Net 25 Interview with PCS president Dr. Lemuel Brana

Distance Education

Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom. It has been described as "a process to create and provide access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance, or both." Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason (including taking examinations) have been referred to ashybrid or blended courses of study.


Technologies used in delivery

The types of available technologies used in distance education are divided into two groups: synchronous learning and asynchronous learning.

Synchronous learning technology is a mode of delivery where all participants are "present" at the same time. It resembles traditional classroom teaching methods despite the participants being located remotely. It requires a timetable to be organized. Web conferencing, videoconferencing, educational television, Instructional television are examples of synchronous technology, as are direct-broadcast satellite (DBS), internet radio, live streaming, telephone, and web-based VoIP.

The asynchronous learning mode of delivery is where participants access course materials on their own schedule and so is more flexible. Students are not required to be together at the same time. Mail correspondence, which is the oldest form of distance education, is an asynchronous delivery technology and others include message board forums, e-mail, video and audio recordings, print materials, voicemail and fax.

The two methods can be combined in the delivery of one course. For example, some courses offered by The Open University use periodic sessions of residential or day teaching to supplement the remote teaching.

Other technology methods used in the delivery of distance education include online three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds. A popular 3D virtual world, active worlds, is used for synchronous and asynchronous learning. Active Worlds provides opportunities for students to work collaboratively.


Major benefits of use: an institutional perspective

Diana G. Oblinger, writing specifically of the US context, has identified four broad reasons why educational institutions might embrace distance learning:

Expanding access: distance education can assist in meeting the demand for education and training demand from the general populace and businesses, especially because it offers the possibility of a flexibility to accommodate the many time-constraints imposed by personal responsibilities and commitments.

Alleviate capacity constraints: being mostly or entirely conducted off-site, the system reduces the demand on institutional infrastructure such as buildings.

Making money from emerging markets: she claims an increasing acceptance from the population of the value of lifelong learning, beyond the normal schooling age, and that institutions can benefit financially from this by adopting distance education. She sees sectors of education such as courses for business executives as being "more lucrative than traditional markets".

Catalyst for institutional transformation: the competitive modern marketplace demands rapid change and innovation, for which she believes distance education programs can act as a catalyst.

Casey and Lorenzen have identified another financial benefit for the institutions of the US, stating that distance education creates new graduates who might be willing to donate money to the school who would have never have been associated with the school under the traditional system.

BLOGSITE: A Useful Tool in Education

A blog (a portmanteau of the term web log) is a personal journal published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first. Blogs are usually the work of a single individual, occasionally of a small group, and often are themed on a single subject. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.


The emergence and growth of blogs in the late 1990s coincided with the advent of web publishing tools that facilitated the posting of content by non-technical users. (Previously a knowledge of such technologies as HTML and FTP had been required to publish content on the Web.)


Although not a must, most good quality blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via GUI widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. In that sense, blogging can be seen as a form of social networking. Indeed, bloggers do not only produce content to post on their blogs but also build social relations with their readers and other bloggers.


Many blogs provide commentary on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries; yet still others function more as online brand advertising of a particular individual or company. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blogging or vlogging), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting). Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.



TYPES OF BLOGS

Here are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also in the way that content is delivered or written. Personal blogs 

The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. One type of personal blog, referred to as a microblog, is extremely detailed and seeks to capture a moment in time. Some sites, such as Twitter, allow bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with friends and family, and are much faster than emailing or writing. Corporate and organizational blogs 

A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business purposes. Blogs used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a corporation or externally for marketing, branding orpublic relations purposes are called corporate blogs. Similar blogs for clubs and societies are called club blogs, group blogs, or by similar names; typical use is to inform members and other interested parties of club and member activities. By genre 

Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as political blogs, travel blogs (also known as travelogs), gardening blogs, house blogs, fashion blogs, project blogs, education blogs, niche blogs, classical music blogs, quizzing blogs and legal blogs (often referred to as a blawgs) or dreamlogs. Two common types of genre blogs are art blogs and music blogs. A blog featuring discussions especially about home and family is not uncommonly called a mom blog and one made popular is by Erica Diamond who created Womenonthefence.com which is syndicated to over two million readers monthly. While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole purpose of spamming is known as a Splog. By media type 

A blog comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one comprising photos is called a photoblog.Blogs with shorter posts and mixed media types are called tumblelogs. Blogs that are written on typewriters and then scanned are called typecast or typecast blogs; see typecasting (blogging).

A rare type of blog hosted on the Gopher Protocol is known as a Phlog. By device 

Blogs can also be defined by which type of device is used to compose it. A blog written by a mobile device like a mobile phone or PDA could be called a moblog. One early blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared diary of a person's personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live from a wearable computer and EyeTap device to a web site. This practice of semi-automated blogging with live video together with text was referred to as sousveillance. Such journals have been used as evidence in legal matters. Reverse blog 

A Reverse Blog is composed by its users rather than a single blogger. This system has the characteristics of a blog, and the writing of several authors. These can be written by several contributing authors on a topic, or opened up for anyone to write. There is typically some limit to the number of entries to keep it from operating like a Web Forum.


COMMUNITY AND CATALOGING

The Blogosphere 

The collective community of all blogs is known as the blogosphere. Since all blogs are on the internet by definition, they may be seen as interconnected and socially networked, through blogrolls, comments, linkbacks (refbacks, trackbacks or pingbacks) and backlinks. Discussions "in the blogosphere" are occasionally used by the media as a gauge of public opinion on various issues. Because new, untapped communities of bloggers can emerge in the space of a few years, Internet marketers pay close attention to "trends in the blogosphere". Blog search engines 

Several blog search engines are used to search blog contents, such as Bloglines, BlogScope, and Technorati. Technorati, which is among the more popular blog search engines, provides current information on both popular searches and tags used to categorize blog postings. The research community is working on going beyond simple keyword search, by inventing new ways to navigate through huge amounts of information present in the blogosphere, as demonstrated by projects like BlogScope.[citation needed] Blogging communities and directories 

Several online communities exist that connect people to blogs and bloggers to other bloggers, including BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog. Interest-specific blogging platforms are also available. For instance, Blogster has a sizable community of political bloggers among its members. Global Voices aggregates international bloggers, "with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in international mainstream media." Blogging and advertising 

It is common for blogs to feature advertisements either to financially benefit the blogger or to promote the blogger's favorite causes. The popularity of blogs has also given rise to "fake blogs" in which a company will create a fictional blog as a marketing tool to promote a product.

;-� J$i - Pk �2 -adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing:0px'>Global Voices aggregates international bloggers, "with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in international mainstream media." Blogging and advertising 

It is common for blogs to feature advertisements either to financially benefit the blogger or to promote the blogger's favorite causes. The popularity of blogs has also given rise to "fake blogs" in which a company will create a fictional blog as a marketing tool to promote a product.

Urban Dance Showcase : Poreotics

Snow: The Oracle

Pen Spinning

Dancing: Art of Expression

Along with the immensely popular genre of hip hop music, hip hop dance history is a facet that has really boosted the popularity of the hip hop culture. Over a period of time hip hop dance has really caught on big time in the mainstream media, and the exposure it is given nowadays, is a good indicator of how many people across the world really relate to it and practice it. There are many old school and new school dance forms that have embraced the hip hop dance culture now, and hip hop dance history tells the story of that rise. Hip hop dance primarily refers to the dance form that is performed to hip hop music, and is usually synonymous with that music. Some trademark moves like locking, popping and breaking have come to be easily related to hip hop dance. The most intriguing part of hip hop dance is the absence of any restrictions (known as free-styling), a method in which pretty much anything goes. This has lent credence to the belief that hip hop dance is not bound by any predetermined moves and rules, and that there are no boundaries. The dance, like the minds of the dancers, is meant to transcend through barriers of segregation. The dance commonly occurs in the form of 'battles' between individual dancers, or 2 groups of dancers, and usually occurs in a randomly selected area on the streets. It is more a tussle of psychological and mental dogmas, than the moves itself.

Breakdancing: Floor Wars

Instructional Computer Functions

Instructional functions serve the “learner” element of the system and can augment or replace the “materials”, “monitor” and/or “author-teacher elements”. To fit properly into this category, an application must be directly involved in the learning process. The ultimate user is the “learner”, although the “author-teacher” is also a user, particularly during development and design. It is possible that some data banks information retrieval systems can meet these requirements and be part of an instructional system. Specially designed training computers or other computers used as training aids fit this definition, as do some simulation and gaming applications. It is both logical and convenient to divide instructional functions into two categories: in one the computer does the teaching, while in the other the computer assists a human teacher.

Unfortunately, it has become almost common practice to use the term computer assisted instruction for the process in which the computer does the teaching. It is thus necessary at this point to consider more carefully the various definitions of CAI. One of the broadest definitions is that of Engel (1969): Computer-Assisted Instruction may be thought of as any means by which educational processes are furthered by the use of computers. Stansfield (1968) is equally general: We mean by CAI: using computers to teach people- we don’t mean teaching people to use computers, or teaching people about computer technology. The Association for Computing Machinery (1967) has used both a broad sense definition of “the use of computers in human learning situations”, and a narrow sense of definition: A method of instruction in which a learner and a computer interact with one another, with this two- way communication producing human learning and retention of this learning. Furthermore, the computer program with which the learner interacts must be developed with specific behavioral objectives in mind. 1. In other words, in CAI the computer actually instructs! 2. Based on stimulus-response theory in learning psychology: the computer presents the stimulus, the learner responds, the computer provides feedback as to the correctness of the response and, depending upon various criteria, may provide reinforcement, remedial instruction or new instruction in the next step. Equally important are those items which the ACM cited as specifically not being examples of CAI:

1. Demonstrating problem solutions in class

2. Problem-solving by students

3. Library information retrieval by students, faculty and staff

4. Student guidance

5. Student and class scheduling

6. Educational accounting, records and statistics

7. Payroll and purchasing

In a paper presented at the 21st National ACM Conference in 1966, Leonard and Gloria Silvern (1966) said: CAI is a man-machine relationship in which the man is a learner and the machine is the computer system. Two- way communication exists, with the objective of human learning and retention . . . During instruction, the only humans in the system would be learners. . The mere presence of a computer in an educational environment is not sufficient to define it as a computer-assisted instruction system. To be CAI, the computer must actually instruct the student, and not be simply a tool to assist in solving problems or retrieving information. But the term CAI should be reserved for those particular learning situations in which a computer contains a stored instructional program designed to inform, guide, control and test the student until a prescribed level of proficiency is reached. Less restrictive is the definition of CAI provided by Feingold (1968)” CAI means using the computer to control or monitor the presentation of some portion of information. The sequence of presentation is not necessarily a function of the student’s response to information received; the student’s response to information received; an electronic slide projector operating with an automatic timer is a simple example of analog computer presenting information independently of the student’s response. As if having second thoughts about the preceding definition, Feingold goes on to say: A more complete definition would include the notion of interaction. Interaction is the sequence of operations in which the computer presents some information, the student responds, and the computer, on the basis of his response, presents more information. The computer’s ability to interact with a student is fundamental to the achievement of meaningful instruction whenever the instruction is such that it can vary according to the student’s performance.

Thus, Feingold is essentially in agreement with the Silvern and the ACM. The U.S. Continental Army Command (CONARC) uses the term (1969) “Computer- Assisted Instruction” wherein “most of the teaching functions are accomplished by use of the computer” and “Computer- Based Instruction” in which “the computer is used essentially as a training aid”. These are complemented by “Computer Support of the Instructor” which provides “indirect support f an instructional situation” and from the earlier discussion should be thought of as an ancillary function not unique to education. CONARC’s complete definition of CAI is: A man-machine interaction in which most of the training functions are accomplished by the use of the computer in direct support of a training situation. Both training material and tutorial logic are stored in computer memory. The broad and general definitions of CAI are rejected as being of little value and as being very apt to lead to confusion. In the more explicit definitions there is general agreement that CAI must include: 1. Instructional material presented to the learner entirely under computer control. 2. Interaction between the learner and the computer. These two points are generally sufficient to allow us to separate what should be accepted as CAI from other educational applications of computers

Approaches to ICT Development

Approaches to ICT Development Advances in technology and the way technology is incorporated into a system is a dynamic process. Each school must work within the context of its own system to fit choices to what best suits its unique situation and culture. Even within a school, various units or courses may use different approaches. The approaches are hierarchical with the emerging approach as a beginning point, and the transforming approach as a goal many perceive as the future of education.

Emerging 

The emerging approach is linked with schools at the beginning stages of ICT development. Such schools begin to purchase computer equipment and software or perhaps have had some donated. In this initial phase, administrators and teachers are just starting to explore the possibilities and consequences of adding ICT for school management and the curriculum. The school is still firmly grounded in traditional, teacher-centered practice. For example, teachers tend to lecture and provide content while students listen, take notes, and are assessed on the prescribed content. School organization provides discrete time periods for each subject. Learners' access to technology is through individual teachers. A curriculum that focuses on basic skills and an awareness of the uses of ICT assists movement to the next approach.

Applying 

The applying approach is linked with schools in which a new understanding of the contribution of ICT to learning has developed. In this phase, administrators and teachers use ICT for tasks already carried out in school management and in the curriculum. Teachers still largely dominate the learning environment. For example, instructing may be supplemented with ICT such as electronic slide presentations and word-processed handouts. Students receive instruction and add notes to teacher prepared handouts. They use ICT tools to complete required lessons and are assessed on prescribed content. School organization provides discrete time periods for each subject with some flexibility to combine subjects and time periods. Learner access to technology is through one or two classroom computers and computer labs. Until now, ICT has been taught as a separate subject area. To move to the next phase, the school chooses to implement an ICT-based curriculum that increases ICT across various subject areas with the use of specific tools and software.

Infusing 

The infusing approach is linked with schools that now have a range of computer-based technologies in laboratories, classrooms, and administrative areas. Teachers explore new ways in which ICT changes their personal productivity and professional practice. The curriculum begins to merge subject areas to reflect real-world applications. For example, content is provided from multiple sources, including community and global resources through the World Wide Web. Students' access to technology enables them to choose projects and ICT tools that stimulate learning and demonstrate their knowledge across subject areas. School organization provides the flexibility to combine subjects and time periods. Learners have more choices with regard to learning styles and pathways. They take more responsibility for their own learning and assessment. ICT is taught to selected students as a subject area at the professional level. To advance to the next phase, schools choose an ICT curriculum that allows a project-based, ICT-enhanced approach. These schools begin to involve the community more in the learning environment and as resource providers.

Transforming 

The transforming approach is linked with schools that have used ICT creatively to rethink and renew school organization. ICT becomes an integral though invisible part of the daily personal productivity and professional practice. The focus of the curriculum is now much more learner- centered and integrates subject areas in real-world applications. For example, Students may work with community leaders to solve local problems by accessing, analyzing, reporting, and presenting information with ICT tools. Learners’ access to technology is broad and unrestricted. They take even more responsibility for their own learning and assessment. ICT is taught as a subject area at an applied level and is incorporated into all vocational areas. The school has become a centre of learning for the community.