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last.updated 6.23.14

 

The Future of Distance Education

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Purpose

With the various contexts in which teaching (and the teaching of writing) is occurring, as well as the new communication technologies that there are to mediate distance learning, instructors and administrators have a lot of options and opportunities to consider as they go forward teaching writing from a distance. Today we will examine some of those new opportunities and discuss their implications for specific contexts.

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Before Class

Watch Robbins Creating Authentic & Engaging Community-Oriented Spaces.

Discussion in Second Life–What is the future of distance learning?

For the first 45 minutes of class we will meet in Second Life. Using the instructions that the instructor sent you, log into Second Life and meet virtually the instructor. If you have problems with Second Life, please email the instructor. Also pay attention to your experience in Second Life, the instructor will want to pose questions to you during last half of class. We will discuss the following questions in our viryual space:

  • What questions do you have about the readings?
  • Based upon your limited experience in Second Life (if you wandered around after creating your avitar, Sarah Robbin's talk, and the readings for today what are the educational affordances of these computer games? What exigencies do they create to the teaching situation? Would you adopt them? for what purpose? why?
  • What other social media sites would you want to adopt to teach writing from a distance? How would you use these technologies and why?
  • What guidelines would you recommend for examining new technologies before they get adopted?
  • How might other contexts, such as business and writing in other disciplines, help us think about distance education?

Discussion–This is the End (?)

For our final discussion we will reconvene in WebEx to converse about your expereince in Second Life and the potential of these new technologies for the teaching of writing.

You will also have the opportuity to ask any final questions that will help you finish up the course.

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