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5.12.10
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What
is distance learning?
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Purpose
Today
we will address the question, "What is distance learning?" to
examine whether those who use this and similar terms are talking about
the same experience. Likewise, we will examine whether the definitions
in the readings hold up with the new delivery systems that Web 2.0 affords.
Finally, we will use the topic of delivery to segue into a discussion
of the affordances various media give us for teaching at a distance.
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Lecture
The instructor
will demonstrate how to set up a blog in Blogger.
Activity
I
Everybody
will log into Blackboard.
In the groups below use the Group Discussion Boards to complete the following
tasks
Group |
Members |
Tasks |
1 |
Angela,
Mark, Jennifer, Azania &
Kevin |
What
is distance learning/education? What are the affordances of snail
mail, email, and blogs for distance learning? |
2 |
Nancy,
Cheri, Megan & Sheila |
What
is distance learning/education? What are the affordances of discussion
boards, chat, mobile texting for distance learning? |
3 |
Sarah,
Paticia, Eric, Mae & Star |
What
is distance learning/education? What are the affordances of telephone,
television, radio, and video chat? |
4 |
Katrina
& George |
After
reading through all of your peer's responses, use the next several
days until the Monday, May 21st class to have an asynchronous discussion
defining distance education and explaining how the evolution of techology
is changing this defintion. |
To define
distance learning/education, study the definitions that each of the authors
of today's readings give. As you study the affordances, you will want
to ask what does the technology allow you to do as a teacher? what does
it not allow to do as a teacher? Think about these questions both in general
and as a writing teacher.
Please do
not move to another media, such as talking, texting or chat to expedite
the discussion; part of the purpose of using the Discussion Board is to
examine the technology in practice. Each group will have 60 minutes to
address these questions.
Discussion
We will
discuss the following:
- What
questions did you have about the readings?
- What
is a good definition for distance learning/education today?
- What
can we learn from distance education's history? In Peter's articles,
what attitudes and practices toward distance education still resonate
today, which are different? Why do you think these changes have occurred?
- What
are the affordances that various media provide to teaching from a distance?
specifically teaching writing from a distance?
- On page
151 of Hantula and Pawlowicz, they quote Gilbert who states, "If
you begin with a devise of any kind, you will try to develop the teaching
program to fit that device." What strategies or heuristics would
you recommend for the process of designing one's writing class that
accounts for Gilbert's warning?
- What
did you like about using the discussion board to facilitate the discussion,
especially synchronously? What was frustrating?
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