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 Distance Education... Distance Education... Distance Education...

Adopting Technologies

By: Dan Cotton, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  1. Convergence
    1. convergence in audio, video and data
    2. information appliances: television with set-top boxes, high performance video computers
    3. media: fiber optic, wireless (e.g., DSS, LEO's)
    4. service providers: cable, satellite, telecommunication providers
    5. government impact: digital education programming channels
    6. convergence + bandwidth = virtual reality learning environments, revolutionizing teaching/learning



  2. Learningware
    1. Web is becomming the backbone for educational delivery
    2. 33% of college courses using email (up from 25%)
    3. 14% of colleges putting up material on the Web
    4. 24% link to Web resources in their teaching
    5. Production:
      1. Home grown variety: (HTML, Perl, Java, ActiveX, Authorware, MS PowerPoint, conferencing, unique applications, assessment, questionaires, databases, etc.)
      2. Courseware: Leaders = WebCT and TopClass; Commercial = IBM LearningSpace, MS Office products; university sponsored = Mallard, CyberProf, etc.
    6. Learningware is a cottage industry
    7. Big commercial companies want to own/control (IBM, Microsoft, publishing companies)



  3. Dreamware
    1. focus on developing and marketing modules with identifiable outcomes
    2. focus on learning, not teaching
    3. facilitate new learning styles
    4. give faculty the opportunity to monitor an individual's progress with the option to intervene
    5. support collaborative communications
    6. be interoperable with hooks to back office applications (financials, registration, etc.)
    7. be flexible and customizable
    8. support standards (e.g., IMS)
    9. support the ability to share content (Electronic Object Economy, IMS)
    10. products should include needed structure and tools, but allow customizing



  4. Servicing the Customer
    1. embrace eCommerce
    2. authenticate (identifying and profiling the customer)
    3. provide security and address privacy
    4. support interoperability, connect to back office systems.
 

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