23 April 2009: Views from the Chair - The distance learning toolkit

Bobby Hobgood's picture

I’ll be the first to admit that distance education, online learning, teleconferencing, web-conferencing - - the technologies that have brought us here to this conference, don’t satisfy the needs of all learners.  It’s like finding the tool for the right job.  You wouldn’t use a FAX machine to have a conversation.

Have we chosen the right tools for our virtual conference?  Definitely.  We have both synchronous and asynchronous tools.  We’re using a Learning Management System (Drupal) as the hub for it all.  We use email to distribute the daily newsletter, and to communicate privately with speakers and attendees.  We use a web-conferencing platform (Elluminate) and a virtual world (Second Life) to come together for breakout sessions.  We share ideas and resources, and engage in asynchronous conversations (Drupal Forums).  We get live conference support (Wimba Pronto) and carry on informal conversations with new friends (Skype).  When one of these tools just doesn’t seem right, we pick up the phone.

From the vantage point of “the Chair,” we’re still learning and negotiating how to best leverage the power of the tools.  There are those who would say that we have arrived, but I disagree.  The distance education toolkit is becoming larger, with more sophisticated tools.  The tools of 2009, are not those of 2000.  They are far removed from those tools we considered “cutting edge” in the 1990’s.   Fortunately, our ability to transfer skills and knowledge of distance learning technologies is improving.

During the formative years of my organization, LEARN NC, we were fortunate to spend some time with Dr. Judi Harris.  On one occasion, in the cramped meeting room of our office, she said, “It’s not about how your use the TOOLS, its about how you USE the tools.”  Those words came back to me this week as I witnessed how educators are using contemporary technologies to share, collaborate, demonstrate, and create.

When there were technology glitches this week, our presenters were resourceful in navigating the obstacles before them. They readily found alternative solutions through different tools in order to deliver their message. – Knowing the contents of your toolkit.

 

When online instructors like Kelly Kirk encountered the “ugly” in course design, he realized the problem was not in the choice of tools, but the lack of understanding of how they function.   He suggested strategies for making the most of what the tools offer. – Knowing how to use the tools.

 

When educators like Tom Montcrief and his colleagues at NCVPS were charged with meeting the needs of millenials, they understood that static text alone does not create a learning experience.  They sought other tools that would enhance and extend the power of the written word.  – Knowing the limits of the tools.

 

When a family emergency required the attention of a session speaker, the tenacious Heidi Maston was at the ready to repeat her session from the previous day.  Most would call it serendipity that she happened to be in the room when the announcement was made to cancel the session.  I’d like to characterize what happened as a demonstration of camaraderie and responsibility on the part of a world-class educator. -  Having the right tools at hand.

 

In her book “Design tools for the Internet-Supported classroom,” Harris had the foresight in the late 1990’s to know that,


Teachers who successfully use telecomputing technology [instead] focus on the instructional design of their activities, accommodating students’ needs, preferences, and past experiences.

 

This Virtual Conference bears testament to Judi’s words.  We come together to explore the tools and techniques that drive distance education in 2009.  We come together to deepen our understanding of what we must do to ensure students learn.

Bobby Hobgood,Ed.D.
NCDLA 2009 Conference Chair
ncdlaonline@gmail.com