(before
web’s being used)
(after
web’s introduction)
The Ways of Integrating Classroom
Teaching of English with Online Learning
Zhang
Lihui
Shanghai
University of Finance and Economics
August
8, 2003
Abstract: With the advent
of online courses and distance education technology, it is necessary to
carefully consider how the use of this technology fosters classroom teaching in
adult education programs. This paper has outlined the classroom teaching and
online learning characteristics and suggested some ways to integrate classroom
teaching with online learning through course development and more interactivity
based on web technology. These ways have found the support from constructivist
learning theory because the latter allows both learners and facilitators to
take advantage of the World Wide Web, and focuses on making connections and
making meaning in the learning process.
Key words: integration, classroom teaching, online learning, constructionist
With internet changing our everyday life so
profoundly, higher education is also experiencing great changes in its teaching
ideology and modes. Traditional teaching modes are faced with challenges from
open learning channels either through TV, VCD, DVD or internet. In this case,
it is of great significance for us to explore the ways of integrating classroom
teaching with online learning.
Unlike other subjects such as geography,
history, economics and the forth, which can be taught online completely to some
degree, language teaching, as a subject based on communications, has more
demand for the students’ presence and intercourses with the teachers. It needs
dialogues, responses, speeches and other presentation ways, therefore,
classroom teaching can never be fully replaced by internet or online education.
What interested me when I was searching internet for information on classroom
teaching and online learning in Chinese was that of 17,600 items about the
theme I found only 3 or 4 were about classroom teaching of English and online
learning. Most of them were about other subjects. Then I tried English websites
of this subject and what I found has not excited me more because of 172,000
items most are about MBA and other courses of degree education. The fact
reveals that language teaching will hold its front line in the classrooms no
matter how far online learning can go. In this sense, I started to think about
what English teachers can do in the classroom in the context of vast ocean of
online learning information and how more interactivity can be organized vividly
online.
Classroom Teaching of English and Its
Characteristics
1.
the importance of classroom teaching in English learning
When one has no chance to visit a foreign
country whose language he ‘s learning, classroom teaching has been the dominant
channel in his language learning. There are three reasons for this: (1)
Historically, all formal education has been expected to take place in a class
where a teacher is a knowledge
giver, a lecturer and an instructor. Only in the classroom can one feel his
education is valuable and acknowledged. This is traditional understanding of
education. (2) Since language is used to communicate, that is, to speak and
write in, it requests more practice in dialogues and speeches. Therefore,
imitation and responses are very important for the language learners. (3) One’s
learning process is not only satisfied with the knowledge acquisition through
physical and mental activities but also with the intercourses with others in
which one can experience different emotions and therefore get more recognition
about himself. The emotional and psychological experiences in communication
with others are equally important for English learners. This personal aspect
makes language learning process quite different from what one experiences in
self-teaching through TV courses, correspondence courses, VCD, DVD or online
courses. So compared with other subjects, classroom teaching of English (and
the same with all other languages) has the following characteristics:
(1)Responsiveness: The English learner needs to acquire
his English skills through his constant reactions to the teachers and his
fellow students. He himself is a source of responses and also an object of responses.
(2)Simultaneousness: The English learner
needs to make sentences or patterns simultaneously, that is, he needs to draw
different words from his reservoir of English to form the sentences right for
the occasions he’s on. The uncertainty and simultaneousness are important fun
source or pain source for the English learner.
(3)Personality: People are different from
other animals because we’re able to express our feelings in language and the
language can be very complicated, systematic and delicate. This is human
communication. Classroom teaching has provided vivid circumstances under which
learners can learn to vent their feelings very emotionally, which can’t be
found in other ways of learning.
The three characteristics have determined that
classroom teaching in English learning plays a vital role in one’s learning
process. However, the role has been defined differently at the information age.
2
the new role of English classroom teaching
Traditionally,
English learners have obtained English knowledge in the classrooms under the
guidance of teachers who chiefly build their teaching on textbooks, movies,
VCRs, recorders. Teachers and the textbooks are the most important information
sources. The learners don’t have other channels to learn English except the two
sources. Even though the teachers can play movies or VCRs or tapes to the
students, the materials are often very focused and limited. Teachers are chief
instructors and knowledge implementer.
At the
information age, people’s access to English materials is unbelievably
convenient. (1) Through cable TV, one can watch CNN, BBC, HBO, ABC, etc, and
the information in these programs is newer and closer to the language native
speakers’ life. (2) Through local TV English programs, for instance, CCTV9,
IBS, one can get information about what’s happening at home and abroad in
English. (3) Through internet, all English electronic newspapers are
accessible. What’s more, the advanced IT technology has made it possible for
one to watch, read and listen to news or other materials in English online! If
he is interested in Shakespeare, he can just turn to www.goole.com or www.yahoo.com or www.hotbot.com or any other search engines
and within seconds thousands of millions of information items about Shakespeare
appear. What the learner can do is browse them as quickly as possible.
The variety of
English acquisition channels has changed the role of classroom teaching. Since
classroom is no longer the only place one can get knowledge, teachers have to
consider how to integrate IT into classroom teaching or devise more activities
based on internet. They have to change from traditional classroom instructors
to organizers of classroom and online discussions and assignments, supervisors
and guides of the students’ internet searching and reading, collaborators of
the students who are eager to teach themselves through internet. In a word,
classroom teaching today, at most, is one very important channel but not the
only channel anymore in one’s learning process.
Online Learning of English and Its
Characteristics
Fewer English learners of other generations can
be luckier than people today. In the past when internet was still the
physicists’ mystical field, people could only resort to limited textbooks, VCRs
and recordings. As a result, the students couldn’t immediately adapt themselves
to the working positions once they entered a company. Today. the story is
different. According to some statistics, 95% of the internet materials are
expressed in English. The economic strength of English speaking countries like
the US and the UK, has even reinforced the influence of English. There have
never been better conditions and easier access for English learners. So long as
one has a computer connected to internet, he can always teach himself anywhere
and anytime. This is the emergence of the online learning.
1.
Online learning and its techonology
Online
education refers to any form of learning/teaching that takes place via a
computer network. The network could be a local bulletin board system (BBS) or
it could be the global internet and world wide web. The network could also be a
local area network (LAN) or an intranet within a particular organization. Historically,
online interaction has been called "computer mediated communication"
(CMC), although this term covers applications beyond instruction (e.g.,
decision-making in work teams).
The
most common function used in online education is electronic mail (email) that
allows students and teachers to send messages to each other. In addition, most
networks also provide conferencing capabilities that let participants conduct
multi-person discussions either in real-time (often called "chats")
or on a delayed basis (asynchronous). There are also more elaborate systems
called MUD/MOOs
for group interaction as well as many "groupware" programs. The
latter often involve simultaneous viewing of graphics (slides) and use of a
shared writing space (i.e., electronic whiteboard). Online education also
involves access to databases in the form of text files or multimedia web pages,
as well as the exchange of information (e.g., assignments, course materials)
via file transfers.
It is not my
purpose to describe the various capabilities of networks or different types of
CMC systems, but to focus on the instructional aspects of online interaction.
There are many good books that discuss these aspects and you should consult
them for such details (see
Bibliography) . To read about the latest research on this subject, see the
International Journal of Educational Telecommunications (published by AACE ), THE Journal , or Educational Technology
magazine. The publications of the ACM and the
IEEE provide good background on the
computing technologies involved.
In most cases,
online instruction takes place in the context of distance education, i.e.,
settings in which learners and teachers are located in different places and all
or most interaction takes place via the network.
2. Nature of Online Learning/Teaching
The rapid development of internet
technology has granted the online learning the following characteristics:
(1)Easy accessibility. All information is
accessed very fast and conveniently. For example, if we want to learn about
Milton, we type a word in some search engine and immediately we get millions of
items about Milton. We can find his picture, his story and his works. Before
the Web was used, people needed to visit libraries again and again to seek some
information about him. The following graph is a vivid illustration of the
internet’s influence on human beings’ information gathering. Before the web’s
being used, people spent most of their time searching information, as a result,
the time for analyzing the information was reduced. After the web was
introduced, people are able to spend much less time gathering equal if not
larger amount of information and thus get more time to analyze the information
which is conducive to foster creative and unique ideas.
(before
web’s being used)
(after
web’s introduction)
(2) Openness. Since all materials online
are accessible, they are open to everyone. CMC also changes the social dynamics
of education -- putting everyone (students and teachers) on equal footing.
Under usual circumstances, everyone can post messages, so each online
participant has the same opportunity to contribute ideas or comments. Consider
the situation of the WWW; a web page or site created by a high school student
has exactly the same accessiblity as one created by a Nobel laureate.
Similarly, anyone on the internet or a BBS can send a message to anyone else,
regardless of who they are.
One
of the important implications of this change in the status quo is that the
teacher or expert does not automatically command a presence in an online
environment. There is no counterpart to standing at the front of the classroom
pontificating to a captured audience until the bell rings! Any teacher or
expert who tries to "lecture" to an online group will quickly have
them tuning out and doing other things (like sending messages to each other or
forming their own discussion groups). In online education, the instructor must
adopt a role as facilitator or moderator -- someone who encourages
participation and keeps discussions focused on certain topics. As it turns out
this is a much more difficult task than conventional classroom teaching which
basically involves presentation of material.
(3) Higher demand for English reading and
writing skills. Learning and teaching online is much different than a
traditional classroom experience (even when used as part of a conventional
class). Since most communication takes place via written messages (or files),
writing skill and the ability to put thoughts into words are paramount. People
who have poor writing skills may be at a disadvantage in an online environment.
On the other hand, having to write everything gives people a chance to think
about their responses, especially in an asynchronous setting, where you do not
need to respond immediately. Furthermore, one of the side effects of any class
involving CMC is plenty of practice writing, often resulting in improved
communication skills. For many learners, this outcome is just as important as
the subject matter being learned.
The Ways of Integrating Classroom
Teaching of English with Online Learning
In order to
create the best effect of education in the context of information explosion, we
need to consider how to make the most of the online materials in the classroom
teaching and produce a vivid virtual classroom online. Now that many books and
papers have discussed how to apply multi-media in the classroom teaching, my
purpose here is not to explore what technology can be used in the classrooms. My
interest is how to develop some English courses based on internet materials and
integrate them into the conventional classroom teaching and then I try to
explore some interactivity between teachers and students virtually supported by
the constructionist learning theory.
1.
Courses based on internet materials
As we all know, English teaching has seen more
than 50 years on mainland China and some English textbooks have been published
such as College English, 21 Century
College English, New Course English, Active English Series, etc. These
books have played so important a role in pushing Chinese college students’
English level that their publication has become very lucrative business.
However, with any set of English books, we always hear complaints from the
students who seem to be increasingly demanding. The chief complaints are about
the lack of timeliness and practicability of the selected materials. Some
articles are so outdated that the students feel the books are not authoritative
at all. On the other hand, some materials are disconnected with the situations
the students are living in. As a result, the students feel they are learning
something far away from their life and when they graduate and enter some
company to start their work, they find what they have learned in school cannot
be used at all. The situation confuses the students as well as the English
educators. Besides, some foreign experts are also confused about the English
textbooks widely used in the colleges. They wonder why some materials are so
outdated and inapplicable. The following are some courses which I think can be
based on internet materials.
|
Courses |
Advantages |
Methods |
|
A Survey of English Speaking Countries |
l
Data are very updated. l
Ample graphics and introduction enables
students to understand the object place, event or figures better. l
Some anecdotes can enhance students’ interest
in English. |
l
The teacher outlines the websites about some
particular country and ask students to read before classes. l
The teacher organizes the discussions or
presentations based on the online materials. l
The teacher devises some questions or tests
for the students to finish after classes. |
|
Newspaper
English Readings |
l
News and reports are updated and dynamic. l
Styles are varied. |
l
The teacher lists the websites of some world
famous newspapers in the English speaking countries and ask the students to read
before classes. l
The teacher leads the students to analyse the
layout of a newspaper and then give instructions into each column. The
computer lab is needed for the class. l
The students learn to establish their own
newspaper website under the guidance of the teacher. |
|
British and American Literature |
l
Texts are accessible. l
Background knowledge and relevant reviews can
be easily found. l
Students can form their own opinions from
reading different reviews. |
l
The teacher asks the students to pick up some
topics either on stories, novels, essays, poetry or drama and then do
tremendous searching online l
After their exploration, the students are
asked to give very detailed presentations to the class. It would be best for
the students to apply advanced technology in their presentations. |
|
Writing Skills |
l
.Ample information is accessible |
l
In word, there are many templates for business
English writing. Students are encouraged to explore them to get the knowledge
about the writing skills. l
Online there are many good writings of
different styles, the teacher should list some websites for students to
explore themselves under the guidance of the teacher. l
Some leading universities attach their writing
syllabi online and the English teacher can learn a lot from them |
|
International
Political Relations |
l
Data are very updated. l
Ample graphics and introduction enables
students to understand the object place, event or figures better. l
Some anecdotes can enhance students’ interest
in English. |
l
The teacher outlines the websites about some
particular country and ask students to read before classes. l
The teacher organizes the discussions or
presentations based on the online materials. l
The teacher devises some questions or tests
for the students to finish after classes. |
|
Western
Culture |
l
Data are very updated. l
Ample graphics and introduction enables
students to understand the object place, event or figures better. l
Some anecdotes can enhance students’ interest
in English. |
l
The teacher outlines the websites about some
particular country and ask students to read before classes. l
The teacher organizes the discussions or
presentations based on the online materials. l
The teacher devises some questions or tests
for the students to finish after classes. |
Obviously, the listed courses here are usually
intended for the English learners who have already had adequate ability in
English reading and writing. As for those English beginners, the courses based
on internet materials may be too difficult. In this case, they must receive
instructions from their teachers in the classroom.
2.
Creation of a rich virtual learning environment
Since
online learning is easier and more convenient for modern people, it will
develop even more greatly in the near future. However, the significance of
online learning is more than some technological convenience. It helps to
encourage people to learn more actively, deeply and individually.
According to modern constructivists,
learning should be a process of opening oneself constantly to experiences
because "learners actively construct and reconstruct knowledge out of
their experiences in the world" (Kafai and Resnik, 1996, p. 3). Learners
create their own knowledge by how they put their worlds together. Their experiences
in learning shape their understanding and help them to make meaning from new
information in light of their personal experiences and thus, outcomes are often
unexpected, unique and individual. The theory has defined modern learning very
differently. Learning is doing. Learning is individual. Learning is a life course.
Within the theory, three elements should be taken into consideration when
trying to provide a good learning environment for learners: choice, diversity,
and congeniality. The learner is the best person to decide
what is to be personally meaningful. If learners are empowered to choose
what to construct or create, they are more likely to be personally engaged and
invested in the activity. Because learners have different skill levels and
learning styles, a rich learning environment should encourage multiple learning
styles and multiple representations of knowledge (Kafai & Resnik,
1996). Having a congenial learning environment free from constraints of
time and space is central for creating and sharing knowledge. Creativity
and interactivity among learners are best assimilated in a friendly and
welcoming environment.
These ideas of constructivist
learning theory can be applied in the on-line environment by providing
opportunities for learners to engage in creative and collaborative activities
that encourage knowledge construction. Thus, it should be a guiding principle
in designing online activities.
2.1
Online Instructional Design Process
In order
to create the on-line environment focused on adult learners' construction of
knowledge, instructional design and teaching strategies are considered.
The use of an
instructional design process links constructivist learning theory to the
practice of adult education. Merrill (as cited in Duffy & Jonassen,
1992) suggests that instructional design and delivery systems are composed of
two primary subsystems: a knowledge base and a family of instructional transaction shells.
"The knowledge base is a representation of all of the knowledge and skills
to be taught. Transaction shells enable the learners to interact with
this knowledge in ways that best enable them to build appropriate mental
models" (p. 109). The World Wide Web has turned into one of the most
accessible learning devices for creating an environment for constructing
knowledge. It provides patterns of learner interactions that enable the
learner to create new relationships with knowledge and new representations of
knowledge. These instructional transaction shells provide learners with
the means necessary to understand different content topics and solve problems.
Designing web-based
environments for learning and communicating is more than just placing
information on the web, it requires new skills to produce web sites and to
communicate with learners. These skills include audience consideration,
web design process, self-directed learning techniques, two-way feedback
mechanisms, navigational science for directional and psychological movement,
expertise in content and content architecture, links and relationships
management, mind map development, and learning theory and human
development (Morris and Hinrichs, 1996). It is important to
consider the learner's needs, differences between novice and expert users,
diverse platforms and browsers, graphics capability, and Internet providers.
Creating a web page for instruction
involves the process of analysis, design, development, testing, implementation,
and updating. It is during the analysis process that the identification
of users and tasks the web site will perform are determined. During the
design process, major high-level topics and sets of information are divided
into subgroups and a theme is selected. An important feature of the
design process is the brainstorming of the relationship between the sets of
information and subgroups and how they support the theme. Identification
of the document structure constitutes a component of the development
stage. Throughout the testing phase, all linkages should be tested by
novices and experts. The last phase of the design process is the implementation
and updating of the web site, which includes the insertion of feedback tools on
the site, the transfer of files into the World Wide Web, and the frequent
verification for broken links (Morris & Hinrichs, 1996).
Certain aspects related to course
content should be considered. For example, syllabi, handouts, and class
assignments provide guidelines for students to follow and give learners a sense
of place and structure on the web. The text structure must follow the use
of command verbs to cue learners what to do next; short lines and short
paragraphs create exciting visual stimulation for learners.
Recommendations related to text formatting included the need to use brief text,
active voice, bullets to format a list, whitespace, left-justify, etc.
The language style should be conversational as if the web site would be
speaking to the learner. Bullets, headlines and pull quotes should be combined
with paragraphs or explanatory text after the bullet heading. When
inserting links, the identification of patterns in the links and a brief
description of the link should help learners navigate through the course more
efficiently. The use of templates is an option that can help organize the
information structure. Having a common navigational control bar for all
pages can assist the user to easily reach locations on the web site (Morris
& Hinrichs, 1996). In order to integrate human mind maps with web
mind maps to create an environment for helping learners' construct knowledge,
the web site must have a set of common features, it must identify with the
learner, and provide interactive tools. These features follow the visual
representation of conceptual meanings.
The role of the instructional
designer is to move from structuring teaching strategies to designing
environments in which constructivist learning can take place. Duffy &
Bednar (as cited in Duffy & Jonassen, 1992) suggest that these environments
present 's rich contexts, authentic tasks, collaboration for the development
and evaluation of multiple perspectives, an abundance of tools to enhance
communication and access to real-world examples and problems, reflective
thinking, modeling or problem solving by experts in the content domain, and
apprenticeship mentoring relationships to guide learning" (p. 132).
2.2
Online Teaching Strategies
Since online
learning is chiefly developed to offer adults continuing education with the
purpose of decreasing travel time for learners and increasing communication
between students and faculty, it is very important for the learning strategies capable
of fostering student and faculty communication, individualizing the learning to
the student's needs, and supporting and nourishing learners' construction of
knowledge. As a result, instruction. . . "should not focus on transmitting
plans to the learner, but rather in developing skills of the learner to
construct (and reconstruct) plans in response to situational demands and
opportunities" (Duffy and Jonanssen, 1992, p. 4). To
facilitate the constructivist learning approach in an on-line environment two
examples will be highlighted: concept maps and on-line discussions with group reflection
(also known as mailing list or listserv).
Concept Maps. "A concept map is a
schematic device for representing a set of concept meanings embedded in a
framework of propositions" (Novak and Gowin, 1984, p. 15). Concept
maps (Novak, 1998) are a visual representation of conceptual meanings used to
develop shared meaning between learner and facilitator or between learners in a
group. Concept maps are a metacognitive tool that demonstrates explicit,
overt representation of concepts and propositions a person holds, they allow
teachers and learners to exchange views on why a particular propositional
linkage is good or valid, or to recognize missing linkages between concepts
that suggest a need for new learning" (Novak and Gowin, 1984, p. 19).
In the on-line learning project,
concept maps were used in two different ways. First, students were asked
to read two different books discussing the topic of the course. A concept
map was developed that represented the similarities and differences between the
two books. Students then used the maps as a format for on-line discussion
of their understanding of the readings. Second, students were asked to view
popular films that dealt with the course topic. After viewing the film,
the student created a concept map that depicted what was seen in the film and
how that related to the theories under study. The maps were then used as
a basis for the on-line case discussions of the films and their connections to
the course topics. Concept maps were created electronically with a
software program called Inspiration. Once the maps were created the
students could share, discuss, alter or revise their maps as their learning and
understanding of the concepts under study grew and changed.
On-line Discussion with Group Reflection. In this project, on-line
discussion groups were established and were included as part of the course requirements.
Learners were expected to participate and the instructor initially established
discussion questions related to the concepts under study. The discussion
questions served the purpose of initiating the on-line activities, but it soon
became apparent that the learners would take the discussion in the direction
that enhanced their learning the most. On-line discussions were used to
discuss course concepts, case studies, and course readings. It was
interesting that the on-line discussion seemed to promote a more in-depth level
of analysis and synthesis. The learners’ discussion points and comments
were a thoughtful analysis and critique, of not only their course work, but
their life experiences as well. Learners reported that they used a
constructivist process in preparing for and participating in the on-line
discussion. The learner would read the discussion questions, review some
of the material in the text, read and think about the contributions of other
students and then frame their response. Responses were thoughtfully
created and showed many connections to other course work and learning
materials.
2.3
Online teaching methods
The single most important
element of successful online education is interaction among participants. It is
the instructor's role as a facilitator to ensure that a high level of
interaction occurs in an online course. This can be achieved in many ways.
(1) The simplest technique is
to have students complete regular (e.g., weekly) assignments which consist of
answers to problems or questions posed by the instructor. If these responses
are posted publicly so that everyone in the class can read them, this provides
a basis for sharing of ideas and discussion among participants. And, sharing of
ideas is one of the most powerful aspects of online education.
(2) An even more powerful form
of interaction is group activity. Students can be divided into small groups of
3-4 based upon common or complementary interests/skills. These groups can be
formed for the full duration of a course (e.g., design teams for a project) or
they can be short-term for the completion of a particular assignment (e.g.,
weekly discussion of a problem/issue). Group membership can be assigned by the
instructor or can be determined by the participants themselves. For example in
some of our courses, we require students to work in online teams but we leave
it up to them to determine who they want to work with (based upon background
information posted by each participant beforehand). There are also a whole
collection of "groupware" programs that allow more sophisticated
group interaction (such as shared workspaces and decision-making tools) which
can be employed in courses.
(3) Getting feedback on things
posted is very important to most people. In fact if participants do not receive
feedback on their responses, they will eventually stop posting messages.
Providing feedback is the primary responsibility of the instructor (or teaching
assistants/tutors). Every major assignment completed online should entail some
kind of feedback comments (even if they are very brief). With large groups, the
instructor may have to provide group rather than individual feedback, i.e.,
summarize responses in one message to all participants. Another way to handle
feedback is to use peer evaluation, i.e., have participants critique and
comment on each other's work. This works particularly well if students are
paired up and take turns evaluating each other's work over a series of
assignments.
(4) One of the intriguing
aspects of online education is that it can sometimes succeed in spite of an
ineffective instructor. If students form their own discussion groups or project
teams using the email/conferencing capabilities of the system, there can be a
high level of interaction regardless of what the instructor does/doesn't do. It
is also possible for students to upload or exchange files (or web site
addresses) so that useful information can be shared among participants. Online
education is inherently student-centered and with a group of highly-motivated
students, it can be a very powerful form of learning that is relatively immune
to the quality of teaching. On the other hand, a good teacher who facilitates
well and ensures lots of feedback can make an online class much more worthwhile
and enjoyable for participants. Futhermore, online group activities take a lot
of effort to organize and manage -- a task that should be performed by the
instructor.
Computer networks are evolving
rapidly and hence the world of online education is constantly changing. For
example, in the past, CMC has been pretty well restricted to text messages,
emphasizing writing skills. But it is now possible to have two-way video
conversations over the internet (using a program such as CUSeeMe) and the web
makes it possible to include audio or video clips in a document. So, written
responses will become less important over time and people will increasingly
interact online using all their sensory modalities.
The increasing number of
online options and features is beginning to make it difficult for instructors
and course designers to determine which functions should be used for what
aspects of a course. For example, what is the best use of synchronous
(real-time chats or MUD/MOOs) versus asynchronous conferencing (forums,
listservs) for a given class? When is an audio/video link needed, or a
slide-sharing/whiteboard feature? Because there are so many programs available
now for CMC; it is difficult to evaluate them and decide which one(s) to use.
Of course, over time personal experience and research studies will provide
guidance but at present the technology is evolving too quickly for there to be
much of either.
The changes in the social
dynamic of the classroom brought about by online education are pretty profound.
Online classes emphasize social interaction among the participants and nullify
the authoritarian role of the teacher or subject matter expert. People need to
get used to working in online teams/groups. Teachers must get used to
fulfilling the role of facilitator/moderator in which they have to cultivate
both personal and group participation. And assessment techniques need to move
away from testing to projects, assignments, and case studies.
Everyone who experiences
online education realizes that this is the beginning of a new paradigm for
learning and teaching. Welcome to the 21st century! And enjoy your journeys
along the information highway.
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Kafai, Y, .& Resnik, M. (1996). Constructionism in practice:
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Lambert, L., et al. (1995).
The constructivist leader. New York: Teachers College Press.
Morris, M., & Hinrichs, R. (1996). Web page design.
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