Educational Technology: Searching for the Value Added
Authors: Lynda Ginsburg
Published in: Adult Learning (1999-06-01)

At the end of the twentieth century, those of us in the education world have been exploring the potential of technology. One important aspect of this is the growth of educational opportunities available to those who might not be able to otherwise partake, due to inconvenient location and time, or competing demands of job and family Similarly, we have expected that technology might have a positive impact on the educational process itself whether through customized tutoring systems that respond to the learner's needs, or through enhanced and enriched instructional activities that promote higher quality leads Periodically, it is useful to stand back and reflect on if and how we are moving achieving these goals. Certainly, if we consider simple access to information as a basis for informal, self-directed, and self-managed learning, then we have been very successful. Computer technology and the commitment of individuals and organizations to make information available electronically have made it possible for people to have libraries at their fingertips and to find answers to their questions, explore new ideas, or inform their decision-making, with only a click of a mouse. Indeed, one need only find an Internet connection at an increasing number of locations such as local libraries, community centers, or other public access points to drive onto the information highway. Many people, however, need or desire participation in more traditional, structured educational formats such as credit or non-credit higher education courses, workplace distance education has been a reality for many decades. I remember that in the late 1950's my father: who worked and had a family, took distance education (then called courses) because they allowed for flexible learning time. He received his course materials, read and studied the instructional materials, completed and submitted his assignments and any questions he had, received individualized feedback from an instructor on his work and questions, took exams and received grades (He impressed us with all A's). All this was managed through the mail. Later, distance education also included multimedia components in the form of video-tapes of lectures that could be viewed, and re-viewed, at convenient times at home. In some cases technology adds little to correspondence courses other than a faster turnaround time (assuming that instructors respond quickly to learners' questions and provide meaningful feedback in a timely manner). Some electronics have opportunities for learners to enter their short answer or multiple choice responses to assigned questions, and received immediate pre-programmed feedback and provide alternative branching paths to meet individual needs (hints of programmed learning texts). Yet, technology can radically change the nature of traditional distance education with its potential for enhancing communication, community collaboration. Traditional distance education was a solitary endeavor; each learner worked alone and drew upon course materials and limited communications with the instructor as the sources of information, ideas, and feedback. With videoconferencing capabilities, synchronous and asynchronous communication, and shared workspaces (such as whiteboards), learners can work on projects together, learn from each other, and feel they are part of a learning community. These functions may reduce the dropout rates for distance education by reducing feelings of isolation, frustration, or boredom. The learning experience can be richer through the synergy produced by a group of people with a similar goal. In short, technology can help make distance education more like traditional education where learners have opportunities to learn from other students informally, and in study groups, as well as from their instructors. The challenge in designing distance education is to build in the need and opportunity for learners to communicate, collaborate, and build a community with fellow learners. …