Education Are we ready for it?

1
EducationAre we ready for it?

• Brian Mulligan
• Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ireland.
• HEAnet National Networking Conference 
• Kilkenny, 15th 16th November 2007 

2
Hypothesis

• Educational media now cheap to store and
  transmit.
• Ease of production is the key to increased
  adoption.
• But what if it was extremely easy to produce?

3
In the near future

• Every classroom equipped with
• PC and data projector
• Microphone
• Interactive whiteboard
• Internet connection
• Easy
• web-casting
• screen, whiteboard and audio
• recording
• publishing
• No need for camera or technical help.

4
Implications

• No need for students to attend class
• Easy access for lifelong learners
• Strain on infrastructure?
• Lets do the sums

5
Sums

• 100,000 students
• Each student downloads 1 hour per day (100Mb)
• 100Mb x 100,000 10 Terabytes per day
• 116 Mb/sec 925 Mbit/sec (average)
• 16 Gbit/sec (peak)

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But how soon will this happen?

• Lets look at one small Department
• Dept. of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering,
  IT Sligo
• Online Distance Learning
• Years 2002 2007
• Students 5 275
• programme years 1 10
• Hours recording per week 50
• mainstreamed

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How was this growth achieved?

• Using a communications based approach
• Content generation optional

Interactive class website (asynchronous)
Live class broadcasts (synchronous)
Content not necessary
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IT Sligos Rapid Development Model for Online
Learning
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Evening Classes - online

• Live classes over the Internet
• Reduced hours recordings also available
• Textbook
• Handouts
• Existing Word, PPT websites
• Independent Learning
• Assignments, support, feedback
• Communication via LMS (VLE Moodle)
• Examination and Accreditation

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Advantages

• No investment in content.
• Very few new skills for lecturers
• Less time to delivery
• Human interaction
• Process familiar to learners
• Communication NOT Content

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Could distance learning disappear?

• OR could all education be available as distance?
• Take 1 daytime module
• Add lecture broadcasting recording
• Add independent learning activities
• Mix well in your VLE
• Any course can be a distance education course!
• But are we ready for it?