The Computerized Education: Communication Topology and Effectiveness
This study is aimed to examine the rapid development of both the web enhanced (on-campus) and the distance (on-line) styles of education which are currently spread around the world and the process appears to be irreversible. Most publications dealing with computerized education are focused on its advantages in comparison with the traditional approach. At the same time, computerized technology usage (and the Internet as its delivery system) still does not guarantee a better educational process. In contrast with traditional style, which is based on Instructor-Student communication, the computerized approach involves at least one more party, technical support staff, operating within either Intranet or Internet environment. This component could be involved into educational process either in succession or in parallel providing opposite outcomes to the educational effectiveness: either its improvement or degradation. Formally, it could be described in terms which are the isomorphic ones to the laws of direct current in the theory of electricity. The formal algorithm describing such relationships is developed on the basis of the AND and OR logical operators. A set of communication topologies and corresponding simplified transference functions is established and analyzed. Internal self-consistency of proposed general approach makes it possible to compare different scenarios of computerized education quantitatively as well as either adopt or reject certain option (component) of instructional technology.
Keywords: Distance Education, Learning Effectiveness, Asynchronous Learning Networks, Virtual Interaction, Communication Topology
Dr. Gennadiy G. Kuleshov
Professor, Department of Computer Science, Touro College
|
Ref: LS7P0072