E-LEARNING FOR LIFE

Moving towards Technology Education:

Factors That Facilitated Teachers’ Implementation of a Technology Curriculum

Australia has a National Technology Statement (Curriculum Corporation,1994) that specifies the content and process of technology studies in schools. However, as in the United States, the implementation of curricula is a state responsibility. In the state of Queensland the implementation has been a very gradual process with schools having the option of adopting new curricula on a school-by-school basis or waiting until implementation becomes mandatory in
2007. The introduction of school-based management has augmented the localization of decision-making about curricula. Decisions about curricula in resource intensive areas succurriculumh as technology education tend to reflect local priorities. As a consequence, the technology in many schools reflects a pre-1980’s industrial training orientation (Warner, 2001). To a large extent, technology teachers have adopted a wait and see approach (INTAD, 2001), and are expecting a systemic curriculum direction, professional development, and the provision of resources (Warner, 2001). These teachers are now “at the extreme edge of knowledge and understanding of the content and pedagogical philosophy for the delivery of new technology curriculum” (INTAD, 2001, p. 2). Failure to implement the new curriculum may jeopardize the future viability of the subject area, as there is no statutory obligation for schools to offer specialized technology subjects.

Against this general trend, a core group of approximately 40 progressive teachers, from a total cohort of about 1150 (Warner, 2001), have chosen to implement a school-based technology curriculum. These teachers have modified the existing shop-based syllabi and pre-empted the new technology curriculum mandate (Warner, 2001). This situation poses a question that has formed the basis of this research. What factors have influenced these junior secondary school traditional technology teachers to implement a new technology education curriculum?
Literature Review Historically, changes in technology curriculum have been successful only when initiated by classroom teachers (Waltisbuhl, 1995). Green (1986) supports this view, but adds that a new curriculum has not been implemented in technology because the “teachers’ attitudes are steeped in prescriptive methods derived from nineteenth century practice” (Green, 1986, p. 27). “These attitudes have to be challenged and shown to be inadequate to the current situation and new-ideas, programs and practices that are meaningful, feasible, and usable have to be proposed” (Bybee & Loucks-Horsley, 2000a, p. 16). Researchers have found that in the implementation of systemic educational reforms, the attitude of the classroom teacher is crucial in determining the success or failure of innovative curriculum (Hargreaves, 1994; Sarason, 1991).

To implement changes, teachers must agree with the underlying philosophy of the curriculum (Stein, McRobbie, & Ginns, 1999). Changing a teacher’s philosophy requires teacher development, which is a career-long process (Brady & Kennedy, 1999). Without teacher development there is no curriculum development and, conversely, where a curriculum has changed, there has been teacher development (Givens, 2000). Implementing teacher development strategies is problematic. Teachers acknowledge the existence of programs, policy, directives, school regulations, and recommendations but in practice they often feign what needs to be done to comply with requirements. The curriculum students actually receive is influenced by what teachers believe, by what peers believe and do, and by other more elusive cultural issues (Sergiovanni, 1996; Wallace, 1998).

Hargreaves, (1997) has proposed that theories of educational change have been ineffective because they focused on technical planning. These theories of educational change were developed within a positivist epistemology that provides “a set of logical rules of explanation, independent of the world and its social practices” (Usher, Bryant, & Johnston, 1997, p. 176). The social aspects of change are therefore ignored. Support for new theories of educational change is based on a conceptualization of social reality that recognizes knowledge as personal, subjective, and as being developed and interpreted within a unique social context (Cohen & Manion, 1994). Researchers in education (Evers & Lakomski, 1996) are using this understanding of social reality to justify qualitative, or grounded, methods of research into the relationships of participants rather than the technical components of an educational social system.

This approach was deemed to be appropriate for this project as it provided an opportunity to discern some of the elusive attitudes, beliefs, and cultural matters which influence teacher development and therefore his/her role in the change process. An ethnographic study using data collection through narrative interviews was adopted. This provided an opportunity to focus on the individual, real-world experiences of the small group of unique technology teachers (Warner, 2001) who have implemented curriculum change. The analysis of the data is inductive, with theory emerging from, not preceding, the research (Cohen & Manion, 1994).
The literature review revealed a gap in knowledge in regard to factors that influence teachers to change curriculum content and practice. The selected methodology involved a reflective investigation of the experience of junior secondary school technology teachers who have implemented a technology education curriculum.

Methodology selection of Sites and Participants Purposeful sampling was used to choose five information-rich schools in which teachers had voluntarily implemented technology education. The schools were physically different but similar in their approach to the subject area curriculum. This ensured that the study was sufficiently in-depth and focused on the topic. The sample size, according to the concepts of Lincoln and Guba (1985), should be large enough to provide informational redundancy. While the available time and resources have limited the sample size, it is not necessarily a problem for “there are no rules for sample size in qualitative inquiry. Sample size depends on...what will be useful, what will have credibility, and what can be done with available time and resources” (Patton, 1990 p. 184).
Participants were selected from a list, provided by the Industrial Technology and Design Teachers’ Association of Queensland (INTAD), of exemplary teachers implementing a technology curriculum in their school. This list was reduced to six teachers by cross-referencing with a list of schools that had been invited to participate in a Queensland government technology key learning area syllabus trial. Teachers in these schools had implemented a technology curriculum voluntarily, prior to the syllabus trial, and their programs were used as the basis for the initial in-service materials. Three teachers declined to be involved, one due to ill health. Due to concerns regarding the limited opportunity for informational redundancy with a sample size of three,two more participants were sought. They were identified through the professional reference of a university lecturer.
Narrative Interviewing In the context of this project, narrative interviews were in the form of a
discussion of the research question. Each participant was encouraged to narrate
the story of his/her experiences during the period when they were changing the
curriculum. This style of interview creates a conversational encounter that
allows the interviewee to tell a story in his/her own way and the interviewer the
freedom to respond to new material raised during the interview. Data were
collected from each participant in his/her own school environment using an
audiotape. Data Analysis

Initially, each participant’s interview was read and studied to obtain a ‘feel’ for the individual’s story. The participants had recorded a brief resume and this was used as the basis for a descriptive profile that outlined his/her career and the process by which he/she had experienced curriculum change. The finished profile was emailed to each participant and his/her feedback sought to ensure he/she was not being misrepresented. As a result of completing the profile a much deeper understanding of the unique themes and issues within each individual’s interview data was gained.

The next step in the analysis of the data involved an inductive two-stage process. First, a list of the frequently recurring themes and issues was prepared for each individual. The groups of supporting text for each theme and issue were categorized and labeled as “factors.” The result of this process was a new document featuring a set of factors that had influenced the participant along with supporting excerpts from the interview data. This was repeated for all the participants, one at a time and without reference to one another to minimize influence from previous data. The following sample demonstrates supporting extracts from the participant, (Oscar) of the factor “Personal Renewal.” Oscar described how a period of personal growth affected the way he viewed his job and the subjects he taught. Initially a number of significant changes occurred in his life and he began to question the usefulness of his subject area.

Oscar: I had to really evaluate what I was teaching for. Whether I was baby sitting classes and teaching something traditional...we were one of those subjects that didn’t really matter. Oscar returned to University to upgrade his Diploma of Teaching to a Bachelor of Education. This period of part-time study coincided with personal and spiritual growth. He stated that this released his creativity and an understanding of his role as an educator.

Oscar: Just about at the same time I’d been doing some studies for my Bachelor of Education ...through a process of prayer and discovery etc and just opening myself up I guess, a lot of ideas started flowing, that I found the students responded to very well.” “...really made me start to think more deeply and value the skills that I had and the skills that I was teaching students, just the processes we were going through, I realized for a lot of kids they had a lot of value. A technology teacher from another state with broader experience in technology education was employed at the school. This teacher became a mentor to Oscar and challenged him with new concepts and ideas about the
subject area and the content.

'Learning', not teaching, the key to education in 21st century

Renowned educationalist, Guy Claxton, says the traditional education system based on achievement through testing is quickly losing relevance for students and teachers alike. The keynote speaker at today's New Zealand Council of Educational Research (NZCER) annual conference in Wellington, Professor Claxton says that teaching lifelong 'learning' skills makes young people better equipped to face the challenges of modern society. "While achieving academically is important, young people resist the current education system and feel it is not adequately equipping them for the complexities of 21st century living. More importantly, many teachers share this view. I believe there needs to be a quantum shift in the way we teach young people, with teachers taking on a role as learning coaches rather than simply purveyors of knowledge. "Much of this work needs to be done at the foundation of the learning system - teacher education needs to focus on coaching new teachers how to vocalise the process of 'learning' to their students. "If this can be successfully achieved, there will be an inevitable domino effect on the way young people learn in the education system, and on their ability to develop and maintain a personal culture of learning. Interestingly, learning in this way often translates into higher academic achievement, so it is a classic 'win-win-win' for students, teachers and the education system as a whole". Professor Claxton says a focus on the 'four R's' - resilience, resourcefulness, reflection and relationships - give young people the keys to successful lifelong learning. "These skills need to be taught in the classroom first because they give people the disposition to continue learning for the rest of their lives. Finding practical ways to cultivate these skills in schools, and thereby encourage lifelong learning, is the most critical issue facing educators today".

E-LEARNING FOR LIFE

Moving towards Technology Education: Factors
That Facilitated Teachers’ Implementation of a
Technology Curriculum
Roy Barnes
Australia has a National Technology Statement (Curriculum Corporation,
1994) that specifies the content and process of technology studies in schools.
However, as in the United States, the implementation of curricula is a state
responsibility. In the state of Queensland the implementation has been a very
gradual process with schools having the option of adopting new curricula on a
school-by-school basis or waiting until implementation becomes mandatory in
2007. The introduction of school-based management has augmented the
localization of decision-making about curricula. Decisions about curricula in
resource intensive areas such as technology education tend to reflect local
priorities. As a consequence, the technology curriculum in many schools reflects
a pre-1980’s industrial training orientation (Warner, 2001).
To a large extent, technology teachers have adopted a wait and see
approach (INTAD, 2001), and are expecting a systemic curriculum direction,
professional development, and the provision of resources (Warner, 2001). These
teachers are now “at the extreme edge of knowledge and understanding of the
content and pedagogical philosophy for the delivery of new technology
curriculum” (INTAD, 2001, p. 2). Failure to implement the new curriculum may
jeopardize the future viability of the subject area, as there is no statutory
obligation for schools to offer specialized technology subjects.
Against this general trend, a core group of approximately 40 progressive
teachers, from a total cohort of about 1150 (Warner, 2001), have chosen to
implement a school-based technology curriculum. These teachers have modified
the existing shop-based syllabi and pre-empted the new technology curriculum
mandate (Warner, 2001). This situation poses a question that has formed the
basis of this research. What factors have influenced these junior secondary
school traditional technology teachers to implement a new technology education
curriculum?
Literature Review
Historically, changes in technology curriculum have been successful only
when initiated by classroom teachers (Waltisbuhl, 1995). Green (1986) supports
this view, but adds that a new curriculum has not been implemented in
technology because the “teachers’ attitudes are steeped in prescriptive methods
derived from nineteenth century practice” (Green, 1986, p. 27). “These attitudes
have to be challenged and shown to be inadequate to the current situation and
new-ideas, programs and practices that are meaningful, feasible, and usable
have to be proposed” (Bybee & Loucks-Horsley, 2000a, p. 16).
Researchers have found that in the implementation of systemic educational
reforms, the attitude of the classroom teacher is crucial in determining the
success or failure of innovative curriculum (Hargreaves, 1994; Sarason, 1991).
To implement changes, teachers must agree with the underlying philosophy of
the curriculum (Stein, McRobbie, & Ginns, 1999). Changing a teacher’s
philosophy requires teacher development, which is a career-long process (Brady
& Kennedy, 1999). Without teacher development there is no curriculum
development and, conversely, where a curriculum has changed, there has been
teacher development (Givens, 2000).
Implementing teacher development strategies is problematic. Teachers
acknowledge the existence of programs, policy, directives, school regulations,
and recommendations but in practice they often feign what needs to be done to
comply with requirements. The curriculum students actually receive is
influenced by what teachers believe, by what peers believe and do, and by other
more elusive cultural issues (Sergiovanni, 1996; Wallace, 1998).
Hargreaves, (1997) has proposed that theories of educational change have
been ineffective because they focused on technical planning. These theories of
educational change were developed within a positivist epistemology that
provides “a set of logical rules of explanation, independent of the world and its
social practices” (Usher, Bryant, & Johnston, 1997, p. 176). The social aspects
of change are therefore ignored. Support for new theories of educational change
is based on a conceptualization of social reality that recognizes knowledge as
personal, subjective, and as being developed and interpreted within a unique
social context (Cohen & Manion, 1994). Researchers in education (Evers &
Lakomski, 1996) are using this understanding of social reality to justify
qualitative, or grounded, methods of research into the relationships of
participants rather than the technical components of an educational social
system.
This approach was deemed to be appropriate for this project as it provided
an opportunity to discern some of the elusive attitudes, beliefs, and cultural
matters which influence teacher development and therefore his/her role in the
change process. An ethnographic study using data collection through narrative
interviews was adopted. This provided an opportunity to focus on the
individual, real-world experiences of the small group of unique technology
teachers (Warner, 2001) who have implemented curriculum change. The
analysis of the data is inductive, with theory emerging from, not preceding, the
research (Cohen & Manion, 1994).
The literature review revealed a gap in knowledge in regard to factors that
influence teachers to change curriculum content and practice. The selected
methodology involved a reflective investigation of the experience of junior
secondary school technology teachers who have implemented a technology
education curriculum.
Methodology
Selection of Sites and Participants
Purposeful sampling was used to choose five information-rich schools in
which teachers had voluntarily implemented technology education. The schools
were physically different but similar in their approach to the subject area
curriculum. This ensured that the study was sufficiently in-depth and focused on
the topic. The sample size, according to the concepts of Lincoln and Guba
(1985), should be large enough to provide informational redundancy. While the
available time and resources have limited the sample size, it is not necessarily a
problem for “there are no rules for sample size in qualitative inquiry. Sample
size depends on...what will be useful, what will have credibility, and what can
be done with available time and resources” (Patton, 1990 p. 184).
Participants were selected from a list, provided by the Industrial
Technology and Design Teachers’ Association of Queensland (INTAD), of
exemplary teachers implementing a technology curriculum in their school. This
list was reduced to six teachers by cross-referencing with a list of schools that
had been invited to participate in a Queensland government technology key
learning area syllabus trial. Teachers in these schools had implemented a
technology curriculum voluntarily, prior to the syllabus trial, and their programs
were used as the basis for the initial in-service materials. Three teachers
declined to be involved, one due to ill health. Due to concerns regarding the
limited opportunity for informational redundancy with a sample size of three,
two more participants were sought. They were identified through the
professional reference of a university lecturer.
Narrative Interviewing
In the context of this project, narrative interviews were in the form of a
discussion of the research question. Each participant was encouraged to narrate
the story of his/her experiences during the period when they were changing the
curriculum. This style of interview creates a conversational encounter that
allows the interviewee to tell a story in his/her own way and the interviewer the
freedom to respond to new material raised during the interview. Data were
collected from each participant in his/her own school environment using an
audiotape. Data Analysis
Initially, each participant’s interview was read and studied to obtain a ‘feel’
for the individual’s story. The participants had recorded a brief resume and this
was used as the basis for a descriptive profile that outlined his/her career and the
process by which he/she had experienced curriculum change. The finished
profile was emailed to each participant and his/her feedback sought to ensure
he/she was not being misrepresented. As a result of completing the profile a
much deeper understanding of the unique themes and issues within each
individual’s interview data was gained.
The next step in the analysis of the data involved an inductive two-stage
process. First, a list of the frequently recurring themes and issues was prepared
for each individual. The groups of supporting text for each theme and issue
were categorized and labeled as “factors.” The result of this process was a new
document featuring a set of factors that had influenced the participant along
with supporting excerpts from the interview data. This was repeated for all the
participants, one at a time and without reference to one another to minimize
influence from previous data. The following sample demonstrates supporting
extracts from the participant, (Oscar) of the factor “Personal Renewal.”
Oscar described how a period of personal growth affected the way he
viewed his job and the subjects he taught. Initially a number of significant
changes occurred in his life and he began to question the usefulness of his
subject area.
Oscar: I had to really evaluate what I was teaching for. Whether I was baby
sitting classes and teaching something traditional...we were one of
those subjects that didn’t really matter.
Oscar returned to University to upgrade his Diploma of Teaching to a
Bachelor of Education. This period of part-time study coincided with personal
and spiritual growth. He stated that this released his creativity and an
understanding of his role as an educator.
Oscar: Just about at the same time I’d been doing some studies for my
Bachelor of Education ...through a process of prayer and discovery etc
and just opening myself up I guess, a lot of ideas started flowing, that I
found the students responded to very well.” “...really made me start to
think more deeply and value the skills that I had and the skills that I
was teaching students, just the processes we were going through, I
realized for a lot of kids they had a lot of value.
A technology teacher from another state with broader experience in
technology education was employed at the school. This teacher became a
mentor to Oscar and challenged him with new concepts and ideas about the
subject area and the content.

Trends in E-Learning

Trends in E-Learning
By Baldev Singh

A few years ago not very many people had heard the term e-learning. But within months, there was a short evolution: Technology-enabled learning and distance education changed to online learning and Web-based training, which morphed into e-learning.

The introduction of e-learning added new meaning to training, and the possibilities for delivering knowledge and information to learners at an accelerated pace opened a new world for knowledge transfer. By now, industry pioneers (and stragglers) agree that e-learning is here to stay. With that in mind, we need to examine some trends to help set the stage for 2003 and beyond and to help us to understand why and how e-learning will continue to become a driving force in business and education.

Trend #1: E-learning as a business strategy

For smart companies, it’s no longer a question of if, but when to use e-learning. These organizations see e-learning as a strategic solution that must be deployed to all employees. Enterprise-wide roll-outs are used to increase sales effectiveness, improve organizational competency, and build rich customer relationships. Companies are finding that without time to properly train employees and customers, the investment in major ERP and CRM purchases will fail. Consequently, e-learning will continue to be a part of organizational infrastructure, similar to email packages and other product suites used to increase staff productivity.

Trend #2: Application-specific e-learning solutions

Consider a customer call center. Similar to traditional classroom training, e-learning can provide technical and non-technical training to employees, such as application-based training on how to operate software or skills-based training on how to deal with customers over the telephone. In this example, an e-learning solution has an advantage. It can provide the necessary communication, collaboration, and learning technology to quickly and efficiently keep employees up-to-date on new procedures and offerings without taking them out of the field or off the telephone.

Trend #3: Integrated e-learning suites

The types of e-learning offerings are large and diverse, consisting of three major categories: content, technology, and services. When considering content, companies should look at vertical areas, such as business skills, technical skills, soft skills, and organization-specific content. Keep in mind the format in which you can best deliver information, whether it’s simulations, games, mentoring, or so forth. With regards to technology, take into account current and future needs for learning management, content management, knowledge management, content distribution, competency management, collaboration, assessments, reporting, workflow, and localization. In the area of services, think about change management, customization, strategic deployment, project management, and other areas related to the successful implementation and deployment of technology within your organization.

In many cases, a comprehensive e-learning solution requires components from each category, which are integrated into e-learning suites aimed at solving a particular business issue, such as within the sales department or product-specific training. The trend is to look for a supplier who can help you decide what you need and how best to configure and integrate the parts and pieces for your total solution. To preserve the best e-learning suite possible for your organization, incorporate open interfaces with the capability to integrate with existing corporate computing infrastructure, and check for compliance with industry standards.

Trend #4: Blended learning

A current buzz phrase and trend involves blended learning programs, designed to integrate e-learning with traditional training methods to increase overall effectiveness. A single delivery method is no longer sufficient to handle enterprise-wide training needs.

The construction of true blended learning programs moves learning into a new age. Blended learning preserves the necessary consideration of how people learn but offers options for learning and can still produce measurable savings in learning offerings promised by e-learning.

Trend #5: Moving from discrete to integrated learning

Hand-in-hand with blended learning, there’s an increased desire for a seamless transition from one learning activity to another. Rather than stand-alone learning activities, the trend is towards the integration of these activities or delivery mechanisms. Look for seamless transitions from live group activities to individual exercises, from self-paced learning activities to synchronous instruction, from activities in smaller groups to activities in a larger learning community.

Trend #6: Digital collaboration meets learning

E-learning, online collaboration, and knowledge management are margining into each other. Look for suppliers that understand this trend and can offer you options for knowledge management and digital collaboration. The trend toward standardization of digital collaboration platforms means that your IT organization will likely be part of your buying decision, so involve them early in the selection process.

Trend #7: Less vision, more business return

Prior to the recent economic downturn, businesses had capital to invest in new technology. At this time, organizations are extremely cautious about how they invest--or if they invest at all. Look for business solutions that support key business initiatives, relieve immediate pains, and offer a quick return on investment.

Trend #8: Repurposing content

As e-learning developed, most offerings consisted of basic libraries of self-paced courses that were accessible over the Internet, learning management focused on activity tracking, and live synchronous e-learning modeled content delivery and interaction on the traditional classroom methodologies.

With the trend toward hybrid experiences in which self-paced learning, content management, and live e-learning come together under one platform, the ability to repurpose content for various delivery formats will become critical, not only from a content development standpoint, but as a way to meet the learning needs of a diverse set of learners. As part of this trend, look for the venues for subject matter experts, within and outside formal training departments, to create content easily through the use of simple wizards and content authoring tools.

Trend # 9: E-learning goes beyond the corporation

Early adopters of e-learning consisted mainly of corporations, which were trying to augment face-to-face meetings, demonstrations, training classes, and lectures. Government agencies, colleges, universities, and non-profit organizations are now following suit. These organizations are using e-learning to address their learning and communication needs, as well as expand their business opportunities.

Trend #10: The disappearing LMS

A few years ago, organizations expected learning management systems to increase learning—and solve business problems. The LMS strategy was reasonable, but it involved a corporate commitment of time, cost, resources, and energy that few organizations could afford. LMSs were touted as end-to-end solutions that could do anything and everything. The fact is that no single product can do it all. Effective knowledge delivery solutions need to work externally as well as internally to connect business units, suppliers, and customers. The current trend is to look at the big picture of knowledge delivery and combine HR management, learning management, and content management to address enterprise-wide learning needs from the inside out.

These 10 trends are intended to provide a framework for considering your organization’s e-learning needs. Therefore, when you purchase e-learning solutions, be sure to think about your deployment options. Work with suppliers who can offer e-learning tools in a variety of configurations, including universal software licensing for on-premise installation, outsourced hosting services, and full-service collaboration ASP. Additionally, the supplier you work with should offer products to meet the needs of both internal and external audiences and support industry standards to ensure interoperability with other enterprise learning systems and content types. Most important, only work with suppliers who speak to you up front about the changes your organization may experience with e-learning and how it can be managed. With these trends in mind, it’s a reasonable prediction that e-learning will become part of the daily life of your organization.

Higher Education Trends in the 21st Century by Adrian Blight

Introduction As higher education moves into the 21st century, there are a variety of factors or trends that are affecting institutions of higher education. How these institutions approach these changes will determine whether they remain competitive in the future, or if they will cease to exist. These new concerns are forcing universities to think more along corporate lines than ever before. "Presidents have become corporate managers, and management has become increasingly focused on accountability." (Kezar) This has caused many of them to model themselves after corporations in relation to cost efficiency, calculability, and predictability. While all of this is not negative in itself, it has the effect of shifting the focus from the true purpose of education - the student. It will become increasingly difficult to balance these two as a more sophisticated public demands more quality options and accountability for less cost. Collaboration In order to meet these new trends and to become more competitive as they enter new markets, higher education has increased offerings in vocational certification and distance education programs. In doing so, they are also adopting a more business-like model that emphasizes the bottom line by focusing on collaboration. "There is increased interest in partnerships - between the business world and the academy." (Kovel-Jarboe) This has led to many corporate-college and other similar alliances. As colleges struggle to meet these fiscal changes with ever-decreasing funds, another area of collaboration has been between secondary schools and universities, as well as among universities themselves. "Collaboration among different higher education institutions is also a major trend, especially around issues such as technology, where resource constraints encourage this type of complex collaboration." (Kezar) Although these types of alliances have occurred to some extent in the past, they are becoming more widespread than ever before. Funding Shifts Public funding is always a concern in higher education. "Federal financial aid has undergone two major changes: it has shifted overwhelmingly toward loans, rising from abut half to about three-quarters of all federal aid." (Zusman) This has a negative effect on those of low income because they are unwilling to go into heavy debt to pay for a college education. At the state level, there is better news. "A national study found that state appropriations to higher education reached $52.8 billion in fiscal year 1999, an increase of 6.5 percent over the previous year. In addition, higher education's share of state general fund budgets increased in 1999 for the first time in over a decade." (Kezar) As the role of corporations expands and public funding continues to decrease, there will be an increased dependence on private funds. The good news is that some states are following California's lead and offering grants to all students who choose to go to college. These grants are based on family income and size as well as tuition costs, but they are very generous. The result is that those who previously would not have considered going to college because of the cost now have the opportunity to do so. Changing Demographics Another major shift is the changing demographics of the student population in higher education. As the population of traditional college-age youth and corresponding high school graduates began to decline in the 1980s, they were replaced by an older population seeking a college education. At the start of the 1970s, this population was 48%; by 1980 it was 63%. (Cohen) By 1986, women comprised 30% of the students, and this has increased steadily ever since, and now they now make up a majority in many colleges (at our local community college, women make up over 63% of the student body). Nearly 40% of ethnic minorities were enrolled by the 1970s, and by 1977, they were "more than 60% of the enrollment in the Los Angeles Community College District." (Cohen) These trends are being felt across the country at all levels of higher education. This growing adult-student population cannot be ignored. "The average worklife [sic] in the future will consist of six or seven different careers carried out sequentially. Life-long learning is becoming a necessity rather than the enrichment opportunity it may have been in the past." (Kovel-Jarboe) As employers cut back and offer fewer opportunities for training and advancement, adult learners will be looking to those institutions that can meet their needs, both academically and financially (since they will more likely be paying for this out of their own pockets). Colleges that heed this trend and offer what these students require will be the ones that endure Student Needs These trends have resulted in a major rethinking of student needs. "Many higher educators are considering what this change in the student body means for student services. New technology providers can be models and leaders for higher education instituitions [sic] in the development of student services for adult and continuing students." (Kezar) Adult students are more sophisticated consumers, and will look to those institutions that can offer the education that fits their academic needs as conveniently and inexpensively as possible. "In addition to the traditional classroom instruction, students can easily take courses from other 'approved' institutions in real time or asynchronously through the use of various mediating technologies." (Kovel-Jarboe) Schools that address these trends by improving their academic and vocational offerings, both in traditional classes and at a distance - and improve their student services - will be the ones that survive the inevitable shakeout that is to come. Paradigm Shift This growing diversity among students is also affecting educational planning and practice. "The growth of adult students and the rise of lifelong learning have resulted in a major rethinking of student needs." (Kezar) Universities must now assess how they will ensure the success of these diverse students. "The social, technological, ecological, economic, and information challenges of our time require a whole new approach to education." (Dickinson) This has caused an increasing shift away from the Instructional Paradigm toward the Learning Paradigm. This paradigm focuses more on how students learn by looking at the various learning styles and multiple intelligences, and then designing learning environments based on these principles. As more and more in academia realize the need to do this, they are seeing that teachers need to assume increased roles in providing these learning opportunities. "Schools are beginning to recognize that teachers, who ultimately have the responsibility of educating students, must have the power, knowledge, and expertise to make decisions regarding the best way to help students learn." (Dickinson) Because of this, an increasing number of schools are implementing a wider variety of optional faculty development programs, both face-to-face and online, that will assist faculty in tackling these new opportunities in order to meet the educational objectives of the institution and students. Faculty who take advantage of these programs will move into the future with their institutions; those who don't will be left behind. Conclusion These are a few of the trends that must be addressed if schools are going to restructure successfully to meet the demands of their communities as well as the needs of faculty for adequate professional development. By forming partnerships with businesses and other schools and by using technology more efficiently there will be many positive outcomes for everyone involved. Colleges must offer better student services, more learning options (both in the classroom and online), at a cost that the student can afford. If universities keep their finger on the pulse of change and remain flexible enough to meet these ever-changing demands imposed upon them, it appears that the results can be a win-win situation for all concerned. These results include: increased student enrollment, higher retention rates, improved institutional reputation, better academic advising and counseling, and, of course, a faculty that will be better prepared to meet these new demands. The alternative for those who ignore these signs is to go the way of the dinosaur because students, who are becoming more astute consumers, will select those institutions that give them what they want - "the most bang for the buck."

Blended Learning Process

Methodology

SSE stands out as an industry leader in developing custom learning strategy based on our proven methodology and successful track record in delivering a complete range of solutions. SSE has demonstrated over two decades an ability to develop compelling, cost effective custom content by applying a proven methodology to every project. This approach blends the best of adult learning theory, client partnership and rapid development. The client actively participates in the process. The methodology provides a systematic means of identifying areas of potential concern such as subject matter accuracy and course content scope. It also provides a structure for continuously apprising the client of project status.

As illustrated in the schematic above, a Blended Learning solution has five phases:

• Needs Assessment

• Instructional Design

• Content Creation

• Delivery Methods

• Evaluation Strategies

This process allows SSE to replicate success and to address each new custom project with confidence.

Needs Assessment

To determine the best mix of modalities to create effective Blended Learning programs, SSE begins with four critical starting blocks. Understanding each is fundamental to ensuring success.

• Business Goals - Allows SSE to craft a solution that meets your current training needs, but ensures our solution is flexible to meet future requirements

• Audience Analysis - Ensures the learner experience is targeted based on demographics, psychographics, diverse learning styles, and job/experience level -- the single most important factor in producing highly effective education

• Learning Objectives - Impacts the ability to accurately measure learning results which is critical to analyzing the impact

• Technical Deployment - Allows SSE to understand specific technical considerations, such as organizational standard toolsets, systems integration, AICC/SCORM compliance standards, as well as bandwidth to ensure solutions optimally perform

Instructional Design

Recognized for expert Instructional Design capabilities by the Society of Technical Communicators, SSE excels at creating learning that works. The following adult learning principles guide our instructional technique employed in every Blended Learning solution:

• Learners can only consume logically organized and grouped information. "Chunking" content is crucial to creating intuitive learning.

• Every learner has a primary learning style. Ensuring our training maps to each of the eight primary learning "Intelligences" (Verbal, Logical, Visual, Body, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist) is pivotal to engaging each learner.

• Learners must be able to apply what they learn to on the job responsibilities. Scenario- based role play, interactions, and simulation ensure what is learned is easily applied on the job.

• Learners must be engaged and motivated to learn. Creative interface design that crafts a personal self-paced experience for every user as well as rewards, both tangible and intangible, are critical to drawing a learner through the learning experience.

SSE's Instructional Design team excels at: aligning critical business and learning goals, assessing target audiences and content objectives; correlating learning paths for varied learner roles; developing concepts for learning and evaluation strategies; and managing the design, scripting and instructional integrity of the development effort relative to the defined education solution vision.

Content Creation

It is critical to the development of custom learning to leverage existing documentation and materials as well as to collaborate with multiple client subject matter experts (SMEs) to translate expertise and ideas into cohesive, coherent and manageable chunks of education.

Organizations often task the SME's to actually design the learning assuming that the expert knows best. Seldom is this a good use of the expert's time nor is it likely to be the best approach to relaying knowledge about complex topics to a globally dispersed audience.

SSE specializes in working with SME's to convert their knowledge and best practices into training content. As a result of past engagements, SSE has refined an interview, feedback and consensus process that is extremely efficient and almost immediately puts the client SME in a "review and edit" role versus one of content creation.

Blended Learning Delivery

Blended learning leverages a full spectrum of multi-dimensional learning approaches from the best of instructor / "human" interventions to the most interactive use of technology. Blended learning is effective not only for reaching a dispersed audience, but also for saving explicit training costs, providing self-paced learning, and matching diverse and complex learner needs with focused learning events. Learning events are designed to systematically and collectively support the defined performance requirements, while reflecting the audiences' current knowledge and capability. Through blended learning analysis, the optimal medium, style, timing and sequence for learning is pinpointed and tested.

Blended learning can leverage the power and pervasiveness of the Internet to offer new options to learners and to better address concerns and challenges, such as cost of training, just-in-time deployment changing or updating programs and diverse learning styles. The internet also allows better-targeted performance support, self-paced and distance learning and the ability to easily revise content and adjust learning resources. eLearning has become a centerpiece of the SSE blended learning approach.

SSE works with a client to select the appropriate delivery vehicles based on the results of the Needs Assessment , sound instructional design principles and the requirement to have an effective evaluation program. The figure below illustrates the variety of alternatives available in a blended learning activity:

• Blended Learning Solutions

• Blended Learning White Pape

Evaluation Strategies

A gut feel that "learning has been effective" does not meet the challenge quantifying return on investment. Specifically measuring and analyzing results is fundamental to any learning initiative. As our Needs Assessment process indicates, establishing clear and measurable learning objectives upfront is critical to effectively measuring results latter. SSE leverages Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation to measure and assess the following:

• Level 1 - Survey opinions of the learners to gauge training effectiveness; understand initial reactions.

• Level 2 - Score and track learner results of intra-lesson challenges and mastery tests to verify that concepts are understood. Include both pre and post learning tests so improvement can be measured.

• Level 3 - Create on-the-job assessments of learner skills to be leveraged by a manager to determine if new skills are being effectively demonstrated; Determine cultural and environment al factors that might allow a student to perform well at Level 2 but not at Level 3.

• Level 4 - Analyze return-on-investment based on assessing the business goals in relation to measured learning results. Look at production levels, quality improvement, cost reduction, increased sales and growth in profitability.

Our Community

Our e-Learning Community is more than solution. We are people with dedication and will to develop a better environment for learning. Share your education problems with community, which consist of highly experienced people in e-Learning. Our e-Learning experts, the team which have brought many e-Learning project comes to a success and satisfaction.

Our e-Learning Community :

e-Learning Specialist

• Dr. Baldev Singh mail
  
• Dr. Ir. Agus Tjahjono, MS mail
  
• Dr. Ir. Harsuko Riniwati, MP mail
• Dr. Ir. Sutrisno, Magr mail
• Dr.Priyantha Wedagama mail
• Dr. Ir. Bambang Ali Nugroho, MS, DAA mail
• Dr. Ir. M. Nuraidi, MS mail
• Dr. Irsan Azhari Saleh, MA mail
• Dr. Ir. Nahrowi Ramli, MSc mail
• Dr. Syukur Nuralam, MSc mail
• Dr.Rudi Priyanto, SPt mail
• Prof. Dr. Soekartawi mail

e-Learning Consultants

• Budiana mail
  
• Drs. Bagjarasa Tatangryana, Msc mail
• Ir. Heru Bagus Pulunggono Magr, Sc mail
• Ir. Putiati Mahdar, MAppSc mail
• Maria Tri Rachmawati Papilaya, SE mail
• Dana Maharani, MM mail
• M. Sahir, MT mail
• Adrian Blight, BS (Hons) mail
• Agus Basyari Achmad mail
• Eko Setiawan mail
• Achmad Faizin mail
• Farina Puriandani, SE mail
• Tekad Djaya Sakti mail
• Ir. Junaedi Ispinanto mail
• Darlis Rabai, SE. MA mail
• Reita Amelia SE, MM, MPSi mail

e-Learning Advisor

• Gumarang Setyo, SKom mail
  
• Assaoralhaq Arsyad, S.Kom mail
• Victor J. Pratana mail
• Solichah, SE, MM mail
• Fajar Aulia, S.Kom mail
• Cecep Anwar Hadi Firdos S, Ssi mail
• Mohamad Okasa, ST mail
• Hery Kurniawan, S.Kom mail
• Wimbo Praba candra Suci, S.Kom mail
• Deva Primadia Almada, Spi mail
• Virna Yanelissa Puspasari, SE, MM mail
• Dewi Sulistiani, S.Sos mail
• Lilis Andriyani, MBA mail

e-Learning Assistant

• Yudhi Dwi Tristanto mail
  
• M. Imin Basyari mail
• Wiyoto Umar Wahid mail
• Sunaryo, SE mail
• Ade Yusnawan Novianto, SE mail
• Yusniati Purba mail
• Elissa Nova Triputri, SE mail
• Danny Hermanto mail
• Delawati mail
• Handsen mail
• Arri Purwadi mail
• Iwan Darmawan, S.Kom mail
• Eddy Purwanto mail
• Agung Prasetyo mail
• Lusia Ismunarti mail
• Marli Dahyaridi mail
• Jauhari Arifin mail
• Ririn Sandritiani mail
• Adi Novian P mail
• Achmad Syahbela mail

e-Learning Events

• March 12, 2007

Breakfeast meeting in Bidakara Hotel, at 09:00 to 12:00 am
Topics : "Strategical Way in Encouraging the Use of ICT in School Learning"

Inviting:

• Heads of Education Service of Jakarta
• Jakarta e-Learning Community
• Education Profesionals

• April 25, 2007

Lunch Talks in Ambhara Hotel, at 01:00 pm to 03:00 pm
Topics : "Web Based Learning as Mass Knowledge Management Tools"

Inviting:

• Heads of Education Service of Jakarta
• Jakarta e-Learning Community
• Education Profesionals