Distance Education in Transition - Master of Distance Education ...

Online Learning: Visions, Hopes, Expectations
The role of teachers: between 2010 and 2015 the role of teachers will have "changed
radically", namely in the direction of activities concerned with educating, moderating,
coaching (2000, p. 171).
Increasing learning effectiveness: over half of those polled are of the opinion that the
individual learning effectiveness increases with online learning. However, this took
place to a different extent with current learning contents. The greatest increase in
effectiveness was predicted in scientific/technical subjects (82.6 percent), in receptive
learning (78.9 percent) and with language-related contents (67 percent). In contrast, a
large majority (85.3 percent and 88.1 percent respectively) said there would be no
growth in effectiveness with artistic/musical contents and in social learning. It is
unfortunate that this survey did not determine what those polled understood by "learning
effectiveness". It may be that extremely different criteria were applied in each case.
Forms of communication I: the following were regarded as being forms of communication
which were "very suitable" for online learning: teaching materials databases (56.9
percent), simulation software for scientific and economics models (50.5 percent),
supplements to CD-ROM software for the purpose of updating in interactivity (31.2
percent), e-mails and mailing lists for counselling and rapid feedback (30.3 percent),
adaptive learning programs which adapt to the student's prior knowledge and learning
style (25.7 percent), drill and practice software (21 percent) and individually retrievable
extracts from teaching films (12,8 percent).
Forms of communication II: in contrast, the following forms of communication were
regarded as "unsuitable" or "mainly unsuitable" for imparting general education (both
values are consolidated below): live transmissions of instruction/ lectures (40.4 percent),
chat forums (36.7 percent), automatic correction software (33.9 percent), video
conferences (31.2 percent), WWW courses from the Internet (24,8 percent) and shared
applications for group work (20,7 percent).
When we consider the extent of the reservations even today with regard to autonomous,
self-directed learning, the findings on the growth in importance of self-directed learning
are remarkable. Many students and teachers are naturally attached to traditional
pedagogical thought in which expository teaching and receptive learning dominate. And
in developing countries in particular group links prevent the individualisation of
learning. In spite of these circumstances, self-directed learning has acquired a firm place
in the conceptions of the experts who took part in the survey. This is probably an
expression of the realisation that the pedagogical structure of online learning must of
necessity differ from that of traditional learning.
The findings on the change in the role of teachers also bear witness to the growing
realisation of the necessity of this change. The consequence, which has been described
again and again and was regarded as necessary already in the discussions in the
literature on programmed instruction, is now forecast by a remarkable number of
experts (83.5 percent). The prophesied change in the vocational image of teachers is in
so far weighty as it will lead to considerable difficulties of both an institutional nature
and as far as career and promotion regulations are concerned.
The pattern of opinions on the "suitability" of individual forms of communication for
online learning is particularly informative because ranking was carried out. This indicates
which technical functions of a virtual learning environment would be used in first,
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