Maatschappelijk verantwoord Saxion - Sax.nu

International
INTERNATIONAL
E-lectures at Saxion, future
educational developments
For some time now, universities both in the
Netherlands and abroad have made recorded
lectures available on the internet. At the
moment the Saxion Video Expertise Team is
investigating what future digital educational
developments are most interesting and feasible
for Saxion. Meanwhile Sax asked both lecturers
and international students how they
feel about e-lectures.
Infinite possibilities
The technological possibilities to
make recorded or real-timelectures
available on the internet are infinite.
Debbie Braakman, who works for
Meeting Point, is very enthusiastic
about what is possible nowadays:“For
example, a lecturer can add a ‘knowledge
clip’ from the internet to
illustrate a theoretical point, or log on
to presentations by foreign lecturers.”
Of course, such novelties cost money
and it will be up to the Executive
Board to make choices from the raft
of digital possibilities.
Lecturers
Part of the investigation is asking lecturers
at the schools what roles they
see for themselves as to e-learning.
Rogier Pliester, of the School of
Marketing and International Management,
has already some experience
with students recording his lectures.
However, he questions the use of it:
“re-listening to a lesson is no replacement
of knowing and understanding
the essential contents of the book and
sheets and being able to apply the
acquired knowledge.” Do lecturers
fear that students will not come to
lectures anymore? “I don’t see internet
lectures as a threat.” His colleague
Thea Burggraaf is not quite sure whether
students will not opt for staying
away and watching online instead. “It
would solve the shortage of classrooms”,
she adds jokingly.
Students
Students on the whole have access to
the technology necessary for e-learning.
Yet opinions differ as regards
the desirability of it. Pham Dieu
Thao, a Vietnamese Finance and
Accounting final-year student, sees
many advantages: “When it snows we
don’t have to face the cold and in the
summer holidays we could also study
a few modules.” In contrast, her
friend Tran Thi Bich Anh, prefers the
interaction with the teachers and the
possibility to ask questions directly.
Lee Feng, a student of Spatial
Planning from China, thinks that
online education limits the opportunity
for communicating face-to-face
and for improving one’s English.
Hien Ho, an IBMS third-year student
from Vietnam, on the other hand,
points out that he and many of his
classmates are already involved in
e-learning by “using the internet as a
powerful tool to gain more insight”.
Finally, MBA student Taye Wakuma
from Ethiopia, though admitting that
the internet lectures “will never
replace the live teacher”, thinks being
able to listen to a lecture once more,
will ”increase a student’s understanding
and improve his interaction in
class.”
Hannie Schipper
Photo: Auke Pluim
juni 2009
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