Blogging the 5th National e-Learning Conference

Jam-packed it was. Another room was set up with a camera to accommodate the other delegates.

It was just the first day and a lot of good information has already overwhelmed me. The concepts were not new, mind you; I have not lagged on my reading and studies on the matter; But hearing it from those who really experienced e-Learning’ multi-faceted nuances as well as the solutions and best practices different local institutions certainly helped me understand eLearning more.

From the abstracts here are a few of the ideas floated on Day 1.

The National ICT Competency Standard for Teachers (NICS Teachers), presented by Commissioner Emmanuel Lallana, Human Capital Development Group, Commission on Information and Communications Technology sought to define the ICT Competencies and the underlying performance indicators needed to support the job role performance of a teacher. It is also an effort to develop a national standard that is benchmarked to global best practice.

With the NICS-Teacher in place, teacher certification would now include ICT skills and competencies which should ensure that the teachers of tomorrow will be equipped adequately for the new generation of learners. In varying degrees, the teachers of today are “getting IT”.

After his talk, I asked the commissioner about the One Laptop Per Child project of Nicholas Negroponte.

He answered that with the 1 million minimum order, he is not quite gung-ho in dipping in the project. Aside from the initial cost (at least $100 times 1 million is $100 million dollars), he points out that the sustainability and technical support is a big question. And even if he had the money, he says he can put it to better use (with the various projects of CICT).

Though I still think that providing a laptop for every schooler is a great idea, that made me rethink my position on the OLPC project. How can you get tech support for a child hundreds of kilometers deep in the remote provinces? Where will I get parts replacement? (Mental note – check OLPC again).

And there is a the cheap PC demo from Taiwan tomorrow. I hope it’s a better alternative. I would like to test drive one. And keep it. =)

Some other presentations:

On Teacher Professional Development

Reflections and Insights in Teacher Professional Development (Diffusion of Innovations) by Kurt Roman L. Uy, De La Salle, College of St, Benilde.

Soaring High Through Decentralized Faculty Training by Analin E. Sevilla, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Community Portal Coordinator, e-LeAP, University of Sto. Tomas.

On Initiatives in eLearning in Philippine Schools

Learning Improvements for Teachers and Students (Project LIFTS) – A Cooperative Approach to eLearning by Larry A. Samala, Regional ICT Coordinator, Department of Education, Culture and Sports, Region IV-MIMAROPA. This presentation is a major achievement in my book. With geographical isolation, lack of technical expertise and fiscal challenges facing them, Project LIFTS was successfully implemented and sustained through perseverance and team effort.

Promoting a Sustainable e-Learning Program for Basic Education: The Genyo Experience by Jose Maria T. Policarpio, Diwa Learning Systems, Inc.

Lessons from the Field: FIT-ED’s ICT4E Projects by Victoria Tinio, Director for Programs and Research, Foundation for IT Education and Development.

Concurrent Sessions:

Experiences in Managing eLearning Projects

Realizing Online Teaching throough Collaboration with External Organizations, A PGMNHS Annex Teacher’s Experience by Laurita Peraz Arca, Teacher III, Pedro Guevara Memorial National High School Annex, Santa Cruz Laguna.

Robotics and Project FACIL: eLearning Initiatives at FAITH, Cherry Cesario, Director, Unified School, First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities.

Support Services for eLearners

Bridging Geographic Distance through Learner Support Services, Leandre Andres Dacanay, University of Sto, Tomas.

The Star Model of Responsice Student Support Services I eLearning: Going Beyond the Team Approach, Melinda dela Pena-Bandalaria, Associate Professor and University Registrar, UP Open University.

PLENARY

Developing eLearning Business Plans, Willam Hussin, Regis Univesity, CO, Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo, Ateneo de Manila University

This was the session I was most interested in. I am a bit familiar with business plans (theoretically speaking of course) and its components. I was anticipating some surprise insights but there were none. A business plan is still a business plan, whatever field you put it in. I was hoping that an actual eLearning Business Plan of some school or company would have been the main talking point. As a last resort, I asked for one after the presentation. Tough luck.

Maybe I should make one and implement it. And talk about it in the next conference?

We’ll see.

International Trends in eLearning by Dr. Felix Librero, Chancellor, UP Open University.

Some points on the four major trends:

1. eLearning as business strategy (how industry employed e-learning ahead of educational institutions and how educational establishments followed suit.

2. eLearning enhances blended leraning (which discusses how e-leanrig has helped wider application of blended learning, particularly in the integration of digital technology in the design of learning materials.

3. Migrating from the discrete to integrated learning (which highlights the seamless transition from one learning activity to another, the influences of differences in thought processes among learners and the considerations associated with multiple intelligences.

4. eLearning changing the image of the university (which discusses how e-Learning is forcing universities to design mixed mode delivery of instructional content.

The talk highlighted the:

· changing demographics of learners

· the onslaught of transnational education programs

· need to catch up with other countries in employing eLearning strategies to improve educational delivery of content

Learners 2.0

This slideshow should make every person involved in education think.

Learners today have needs and conditions different from the traditional learner of yesterday. ICT is changing the way learners learn. It should also change the way educators teach.

Are we ready?

LESSONS e-LEARNED

Still from the presentation of Bruce Dixon, The 1:1 Computing Paradigm


MORE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN BETTER

“Over the past 10 years, ninety nine percent of our schools have been connected to the internet with a 5:1 student to computer ratio. Yet, we have not realized the promise of technology in education.” – US Department of Education, National Educational Technology Plan 2004

A very painful lesson to learn for the US and one that all other countries should always consider. Having more computers is always good but it cannot automatically translate to more learning. It is ECAT, or Effective Computer Access Time and not the ratio that will make a great bearing on learning. The amount of time students have access to technology must be monitored and increased. His advocacy for laptops, where one can be assigned to a student will contribute much to harnessing technology's potential for learning. Rather than having desktops in the laboratories, and having a limited amount of time per student, he argues that the school will be better off assigning a laptop for a term, a month or a period of time. If a learner can bring it hime with him, the ECAT greatly increases. And so will learning.



With the $100 dollar laptop, his view had great merit.



TECHNOLOGY OFFERS LITTLE ON ITS OWN



He quotes Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth, Professors in Learning Technologies, Harvard Graduate School of Education:

“Classroom computers that are acquired as panaceas end up as doorstops. Information technology is a cost-effective investment only in the context of systemic reform. Unless other simultaneous innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and school organization are coupled to the usage of instructional technology, the time and effort expended on implementing these devices produces few improvements in educational outcomes—and reinforces many educators’ cynicism about fads based on magical machines.”

It is not how fancy your graphics or software are. It's not how powerful your computer is. Will it help in the learning process?



BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ON THE WHY

Some institutions join the eLearning and technology bandwagon without a clear vision why. A clueless management team decides to embark on using technology because it is the in thing, or the competition has one-is bound to fail because of lack of vision.

A clear answer to the question “Why are we doing this?” should be clear to all.



BE CLEAR ON WHAT YOU MEAN BY DIGITAL LITERACY

“On Digital Fluency and the fluency gap:

To be truly fluent in a foreign language, you must be able to articulate a complex idea or tell an engaging story; in other words, you must be able to “make things” with language.



Analogously, being digitally fluent involves not only knowing how to use technological tools, but also knowing how to construct things of significance with those tools “

- Papert and Resnick 1995

THE LATEST IS NOT ALWAYS THE GREATEST

True. Even if upgrades and innovations come at a rapid pace, it does not mean they should be used, at least not until you evaluate and deem them necessary. Take for example the MS Word. While there have been a lot changes from Version 6 to 2003 and XP, the basics remain the same. If you know how to use the old version, it would be easy to use the latest version. If your curriculum concentrates more on the basic skill of typing and wordprocessing rather than the bells and whistles of the product, upgrading may not be necessary.



While there is merit in learning the new releases, the added costs that these upgrades entail should be taken into consideration versus the skills needed by the learner.



Regarding hardware, there can be such a thing as overkill. Though more RAM, more hard disk space, faster processor and a nicer sound and video card may seem better in general, it may not be needed. Again, the standard should be the learning needs of the students, not the fad or flavor of the season.





PRIORITY MUST ALWAYS BE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

These are notes from the slides:

The more powerful technology becomes the more indispensable good teachers are.



Technology generates a glut of information but is not pedagogically wise.



Learners must construct own meaning for deep understanding to occur.



To do this … teachers must become pedagogical design experts, (leveraging) the power of technology. •Fullan, 1998



Don’t dumb teachers down with point-and-click!!

Decision makers must recognize that before technology can be utilized properly, teacher development must be a priority. Especially in less developed nations, it is not proper to acquire computers when obviously these tools will not be used to their full capacity.



There is no substitute for a good teacher, whether she teaches with a computer or designs courses. In the end, it's just the delivery that changes.



DON’T LOWER THE BAR

- by viewing computing through school-colored glasses





AFFORDABILITY, ATTITUDE AND COMMITMENT
- building uquity not inequality

The $100 laptop

- Why go to all this trouble? "I am doing it," replied Negroponte, "because I have seen connected laptops work in schools, in villages without electricity, TV, telephone, water and, in one case, not even a road."



Why is it important for each child to have a computer? What's wrong with community-access centers?



“One does not think of community pencils—kids have their own. They are tools to think with, sufficiently inexpensive to be used for work and play, drawing, writing, and mathematics. A computer can be the same, but far more powerful. Furthermore, there are many reasons it is important for a child to "own" something—like a football, doll, or book—not the least of which being that these belongings will be well-maintained through love and care.” Nicholas Negroponte 2005

CONTENT IS NOT KING, PEDAGOGY IS; AND WE DO HAVE TO DO MORE THAN JUST DELIVER IT!

SIMPLE IS USUALLY GOOD. REALLY GOOD.


IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP

eLearning programs should have a champion. Advocates and good eLearning managers should lead the way. Implementing an eLearning program without anybody guiding it will surely result in failure.

VALUABLE ELEARNING LESSON LEARNED (Part I)

From the presentation of Bruce Dixon, The 1:1 Computing Paradigm

Of the presentations I have seen from the eLearning Policies Course from ADBi, Bruce Dixon's presentation has struck the highest chord. The lessons he presented are valuable and should be taken into consideration by any eLearning program.

Here are selected nuggets of wisdom from a man who has had extensive experience in the field. We could all pay heed to what he has to offer if we are to succeed in implementing our own initiatives.

It’s all about learning

There has been a lot of discussion about the different forms and styles, and names for technology-enabled learning, such as whether it is eLearning or e-learning. He stresses that semantics is not the issue here. There are those who want pure open-source while others argue against this idea. What platform and software should be used. There are many issues , but one thing remains. It is, and always will be, about learning.

Laptop not desktops, for more effective use.

Mr. Dixon encourages schools to equip student with laptops rather than desktops. Points for this argument expounded later.

What matters and what doesn’t?

He challenges our thinking on what really matters most. For example, is a CD/DVD drive really essential? He points out that many of these resources just wind up for playing non-school-related games. Then he makes a case for a digital camera. It can be used to capture data and easily transfer it to the computer.

Re-imagining the business of schooling

What if we start seriously considering using technology to run schools better? I think he just doesn't mean using them in the offices such as accounting and administration. Using them in the classroom as more cost efficient tools just as corporations use them to increase productivity.

The following are the lessons he outlined from the 1:1 computing programs he has been involved with.

eLearning: Benefits, Constraints and other Views

In the eLearning Policies Course I am currently taking at ADBi, Vincent Quah of Microsoft Corporation discusses some eLearning basics.

First, he puts in perspective what eLearning is:

E-learning is learning experiences that are delivered to remote locations through the use of technology and real time collaboration. E-learning is not about posting contents on the web but there must be engagements and interaction between learners and contents. The function of e-learning is to empower educators and learners to express their ideas easily, interact with others, explore and discover the world, manage the learning process, and finally assess its quality and quantity.

A good definition. Unfortunately, many miss the point of eLearning which is LEARNING. The focus on the technology and infrastructure aspects are important but they are not the only factors to consider. They are critical, yes, but at the end of the day the question that should be answered is: DID (OR WILL) THE STUDENT LEARN?

A good eLearning course or program should be interactive and engaging, empowering, paraphrasing Mr. Quah. And he is right. One of the key issues that one should always keep in mind is that learners learn in different ways and value different things.

One person may like visuals, movies, graphs, maps, colors, illustrations. Just like in the classroom, visual aids enhance the learning experience.

About two years ago, I was introduced to the world of audio books and podcasting. Instead of music in my mp3 player, I had stories and lectures and conversations. And learn I did. Sound is also a compelling add-on, especially for people on the move.

Another one might like asking questions and having a person to converse with. Some students find it easy to learn with their classmates while still others would rather learn alone.

So can eLearning answer all of a learner’s needs? Is it the panacea to education?

No.

eLearning should not be viewed as the be all and end all of learning. Just as traditional classroom, laboratory or on-on-one learning methods are tools, so is eLearning. Think of it as this: what email is to traditional post, so is eLearning to traditional teaching-learning methods.

But at the very least, it is a solution to many problems education has like lack of teachers, classrooms, opportunities, etc. Up to a certain degree, we can call it the next best thing to learning since the Gutenberg press.

Mr. Quah also outlined

The benefits:

• supplements/complements learning
• frees precious time
• provide fundamental grounding and mass training
• geographically unlimited access.

There are advantages to eLearning: Not limited by time or location and can be given to more people. Faster, farther, more consistency and choices, better quantity and quality.

I think of the farmers' children who help till the land during the day who can benefit from eLearning at night. Or the adults who would like to improve their lot but are bogged down during the day with work. Of the helpers and drivers and service providers who would like to learn a new skill. With eLearning, they can.

However, not is all rosy. As simple as it may seem, there are a lot of things to consider with an eLearning program.

Again, Vincent tells us the

Constraints of eLearning:

• learner management
• content creation and delivery
• administration management system

Of the three, content creation and delivery I think is more important from the learner's point of view. It's still all about the learning (although, management and administration are key to a systematic approach to any program).

Key problems in e-learning:

• lack of personal touch
• control
• supporting infrastructure
• access
• frequent changes in the role of instructors

Many people I know always cite the lack of a teacher to talk with as the number one problem of eLearning. We have been used to having someone in front teaching us that the idea of not having one frightens many.

I agree that personal touch CAN BE very important but it may not always be necessary. Admittedly, this concern is valid and should be addressed but it doesn’t mean eLearning is not an effective learning tool. I believe there are more ways than one to scale this fish. For many, it is a matter of perspective, of attitude or sufficient motivation. For some, it’s a non-issue at all. Still others, they only have to try it and they’ll get hooked.

When I first started with eLearning, I was bored to my wits. It was DOS-based, text with little or no animation, no audio much less, video. Did I learn? Yes, thought retention is minimal at best. Did I enjoy it? Not really. (I think enjoyment and interest are key ingredients to learning along with the right mindset, desire and motivation).

Enter the new generation of audio, video, animation and interaction.

I work full time and am engaged in several activities. Time is of the essence for me. I would rather learn by myself with a computer and not be nailed down to a specific place and time. I like the freedom to learn what I want, when I want it and where I want it. If you can give me the choice of “how” I want it delivered and if you I can “have fries with that”, that would be superb.

Control issues and role changes speak of administration and training. They may be talking points but they have solutions. I believe that the combined eLearning experiences of many is a great resource for these and what ADBi is doing with eLearning Policies Course is a step forward. These are things a good project manager can handle. It’s just a matter of evaluating what’s best for a program. It’s not as if you are going to look for the cure for cancer.

The bigger concern is infrastructure for a lot of developing countries. But with the $100 Laptop from MIT, Free and Open Source Software and the continuously decreasing price of hardware and connectivity costs, I am confident that a connected world is just near the horizon.

Implementation considerations

• training for instructors and users
• launching pilot phases
• developing clear defined deliverables
• goals and objectives
• providing communication lines

eLearning is not a field of dreams where you just build it and they’ll come. eLearning is for the most part a change management issue. It is a new way of doing things, of learning. As with any change, there will be resistance. How this resistance is faced and dealt with is no simple task but it is not impossible either. When the computer was first introduced, the majority of people brushed it aside. Now, it seems that we can’t get enough of them. I can’t (no, I don’t want to) imagine life without a computer.

Making eLearning work takes a lot of planning and thinking. All stakeholders should be given assurance of their role and that they will clearly benefit from it.

There is no better time than now to give eLearning a try.

Will you?