Telecommunications in your toolbox

It's interesting when we as educators get out of the box and introduce new methods of learning to our students. We find ourselves moving cautiously because "this isn't the traditional way" of learning. Learning can now be achieved in not only the traditional classroom, but also through telecommunications.

With the rapid growth of technology and the Internet, coursework offered through telecommunications is increasing worldwide. Many individuals question the differences between learning in traditional classrooms and via telecommunications, or "telelearning" (Tiffin & Rajasingham, 1995).

Traditional Classrooms

In the 1800's and continuing on into the 1900's, established schools were housed in one-room school buildings. These schools usually consisted of nothing more than four walls, blackboard, chairs and tables. The physical presence of the instructor and students in one location was necessary, and students had to travel to an appointed location to meet together to learn.

Students were usually expected to stay in their assigned desks while the teacher stood in front of the class directing all instructional activities primarily through verbal presentations and using the chalkboard.

Much of our current educational system is based on this educational model, though a number of differences are found. Currently, traditional instruction is verbal and visual through the use of not only the chalkboard, but also the overhead projector, and television.

As part of this traditional model, students usually receive their assignments, if given one, near the end of the class period and are required to complete them out of class and be returned by a given date. This method of learning requires the student to retain information to be used at a later time.

Learning in traditional classrooms is centralized and hierarchical (Tiffin and Rajasingham,1995). The teacher is the center, the authority figure, and the knowledge giver of the classroom. As a result, students may have little control over their own learning within the teacher-directed classroom model. (Harasim, 1990).

Telelearning Characteristics

There are various telecommunication instructional delivery systems. They include educational broadcast television, instructional television, oneway and two-way audio, video conferencing, and computer-mediated communication. Instruction through the use of computer-mediated communication is becoming more and more popular.

The Internet and the World Wide Web allow learners and instructors to interact both synchronously (bound by time, but not by place) and asynchronously (not bound by time or place) and conduct "telelearning" (Tiffin & Rajasingham, 1995, p. 78).

Assignments can be done and turned in at the learner's convenience, and the World Wide Web itself consists of vast resources, which assist the learner's search of constantly updated information.

Learning via telecommunications provides opportunities for active student involvement. A major goal of collaborative learning is the participation of students in learning. In the controlled environment of the traditional classroom, the majority of student learning is limited to memorization of material delivered by the instructor whereas in collaborative learning, students learn how to discuss, research, investigate, and disseminate facts individually or in small groups with other students.

As a result, students have more ownership in their learning. Thus their learning shifts from a listener competitor to a problem solver - team player.

The process of creating, analyzing, and evaluating in collaboration strengthens socialization skills, increases cultural awareness, and increases general interest, focus, and synthesis efforts (Ellsworth, 1997).

Electronic dissemination of collaborative projects provides students unlimited opportunities for sharing the results of their learning experience. The traditional classroom affords students the opportunity to share their work with their teacher and a few peers. As students communicate and collaborate through their learning activities, a forum for sharing their work is needed.

Electronic dissemination provides this opportunity. Students gain interaction with other students who have additional thoughts and comments to build upon foundational ideas developed in the collaboration process.

E-mail is one way of sharing student generated collaborative projects whether it is addressed to specific individuals or classes, or to a listserve for group dissemination. In addition, the World Wide Web provides an almost limitless audience for sharing collaborative projects over web pages, while enabling schools to develop learning communities.

Online Learning Model

The computer is a tool, which offers learners the capability to complete multiple tasks such as searching, saving, revising, retrieving, and distributing information. The Internet allows enhancement of both teaching and learning.

Self-directed Learning

In contrast to traditional classroom learning, on-line learning encourages self-directed learning. Tiffin and Rajasingham (1995) see online learning as "decentralized", "democratic" and "learner-based" (p. 122). Students are given a measure of freedom to control the learning pace, sequence, and content. As a result of this freedom, learners must have responsibility for their own learning and discovery of knowledge. This self-directed learning component is reinforced as students recognize and value the breadth of information sources, search those sources, evaluate and choose sources, and retrieve information using all forms of media, technology, and telecommunications.

Critical Thinking and Cognitive Learning

The decentralized and flexible telecommunications environment provides opportunity for critical thinking and strengthens the learner's cognitive skills. Online conferences and discussions prompt learners to actively collect, handle, organize, and construct information. Learners are not acquiring knowledge passively through memorization or note taking because higher order thinking skills such as synthesis, analysis and evaluation are used in evaluating data to transform it into useful information and knowledge to solve problems.

Collaborative Learning

The concept of collaborative learning could very well be carried out in the online environment. Students are not only learning from their instructor but are also learning from students at other locations. Several skills are acquired through effective collaborative learning via telecommunication: problem solving, social skills, communication, various academic skills and acquiring information.

Active Learning

Harasim (1990) points out the reasons that on-line teaching would encourage active learning. First, collaborative work and research prompt active seeking and sharing of information and knowledge. Second, equitable participation ensures that each learner is highly necessary to group work, and active contributions of knowledge assist the progress of each member. Third, the asynchronous mode of online activity allows learners to input information at their own convenience and from an unspecified location; therefore, the frequency of interactivity increases. Shy learners were found to be interacting more frequently than in the face-to-face mode, according to a study by Montgomerie and Harapnuik (1997). They found that students became more open in discussions and reflected their thoughts in depth while in the online course. Last, active learning is also produced by the text-based nature of the Internet. Reading encourages learners to construct meaning of the information they are to share and to verbalize the information structurally, thus encouraging active learning.

Conclusion

Using telecommunications, teachers become facilitators and guides where student learning is more interactive and generative; learning is more focused on knowledge building; students are engaged in challenging tasks and have more control over their own learning. Allowing yourself to "step out of the box," provides an environment that allows your students to become better problem solvers, thinkers, collaborators, and, perhaps most importantly, teachers of each other.