- Technologies
for Blended eLearning
-
When designing
a blended eLearning course, it is critical to determine which types
of distribution technologies are the most appropriate for delivering
the content and learning objectives to your audience.
There are five
main questions that you should ask when beginning to select distribution
technologies for blended eLearning.
- Will the
technology support the course, module, or knowledge objectives
and content?
- Is the technology
feasible for the learners' working and learning environment (will
it work on their computers)?
- Does the
technology provide for group or independent learning?
- What types
of communication strategies can be used with the technology (synchronous/asynchronous,
one-way/two-way)?
- What types
of interaction does the technology support (learner-to-learner,
learner-to-instructor, learner-to-content)?
One technique
I find helpful is to organize distribution technologies into a framework
such as the one below. I then determine which types of communication
and learning are required for the content being presented, and determine
the types of distruvution technologies to consider.
| Type
of Communication: |
asynchronous
synchronous
|
| Mode
of Communication: |
one-way
two-way
|
| Learning: |
independent
group
|
Below is a table
that shows how some distruvtion technologies were organized within
the framework.
|
Synchronous
Communication
Two-way communication
Group Learning
|
Asynchronous
Communication
One-way communication
Independendent learning
|
- Telephone
- Live
cable TV
- Live
satellite TV
- Closed
circuit TV
- Teleconferencing
- Desktop
videoconferencing
- Desktop
audioconferencing
- Electronic
chat rooms
- Electronic
bulletin boards
|
- Textbooks,
guides, handbooks, manuals
- Audiotapes,
CD's
- Radio
- Film,
Videotape, DVD
- Computer-assisted
Instruction ( CAI)
- Computer-based
Instruction (CBI)
- Computer-managed
Instruction (CMI)
- Cable
TV
- Email
- Online
databases
- Websites
|
|
|
