This presentation focuses on the practical aspects of implementing and teaching a distance education course, with the opportunity to view and critique an actual class in session. The presenter will demonstrate from two years of experience that a well-designed online course acknowledges that students are active constructors of knowledge, not passive recipients, because they are encouraged to seek new information and to discuss difficult issues with their peers online. The course was presented to fifteen different locations using three different technologies. By using an communication-based model, educators can better understand their changing environment and adapt more effectively to changing technology. As a schema to visualize some phenomenon, a theoretical model identifies the elements, the linkages that connect the elements, and the principles that underlie the elements and linkages within a system.
Education is transactional in multiple dimensions.
In recent years there has been increased attention to learning vs. teaching, bringing about a shift in the focus of pedagogical research-from teacher performance to learner response. Understanding learner response has stimulated a number of studies on learner needs, motivation, and skills. Taking the point of view of the learner, this study examines the perceived effectiveness of learning tools within five key dimensions of higher learning. With special emphasis on cases and their variant, the case scenario, this study attempts to identify the role of cases and case scenarios in helping learners. For the purpose of this study, a case study is operationalised as 3 or more pages read prior to class while a case scenario is less than 3 pages read during class meeting.