edited by
Debbie Jones and Jan Robin
Learning through telecommunications is, in some ways, the flip side of teaching through telecommunications, the topic for Chapter 1. Two of the themes apparent from Chapter 1 continue to be relevant from the learners' perspective. First, learning is student-centered, Chapter 1 referred to this concept as "focusing on the student"; and second, being comfortably competent with the technology. Other themes that emerged from the research were student interaction, authentic learning, higher order thinking skills, and outside resources.
Learner Centered
The most significant aspect of learning via telecommunications is that it is learner-centered. This is a continuation of a theme from Chapter 1, "focusing on the student". By focusing on the student, the teacher develops a learner-centered program instead of a teacher-centered one. In a learner-centered environment the distinction of roles between teachers and learners become blurred. Learners are teachers and teachers are learners. In a learner-centered environment students take responsibility for their own learning.
Student Interaction
Collaborative learning and interaction are developed to a higher level within the telecommunications environment. To be interacting with others refers to the interactivity between teachers and students, and among students themselves. Learners online are responsible not only for managing their own studies but also for helping others gain understanding (Harasim, Hiltz, Teles, & Turoff, 1995). Students become active participants in the learning process through collaborative projects where, for instance, they have the opportunities to work with real experts and students world-wide, sharing research methods and resources. (Hawkins & Honey, 1996).
Authentic Learning
The ability to deliver authentic learning activities which involve the learner as an active participant and touch their intrinsic motivation is the true power of learning via telecommunications. Most learning theorists agree on the importance of bringing real life applications into the learning experience (Mehlinger, 1995). Telecommunication technologies are prevalent outside of our schools and by bringing them into our classrooms, we create learning environments that replicate real life conditions for our students. Chris Dede insists that some people, those who are shy and/or reflective, even find on-line communication more "authentic" than face-to-face communication (Dede, 1996).
Higher Order Thinking
Telecommunications projects encourage higher dimensions of learning. There is an increase in students' inquiry-based learning and analytical skills as they participate in collaborative problem-solving via telecommunications. An important new learning strategy developing within the environment of telecommunication is the use of hypertext. Hypertext refers "to the use of the computer to organize, in a nonlinear way, text and other media as bits of information" (Harasim et al., 1995, p. 251) for knowledge building. Use of keywords, common topics related to the subject being studied, references, and common concepts are all possible methods of organzing information using hypertext. These learning strtegies occur in an atmosphere of reflective thought and situated cognition (Harasim et al.) and provide for a symbiotic relationship between theory and practice that encourages lateral thinking, exploration, research, and reflection which can reveal links and connections between keywords, topics, and concepts. Such links and connections as found in hypertext organization can result in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information; establish concept relationships and term definitions; and provide for various points of view and references to related material (cross-referencing).
Exposure to Outside Resources
Through teleocmmunications, students are exposed to a whole new range of outside resources. Most obvious would be library resources, on-line articles and publications, and a wealth of raw data available on the Internet. In addition to this, however, students are also exposed to people, experts in various fields, professionals available for questioning through telecommunications but who would not be available in a face-to-face environment. Virtual field trips are another way to expose students to authentic, real-world situations. Opportunities to visit museums, foreign countries, and to be a part of scientific expeditions in an interactive way are all possible to many more students through telecommunications.
Technology
Comfort and competence using the technology is essential to the success of learning via telecommunications. Providing assistance in dealing with questions and problems is key to the success of the course or program (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). Many institutions have a team of administrative support that provide counseling, technology assistance, and encourage interaction between students an instructors. Regardless of the technology employed, the keys to a successful learning experience are training, and support. Training on new technologies or for new students is critical to the success of individual students and the entire program or class (Montecino, 1996).
Learning via telecommunications is active, involves authentic learning, focused on student collaboration; overall it is a robust environment with a world of resources available to the learner. Technological training and support is essential to get beyond the technology, to make it seamless in the learning. Learners who are successful in this learning environment are often characterized as being self-motivated and independent learners. And as the lines are blurred between student and teacher, it is the student who becomes the teacher, for himself and others, and only then becomes a true learner.
References
Dede, C. (1996, April). Distance learning - Distributed learning. Making the transformation. Learning and Leading with Technology, 23, 25-30.
Harasim, L., Hiltz, S. R., Teles, L., & Turoff, M. (1995). Learning Networks: A field guide to teaching and learning online. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Hawkins, J., & Honey, M. (1996). Teaching & Telecommunications: Research. [On-line]. Available: http://glef.org/glhttp/newsletter/1.1/honey.html
Mehlinger, H.D. (1995). School Reform in the Information Age. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (1996). Distance education: A systems view. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Montecino, V. (1996). Teaching a distance learning course: Reflections and helpful hints. http://www.mason.gmu/~montecin/dislrn.htm