Subject/Topic
Part
II - The Internet and Teaching: A Brief History
Ashes on the Wall
Electrons
The Companion
More Spy Stuff
Time Table
Part III - Trends
in Teaching via Telecommunications
Audio Methods
Television
Computer
Methods
Internet
Video Conferencing
Communication
Electronic Communication Devices
Bringing Learners Together
Societal Challenges
Part
IV - Teaching via Telecommunications in Primary (K-12) Education
On Line Tools
Internet in the Classroom
Virtual Reality Learning
Part
V - Teaching via Telecommunications in Adult Education
Discourse
Post Secondary Credit Courses
Post Secondary Degrees
Post Secondary Non-Credit Courses
Corporate Employee
Training / Professional Development
Opportunities Abound
Part VI - Future
Trends in Telecommunications
Changing Times
Technological Forces
Demographic Forces
Economic Forces
Political Forces
Future Thoughts
We are what we know. This knowledge forms the path people take with
their lives and how they feel about themselves as individuals. The information
that society as a whole accumulates is only as relevant as the mechanism
used to communicate that knowledge from person to person. Teaching is the
catalyst used by the educational system to spark that important transfer.
The newest chapter in the process of teaching is with the use of telecommunications.
This paper will explore the concept of teaching via telecommunications,
through identifying past events which led to its use, discussing current
trends and applications with specific populations, and hypothesizing how
its use will shape the future of education.
Archeologists, historians,
and paleontologists have been working for years to determine when humans
originated on the face of the earth. As in all research, scientists must
define their terms, and one of the most difficult definitions to develop
is what exactly is a human? Researchers have placed humans as far back
as 36,000 years, and they point to the remains of campfires, burial sites,
jewelry, tools, and paintings. The purpose of most of the physical evidence
found is obvious; fires were used to keep warm and cooking, and tools made
the cleaning of animals easier. Other remains are more difficult to ascribe
purposes, such as jewelry and burial sites. Scientists argue these represent
a transcendental point in the human mind when people began thinking about
creating beauty with jewelry rather than simply watching nature, while
burial sites were the initial thoughts of an afterlife. However, the paintings
that remain are some of the most inspiring artifacts due to the possibilities
of their meaning.
The original cave art that
is exists often portray landscapes and animals, and even what some believe
to be alien beings. But what led the early humans to paint an object on
a wall is fascinating and apparently the beginning of a form of communication
separate from whatever types of speech they used. Who they were communicating
with is also a mystery; were they pleasing themselves, their family and
friends, others who may come along shortly after them, or communicating
something to us? They may have been instructing others on where to find
game or what to pray to or they may have possibly even been
testing others in order for them to leave more messages.
As humans evolved through
history, various forms of communication were used: drums, smoke, along
with oral stories that had to be remembered word for word. When written
language was developed, communication became clearer, more exacting
a little more permanent. We even have found a translation device
in the Rosetta Stone to decipher several languages. What all of these forms
of communications had in common, whether it was a painting of a deer on
a wall, hieroglyphics, or the Guttenberg Bible, were that thoughts, using
symbols or sets symbols, were transferred from one person to another.
The first major leap after
the Guttenberg printing press came in the form of electronic pulses known
as the Morse Code. A patent in 1836 by Cooke and Wheatstone was developed
whereby two "telegraph keys," one on each end of a wire, could be used
to transmit a code so that two people, separated by a considerable distance,
could communicate a clear and concise message instantaneously. Only twenty-two
years later, starting in 1858, a trans-Atlantic telegraph cable was laid
so that virtually instantaneous communications could operate from the United
States to England. The cable failed after only a few days, and was replaced
by a better cable in 1866.
Another great development
occurred when the husband of a wealthy young hearing-impaired
lady, Mabel Bell, wanted to enable her to hear. While developing
a prototype of today's hearing aid, Alexander Bell discovered the technology
for the telephone in 1876. Whether he knew that one of the world's great
universities was being created in far off Texas at that point is unknown,
however, he did develop a communications system based on the human voice
rather than a code. Through his work with telephones, Alexander Bell also
created the original networks that formed the early telephone companies.
The next ninety years brought extraordinary advances in telephone quality,
voice recording devices, film, television, and computers.
For those of us old enough
to remember sitting in our yards at night in 1957, the sight of a small
light the size of a star, passing from west to east, was exhilarating,
astounding, and terrifying. The Soviets who had made it very clear that
they would have no trouble blowing up half the world to keep Communism
alive and well, had placed an object into orbit symbolizing their ability
to own the skies above the earth. We in the United States, also willing
to blow up half the earth to keep from becoming Communists, looked at this
object as our inability to keep with up with the Soviets. The object was
Sputnik, Russian for companion or satellite, a metal
ball with a simple radio transmitter capable of sending a simple electronic
beeping to let everyone know they were in space. Sputnik taught us that
we had a long way to go.
Only a few months later,
the Americans were able to launch a satellite, with the electronics designed
by an English scientist, Arthur C. Clark. Within a few years, humans had
learned how to place more advanced satellites into space in geosynchranous
orbits (where the satellite appears to be staying in one place above a
certain point on the ground). With this technology, real time "live" television
signals between the United States and Europe were broadcast. Distance learning,
with remote television sites, was born!
In 1961, Leonard Kleinrock
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) wrote "Information Flow
in Large Communication Nets." This paper was the first issued on a new
theory of "packet-switching," and was followed in 1962 with "On Distributed
Communications Networks" by Paul Baran of the Rand Corporation with a preliminary
description of packet-switching networks." The basic idea behind packet-switching
is that data is encoded and split into a number of packets that can be
delivered along several routes. These messages were hard to intercept and
the loss of network could be dealt with by switching to another network
almost immediately.
This technology was taken
by the military so that extremely sensitive information, that is information
we did not want to share with the Soviets, could be kept secret. This technology
was developed so that in case of a nuclear war, information could continue
being sent, even if major communications networks were cut
off. For more information concerning "more spy stuff," try these sites:
Central Intelligence Agency at http://www.odci.gov/cia/ciahome.html
National Security Agency at
http://www.nsa.gov:8080:8080/
In 1969, the Advanced Research
Projects Agency (ARPA) was created by the Department of Defense. The purpose
of ARPA was to develop a network of research institutes, which included
the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Stanford, University
of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the University of Utah. The
first operations of the ARPA network, or ARPANET, began with a Honeywell
516 Computer with 12K of memory.
In 1971, Ray Tomlinson of
the ARPANET created a method of sending personal messages electronically
between the sites, and it was referred to as electronic mail (e-mail).
In 1977, the number of subscribers to e-mail hit 100.
The technology of Internet
communications began to snowball as potential users devised methods to
access the system, and at the same time, the technology raced to stay ahead
of the users. The following is an example of the speed at which the Internet
developed:
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Throughout history, as each new technological discovery or development became accessible to the populace, the educational opportunities available through their applications took a new and exciting turn. Present day teaching skills are built upon the innovations of the past. This learned knowledge will continue to play a part in the evolution of teaching in today’s technical world.
The trends in teaching
in today’s telecommunication world are as vast as the concept of teaching
itself. This portion of the chapter will not try to explain every method,
as it would not do this project justice. As such, the major methods of
delivering instructional material in today’s telecommunication classrooms
will be discussed. The major trends of teaching via the telecommunications
consist of audio, video, computer methods, and other electronic methods.
Learning through audio methods
learning is the oldest form delivering learning via the telecommunications
approach. As the oldest form, it is the least utilized due to what many
feel to be the lack of video content, as well as a less user-friendly system
and a decrease in readily available data. Audio methods allow educators
to deliver basic information to provide basic information or augment other
forms of instructional delivery. This form of learning is generally utilized
for follow up "meetings" when the instruction has been delivered in another
manner. It is also a very capable back up system when other forms of telecommunications
fail.
Television and videotapes
followed the telephone as the next generation of telecommunications learning
delivery. It has been and continues to be an effective form of one way
or half duplex dyad delivery of instructional material (Tiffin & Rajasingham
28). The television has been used for individual and group learning for
decades beginning in the 1950's (Tiffin & Rajasingham 5). The greatest
challenge facing this method of instructional delivery is the lack of interaction,
which also plagues the audio delivery method. However, in defense of this
method of delivery, it’s major objective is to deliver structured material
of varied subject matter, from fly-fishing to using a cellular phones to
basic economics, or in more recent times to augment other forms of instructional
delivery. As such, this form of delivering instruction via telecommunications
has found its niche and will continue to be a basic educational device
as an adjunctive form of instructional learning.
The computer came along next
as a method for delivering instructional materials and become a gateway
of sorts for the dyadic form of learning as depicted by Tiffin & Rajasingham
in the book In Search Of The Virtual Classroom (Tiffin & Rajasingham
28). The computer has dovetailed into many different forms of teaching
via telecommunications. This dovetailing effect has been attributed to
the fact that the expense related to this and other forms of delivering
instruction via telecommunications has diminished dramatically as new technology
is developed and competition increases (Glanz 46).
The first method of delivering
instructional material via the computer was similar to that of television
in that it consisted of one-way delivery which dates back to the 1960's
(Tiffin & Rajasingham 5). The computer then evolved into computer based
instruction, which was an interactive form of learning. However, the interaction
was preformatted and/or predetermined which did not allow for the expansion
of providing real time instruction.
The next intervention of
technology into learning was the Internet. It was initially developed in
1961 for the military in project ARPANET (Augmentation of the Internet)
to assist them in command and control of battlefields all over the world
(Ryder, 1994). It has since entered into the world of education in a huge
way offering countless educational opportunities. The barriers between
school and the outside world are collapsing as people make direct contact
in a forum which masks their age and presents them as virtual equals (Fishman
and Pea, 1994). Large portions of college degree coursework are being delivered
via the Internet (NBC Nightly News, October, 1998).
This system has bolstered
the opportunities for real time training through Furthermore, business
is utilizing the Internet to deliver everything from management development
to mandatory training to professional continuing education via the Intranet.
While it has been widely accepted in the adult education arena, it has
not been a "major player" in the delivery of primary education. This is
due to many social factors that will be discussed more in detail later
in this section.
From the Internet, organizations
developed e-mail systems to enhance communication. E-mail has been defined
as "The medium of communication that sends and receive messages by computer
over network cables and phone lines (Olderman 33). With the advent of e-mail
systems, organizations where provided with an opportunity provide one-way
instruction as well as two-way and interactive learning opportunities.
Lastly, e-mail begins to personalize the experience for participants and
builds on the learner-instructor connection (Pritchard 76).
The next form of teaching
via the telecommunications is video conferencing. This method of instructional
delivery will allow people to sit "across" from the individual(s) they
are working with to get a better "feel" of the flow of information. This
method also begins to address many concerns related to losing the human
touch. This form of teaching via telecommunications seems to be the "voice"
of the future or until the next method for delivering instructional material
is created.
The cost of setting up a
video conferencing system cost approximately $40,000 with the table-top
versions running about $15,000 per site (Glanz 58). Currently, these prices
are still more than most organizations can or want to invest in this form
of technology. As such, in order for video conferencing to jump into the
mainstream of delivering instructional material and learning opportunities,
it must become more cost effective for it be what many educators and technical
designers are hoping it will become.
Many of the trends related
to teaching via telecommunications center around methods of communication
as well as how to manage the onslaught of communication coming from many
different arenas. In their book In Search Of The Virtual Classroom,
Tiffin and Rajasingham (1995) dedicate an entire section to communication
in the education sector. This is an area that has been often overlooked
while becoming more and more important as the information society introduces
more communication tools. Scholars and business leaders generally agree
that the communication formula basically follows the process of sender
– encoding – message – distraction or clutter – received – decoding (Hershey
& Blanchard, 1993). This seems to be a simple formula except that learners
and instructors both are constantly being inundated with communication
opportunities and forms of information. Furthermore, electronic communication
devices have made communication quicker, more efficient and quite challenging.
Electronic Communication Devices
There is a myriad of electronic
communication devices that can allow an educator to process information
much more easily while at the same placing an increased demand on their
ability to organize and communicate. Furthermore, these devices allow for
more timely decisions while at the same time possibly giving them so many
options that they cannot make a decision. As put by Lee Siebler, author
of "Time Management for the Creative Person, "There are no bad decisions.
Except no decision at all."
Electronic communication
devices range from audio recorders to palm pilots that allow a learner
to manage their projects from their pockets and purses. Furthermore, computers
provide so many ways to manage learning and communication that one can
easily get lost and/or confused in the process. This concern is very real
as the myriad of communication devices has specific processes and quirks
that can challenge individuals attempting to participate in the various
opportunities to learn via telecommunications.
With all of the "electronic"
challenges facing teaching via telecommunications, there are tremendous
opportunities awaiting educators to deliver instructional materials to
individuals and groups. The opportunities lie in the ability for individuals
to learn in a virtual world on a real time basis.
Bringing Learners
Together
Telecommunications allow
educators to bring learners from all over the world to link and present
a wide spectrum of ideas and opinions. Furthermore, the educator can allow
individuals to access learning opportunities from remote parts of the globe.
As this trend continues children could receive instructional material that
will allow them to learn from a community meeting hall instead of traveling
two hours or more one way on a bus each day such as that which is occurring
in the Big Bend area of west Texas.
The ability for educators
to set up "courses" that learners use to time their responses and gather
the research material needed to make the best impact on their learning
experience is another major trend related to this topic. The "courses"
can be tailored made in ways they never could before whether it is for
1 or 100 learners. Furthermore, educators can now provided expanded learning
opportunities and be able to manage the process without putting more work
on their "plates."
This trend has major implications
in the global society as it now means that learner opportunities can reach
any individual at anytime. Does this now mean we can begin to educate our
population in ways we couldn’t before? The answer is...yes and no. Yes
in that we have the ability to deliver learning in ways mentioned earlier
in this section. No in that there are social, political, economic, cultural,
ideology and geographical challenges that hereto for have not been overcome.
For the purposes of this section, all of the above mentioned factors will
be referred to as social factors.
The World Wide Web evolved
in Switzerland in 1993 out of an organism called USENET (Ryder, 1994) It
is somewhat older that the Internet and a cognitive analysis of this organism
is facilitated by a model introduced by Gordon Pask in1964. According to
this article he introduced a dialectic model for construction which applied
to people engaged in conversation for purposes of learning. Based on the
work within this model, he coined the term, conversation theory. Pask embraced
Lev Vygotsky’s view of learning that learning is by nature, a social phenomenon.
Furthermore he felt that public knowledge is dialectic process by which
an individual tests a personally held concept against that of another until
the agreement is reach between them. Based on this premise, telecommunications
seem to be the perfect medium by which this can occur across the globe.
However, this has not occurred
to date for various reasons, among them being the major gap between the
have and the have-nots which is a challenge that has yet to be overcome
for the reasons mentioned above. This is especially true when it comes
to education in that through education people can be exposed to opportunities
hereto not available (Tiffin & Rajasingham, 1995).
These societal issues pose
huge ethical challenges to educators. On the one hand, they want to provide
a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which includes what a learner can
do on his or her own, what he or she can do with help from the more experienced
educator (Vygotsky 1978:86). On the other hand educators realize that they
are limited in what they can do based on the challenges posed by society.
As telecommunications become
more accessible as well as the growing need for individuals to be more
educated due to growing requirements of an information society, government
and business will be forced to provide a wider portion of the population
access to technology. This trend will allow educators to provide more individuals
and group learning opportunities than they ever could before. Furthermore,
these learning opportunities will be accelerated by the rapid expansion
of technology.
As society expands opportunities
for telecommunication delivered education, educators will be better able
to target their audience by assessing the educational information as it
relates to the following factors. Questions that may be asked include:
In today’s modern world,
educators have a many choices of online tools available to them for instructional
purposes. There is a wide range in options for using the Internet in instruction.
Many primary teachers see the Internet as a tool to support and complement
classroom instruction, while some use the Internet to offer entire classes
online. As greater access is becoming available to primary (K-12) students
and teachers alike, there has been massive expansion in the area of Internet-based
learning environments.
Currently in primary education,
the Internet is used mainly as a tool for aiding and expanding instruction.
Tools such as electronic mail, bulletin boards, chat rooms, video conferencing
and the World Wide Web are becoming more commonplace in today’s classrooms.
E-mail, bulletin boards, and chat rooms are used primarily as a means for
communication and discussion outside the classroom. Video conferencing
offers the opportunity for students to learn from, and share with, others
from a distance. Probably the most commonly used is the World Wide Web
(WWW).
Static WWW pages offer a
source of course materials and information to students and teachers. The
advantages to such tools are evident: ability to communicate with others
from a distance, retrieve information that would be otherwise unavailable,
and exponential growth in the learning of students. However, there are
drawbacks to these tools as well. The instructor must stay up to date in
a rapidly changing technology world. The instructor, especially in the
lower grades must first visit every site the students will be going to
for information to assure that they are age-appropriate.
Virtual Reality learning,
although relatively new in education, shows great promise, especially in
the primary grades. Many children are already familiar with simulator-type
games and programs. Many educational type programs are being introduced
on a regular basis. Because virtual reality taps into all senses and learning
styles, it can be an exciting way to learn.
Although most educators
currently use the Internet as a tool to aid in instruction, there are some
educators and institutions that offer courses entirely online, such as
Northstar Academy. The
majority of these types of classes are aimed at those being home-schooled
or international students. There are some courses offered online as a means
of expanding the curriculum, especially in high school. Because courses
such as those mentioned above require the students to be highly motivated
and self-disciplined, they are not as prevalent as they are in college
and graduate level institutions.
It is important to begin
this section by setting the framework for the discourse. For the purpose
of this paper, adult education will encompass structured instruction of
an individual learner past the age of eighteen or past the secondary education
level. The applications or format of those learning applications have had
great variety, but the rapid growth of teaching via telecommunications
has caused them to proliferate as the old boundaries disintegrate. No longer
do structures, walls, time, distance or geographical location set the limits
of the delivery of instruction. Teaching can occur at any time and at any
location equipped to handle the selected mode of transmission of the instructional
materials. Add to that a paradigm shift to more learner-focused instruction
to meet the learning demands of a global society, and the revolution within
the structures of education as society has known them is clearly evident.
This portion of the chapter will examine some of the major applications
that exist with regard to their purpose, prominent advantages or disadvantages,
their place in structured education and governance models in addition to
their implications for teaching. As discussed earlier in the current distance
learning environment there are expanded teaching opportunities, which can
reach a wider portion of the population. In addition, educators have more
flexible delivery of instruction both regard to the communication devices
available but also the times and formats.
Post Secondary
Credit Courses
It is important to review
the typical application and structure of credit courses over the past one
hundred years. In this scenario, a university, college, community college,
professional or trade school offered courses for credit whereby an accumulation
of a specified number of credits in a defined program of learning would
allow the individual a degree or certificate.
Teaching primarily occurred
in classrooms or laboratories where the group of learners gathered with
the instructor. The governance was classically within the state boundaries
for the institution offering the credit class, or within the region with
regard to accreditation.
In today’s distance learning
environment teaching can still occur within that historic structure and
much of it does. Robert Tucker, head of Arizona based InterEd, estimates
that 55% of the 2,215 four year institutions in the United States have
courses available off-site and that over one million students are taking
advantage of virtual classrooms, contrasted with thirteen million attending
classes at institutions (Forbes,1997). But, as the instruction
moves from campus centric to student centric and technologies such as video
conferencing and web based courses are developed state lines, even the
boundaries of countries become unimportant.
The Distance Education Clearinghouse
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/home.html
has links to its classes, programs and certificates offered through the
University of Wisconsin as well as a list of distance education programs
and certificates. CASO’s Internet University Courses site lists over two
thousand courses from approximately 60 accredited course providers. Universities
across the nation from the University of California to the University of
Kansas on to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill list their courses
on line on the Internet. Two valuable web sites with extensive links to
courses offered are, first, the link from the St. John’s Library on Teaching
and Learning with Technology at http://www.stjohns.edu/library/staugusting/technology.html
and second, the Lifelong Learning, Adult Education and Distance Learner’s
Resource Center http://www.geteducated.com
with its Directory of Online Colleges, Internet Universities and Training
Institutes. A third valuable site, is The Web of Asynchronous Learning
Networks http://www.aln.org/alnweb/index.htm
which lists courses offered by universities, consortia, industry, non-profit
organizations and the government, in addition to several other helpful
resource lists.
The University of Phoenix
has been developing its course offerings for over 15 years and with its
42,000 part-time students is viewed as one
of the largest private universities. Though much of it’s teaching has been
through its 58 satellite campuses it has a major commitment to making distance
education a significant instructional approach and part of the university’s
structure (Athey, 1998).
Many, if not most of the organizations teaching distance learning credit courses do so within the context of the degree, allowing the learner to earn a certificate, undergraduate or graduate degree. Many of the emerging degrees require no residency allowing individuals to earn a degree without interrupting their careers or families. Some of the largest and best-known degree granting schools where teaching is via telecommunications and a student can take courses and earn a degree are identified in Table 1.
Table 1: Colleges and universities offering degrees via telecommunications
| Institution | Location | Degrees Conferred |
| Brevard Community College | Cocoa, Florida | A.A., A.S. |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | M.B.A.,M.S |
| City University | Bellevue, Washington | A.S.,B.A., B.S., M.B.A.,M.P.A. |
| Colorado State University | Fort Collins, Colorado | M.B.A.,M.S. |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | M.A., M.S. |
| New York Institute of Technology | Central Islip, N.Y. | B.A.,B.S., M.B.A. |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia | B.S.,M.S., M.B.A. |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia | B.S.,M.S., M.B.A. |
Post Secondary Non-Credit Courses
Many professions require
that members take continuing education courses and teaching via telecommunications
can meet many of these requirements. Much of the information had previously
been available in self-paced text tutorials but is more effectively taught
using available telecommunications technology. Courses for physicians,
nurses, accountants, and other licensed professionals are available through
professional organizations, local colleges and commercial providers.
Technological advances and
a constantly changing job market often cause employees to develop new skills
or competencies and the ability to do so without the restrictions of time
and place make distance learning courses an appealing venue. Many of the
colleges teaching credit courses via telecommunications also have continuing
education departments doing the same. NYU SCE Virtual College which is
New York University’s School of Continuing Education http: www.sce.nyu.edu/virtual/
and U Mass CyberEd http://www3.umas.edu/
are two examples. So whether an employee needs instruction in a computer
programming language or how to effectively interview or a retired individual
wants to learn how to use a computer or a software program, or an individual
wants to learn English or Spanish, the need or desire can be met through
a course delivered via technology.
Corporate Employee Training / Professional Development
Many corporations are establishing
their own corporate universities to train their employees rather than contracting
with educational institutions or sending the employees to another for profit
instructional provider. Wal-Mart, Motorola, General Electric, Disney and
Federal Express are just a few examples. In a recent survey, J.C. Meister
reports that the number of companies with corporate universities has grown
from four hundred in 1985 to over one thousand in 1995. Naturally, the
structure and nature of the instructing varies widely. According to Anthony
Fresina, president of Executive KnowledgeWorks, General Electric’s corporate
university would be a level three (highest level) instructional experience
because it is designed to be a strategic mechanism for shaping and driving
the company. Amoco would have a level two university as it trains employees
in new ways of doing business. Fresina classifies Federal Express and Disney
as level one universities because they train employees in skills needed
for operational or functional excellence (Fresina, 1997). The significance
to these corporate universities is their utilization of teaching via telecommunications
to train their global employees. They are also significant as they represent
a large portion of the estimated sixty billion dollars spent yearly for
corporate training.
Additionally, teaching via
telecommunications for the professional development of individuals, professionals
and employees is offered by both commercial providers and professional
organizations. Globewide Network Academy has a broad distance learning
database. Kent Information Systems offers internet-based Certified Public
Accounting continuing professional education, while LearnWell Online offers
health care continuing education courses.
It can be concluded that the opportunities to teach adult education via telecommunications can, does and will continue to encompass a broad number of opportunities, designs and communication modalities. Both multimedia and the Internet are not only allowing for growth in opportunities, they are removing the barriers of time and location from the delivery of instruction, that very essence of what we call teaching. Challenges abound in the arena and the pace of change seems to be ever accelerating.
Bob Dylan states, "The times,
they are a’changn". While this song was written 30 years ago, the thoughts
are still pertinent today in relationship to education in telecommunications.
As we look into the future of education, the first thing we realize is
that change is inevitable. The media revolution is upon us; each advance
in technology is accompanied by an assorted package of paraphernalia which
serve to educate, entertain, and tantalize the public’s senses with information
while leading them on the path toward the next new innovation. People who
remain static will be in effect stepping backwards when everyone else is
moving forward towards the newest technology. Edwards (1997) states the
Internet all its information superhighway is still in its infancy; it is
hard to imagine exactly what it will look like in the 21st century.
It is a fair assumption to make that everything developed for and available
via the computer will be available for use through some sort of Internet
vehicle.
Ritchie-Matsumoto (1997)
envisions a future where wristwatches warn of upcoming traffic jams, windows
double as computer screens, and updates on favorite subjects download automatically
to personal computers. The information would be all part of a large interrelated
system which would allow information to flow from anyone to anywhere, regardless
of time and distance. Tiffin and Rajasingham (1995) carry these thoughts
to the educational arena as they paint a scenario of a virtual reality
educational system. By wearing a computer headset, students are transported
to a virtual classroom of Star Wars type technology where any and every
imaginable educational delivery system would be not only available, but
accessible to all with the touch or a button. The final portion of the
teaching chapter will discuss the future trends of teaching with telecommunications,
including technological, demographic, economic and political forces that
are driving the educational mindset.
Dede (1990) indicates there
are several tools out there which are being continually developed to advance
information technology. These tools include use of collaborative mimetic
interfaces, direct manipulation capabilities, telepointers, automatic electronic
archiving, hypertext, and specialized software to facilitate different
types of interaction. Through incorporating these designs into distance
education, the educational settings can be designed to have greater opportunities
for students than traditional single classroom settings.
The information technologies
are continuing to grow rapidly in power while decreasing in associated
costs. Greater power and advances in fiber optics is promoting the emergence
of products that will synthesize the capabilities of computers and telecommunications.
Miniaturization, standardization, and increased compatibility of digital
codes of previously separate technologies of computers and their associated
hardware assist the forward thrust by streamlining the process and adding
to a user-friendly environment.
Future use of the Internet
and computer technology for education will certainly be affected by the
availability and expense of computer technology and associated hardware.
Educators teaching through the Internet can only reach those persons who
have access to the equipment. As with most technology, the price does tend
to decrease when there is an increase in consumption. But in an ever changing
"techno" society, the software and even some computer systems become obsolete
rapidly. In the future, we may see more renting of software so learners
will have access to and work with the latest technology without expending
a large amount of capital. The share-ware concept will continue to grow
as consumers see the advantages of low-cost, high-quality products (Edwards,
1997).
As educators, it will be
crucial to maintain a continued proficiency in the new technology in order
to guide the learners toward their learning objectives. Regardless of who
sets the stage, it is clear that as technology advances, the information
superhighway will greatly affect the practice of educators of all types,
from pre-school to adulthood. By taking advantage of what is available
today and learning how to operate the current technology, the educator
will be in a position to develop the resources of tomorrow (Edwards, 1997).
Security is another concern
that educators face going into the next century with accessibility of computers.
With more universities offering courses online, testing and other forms
of evaluation through the information highway will become more commonplace.
The opportunity increasingly exists for individuals to steal, alter, or
destroy evaluation documents, as well as cause computer classroom confusion
for unsuspecting educators and learners. Even with supposedly secure systems,
a determined hacker can invade and create havoc within the system. Future
technology for online courses will need advanced security systems so teachers
and students alike will feel comfortable having discussion and evaluation
across the Internet (Edwards, 1997).
With all the new technology,
Thach (1993) identifies the potential of paying more attention to the delivery
system than to the actual deliverer of learning. The educator needs to
maintain control of the new communications technology, be it interactive
multimedia, videoconferencing, or computer networking, and make it work
for the content she or he is trying to convey. The technology is a tool
to facilitate the learning of participants. It is not the actual knowledge
to be learned, but rather a way to transmit the knowledge from a person
to one or more persons. The future modes just make the ability to reach
people much more interesting.
Emmert (1997) states that
technology-based education has already reduced geographical and temporal
borders through information technology and distance learning opportunities.
He foresees this trend will continue, continuing to reduce or even eliminate
these barriers, as well as opening up new opportunities for education that
may not even be identified at this time. Information along the "superhighway"
will transform when, where and how educators teach, having the potential
to alter the nature of education and instruction as it is currently known.
Emmert (1997) states that
both educators and students are becoming increasingly more comfortable
with learning in a technology-based format. Educators and educational institutions
that are able to incorporate the use of information technology successfully
will be in position to capitalize on a substantial corner of the education
marketplace.
The classroom of the future
will not be defined as a finite entity. In commentary, T H E Journal (1998)
envisions students in multiple locations seeing each other while simultaneously
collaborating on their personal computers. CD-ROMS, laser discs and laptop
computers interfaced with the Internet will be the classroom; teachers
will facilitate the learners by directing them along avenues of interest,
where the student is in control of actually becoming involved in the presented
opportunities.
Thach (1993) indicates the
role of an educator in a multi-directional communication process is more
complicated than the traditional classroom setting. Suddenly, faculty must
encourage students at multiple sites that they are unable to visualize
to communicate on various topics. This requires additional planning and
design time, as well as knowledge of the technology, student learning styles,
backgrounds, and logistical planning to perform adequately. The deliverer’s
role begins to resemble a band conductor. Future classrooms will probably
continue this trend of multi-sensory education. The band just will be in
several different cities, states, and even countries.
One thing to think about
is who the customer for education will be in the future. Since the Internet
is a global entity, people from many different ethnic, cultural , and national
backgrounds will be exposed to the same information and teaching by logging
on to a specific site. Lye (1997) indicates there are advantages to having
a more globally-informed populace, bringing together a diverse set of learners
who influence and are influenced by each other through the educational
experience. Working with learners with varied cultural backgrounds in a
interactive setting where all members are considered equal will facilitate
a greater understanding of the varied thought processes of these groups.
But the increased diversity may also create problems not experienced to
a high degree at this time. Language becomes a barrier to the flow of information
as the number of people speaking different languages enter and attempt
to communicate together. There are now several tutorials on the Internet
written in German, Spanish, etc. In the future, more emphasis will be needed
to incorporate different languages into teaching processes as a way to
reach a larger proportion of the student population.
Emmert (1997) identifies
quality control issues as a problem with internet education. With the proliferation
of educational offerings, managing and controlling the content could become
an increasingly difficult endeavor. Accreditation processes currently in
use rely heavily on facility space, instructor to student ratio, and classroom
hours. Future accreditation for distance education courses will likely
involve more emphasis on student assessments and less on institutions;
using things like competency-based assessment models to review distance
education coursework for quality.
In order to truly use technology
based education to its full potential, educators must first recognize its
weaknesses. Information and state of the art telecommunications technologies
assist people immensely, but they were never intended to completely replace
face-to-face personal contact and interaction. We must never lose the primary
goal of teaching. The students are the focus of the educational experience.
Some people learn better individually, others require a more structured
environment and need more attention from the instructor. Whatever process
is used to pass the information from the teacher to the student, the goal
is participant learning (Emmert, 1997).
There will always be individuals
who need to be educated, both initially and ongoing as technologies change.
Staff development and teacher training will be continuous area of growth
for educators, who will need to be familiar with both traditional classroom
models of conferences and workshops, as well as the myriad of possibilities
available through enhanced telecommunications.
Dede (1990) states corporations
will need to be educated to a new mindset to enable them to compete in
the global marketplace. The current industrial environment using individuals
will gradually transform into a team approach where cognitive partnerships
and knowledge-based tools will influence production. The team approach
will pool member’s technological resources; no one person would be able
to keep pace with all the technological developments occurring in the workplace.
Educators should heed the call by offering students information on principles
of technology which will assist them to understand overall concepts and
changes in technology rather than only specific software advances.
Competition for students
among educational institutions is not a new concept. However, in the future,
the pool of students will be from a multitude of nations, who will have
unique perspectives on topics of discussion. With technology-based education
flowing in from all point of the globe, institutions will need to market
their education programming to promote the information which is attainable
from their training, competing not only with other educators within their
state or province, but also with other nations and regions all around the
world (Emmert, 1997). Costs for distance education of the future could
be cheaper on the tax dollar. A growing problem on many college campuses
is building enough sitting space to accommodate the student population.
The rapidly increasing ability of technology to produce multimedia educational
programming will result in not just certain courses, but entire educational
curricula to be offered and consumed in the home Lye, 1997).
The global economy will
create more international and multicultural teams in industry, where the
team members may be scattered over two and three continents. For the team
to be effective, telecommunication technology will provide more advanced
and faster connections; without the video/audio lag often occurring at
the present. Meetings will occur at all time of the day or night depending
on the location of the team players. Stocks, national economies, and regional
markets will all become more important globally with an increasing interdependence
on each other for maintaining fiscally sound organizations (Dede, 1990).
While a well-functioning
group produces a collective intelligence which is greater than the individuals;
the team is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, as technology
increases and companies look at the bottom line, education on individual
responsibility, communication, and teamwork will become an important part
of technical training. Collaboration is the key in distance/remote operations.
Because of these economic shifts, educators will need to produce students
who are adept at distance interaction, or our workforce will not be able
to keep up with the needs of their clients (Dede, 1990).
Internationally, the needs
of countries will vary primarily according to their current economic situation.
Distance learning in third world countries, for example, has an almost
unlimited potential for growth. With the proper satellite feeds and monitors,
educators can teach an endless number of topics to even the most remote,
poor villages of the world. The problem for the future of this education
is consensus on how to approach the problems of acquiring the necessary
equipment to provide the instruction. Political influences and mistrust
tend to thwart the best of intentions for education of the world’s people.
Global issues will be a continuing
force in the future of education. Guri-Rozenblit (1991) discusses the emergence
of three worlds of open learning in the world. The first world is developed
countries in the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. The second world consists
of the eastern European countries and China. The third world is defined
as the developing countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. As these
worlds continue to develop their technology and political alliances, they
may cause obstacles to the goal of the future: education for all people
who wish to be informed citizens of the world.
The government of America
and other countries will become involved in telecommunication and technology
to a greater extent in the future. As more individuals, companies, and
political groups become proficient in the art of technology, regulations
will increase to protect the rights and property of persons affected by
the technology. Deliverers of technology will require increased licensure
and security, and will need to follow mandates, not only from American
laws, but other countries as well. International procedures for use, control,
and protection of available technology will have increased ramifications
for both users and abusers. Stricter control is necessary to maintain peace
in an uncertain world, where the political instability of a single region
may have implications for people across continents (Thach, 1993).
It is time for the worlds
of learning to work together to bring education to the global village.
A network is needed whose ideal is to offer distance courses for all students
regardless of the political leanings of the specific countries of which
they may be members. A long range goal for the future of education is to
enhance national and international development, expand educational opportunities,
and promote personal and professional growth of the individual (Guri-Ronzenblit,
1991)
The future of learning will
be about connecting the education to work, home, school, and leisure. As
the world of technology and industry continue to grow and interact, we
will see an emergence of interactive learning mediated by technology as
a major form of instruction. Learning is increased when the institution
connects events and makes them relevant to the learner’s world. New technologies
can provide those important links so learning will be relevant (Dede, 1990).
Distance and interactive
learning classrooms will have a deeper, wider range of students, with greater
opportunities for students to interact than with traditional single classroom
settings. Educational institutions, through use of increased telecommunications,
will enhance their students’ ability to compete in the global market, collaborate
with other professionals/team members, and move from individual insight
to collective intelligence. Planning for the future for education in telecommunications
requires being able to anticipate how learning should change to keep pace
with the changing world.
Learning needs to be educationally
based, with technology being used as a vehicle to transport that knowledge.
Telecommunications is a powerful tool, and use of technology will enhance
the process with continued improvement, but it will not, in and of itself,
create a learning community. Whenever new inventions and improvements that
occur, the person is the real innovator. The main thing to remember with
a future in technological teaching is to focus on the learner, and the
technology used to help the educator will fall into place.
In conclusion, this chapter has taken the reader from oral communication to teaching in a virtual reality. The opportunities for education via telecommunications are only limited by the boundaries of the learner’s mind. As humankind looks toward the 21st century, the world is at a crossroads for change. Our behavior, thoughts and the way we live are directly influenced by our knowledge base. Teaching through telecommunications will increase the ability to add to this information by providing a populace that can think, communicate, and, and interact with others in a continual, virtual world.
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