Educational Technologies Blog: Open and Distance Education Technologies

Education Technologies Blog: Distance Education Technologies

The URL (www.InstaColl.com) InstaColl is distance education technology of choice that have the potential to enhance adult education. InstaColl is a free application used with Microsoft Office applications that offers collaboration. Using this application allows adult learners to share information with other learners, conduct live meetings, chats, and conduct presentations. The users must download the application to their computers. In distance education setting this application offers adult the opportunity to set-up collaborations for any cooperative learning assignments.

Selection of this form of technology offers adult learners the capability of forming groups in any type of distance education setting. Using this application allow learners to collaborate and share that information with each other. This is great for cooperative learning where students work in assigned groups and as they file their work everyone has access. Additionally, they can schedule live meetings for feedback and work assignments. When students work in groups this program allows them the capability of presenting their final projects where everyone have an opportunity to present their portion of the project. Beldarrain (2006) discussed how the 21st-century learner is likely to prefer working in a group rather than in isolation. Collaboration in either asynchronous or synchronous learning environments allows learners to practice real-world skills that are applicable to the workplace. The integration of emerging technologies into new models of teaching must also take into consideration cultural differences and learning tendencies, respecting the individual. This open source distance education technology provides learners to work within groups by meeting the needs of the learner and provides them with the necessary tools that support their needs in real-world applications.

This is an ideal distance education technology tool that would fit into my current profession. The use of this application would assist adult learners when they are assigned group work where they could work together from different locations. Additionally, this application would support their needs of presenting their final projects to their instructors. Using this form of technology in my professional practice would allow the adult learners to conduct presentations that would emulate their future job positions with the mock presentation. The application would assist these learners in acquiring an understanding of the needs of their future organization and the expectations of their future supervisors. Beldarrain (2006) pointed out that technology has played a key role in changing the dynamics of each delivery option over the years, as well as the pedagogy behind distance education. Technology is responsible for distorting the concept of distance between learner and instructor, and enabling learners to access education at any time and from any place. As new technologies emerge, instructional designers and educators have unique opportunities to foster interaction and collaboration among learners, thus creating a true learning community. This application is definitely what the adult learners within my current profession needs that allows them to collaborate with their peers in different locations.

The URL (https://www.wikispaces.com/) is the distance education technology chosen because of the ability to collaborate and share information where members of the group have ability to constantly update their information. Wikisspace is social writing platform where adult learners have the ability to share information such as discussion responses where other can add information. Adult learners can access this information from different devices where they can contribute anywhere, anytime.

The use of this application within my current profession would enable adult learners to share information by adding lessons learned from the different types of military training. Using this application offers these learners an opportunity to write from personal experiences and learn from the encounters others shared. Bonk (2009) discussed that what is perhaps different today is that technologies are actually leading to major changes in teaching and learning, especially in the opportunities to learn. As this occurs, students are taking on the roles of teachers, and those formerly known as teachers are better positioned as guides, tutors, and mentors. Wikispaces have the ability to assist adult learners with the flow vital information in meeting their educational needs. This application does allow the instructor to become a facilitator and the students work together by creating information the form of a social network.

The use of this application would assist these future military leaders with an opportunity to share information in their current studies. This would allow them to add information that would useful to their peers. Peer work is what these adult learners are taught throughout their courses, so this application is a form of social networking that works for passing information. Using this tool in the classroom would allow instructors to facilitate and provide students with the opportunity working together to form creativity and critical thinking applications. Beldarrain (2006) pointed out that as distance educators acknowledge the need to foster social interaction for the purpose of knowledge construction, pedagogical approaches are adjusted and new teaching models emerge. Teaching models that integrate technologies such as blogs or wikis may afford more learner control, and thus may be more effective at delivering instructional strategies that support knowledge construction. Today’s learners demand more control of the learning experience when they need it; how they need it. This application allows students the control from different places where they can add information and respond to their peers on assigned projects.

References

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance education, 27(2), 139-153.

Bonk, C. J. (2009). The world is open: How web technology is revolutionizing education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.