ED-MEDIA 1999 Proceedings Book - Association for the ...

How do we deal with conveying expert's knowledge via ADF
A particular problem we face is that most of our IT faculty have lived through the days of CBI and have a
wealth of experience and scars to show for it. Can we convey that experience in ADF Conveying
experience is important but not the only factor. Focussing on early approaches to Computer Based
Instruction, for example, can detract from the differences and emphasis in the new work on computer based
learning environments, constructivism, situated learning, and so forth. Furthermore, what design should be
chosen There is the issue of student choice over knowledge of essential content, as judged by the
connisseur professor. How are the disagreements within the group about what essential content should be
handled
How do students obtain access to the resources needed to complete the courses
A course which requires only reading material has a slight advantage over IT courses, which require that
students have access to some of the latest, most powerful and expensive hardware and software, such as
Authorware, NT Servers, and so forth. How is this equipment to be provided in ADF This raises issues
related to the choice of technologies, such as WWW, synchronous audio or videoconferencing, mailed CD-
ROMS, videotape, and fax.
What data should be tracked and how will it be tracked
Performance and communication data can be delivered easily on the WWW but systems to track and make
use of that data are still somewhat primitive and difficult or time-consuming to construct in terms of
programming, database access, and so forth. What should be tracked is an interesting question particularly
if assignments are made where assessment by judgements made on analysis and writing are deemed
important.
What issues arise from building a non-conventional degree in a conventional, research-oriented
university
Promotion, tenure, and the occasional deafening lack of interest are but many of the issues to be faced in
this category. As members of the Education Faculty, we are privileged that our research and course
development activities can coincide. What has been the experience of some of our colleagues and what
changes seem to be in the future
What is the reaction of students, who are by and large majoring in instructional technology
Student involvement in building ADF-courses and their reaction are always important issues. They are
particularly crucial when the students are studying IT as opposed to studying other content domains using
IT.
How does one build an infrastructure to promote ADF courses and degrees
ADF courses imply a certain infrastructure to develop and maintain. These include not only hardware,
software and telecommunications, but support, encouragement, and active participation by administration.
There is also the issue of providing an example to other departments and faculties, such as Adult and
Higher Education, Library, and the creation of a generic M.Ed. program.
What is the role of face to face (F2F) instruction in ADF
Is F2F instruction required in all situations Where can it be optimized and where can it be dispensed
with Is there a body of evidence that argues for or against effectiveness, efficiency and optimality of
learning with or without F2F Does it take more work to teach a course with significant group and
Computer Mediated Communication components A related issue is the conflict with the potential of ADF
and the mental models held by many current university instructors. Communication difficulties tend to be
amplified and take longer to resolve, particularly where asynchronous communication is involved. This
may be a trade off for the inability of an instructor to address individual questions in a large class of more
than 25 students.
What is the return on investment on course development for ADF
Most educational institutions view ADF as a cost, and an add-on cost at that, without considering either the
return on the investment or the cost of not implementing ADF. There are often to erroneous cost
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