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Logging has been enabled. Canadian Association for Distance Education MAUD Seminar on Teaching via the Internet Queen Room Advantages of On-Line Learning - Stephen Downes
Labatt is moderating. |
| paulm | Paul Muncaster | Wilfrid Laurier University | |
| gailt | Gail Thomasos | Addiction Research Foundation | |
| fredvw | Fred Van Winckel | George Brown College | |
| mum | Anita Watkins | George Brown College | |
| sharonm | Sharon Mulroney | Sault College | |
| peterg | Peter goulding | George Brown College | |
| gregt | Greg Turko | Ontario Ministry of Education and Training | |
| sunshine | Shelley Boushear | Sault College | |
| taylor | Andrea Cummins | ||
| lindak | Linda Kraemer | Wilfrid Laurier University | |
| tiger | Shawna De | Sault College | |
| labatt | Stephen Downes | Assiniboine Community College | |
| mtumpane | Michael Tumpane | George Brown College | |
| dinah | Dinah Ceplis | Assiniboine Community College | |
| moiram | Moira Morrison | Laurentian University | |
| sylvia | Sylvia Teare | independent consultant |
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Labatt says: OK, I guess we're all here Labatt says: Welcome to the session on 'The Advantages of On-Line Learning, and MAUDs in Partisular' Dinah says: hello labatt Labatt says: Hi Dinah... Labatt says: I have some remarks prepared - not surprisingly - but I would like this session to be informal and relaxed Labatt says: So I hope you'll feel free to interject with questions at any time - that's what being on-line is all about Labatt says: My talk divides into two major parts: the advantages of on-line learning generally, and the advantages of MAUDs in particular Labatt says: i'll talk first about the advantages of on-line learning generally first Labatt says: without regard to grammar ;) Labatt says: In my view, there are three major advantages to online learning: distance, interactivity, and cost Labatt says: Let me begin with distance Labatt says: i think you are all convinced to some degree as to the utility of distance learning, or you wouldn't be here Labatt says: Distance learning enables people in remote locations to take part in classes Fredvw says: how is on line learning cost effective ? Labatt says: I'll get to that in about two minutes, Fredvw Labatt says: distance learning enables institutions to share resources Labatt says: and distance learning often allows people to study in their own way at their own pace Labatt says: So let me move on quickly to the subject of cost Labatt says: And let me do it by way of comparison Fredvw says: thanks Labatt says: These seminars are held roughly on a monthly basis by CADE Labatt says: The normal procedure is to use a coast-to-coast teleconference Labatt says: I'm not sure how much that costs offhand, but my estimate is in the hundreds, or thousands of dollars -- does anyone here have a more precise fugure? Dinah says: bridge time plus long-distance Labatt says: By contrast, it is not costing us anything to hold this session on-line Labatt says: All of you are using already existing internet connections to log on Labatt says: so, the comparison in operating costs is: teleconference - hundreds of dollars, maud: 0 Paulm says: What about setup costs? Lindak says: not to the student Labatt says: a maud costs more to set up, true - you need a pentium computer (munimum) and time to configure the system Labatt says: So there is a cost there. For hardware only, you can get a maud running for about $5000 Sylvia says: ah yes, but somehow the maud setup costs admin etc are likely charged back to the faculty? Labatt says: But that is a one-time cost Mum says: what are the advantages to this oover say using the chat on something like First Class? Labatt says: getting to that, Mum :) Labatt says: The point here is that online conferencing is a lot cheaper than teleconferencing (and therefore audiographics), and much much much cheaper than interactive television Labatt says: I'll leave cost for now -- yes there is faculty time, I will admit that, however I think that the long distance charges+bridge costs really outweigh that Labatt says: the third major advantage of on-line learning is interactivity Labatt says: This is where a maud, for example, has an advantage over, say, print-based courses or even videos Labatt says: Now let me say too that I don't mean to infer here that online learning should replace these modes of learning Lindak says: videos can be very clear to a student who needs visuals Mtumpane says: Is there any way to 'thread' these questions/responses? Labatt says: what I am saying is that it is a significant and essential addition Labatt says: at this point no Sunshine says: You say that the maud has an advantage over print-based or videos, but I ne Labatt says: We are taking the value of interactivity as given Sunshine says: need more info Labatt says: with print-based or video you don't have the opportunity to chat with your instructor or fellow students Sunshine says: do I need a maud to chat? Labatt says: Something like this: where you can interject a question during the course of the presentation - is impossible otherwise Sunshine says: Thanks that explains the difference Labatt says: No Sunshine, you don't, I agree: but what i am establishing here is that on-line interactivity - chatting - is an important component of instruction Gregt says: Does this not assume a certainlevel of literacy and abilty for self expression. Labatt says: Yes it does Gregt Labatt says: That can be viewed in two ways Labatt says: first, the fact that you need to be able to express yourself in text may be an impairment to some potential students, and we have run into that on the maud Gregt says: If literacy is a determinant, then we are probably excluding many students whom we would want to "capture" so to speak. Labatt says: But on the other hand, using a maud improves your skills in this area (not to mention typing speed), meeting the goal of advancing writing skills in instruction Labatt says: yes it is. That's why I would certainly agree that a maud won't replace other forms of learning, and why too I think the concept of a maud shoulld be extended if possible to include graphics and sound Gregt says: Also, is there any information on how students react to this type of communication - that is not aural or visual and, in effect, not permanent as on paper? Paulm says: Voice Recognition Software could eliminate this problem. Labatt says: yes, and we are very close to enabling at least audio communication in this environment Labatt says: Jeff's talk was (I think) at least a partial answer to your last question gregt -- we'll have to look at the log of it after :) Labatt says: Let me now focus on the advantages of MAUDs in aprticular Labatt says: I believe the major advantages are (a) the fact that it can be used by most people, (b) its ease of use, and (c) its flexibility Labatt says: Almost everyone who has an internet connection can connect to a maud Labatt says: all that is needed is telnet access Labatt says: good evidence of that is the fact that many people from across the country were able to log in here Labatt says: you don't have to have windows, for example Paulm says: Less than 10% of Canadians have an internet connection. Labatt says: Right now Paulm you are correct Margareth says: but that will change rapidly Labatt says: however that number is rising exponentially Labatt says: during the christmas season this year in Winnipeg they sold 10,000 computers Taylor says: does that figure include people who don't ahve one personally but do through their schools? Dinah says: cost of long distance to those in rural areas Labatt says: at the start on 1995 there were 0 internet access providers in Brandon (pop. 42000), now there are four Margareth says: one of the advantages of Firt Class is that you can download formatted documents. Will that be true with a MAUD in the near future? Labatt says: In some provinces local access already exists even in rural areas, in others it will be available in a year or two Labatt says: you know Margareth, that never occurred to me :) Labatt says: we'll have to work on that Labatt says: Quite honestly, I haven't had a lot of experience with firstclass Margareth says: the advantage of such downloading is that I can receive formatted assignments. I don't want to be bothered with assignments in ascii. Labatt says: perhaps Margareth you can sketch its features for us briefly Mtumpane says: Is there a way here to symbolically raise your hand to ask a question? Labatt says: Normally you just ask it :) otherwise type wave Margareth says: with First Class I can send e-mail; it provides the ability to thread messages; I also have the ability to chat with others in real-time, and I can download formatted documents, even applications. Labatt says: i didn't know it had a real-time chat feature -- that's a significant advantage Margareth says: I can also organize and save messages in folders; I can set up conferences that allow only crtain people to be part of the conferen ce Paulm says: Is the chat for two people or is it multi-user? Dinah says: is first class as available as internet access? Margareth says: right now the disadvantage is that I have to do this all on-line Labatt says: One advantage of a maud I'm citing is that almost anybody can log on -- do people have to have certain hardware/software to use firstclass? Margareth says: Yes, you must have the First Class software installed on your machine Margareth says: and there must be a server Labatt says: The version you sent us required windows... which many people have ... can people without windows use it? Margareth says: yes! I use it on my MAC Labatt says: Another advantage of the maud that I cited is its flexibility Margareth says: Dinah, no First Class is perhaps not as available as internet access. The institution pays a license fee for its use Labatt says: One of the things that I like about the maud is that it can be adapted for specific use Labatt says: eg. we designed this conference facility Labatt says: we are also able to set up interactive areas (such as Jeff is showing on his tour) Labatt says: so, for example, you are actually put into a scenario where you must decide whether to commit euthanasia Margareth says: what improvements can we expect in the future? Mum says: Please give some other examples of scenarios. Labatt says: in the maud? That will depend on the clients -- we're going to have to move to a client, the way first class does, in order to display graphics and sound. Peterg says: I'd like to come back to interactivitiy, which Labatt says is a given, but, for example, the pacing of this discussion is so slow that i have trouble keeping focused attention. Labatt says: another example, Mum, is an illustration of an argument concerning abortion. You are virtually put in a position where you must remain attached to someone. The reactions from that from the students were amazing Labatt says: well sound would help that peterg Labatt says: but also we kept it deliberately slow because we have a lot of new user Labatt says: I think that the big difference between a maud and say firstclass or IRC (Inter Relay Chat) is that it simulates a virtual environment Labatt says: I can express a wide range of thoughts/ emotions here Mum says: but I haven't experienced that virtual environment simulation in this workshop. Where can I experience that? Labatt says: to see just a smaple of what I can express, type: help emotes Labatt says: Actually, Mum, we've kept you all fairly immobile in this seminar, again because there are a lot of new users Labatt says: OK, we need to wind down. Perhaps I haven't convinced you all, but that wasn't my intent. I hope you've found the experience interesting and worthwhile. Labatt says: Are there any final questions/comments before we reassemble in the plenary room? Margareth says: it's been very interesting. Mtumpane says: Thanks, Stephan Labatt says: OK, thank you then... let's meet the rest of the seminar in the plenary room. Margareth says: thanks Stephen Paulm says: is there any thought to a multi window client? Peterg says: thanks Labatt says: yeah Paulm, that's where I am headed with development Paulm says: One window for your comments, another for the discussion and a third for house keeping stuff? Labatt says: The next generation of MUDs will need a client Logging has been disabled.
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