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A learning revolution - It's about
time!
The surest sign of pending change is to ask someone what memories
they have of their last classroom education experience. Odds are
their thoughts will turn to brutal traffic or parking problems,
expensive course fees, groups that could never meet, instructors
that were not available or endless boring note taking. Based on
this, much of the traditional classroom learning experience is certainly
ripe for overhaul.
And the pressure for change is clearly growing. As the rate of
new information growth accelerates, the rewards for effectively
educating become increasingly lucrative. This applies to the individual
managing personal career prospects as well as businesses seeking
competitive advantages - everyone must increasingly keep current
to stay competitive.
For technical writers, this learning payback is equally true as
indicated by the web site http://www.technicalwriter.computerjobs.com.
This site indicates that while the average technical writers salary
in the U.S. earns $42k, those skilled in the new document language
of XML command an average salary of $61k, a 43% premium!
Against this backdrop, the Internet is quietly revolutionizing education
(along with so many other aspects of our lives). E-learning is
actually becoming a business weapon - reducing the time and cost
of training, expanding the knowledge base of employees and even
leading to a richer educational experience.
Experts state that online training can create a 50% time saving
and a 40-60% cost saving compared to regular classroom training.
The biggest advantage is neither the cost or the speed, but rather
the student's convenience in effectively learning when they can
afford the time, wherever they are. To explore this further, we
must look at the "how" of online learning before the benefits can
be fully appreciated. Online or "internet" learning means that a
student can access a digital cache of information (data, voice and/or
video) to take a lesson. To combat the isolation of learning online,
the most effective internet learning programs also provide:
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an instructor to lead the class,
answer questions and communicate assignments and course milestones,
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online tests, assignments and
personal feedback to provide "learning by doing", |
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frequent, responsive internet
communication between both instructors and classmates for
questions and discussions, |
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online collaborative "group learning"
(learning from classmates via chat groups, bulleting boards,
email, voice links), and |
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world-wide "anytime, anywhere"
student access to the course - including course media that
can be accessed over both high and low speed lines and content
that is continuously updated to the most current internet
knowledge sources. |
Given the above, the likely scenario is a student who already has
a busy life "logging on to learn" when convenient before the next
course deadline! There is no fixed schedule for learning - you
can work at it when you have the time. In practical experience,
an instructor pushing you to meet a course milestone is an essential
safeguard to help ensure you keep progressing, especially given
all the freedom of online courses.
Unlike the traditional classroom model, instructor access is not
focused around the 10 minutes after class, and you do not have to
ask questions in front of everyone! The "norm" is a personal email
that the instructor responds to - or a list of FAQs (Frequently
Asked Questions) that the course provides the students.
Online feedback via tests and marked assignments are critical components
of the online learning process. Many online learning proponents
believe that an internet course should last at least a few weeks
to allow time for the personal effort and thinking that is associated
with real learning.
Many internet courses support group meetings and assignments, facilitated
by email, private chat rooms, bulletin boards and voice calls.
This form of meeting is certainly more convenient than traditional
group meetings, especially considering that many prefer the anonymity
of an email exchange to meeting a stranger in person for group work.
Add to this the power of a personal network of classmates that could
span the globe and you have a powerful learning tool!
Saving the best for last. Imagine a class where the day that new
research occurs across the world that it can be part of your class
material. The speed of the Internet - and its research potential
- can open new doors to course content and the depth of material
you can personally take interest in. It's like having an unlimited-content
textbook!
Given all this, it is should be no surprise that the IDC expects
the market for technology-delivered training to pass $11 billion
by 2003 in the U.S. alone! It may be of interest that analysts
are predicting that the greatest growth will be in non-technical
training areas for custom online course development, such as process,
policy or company product training.
No matter the type of content, the fact is this revolution is benefiting
students in both their ability to access knowledge and in expanding
their potential to really learn. The breakthrough we needed is
the convenience and the power of the Internet. So it is finally
okay to "skip class", but don't tell them I said so.
Dr. Paul Beam is a professor in the English Department at the University
of Waterloo, where he instructs and does research in online learning
and technical writing. He is working with other principals of Online-Learning.com
to provide courses in technical subjects and to develop custom online
courses for commercial companies.
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