To use or not to use...that is the question?

Educational resources are subject to the same copyright laws that exist for other forms of publication and this includes incorporating subject matter or images that may have been located, accessed, copied and or adapted via the internet. However, traditional copyright laws are somewhat ambiguous in regards to the internet, as these statutes were originally written before the ‘information highway’ dramatically changed the landscape of modern society (Hill 2008). As a rule, the education sector is generally allowed to utilise and incorporate 5% of copyrighted material into resources and this allowance is usually stipulated for use in non-commercial purposes, such as education. This allowance is outlined by Wollerton (2009, online) who details the amendment to current legislation and writes that; “Fair Dealing...is an exemption in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 which allows a degree of copying (i.e. single copies of short extracts of copyrighted works) for the purposes of “research or private study”. Similarly, the American “TEACH Act enables nonprofit, accredited academic institutions to use copyright-protected material for the purpose of distance education, without the need to pay royalties or obtain permission from the owner” (Lakhan and Khurana 2008, online).

However, it may be prudent for educational practitioners who decide to avail themselves of any such materials, to ensure that there is no infringement on the rights of the creator and seek further clarification and or permission to use such material. The educator should ideallly limit the amount of copies made to a reasonable level and limit the period of use. It may also be pertinent to cite the creator or author accordingly by the using some form of referencing guide incorporated into the resource.

Reference List

Hill, C. (2008) Teaching with e-learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 2nd Edition. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd.

Lakhan, S., and Khurana, M. (2008) Intellectual property, copyright, and fair use in education. [Online]. Available: http://www.academicleadership.org/emprical_research/289.shtml [28th January 2010].

Wollerton, H. (2009) University Copyright Guidelines. [Online]. Available: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/gov/legalservices/whentouse/copyright [28th January 2010].

Dinosaurs will die.

Does the emergence and implementation of educational technology herald the extinction of the traditional role of the educator? As bizarre as this question seems, there are genuine concerns as to the longevity of practitioners who still covet the traditional techniques of “chalk and talk” and choose to remain in technological isolation. As a consequence, Wilson (2000, online) argues that the traditional role of the teacher will eventually be eliminated and refers to Time (2000) who write that "the role of the educator will be one of the top five jobs that will cease to exist by the turn of the next century" (Time 2000, cited in Wilson 2000, online). Nevertheless, these and similar hypotheses are dismissed by certain academics (see for example; Beadle 2008, online and Stoll 1995, online) who argue that 'virtual reality' is not a viable replacement for the traditional educator and that the reliance on computers can detract from the ‘physical dynamics’ often experienced by both the tutor and student. Kennedy (2008, online) agrees with this sentiment and states that “research has shown that students who interact face-to-face with their instructors and other students tend to be more academically balanced than their online counterparts”.

After considering the aforementioned arguments, the integration of technology should not necessarily mean that conventional methods are now obsolete and Beaman (1996, online) believes that the role of the teacher should gradually evolve towards new modes of tuition, thus enabling authentic learning. Regardless of the ongoing debate, vocational based subjects will still require a traditional approach to learning, as technology cannot physically deliver both vocational expertise and the practical skills that are required for this sector of education.

Reference List

Beadle, P. (2008) A step too far. [Online]. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/apr/01/schools.news1 [23rd January 2010].

Beaman, R. (1996) Misusing the Media for Teaching. [Online]. Available: http://www.2learn.ca/Projects/Together/KWORDS/traditiw.html [8th December 2009].

Kennedy, R. (2008) Will Online Classes Replace Traditional Colleges In The Future? [Online]. Available: http://www.articlesbase.com/print/345980 [19th January 2010].

Stoll, C. (1995) Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway. [Online]. Available: http://otec.uoregon.edu/arguments_against.htm [3rd December 2009].

Wilson, C. (2000) E-learning with the E-teacher: Considerations for On-line Course Design. [Online]. Available: http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/December2000/art422000.htm [19th January 2010].

The Educational Mainframe

Virtual Learning Environments (VLE’s) are software systems that support course management, administration and information and are regarded as the principal working platform for many educational providers. More importantly, these systems provide a technical solution from which e-learning can take place (Armitage et al. 2007, p.129) and many combine both functional and technical components that link the course database to the student database to facilitate learning (Martens and Achten 2008, online).

One such digital framework is MOODLE (an acronym for ‘Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment’), but unlike similar VLE’s, this system in particular is claimed to support “a social constructionist epistemology” (Wild 2008, pp.10-11). In layman’s terms, students are able to learn together as a collective by sharing knowledge and other associated resources by using forums, chats and wikis. In a pedagogic sense, its flexibility can therefore be used for a range of activities which may accommodate the various learning styles of the individual students.

However, although Moodle was designed to be both teacher and activity-centric, facilitators tend to use the system to store educational resources and to distribute the material to the learner when appropriate (Hart 2009, online). In this context, Moodle can then be interpreted as a mere resource repository and this can be attributed to the ignorance of the tutor who may be unaware of how to utilise the system to its full potential.

Reference List

Armitage, A., Bryant R., Dunhill, R., Flanagan, K., Hayes, D., Hudson, A., Kent, J., Lawes, S., and Renwick, M. (2007) Teaching and Training in Post Compulsory Education. 3rd Edition. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.

Berthelemy, M. (2009) Moodle – the wrong tool for the job? [Online]. Available: http://www.learning conversations.co.uk/main/index.php/2009/11/13/moodle-the-wron... [18th January 2010].

Martens, B., and Achten, H. (2008) Do you Moodle? Experiences with a Virtual Learning Environment. [Online]. Available: http://alexandria.tue.nl/openaccess/Metis219449.pdf [18th January 2010].

Wild, I. (2008) Moodle Course Conversion: Beginner’s Guide. Birmingham: PACKT Publishing.

Inserting Social Networking into Education

The internet has changed the landscape of modern society dramatically since its initial conception and has brought about a wealth of information that is readily available to the majority of the global population (Bowles 2009, online). When considering the implications and the future impact of the digital age, education should be at the very forefront of utilising these resources to prepare the learners for the future. However, attempting to incorporate some of these technologies into a class setting can be problematic and one such example is the concept of social or collaborative learning via the use of social networking sites.

Hill (2008, p.71) briefly comments on the use of such interfaces and believes that “learning is a social activity” and that many learners already make extensive use of these types of tools. However, he maintains that it is the responsibility of the respective tutor to persevere in helping the learners realise how this type of collaboration can actually enhance learning and that its use should not be just viewed as an opportunity to socialise frivolously during lessons. However, Bugeja (2009, online) is far more scathing in his criticism of social networking and believes that such resources have moved from being a mere delivery system, to classroom content and has ended up being used as a virtual classroom. He strenuously argues that pedagogy is often changed to accommodate this style of learning and argues that it should be the resource that is aligned to current educational practice and not the other way around.

Reference List

Bowles, D. (2009) Collaborative Learning and the Open Educational Resource Movement [Online]. Available: http://cnx.org/content/m22251/latest/ [14 January 2010].

Bugeja, M. (2008) Online debate: the pros and cons of social networking in education [Online]. Available: http://educationpr.org/2008/01/16/online-debate-the-pros-and-cons-of-social-networki... [8th January 2010].

Hill, C. (2008) Teaching with e-learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 2nd Edition. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd.

E-Learning: Accessibility and Inclusivity

Inclusivity and accessibility are both an important factor when considering the use of e-learning in the educational setting. Both of these issues are primarily linked to minimising potential barriers that prevent learners from actively taking part in the learning process (Hill 2008, pp.38-40). As a result, the implementation and use of Information Learning Technology (ILT) can enhance the accessibility for learners, but more importantly it can help meet the varying needs of the individual student. For example, font size can be adjusted instantly by the click of a mouse, as can the background colour of the screen. Both can augment the clarity of the resource for those who are visually impaired or suffer from Dyslexia. For those learners who suffer from hearing loss, then written transcripts can also be utilised to compliment any auditory material that is incorporated into the lessons (Hillier 2005, p.122 and Reece and Walker 2007, p.192) and voice recognition and screen reading software can enable those learners who have poor literacy skills to actively participate in the lessons.

However, traditional methods of inclusive practice are still a viable alternative if such technologies prove unreliable, the software is unavailable due to financial constraints, or if there is a limited amount of resources available at any one time. Because of these potential pitfalls, many practitioners still use or revert to coloured paper, enlarged font printing and the insertion of Learning Support staff into sessions as a contingency to enable inclusivity and accessibility.

Reference List

Hill, C. (2008) Teaching with e-learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 2nd Edition. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd.

Hillier, Y. (2005) reflective teaching in further and adult education. 2nd Edition. London: Continuum.

Reece, I., and Walker, S. (2007) Teaching, training & learning: A practical guide. 6th Edition. Tyne and Wear: Business Education Publishers.