The challenge of HIV/AIDS: Where does agroforestry fit in? - World ...

158World Agroforestry into the FutureLearning in e-learningIt is important to recognize that humanlearning is a complex psychological process.It can be structured or unstructured, formalor informal, supervized or unsupervizedand carried out with or without the assistanceof a teacher. ‘Distance’ or ‘e-learning’is also referred to as correspondence education,distance education or training, distributedlearning, on-line learning, open learningand web-based learning. For the sake ofclarity, we consider the term ‘e-learning’ tobe a catch-all phrase that suggests learningat a different time and in a different place(asynchronous learning), aided by a computerconnected to the Internet.A literature review of e-learning finds recurringreferences to its advantages overface-to-face learning. But, just as e-learningis neither inherently cost-efficient norcost-effective, its advantages cannot alwaysbe assumed. For example, e-learning instructorsneed the same amount of time tofacilitate a course as a face-to-face instructor.The student–instructor interaction stillexists, but through the telephone or e-mail.E-learning allows students to maintain flexiblehours and reduces travel and relocationcosts. However, this is based on theassumption that the learner has continuousaccess to a computer and/or the Internet atany given time. In some regions, e-learningtakes place in cyber cafes where accessibilityis limited.with a desired state, then examining thegap between the two to see how it can bebridged. The point is to design content in away that brings users closer to the desiredstate. The content is then developed anddelivered. An evaluation closes the loop tocheck whether the design of the instructionwas effective. The ISD model ensures thelearning materials are of good quality andthat the learning process, the instructionaldesign of the materials and the learningoutcome is not compromised as a result ofthe technological tools used.Training and education andcomputer-based ICT“ICTs, as any tools, must be consideredas such and be used and adapted to serveeducational goals. It is educational needsand goals, not materials or technology thatmust drive educational change. Many ethicaland legal issues concerning widespreaduse of ICTs in education are yet to besolved” (UNESCO 2004).Terry Hilberg, Chief Executive Officer ofNextEd suggests, “In Asia, people like to sitin classrooms with a professor at the frontof the class, handing out pearls of wisdomto a silent student body” (Raths 2000). Thislearning style is the opposite of learning ata distance, where the ‘pearls of wisdom’are the product of student interaction anddiscussion, facilitated by an instructor.Therefore, culture – not access – may bethe main barrier to overcome before theCGIAR partners and target audiences beginto appreciate e-learning. As a result, coursecompilers are moving away from structurede-learning courses and towards packagedreference guides, fact sheets and standalonelearning objects that can be translatedand customized by national partnersto provide training in the local context.Table 3 summarizes the opportunities forusing computer-based ICT, the issues thatarise in training and education, and therole CGIAR centres can play in this area.In March 2003, the World AgroforestryCentre conducted an e-survey of 45 academicagricultural institutions located invarious countries in Africa and Asia (Tossell2003). The survey explored the degree ofinterest of partner institutions in e-learningactivities, their level of Internet usage andtheir Internet connection reliability in fourcategories: news updates, on-line databases,on-line courses and on-line communities.The intent was to gauge the degree ofinterest in using selected e-learning activities.A second part of the survey looked atInternet use and connection availability toestablish possible links between personalinterest, use and availability.The results of the survey showed that therewas interest in expanding the use of ICTMany of the often-claimed advantages of e-learning will be realized only if the instructionis properly designed. So how can thisbe assured? The answer lies in the mechanicsof the instructional systems design (ISD)process model (Figure 3).AnalysisDesignEvaluation Delivery DevelopmentThe ISD process begins by analysing anaudience’s current state, comparing itFigure 3. The instructional systems design process model.