInternet and WWW

• One-third of all college courses make use of
  E-mail
• One-quarter draw on resources of the internet
• One-eighth make use of multimedia applications

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Distance LearningBarriers - 1

• Costs
• Development
• Delivery
• Higher education funding models
• Faculty and staff training
• Existing policies and regulations
• Security
• Intellectual property issues
• Access to resources
• Library
• Computers

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Distance LearningBarriers - 2

• Quality control
• Market forces
• Accreditation
• Student assessment
• Delivery of examinations
• Assignments
• Projects
• Pedagogy
• Need for open, non proprietary standards

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Distance LearningSocial Issues

• Absence of peer groups
• Student support services
• Absence of campus life

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Reasons for Distance Learning

• Provide access to those for whom conventional
  classes are difficult or impossible
• Accommodate different learning styles
• Make learning more accessible
• Educate more people

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Who benefits from Distance Learning

• People with old computers and limited band width
  connections (i.e., those who are poor or live in
  rural areas)
• Text and markup rather than bitmap images of text
  (to increase download speed)

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Accessible Distance Learning Tips

• Ensure accessible interaction among students and
  instructor
• CAUTION Real-time chat presents problems for
  people who compose their thoughts slowly or use
  slow input methods, and not all chats are
  accessible by screen readers. Chat sessions may
  be optional, or you may provide alternative,
  equivalent assignments.

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Accessible Distance Learning Tips

• Ensure accessible interaction among students and
  instructor
• Chat products that offer both text and voice
  options, such as MSN Messenger or Simple
  Softwares Chatterbox (combined text and voice),
  are considered accessible and are well supported
  by assistive technologies.

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How People Learn
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Why online teaching

• Attractive to younger generation
• Means of communication
• Attractive to nontraditional and international
  students
• Economically profitable

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Strengths of Online Learning

• Any place, any time, anybody
• Dynamic interaction among the participants
• High quality dialogue
• Student centered
• Access to resources
• Creative teaching

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Weaknesses of Online Learning

• Computer literacy
• Accessibility to computers and internet
• Student must be independent
• Lack online teaching abilities

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Successful online students

• Are highly motivated
• Are independent
• Are active learners
• Possess good organizational and time management
  skills
• Have discipline to study without external
  reminders and
• Can adapt to new learning environments

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What students expect from the teacher /
facilitator

• The students should expect that the facilitator
  would create a learning environment that utilizes
  life, work, and educational experiences as key
  elements in the learning process in order to make
  it meaningful.
• The facilitator should be able to present the
  curriculum in a manner that allows the student to
  easily translate theories into applications.
• The students should be given the proper tools to
  transcribe theory into practice.
• Every student should be given every opportunity
  to improve until the learning experience comes to
  an end.

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What students expect from the teacher /
facilitator

• Reasonable accommodations for the students' needs
  and desires should be made.
• The facilitator should solicit feedback from the
  students and listen throughout the entire
  process.
• The facilitator should be concerned about the
  students' success.
• The facilitator should keep students aware of
  where they stand with respect to the course
  evaluation process on a regular basis (i.e.
  weekly updates of what has been turned in and
  what is missing).

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What students expect from the teacher /
facilitator

• The facilitator should give the student timely
  and quality feedback on student contributions to
  discussion, homework, and quizzes.
• The student should expect little or no lecturing.
  Lecturing yields marginal results in the online
  environment.
• The student should not be subjected to tests
  requiring memorization. Case analysis would be
  more appropriate.
• The student should be treated politely and with
  respect.
• The facilitator should be online everyday (at a
  minimum 5 of 7 days).

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The main components of an online course

• Syllabus
• Course outline
• Objectives
• Resources
• Requirements and grading
• Submitting assignments

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The main components of an online course

• Schedule (calendar)
• Units /lectures
• Forum (message/discussion board)
• Group work
• Drop box
• Tests/quizzes
• Grade book

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Instructional strategies

• Group Work
• Discussion
• Project
• Lecture
• Collaborative Learning
• Self-Directed Learning
• Case Study
• Forum

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Distance Learning
Discussion
On what topics would you like to have e-learning
courses developed? For each topic, lets discuss
some ways you can make it engaging.
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Distance Learning
Thank you for participating in todays discussion.
QUESTIONS