Management of Distance Learning Systems in China

1. Selecting ICT for e-
learning applications
ILO course
Management of Distance Learning
Systems
Turin 19-20 January 2005
Lecture by G. Marconato

2. What does ICT could do for
teaching and learning at a
distance?
• Managing information
• Enabling communication
• Developing learning activities
• Constructing knowledge
• Widening participation

3. Managing information
• Storage
• Deliver
• Retrieve

4. Enabling communication
• One-to-one
• One-to many
• Synchronously
• Asynchronously

5. Developing learning
activities
• Focused activities
– Assignments
– Q&A
– Test
• Wide activities
– Projects
– Problem solving
– Field researches

6. %
• Individual activities
• Group activities

7. Constructing knowledge
• Discovering information
• Evaluating and selecting information
• Giving a personal meaning to that
information
• Enabling real world applications of
that information
• Turning “information” into
“knowledge”

8. “making sense”

9. Widening participation
• No constrains of
– Time
– Place
– Pace
– Space
for learning

10. Available Technologies
for DE/e-learning

11. Managing
information/storage
• Audio tape
• Video tape
• Diskette
• Cd-rom
• DVD
• Web server

12. Managing
information/deliver
• Postal services
• Conventional broadcasting
• Internet
• Satellite broadcasting

13. Managing
information/retrieve
• Audio/video reproduction appliances
• TV
• PC
– Search engine
– Browsers

14. Communication
• Asynchronous tools (deferred-time
communication)
– letter/fax
– E-mail
– Bulletin board
– Forum

15. Communication
• Synchronous tools (real time
communication)
– Telephone
– Chat
– Audio/video conference
• Internet based
• No-internet based

16. Developing learning
activities
• Targeted/focused integration of
information management and
communication tools
• VLEs/LMSs

17. Constructing knowledge
• Targeted/focused integration of
information management and
communication tools
• Technology-enhanced learning tools
• Knowledge management tools.

18. Matrix for sorting-out technologies

19. Print
Textbooks
Study guides
Workbooks
Fax
Voice/Audio
Telephone
Voicemail
Audioconferences
Audiotape
Radio
Computer
E-mail
Web-based courses
Videoconferences
CD-ROM
Collaboration software
Video
Videotape
Satellite delivery
Microwave
Broadcast video
Desktop Video

20. We must be aware
that….
…..each technology has unique benefits,
but all have their drawbacks

21. Reason why tech are
not in competition
• Students differ in their learning
style
• The context of any technological
application is paramount;
• Combinations of media/technology
are increasingly significant

22. The question is:
How to select information and
communication technologies
for e-learning?

23. The answer is:
The simplest and the cheapest
that allows you to employ the
didactic strategy you have
devised in order to gain the
expected learning outcomes

24. Simplest
For not building un-necessary
barriers:
- Users (learners, teachers,
tutors..) competence to use ICT
- Technologycal requirements
- Maintenance/upgrading

25. Cheapest
- For lowering the cost-level for
setting up the system
- For widening the range of
people/organisation allowed to use
technology for teaching and learning
- For don’t spending much more than
the necessary just to be on fashion

26. ….In a few words
Supporting a wide range
of teaching and learning
strategies

27. From the international
literature, further ideas

28. The main finding
Chose a technology mix

29. And, if possible
Set up a technology-rich
environment

30. ACTIONS framework
(by A.W. Bates)
• Access
• Costs
• Teaching and Learning
• Interactivity and user-friendliness
• Organisational issues
• Novelty
• Speed

31. from… Pennsylvania
State University
• Think pedagogy first, technology
second
• Analyse your course to determine
your needs
• Consider all your technology option
• Think about student access to
technology
• Be practical

32. %
• Consider the impact upon students’
overall study time available
• Be sure the technology selection fits
your instructional goals
• Plan for alternative media where
possible
• Count the direct and the indirect
costs to the students

33. from… University of
Idaho
Base your choice upon:
- instructional outcomes
- Focus on the need of the learner
- The requirements of the content
- The constrain faced by teachers and
learner

34. from…. University of
Washington Distance
Learning
• Learning objectives
• Student’s access to technology
• Your budget
• Time
• Goals of your course

35. Examples of matching a instructional
strategy with a technology
- Low tech
- Medium tech
- High tech

36. "Low Tech" "Medium Tech" "High Tech"
-Paper (via surface mail)
-Video tape
-Audio tape
-E-mail
-LISTSERV postings
-Local resources (e.g. libraries, mentors, local
faculty, etc.)
-Phone
-Audioconferencing
-Web-based resources (no plug-ins
required)
-FTP
-Newsgroups
-Existing software
-Conference call (e.g. Edify)
-Fax
-Voice mail (e.g. Edify)
-Telnet
-2-way videoconferencing
-Satellite (1-way videoconf.)
-Desktop videoconferencing
-Web-based resources (w/plug-
ins)
-Audiographics
-RealAudio
-RealVideo
-New software (e.g. multimedia
apps)
-Computer conferencing
-Chats
-Web-based telephony
-Shared workspace
-Digital drawing pads
-Hand-held scanners

37. (Instructional
Strategies)
"Low Tech" "Medium Tech" "High Tech"
Lecture
-Paper
-Video tape
-Audio tape
-E-mail
-LISTSERV
postings
-Audioconferencing
-Web-based resources (no plug-ins
required)
-FTP
-Newsgroup
-Existing software
-2-way videoconferencing
-Satellite
-Web-based resources
w/plug-ins
-Audiographics
-RealAudio
-RealVideo
-New software
-Computer conferencing

38. Small group
discussion
-E-mail
-Phone
-LISTSERV
postings
-
Audioconferen
cing
-Voice mail
-Chats
-Desktop
videoconferencing
-Computer
conferencing
-Web-based
telephony
-Shared workspace

39. The “super technology” doesn’t
exist

40. … but exits…..
The technology that fit your context
(resources/opportunity/constrains)

41. Questions to drive your
decision about tech
• Which is my pedagogical rationale, my
didactic strategy?
• Which are the technologies my users
(teachers and students) have easy access
to and are able to use?
• How large is my target population?
• How much time have I to implement the
system?
• Which is my budget?

42. Case study –
technological
infrastructure
Copernicus Project at the Province
of Bolzano (Italy)
By G. Marconato

43. The central System
5 server each one devoted to a specific
service
– Information Services (IIS)
– Proxy server
– Database Server
– Audio/video e conferencing server
– Load balancin server

44. Firewall
Server web
V.L.E.
mail server
Switch
Database ServerStreaming Audio/Video
Multicast Server
Sviluppo e
manutenzione dei contenuti
Web Master
Internet o
rete esistente
connessa ad internet
Proxy server
Bilanciamento di carico

45. Periferical system
Corporate LAP – Learning Access
Point

46. Videoproiettore
sospeso
Hub
Router
Postazione
Tutor/Docente

47. Periferical system
Learning Centre

48. Videoproiettore
sospeso
Postazione
Amministratore
di rete e del
Server Proxy
Postazione
segreteria,
docenti e
amministrazione
Postazione
Docente
Hub/Switch
Router

49. Connectivity
Satellite internet
(only for dispersed areas)

50. Antenna satellitare
ISDN
ADSL/HDSL
Satellite
Internet Service Provider
Internet
Antenna satellitare
Modem
Router

51. Available tools for
e-learning

52. Acronims you will face
with
• LMS
• VLE
• LCMS
• MOO/MUD
• BLOG
• RSS
• WIKI
• BLIKI

53. Object-Oriented
environments.
• MOOs are text-based interaction
tools, virtual reality sites that allow
people to connect to the same place
at the same time;
• they allow the manipulation and
interaction with cyber-objects in
addition to live communication

54. • MOOs were originally designed as a space
for online social interaction.
• They differ from “chat rooms" in several
important respects: participants can not
only communicate in actual time from great
distances, but they can also add to this
virtual world by building new rooms and
other objects, and writing programs that
alter their particular MOO universe in
profound ways.

55. • Today, MOOs are increasingly
recognized for their value as an
educational tool.
• In MOOs teachers and students can
meet on line at scheduled times and
exchange ideas, even calling up online
reference materials as they
participate in discussions

56. BLOG – web log
• It is a Website containing links and commentary
with regular postings in reverse chronological
order
• It is a tool that let to edit contents in a easy way
on the internet
• Each text can be commented by the blog visitors;
• The original text and the related comments are
viewed by all people access the blog
• Commenting capabilities allow for easy peer
review for students and teachers
• It could be a cheaper alternative to course
management systems.

57. • Blogs are increaseling used for
educational purposes
– To support a collaborative project
development
– To showcase products of project-based
learning
– To create a reflective journal
– Tu support/foster reflective practice
– To post course information and learning
materials
– To develop a digital portfolio

58. RSS – Rich Site Summary
or Real Simple Syndication
• It is an "aggregator“ that allows you to do
by using what's called news-feed collector.
• It provides a means of driving content
from a Website to a reader automatically,
without threat of interference from
viruses, spam, or spyware.
• The aggregator checks the sites you
subscribe to, usually every hour, and it
collects all the new content into a folder
that is just waiting for you to come and
read it.
• Everything in your aggregator is something
you want to read because you subscribed
to it.

59. Educational use of RSS
• Reader that collects “feeds” from various
blogs is an easy way to keep track of and
up-to-date on their newest content.
• Is used to distribute learning objects
from learning object repositories.
• In the not-too-distant future, the
combination of these repositories and RSS
technology may replace LMSs—a
centralized model moving to a networked
one.

60. WIKI
• A wiki is a Website that is
collaboratively created and
maintained.
• It is a composition system, a
discussion medium, a repository, a
mail system, a chat room, and a tool
for collaboration.
• All these capabilities can make it a
tool for collaborative learning.

61. Educational use of wiki
• assignment hand-in (with peer ratings
added),
• collaborative Web writing,
• case libraries,
• practice sites for collaboration
skills.

62. BLIKI
• A bliki is the most recently
developed tool on this list. A
combination of a blog and a wiki,
• It is a blog with wiki support. Which
means that after (or before) an
article is posted to the blog, it can
be edited, either by anyone or by
some group of authorized users.
• Blikis are so new that they’re still in
the experimental phase.