Module+5


 * Module 5 - Costing Educational Media and Technologies: E-Learning**

In Module 5 we continued the topic of costing educational media and technologies - and in this conference, more specifically Internet-based technologies. The topics of discussion included:


 * Different types of e-learning, where e-learning can be defined as learning and teaching that is supported by technology. Here we refer back to Bates, Chapter 3, where the conference also discusses asynchronous (technologies that operate in real time) and synchronous (technologies that can be assessed at any time) learning, and one-way (simulated communication) vs. two-way traffic ("real" communication).
 * ICT = information and communications technology
 * CBT = computer based technologies
 * WBT = Web-based training
 * CBTs and WBTs
 * Type i - simulated interaction (information processing)
 * I made a comment in the conference - //Interesting information regarding these types of applications. In several online classes I have had experience, obviously as a student, with computer-marked assignments and interactive computer-marked assignments. I find these to be very helpful and a nice change in the typical online class, and now, looking at the cost - understand why we don't have them in every class. And for some reason, I didn't even contemplate that these applications could be saved to a CD-ROM and mailed to students - didn't even cross my mind, but glad to read that as well! However, as stated in the post - costly to develop, but allows for economies of scale.//
 * As quoted by Holmberg ([]), "the potential of distance education can be described in terms of
 * flexibility and student autonomy
 * academic quest, use of sources, analysis, interpretation and synthesis
 * methods and media. It basically depends on the communicative character of distance education, which can be said to include **both real and simulated communication. Communication in both its forms serves intellectual development, deep-level processing, the activation of cognitive skills and other truly educational purposes"** (p. 490). [Article posted in Readings & Web Links page of my wiki]
 * Virtual Seminars
 * Type c - sustaining communication
 * Parallels face-to-face teaching, as communication can be delivered several ways, and personally I believe creates more interaction and collaboration between the group:
 * instructor to student
 * student to student
 * instructor to group


 * Digital Convergence and the Importance of Scenarios
 * Learning management systems = software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content (eeek- Wikipedia - [])
 * I made a comment in the conference - //Interesting example of the South African university - paying $5,000 for 5 years for their LMS, then learning a comparable product at the end of that contract period = $100,000! I agree that this example clearly illustrates "why open source platforms should always be considered." Although at first some of these products might not have provided the institution with the "accessories" they preferred; however, some of them are actually pretty good. I found the attached two articles of interest - and posted in the webliography.// [I have posted in the Readings & Web Links page of my wiki]
 * Overview of Open Source Learning Management Systems
 * open-source-lms-10-alternatives
 * Learning Objects - what about using Open Educational Resources, why not? They can be a great resource to try and decrease costs!
 * OpenCourseWare Consortium [|OCW]
 * OER Commons [|OER Commons]
 * Open Educational Resources, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation [|Hewlett Foundation]
 * Business Models of Cooperation - if you're not keen on using OERs, there could possibly be other collaborations that could be cost efficient and allow institutions to recover some of their monies, should that be the desired method. Examples include:
 * Consortia
 * Partnerships
 * Strategic alliances - here is a link (and the document posted in the Readings & Web Links page of my wiki), pertaining to the strategic alliance between UMUC and the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg with regard to their MDE and certificate in DE programs - [|Ulrich Bernath]

The module ended with a wonderful visit by our guest speaker, Tony Bates. Comments are listed on my wiki page, Conferences with Visiting Experts.