Using Portable DVD Players to Deliver Interactive Simulations for Training Health Care Workers in Kenya

This chapter reports on a project in Kenya that explored the feasibility of using interactive simulations delivered by portable DVD players as a technology-based learning solution for providing continuing education to nurses by taking the instruction directly to the workplace of the nurses rather than by removing them from their villages and clinics to transport them to the capital city for training. Technology-based learning using simulations holds great promise as an alternative or supplement to traditional classroom-based training in low-resource settings. This study demonstrates that technology has the potential to deliver learner-centered interactive video simulations that provide consistent content and uniform learning experiences that produced significant learning gains in complex content and had high acceptance from participants.

Online Teaching Partnerships in Diverse Socio-Cultural Institutions

In this chapter, the authors present the case of an inter-institutional online teaching partnership. The partnership has allowed faculty and students from racially and socio-economically diverse institutions to interact with each other through synchronous and asynchronous distance learning technologies. Courses were developed and team-taught by faculty from the three partner institutions. Faculty who were new to the online teaching environment collaborated with and were mentored by experienced online instructors. These instructors became more experienced in teaching a diverse student population and more comfortable and competent within technology-mediated teaching environments. Students from diverse socio-economic, racial and experiential backgrounds engaged in a more heterogeneous learning environment and learned how to be more effective online learners. Cross-discipline partnerships resulted in new courses being added to the curriculum. The inter-institutional online teaching partnership is a way to provide teaching and learning that is socially accessible, technologically adaptable, economically viable, and politically agreeable.

Using the How People Learn Framework for Online Course Design in Teacher Education

The demand for online teacher education programs continues to grow in the United States. Two trends have fueled this dramatic growth for such programs: (1) The shortage of teachers in certain areas has prompted the spread of alternative routes to teacher preparation; (2) The nature of the higher education student in alternative programs has transformed from a traditional to a non-traditional profile. With the growth of online programs comes the need for effective courses. This case study uses the How People Learn (HPL) framework as the conceptual model to examine online courses in a teacher education program for evidence of high level learning outcomes. The case study involved data collection in the form of surveys, interviews and artifacts from four online classes using the HPL framework. Results of the study demonstrate that the HPL framework provides a powerful structure for creating and assessing environments conducive to the work of prospective professionals.

Development of a Transnational Framework for E-Learning Technologies

This case study looks at the creation of a Transnational Framework for e-Learning Technologies. It describes how the original study which aimed to “Develop a Framework for e-Learning” through a given exemplar in a United Kingdom institution, has gone through several iterations. From initially considering e-Tutoring/e-Moderating from a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) point of view, to the adoption of Blended Learning as a solution to problems revealed by the Framework. Proceeding to evaluate e-Learning in terms of PESTE (Political, Economic, Social, Technical and Environmental) factors, restated here in the form of STEP (Social, Technological, Economical and Political) factors, which led to the realization of major external issues for e-Learning. Most recently, the study evolved to revisit e-Learning from an HCI and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) perspective, by applying a Cooperative Work Framework. The resulting final incarnation, a Transnational Framework for e-Learning, is thus presented.

Japanese Students' Digitally Enabled Futures Images

This chapter illustrates how a Futures Studies approach encourages Japanese students to strategically analyze their futures by anticipating problems and stimulating collaborative solutions. Supported by creative digital media integration, students become active participants of a learning process that results in measurable outcomes of academic competencies. Two foresighting contexts are provided: local community and personal employment futures. Data from both are analyzed for the effectiveness of digitally enabled Futures Studies in promoting academic competencies of students in Japanese Higher Education. The article concludes with personal critiques from digitally enabled learning and Futures Studies perspectives.

EPICT

This case aims at introducing international professional audiences to a transnational teacher development program, the European Pedagogical ICT License (EPICT), empowering teachers to use information technologies with greater efficiency in their everyday practice. Beyond introducing the program through the Hungarian experience, the present state of teacher training will be discussed, under transformation in line with the Bologna process and the joint European harmonization of education systems. It will be examined how alternative forms of learning and networking bring about changes to the teaching profession in Europe and other affiliated countries.

Learning Patterns of Learner's Interaction in the Learning Management Systems

Following the rapid development of open distance education and the enrichment of online resources and Learning Management Systems in Asia, the quality of interactions amongst learners and online content, teacher and peers has become one of the imperative factors in determining the efficacy of web-based teaching-learning. Online learning is distinctive as compared to face-to-face interaction in terms of how the course material is presented, the nature of interactions, and overall learning experience. This case study explores the understanding, expectation and experience of learners from China and Malaysia based on vital aspects of learning in the web-based environment such as the concept of teaching and learning, the role of the teacher, communication patterns in the virtual classroom, relationships with the teacher and the classmates, and attitudes towards learning achievement. These are reflected in the learning patterns and behavior of online learners as observed in their interaction with the web-based content and participation in the online forum discussions within the online Learning Management Systems. In addition, this case highlights the influence of national culture towards learners’ interaction as displayed in their online learning activities.

Planning a Quality Education System

Responding to the social, technological, economic and political (STEP) environmental factors, UNISWA established the Institute of Distance Education (IDE) in 1994 to increase access to university education by offering its programmes using the distance education delivery mode. The success achieved by this intervention has led to a number of problems and challenges that now confront the Institute which work against the realization of its goals. An evaluation of these challenges points to the urgent need to use new ICTs in the delivery of content. Doing this, would enable the institution to increase its enrolments at a lower cost per enrolled student. It would further lead to the blurring of the boundaries between the conventional university and the IDE. This chapter argues for the use of online learning, and the need for a new strategic plan for the university.

Learning across Social Spaces

This case explores the mutual link between education, structural evolution, social spaces and institutional change. It develops theoretical perspectives and illustrates them by practical cases. Three approaches of learning (psychological, evolutionist and ontological) lead to specific targets for successful learning settings, both for individual and societal learning. A series of structural transitions seems to best characterize the genesis of economies, civilizations and targets. “Space” is here understood as being created by social, esp. communicative action and can hence be generated anew by pervasive learning processes. Learning across social spaces means both intercultural and interdisciplinary learning and places learners into diverse systems of meaning. In a series of cases for learning settings, especially dialogic intercultural learning is identified as a key path to a harmonious development of nations.

Live Interactive Virtual Explorations via the High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network

Researchers affiliated with the National Science Foundation funded High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN), are conducting case studies and facilitating technology transfer activities that enable Live Interactive Virtual Explorations (LIVE) between hard-to-reach science sites and an array of education communities. This chapter discusses lessons learned – both technological and pedagogical – during a longitudinal study of HPWREN LIVE case studies and technology transfer activities.