ESL 91
SPRING, 2002
FOCUS DISCIPLINE RESEARCH PROJECTS
COMPUTER SCIENCE

Wan Gang Lu
ESL 91
Spring, 2002

Project Topic: Research recent developments in online or distance education. Choose two different online courses and evaluate them, comparing and contrasting how well you think they fit the goals described in the article, "The Impact of Information Technology on Education in the 21^st century" by Loretta F. Kasper.

Education is the most important in the kingdom of technology. Unfortunately, technology and its dramatic growth have shifted our views of teaching and distance education learning, expanding our ideas with each new innovation. Now, the Internet is brought in to the 21^st century distance education. More higher education populations are now returning or continuing their education farther. They are not going to school and sit in the classroom, but going on the Internet. Students will get education directly from their Internet access stream, and using the keypad for controlling. This means students study individually on their own. Consequently, some Colleges now are offering more courses on their web site. For students education is only one click away. Nevertheless, how the education and schedules meet with students is depend on students and distance education development.

The Internet is an international network of computer networks, which allows its users to share information and to communicate interactively. Uses of the Internet include personal messaging or e-mail, entertainment, research and business, and recently, teaching and learning. Distance education let students learn and get a higher education at home. They learn new skills and or expand the skills they already have. The learning environment is an implied method of information presentation. Staying at home and sitting on their own chair, students get the education they want at their personal habit and flexible schedules. Students with infants can take better care of their children while studying. Before you choose to enter the distance education you should understand the difference between classroom teacher and distance teacher. A traditional classroom does not exist anymore. Face-to-face feedback during class is missing; there are no convenient opportunities to talk to students individually. Study distance education research together with available experience; understand the strengths and weakness of possible delivery systems.

Colleges now are offering more courses and better instructions for learning online. But the problem is how and in which way would the distance education be developing. There is a workshop or what we call an education field. The purpose of it is to provide introduction to the idea of distance education, and to indicate how these courses might be developed. (http://www.encatc.org/cyberspace/distance.html). The workshop stated by defining distance education as a learning process characterized by the following features.

-Obtaining knowledge outside of traditional way of attendance at learning institutions.

-Learners and teachers are separated by physical distance.

-Lecturing and learning are separated in time.

-Existence of technology will replace the traditional classroom.

To enable for learners to enroll in the courses, students should: (http://www.frajla.co.ym/calliope/distance.htm).

-Have to select a presentation format and develop the contents.

-Decide how to deploy technology and how to provide access by the distance education students.

-Learn how to deal with administrative problems, and to update the online course almost every day.

An education field also provides some basic information as to where educational technologists come from, where they work, the sorts of jobs they do, and what they create. The online course gives participants access to "hand-on" experiences. The course gives adult learners the opportunity to learn the tasks (http://www.fundwell.com/ab_cert_main.html). The benefits of the online course include:

-The online courses utilize the latest technology in a multi-media environment.

-Student eliminate the time and expense of commuting.

-Participatens can access the course contents of their convenience.

-Students prepare course assignments and advance through the course at their own pace.

Features of the online course include:

There is a big benefit being in the online distance education. Reading hypertext helps students develop critical literacy and critical thinking skills. Hypertext has made print more valuable information. Hypertext provides students with immediate access to a variety of primary sources. Students do not need to rely on someone else’s interpretation of the information.

For all higher adult education learners, distance online education started and now is developing to meet student’s needs, to provide a better distance education system. Most of people who taking the distance education believe that higher distance education will help move them up on the pay scale. Although that 21^st century distance education can be useful for the higher education and providing better systems, anyone who is interesting in the distance education can select their own course to reach their goal or something else.

"Computer Intelligent" ED1998. p.34.

"Computer Usages" ED2000.p45.

Module 01: The Field of Educational Technology. San Diego State University. Online:

Kasper, Loretta F. "The Impact of Information Technology on Education in the 21st Century." Online.

Turajlic, Srbijanka. Distance Education: Virtual University. Online: <http://www.frajla.co.yu/calliope/distance.htm>

The Online Certificate in Fund Raising. Online: <http://www.fundwell.com/ab_cert_main.html>

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