I'm new around here, but this is always a lively discussion around our office. It's my observation now, after spending nearly 20 years supporting
education technology, that there continue to be major hurdles in
getting teachers to adopt technology into their curriculum, no matter
how one attempts to integrate it. I do believe that a fair percentage
of them have a genuine interest in trying, but the reality is still
today, that only a very small percentage end up successfully
integrating technology directly.
We deal with schools and teachers everyday that are not yet even on the
net, don't have a website, are just starting to use email, and don't
have a clue what to do with Facebook or Twitter or other social
networking tools. For these schools and teachers, online learning is
very far off in the distance.
Online course creation is finally starting to take shape, but this
creation by and large is not being done by teachers, at least, not
teachers that are actively teaching. Adding to the barrier is the
learning curve of available online course creation software. Programs
like Moodle are engineering behemouths that require IT support to
install, run and upgrade. Developing courses in some of these programs
requires a course of it's own first, and the learning curve can be
quite technical and steep. I can say this definitively, 95% of the
teachers I know would never even attempt it. So where does that leave
us?
Until we can deliver simple tools that educators can use easily and
quickly to develop online learning materials, tools that empower and
enhance their ability to teach, rather than encumber the experience,
online learning will simply not gain the traction it needs.
Of course, that's only one small piece of the puzzle. Yes, first we
have to get teachers comfortable using the technology, and that
technology, given the current economy, needs to be extremely
affordable, seamlessly integrated and available everywhere, to
everyone. That last point, of course, brings up the second "rub" in the
online learning plan, access by end users. There are still millions of
family homes in the US that are not equipped with the technology
necessary to actually access and use online learning. Unfortunately, as
with many things, often those that need or may benefit from it the most
have the least access to it. An unfair advantage to those that do? How
could it not be?
It's a complicated issue that we are all watching quite carefully. With
the current lack of revenue for education impacting every state and
institution from every angle, we are scrambling to find ways to cut
costs while improving testing and accountability. A difficult place to
be in a very difficult time.
Is online learning the answer? Maybe, someday, maybe even somewhere
today, but it has a long way to go before it delivers on the promise
universally.
Best,
Blaine Transue
http://webschoolpro.com
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