October 2007 Volume 10 Number 4 - Educational Technology ...

• Assistance in designing and working with authentic learning environments or ‘deep learning’ can provide
instructors with insights into the potential of technology and into their pedagogy.
The third set of five cases focus on Resource-Based Online Learning Systems. The editors do not define exactly
what they mean by ‘Resource-Based Online Learning Systems’ so do not be misled by the section title. While these
five cases note many of the same examples of lessons learned and best practices noted in the other cases, there are
several aspects that are noteworthy in these cases. These particular aspects are;
Costing -
• The multimedia instructional product for medical school students mentions the need for experts in
storyboarding and scripting as well as for technically skilled people to transform the content into online
materials. The planning and development process outlined would be extremely useful. This case is the only
one to mention costs - $75,000 per hour of multimedia course.
Planning -
• The Hard Fun case illustrates a hardcore constructivist approach using much jargon in developing a learning
resource. The components that go into this resource and the evaluation rubric outlined are excellent examples
and will be of use to those wanting to explore constructivism.
• The ESPORT case brings out the importance of systematic and consultative evaluation of pilot projects and the
significance of understanding the difficulties of adoption of innovations within organizations.
• The EBS E-learning chapter reinforces the importance of orchestrating many factors in order for e-learning to
be effective.
• The last chapter discusses a multifaceted ideology which describes an e-learning ecosystem encompassing such
elements as the conceptualization of courseware, standardizing interoperable content, and personalizing
learning experiences. The two projects, one on student support and the other on faculty development, illustrate
how useful such a framework is to integrating products into a unified program.
The 23 cases give the reader different stories of how researchers around the globe are facing the challenges of elearning.
While the stories are different many of the challenges faced are similar, i.e. planning ahead is critical,
instructor development crucial, and student support vital.
Conclusion
This book is a valuable resource for practitioners but at the same time a difficult read! Editing a multi-chapter
publication is a daunting venture and the editors should be commended for bringing these cases together. The
editors did try to bring some standardization to the content formats but the variety of writing styles requires close
reading to recognize what some of the authors really mean. Here is where the editors could have done more work
in clarifying meaning, catching typographic errors, questioning vague terminology or unsupported conclusions, and
improving illegible graphics.
Nevertheless, the suggestions by the case authors are valuable for the lessons learned and suggestions for best
practices. Readers interested in what others around the world are doing should find the cases useful for
confirmation as well as for new insights. In addition, the experiences from around the world show that while some
are ahead of others, instructors and students are facing the same challenges in e-learning.
Reference
Mishra, S. (2002). A design framework for online learning environments. British Journal of Educational
Technology, 33 (4), 493-496.
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