Effective web teaching and learning

Course designers need to remember that younger students are more likely to be familiar with using the internet than older learners, who may feel less comfortable with a web based course. To get the best out of their learning experience, learners need basic computer skills, support, and guidance.

Teachers must design their courses to encourage effective web based learning rather than aimless “surfing.” Programme design should therefore filter out poor information as well as signpost key information sources.

Many clinicians are beginning to use electronic patient records. This change means that doctors are becoming more adept at using computers and online resources to support their daily work and continuing professional development. Electronic media can facilitate access to evidence based resources such as the Cochrane Library. These web based clinical support sites are excellent resources for postgraduate “on the job” learning.

For and against web based learning

When designing web based programmes (as with any learning programme), the learners' needs and experience must be taken into account. Appropriate technology and reasonable computer skills are needed to get the best out of web based or online learning. Programmes and web pages can be designed to accommodate different technical specifications and versions of software. It is frustrating for learners, however, if they are trying to work on the internet with slow access or cannot download images and videos they need. On the other hand, web based programmes may, for example, encourage more independent and active learning and are often an efficient means of delivering course materials.

Advantages and disadvantages of web based learning

Advantages

• Ability to link resources in many different formats
• Can be an efficient way of delivering course materials
• Resources can be made available from any location and at any time
• Potential for widening access—for example, to part time, mature, or work based students
• Can encourage more independent and active learning
• Can provide a useful source of supplementary materials to conventional programmes

Disadvantages

• Access to appropriate computer equipment can be a problem for students
• Learners find it frustrating if they cannot access graphics, images, and video clips because of poor equipment
• The necessary infrastructure must be available and affordable
• Information can vary in quality and accuracy, so guidance and signposting is needed
• Students can feel isolated

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1125774/

Web based learning

Many of us use the internet or the “web” (world wide web) as a source of information. In medical education, the web is increasingly used both as a learning tool to support formal programmes and as a means of delivering online learning programmes. What can educators do to ensure that the potential of the web is used effectively to support both their own learning and that of their students?

The technology

Much of the literature on web based learning shows that one of the main barriers to the effective use of teaching materials is the technology (for example, poor access, slow downloading) rather than the design of the learning materials themselves. Some of these issues are discussed later in the article, but it is vital that teachers take on expert help with technical issues in the planning, design, and delivery of web based learning programmes. Through programming and the use of “plug-ins” (programs that can be downloaded from the internet), designers can produce interactive course materials containing online activities (such as self assessments), animations, and simulations. These can improve learning and are often more enjoyable and meaningful for learners.

Glossary

• E-conferencing—Use of online presentations and discussion forums (in real time or stored as downloadable files on a website) to avoid the need for participants to travel
• E-learning—Learning through electronic means, such as via the web (see world wide web), an intranet, or other multimedia materials
• HTML (hypertext markup language)—The language used to create web pages. HTML files can also contain links to other types of files including wordprocessed files, spreadsheets, presentation slides, and other web pages
• Hyperlinks—Links in web pages that enable the user to access another web page (either on the same or a different site) with just one mouse click
• Internet—A global network of computers divided into subsets (for example, the web or email systems). Computers are linked to the internet via host computers, which link to other computers via dial up (for example, via a modem) and network connections
• Internet service provider (ISP)—Home users usually access the internet through an internet service provider (such as AOL), which maintains a network of PCs permanently connected to the internet
• Intranet—A network of computers that share information, usually within an organisation. Access normally requires a password and is limited to a defined range of users
• Managed learning environment (MLE)—Usually has an integrated function, providing administrative tools, such as student records, and linking with other management information systems (MLS)
• Search engines (such as Lycos, Google)—Can be used to help to find information
• Videostreaming—The process by which video images are able to be stored and downloaded on the web. These might be in real time (such as a conference) or used asynchronously
• Virtual learning environment (VLE)—A set of electronic teaching and learning tools. Principal components include systems that can map a curriculum, track student activity, and provide online student support and electronic communication
• World wide web (web)—Use of the internet to present various types of information. Websites or home pages may be accessed with the aid of a browser program (such as Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Explorer). All such programmes use HTML

For additional information see www.learnthenet.com/english/section/intbas.html

What is web based learning?

Web based learning is often called online learning or e-learning because it includes online course content. Discussion forums via email, videoconferencing, and live lectures (videostreaming) are all possible through the web. Web based courses may also provide static pages such as printed course materials.

One of the values of using the web to access course materials is that web pages may contain hyperlinks to other parts of the web, thus enabling access to a vast amount of web based information.

A “virtual” learning environment (VLE) or managed learning environment (MLE) is an all in one teaching and learning software package. A VLE typically combines functions such as discussion boards, chat rooms, online assessment, tracking of students' use of the web, and course administration. VLEs act as any other learning environment in that they distribute information to learners. VLEs can, for example, enable learners to collaborate on projects and share information. However, the focus of web based courses must always be on the learner—technology is not the issue, nor necessarily the answer.

Models of web based learning

Several approaches can be used to develop and deliver web based learning. These can be viewed as a continuum. At one end is “pure” distance learning (in which course material, assessment, and support is all delivered online, with no face to face contact between students and teachers). At the other end is an organisational intranet, which replicates printed course materials online to support what is essentially a traditional face to face course. However, websites that are just repositories of knowledge, without links to learning, communication, and assessment activities, are not learner centred and cannot be considered true web based learning courses.

Features of a typical web based course

• Course information, notice board, timetable
• Curriculum map
• Teaching materials such as slides, handouts, articles
• Communication via email and discussion boards
• Formative and summative assessments
• Student management tools (records, statistics, student tracking)
• Links to useful internal and external websites—for example, library, online databases, and journals

Articles from The BMJ are provided here courtesy of BMJ Group

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1125774/

Web-based training (e-learning)

Web-based training (sometimes called e-learning) is anywhere, any-time instruction delivered over the Internet or a corporate�intranet to browser-equipped learners. There are two primary models of Web-based instruction: synchronous (instructor-facilitated) and asynchronous (self-directed, self-paced). Instruction can be delivered by a combination of static methods (learning portals, hyperlinked pages, screen cam tutorials, streaming audio/video, and live Web broadcasts) and interactive methods (threaded discussions, chats, and desk-top video conferencing).

The ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) estimates that 75% of the U.S. workforce will need some kind of retraining within the next five years in order to keep pace with industry needs and increasingly global competition. Hewlett-Packard estimates the half-life of an bachelor's degree in engineering can be as short as 18 months.   
Enthusiasts feel that Web-based instruction is the perfect solution to meeting the needs of life-long learners because it is available on demand, does not require travel, and is cost-efficient.� Critics point out that Web-based training is a good alternative for independent, self-motivated students but that technical issues and the need for human contact limit its usefulness for students with other learning styles.

http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/Web-based-training

Advantages of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI):

(1) Immediate feedback: The immediate feedback provided by interactive terminals keeps students interacting and eager to keep trying.

(2) Active participation: Even weaker students are obliged to participate actively. They often remain passive in lectures.

(3) No annoyance: The computer will wait patiently for an answer and does not express annoyance with wrong response.

(4) Graphics facility: Interactive graphics make it possible to sample many more illustrations that could easily be shown in a textbook.

(5) Mathematical calculations: Mathematical calculations can be done as readily for realistic examples as for artificially simple class that can be solved analytically.

(6) Accurate data: Large volumes of data can be handled with accuracy and without drudgery.

(7) Enrichment of course: The novel technique provides enrichment of course through added variety.

http://www.preservearticles.com/2011122018619/what-are-the-advantages-of-computer-assisted-instruction-cai.html

What is an Interactive Whiteboard?

Interactive whiteboards for higher education

An interactive whiteboard is an instructional tool that allows computer images to be displayed onto a board using a digital projector. The instructor can then manipulate the elements on the board by using his finger as a mouse, directly on the screen. Items can be dragged, clicked and copied and the lecturer can handwrite notes, which can be transformed into text and saved.

They are a powerful tool in the classroom adding interactivity and collaboration, allowing the integration of media content into the lecture and supporting collaborative learning. Used innovatively they create a wide range of learning opportunities. However, in many environments they are not being used to their full potential, and in many cases acting as glorified blackboards. 

This type of whiteboard is now commonplace in schools in the UK, but universities have been slower to adopt this technology. They were originally developed for use in business to demonstrate concepts and record meetings. However, they are an extremely flexible tool which can be used with both the youngest primary school children and university graduates.

An interactive whiteboard can be a cost saver as this technology demonstrates how one computer can provide learning stimuli for a whole classroom. This is more cost effective than equipping an entire IT room, or every student with a laptop.

Examples of the features available when using an interactive whiteboard:
• Add annotations
• Highlight text
• Add notes and drawings and then save them to be printed out and shared, or added to a virtual learning environment.
• Show pictures and educational videos to the whole lecture theatre. You can label parts or highlight elements of an image.
• Demonstrate the content available on a website in a teacher-directed activity

Interaction in practiceIn sport studies, you can video tape a sporting event, then the coach can pause the video at a certain point and demonstrate by drawing on the board what the players should have done.

Interactive whiteboards as a pedagogical tool

This type of tool promotes creative teaching and motivates students into absorbing information.

Teaching with an interactive whiteboard allows lecturers to accommodate all different learning styles:
• Tactile learners get to touch and move things around the board. They can also make notes and highlight elements.
• Visual learners benefit from a clear view of what is happening on the board.
• Audio learners can participate in a class discussion.

Interaction in practiceIn medical studies, the lecturer can show a photograph or a picture of a part of the body. Then, they can annotate it, adding labels to demonstrate the key aspects. The finished drawing can be saved and handed out to students or uploaded to the university’s VLE system.

Interactive teaching
The teacher can call upon the students to interact with the whiteboard themselves. The lecturer can sit at the computer, with the student at the whiteboard, and the class offering suggestions and contributing ideas.

Group interaction
Interactive whiteboards promote group discussion and participation. They are an effective tool for brainstorming as notes made on the screen can be turned into text, and saved to be shared and distributed later. They are an ideal tool for small group work and collaborative learning, as students can huddle around the board developing ideas, and then save the work for sharing over a network or by email.

Interaction in practiceInteractive whiteboards are ideal for demonstrating software in any discipline. The presenter can run the software on the board, interacting with it using his finger, demonstrating the features and tools of the software to a large number of students. Elements can be highlighted and annotations added.

How to use some of the pedagogical features of an interactive whiteboard

Any application that runs on your computer can be used on an interactive whiteboard. You can surf the internet, annotate a text document or demonstrate a piece of software.

We will look at some of the tools useful for teaching at university-level using a SMART Board Interactive whiteboard:

Screen shade
Spotlight
Magnifier
Calculator
Pointer

First of all, select the SMART board icon, located at the bottom right of the screen.
See below:

Select 'other SMART tools' from the pop up box:

Then select ‘screen shade’. The screen shade lets you cover your screen, allowing you to gradually reveal information to your audience.

You can then drag the handles in the order that you would like to reveal the information. You can remove the screen shade completely by clicking the ‘X’ in the top right hand corner.

Spotlight allows you to focus the attention of your audience on a specific area of the screen. The image below shows how you can choose to darken the whole screen apart from a certain area.

You can move the spotlight by dragging the dark area of the screen to wherever on the screen you want your audience to focus. You can customise the properties of the spotlight with the spotlight drop down menu (click the arrow in the image below).

Transparency controls how dark the background is. Shape allows you to change the focused area from a circle to a rectangle or a star. Exit allows you to close the spotlight.

The magnifier enlarges a certain area of the screen which can be useful when you want to show a close-up of a spreadsheet or a web address. The small window is used by the lecturer to show which part of the screen is being magnified, while the large window displays the selected information. Move the small window around to focus on a different area of the screen.

Choosing calculator opens the calculator available on your computer.

Pointer allows you to highlight key areas with a pointer. You can drag the pointer around to the area you would like to highlight. Double clicking the pointer removes it.

The screen capture toolbar allows you to capture images of your screen. The Smart Notebook software will automatically open and display the captured image.

BBC Active sells videos for education and training that can be used on an interactive whiteboard.

© 2010 Educational Publishers LLP trading as BBC Active

Role of education and teacher all over the world and importance of teaching aids

In this resource, I have given the role of education all over the world. Teacher in need of international level that I have explained in this resource.I have given the importance of teaching aids. I have explained about teaching aids that are useful for teachers to teach lessons easily.


Role of education all over the world:

In African countries, if we find the  children , they quest for food but not for  education . Mean while if we find developed countries such as USA, France etc they give much importance to education. Come to India, as a developing country, which gives much importance to education by entering RTE Act 2009. Due to this act, government schools in India has developed some what. In Andhra Pradesh, the government is giving free text books and free uniforms to every student upto elementary stage. UNICEF and UNO gives much importance to education by suggesting developed countries to help undeveloped countries such as African countries. 

Teacher in need of international level:

Teacher  position is not filled up by any machine. Even computer does not fulfill the duties of teachers. In present situation, medical and educational fields are being given most importance all over the world. Every country advertises for teachers to seek on the web. If we find on the internet we can see how much importance and need of teachers in international level. In Olympiad and international schools, teachers are being given pretty salaries for their services towards students. 

Teaching aids and its importance:

Teaching aids  assist teachers to teach the lesson to effectively but they do not substitute the place of teachers. Some children do not understand the lessons in abstract manner. For them, a teacher has to be made ​​a model or teaching material to make understand the lessons. For example, if the student does not understand about letters in any language. Teacher has to prepare a sheet on which those letters to be written in big size with different colors. Generally, science lessons are not easily understood. For that, science teacher has to prepare  a working model or experiment  with which he has to demonstrate the lesson.

Author:  Kanduri Narasimha 

How Modern Teaching Aids Have Benefits And Drawbacks

This article is a discussion on the ness and disadvantages of modern technological teaching tools in the classroom. You will get information about the various types of popular learning & teaching tools which are used in today's classrooms.

For most of us, our first visual and sensual contact with a learning tool begins at an age when we did not say a word, leave aside knowing an alphabet. At that impressionable age, we twisted a crayon or a pencil between tiny fingers, not quite being able to grasp it, but succeeding in tentatively touching it with our tongue. We thus literally got our first taste of a learning tool! We made wild doodles with chalks, crayons, coloured pens, etc on just about any surface (when nobody was looking naturally!). This progressed to learning how to hold a pencil & trying to draw a line or a circle & later to actually writing our ABCs. 

The older generation still fondly remembers their first black rectangular slates & sticks of white chalk they took to school. These are used even today in India's rural areas and municipal schools & are often a child's first learning tools. 

From a teacher's point of view, the slate is a teaching aid, as the larger version of it – the blackboard – is used to show the children how to write the alphabets and copy it on the slate in the exact same manner. 

Starting with the blackboard, let's have a look at the different types of teaching tools used in the classroom, ranging from the traditional blackboard to e-learning packages.

Top 6 popular modern effective teaching aids in India

A blackboard

As implied by the name, it is a board which is black in colour. Blackboards come in a variety of sizes and shapes, not just in the traditional square or rectangular shape but also shaped like an apple or a flower. Then there are blackboards which are not just fixed to a classroom wall, but could be the type set up on an easel. There are even the portable, rolled-up types which you unroll and hang by a string on a convenient hook. Besides the inevitable chalks needed in various colours, a blackboard's constant companion is a duster. This could be one with a wood base or a simple cloth.

A whiteboard

In many classrooms, the blackboard and chalk has been replaced by a white board and thick-tipped pen. The whiteboard enables a teacher to create a lesson plan & teach it in a way that is easy for students to understand.

A PC tablet

This is a good interactive teaching aid as it is a touch-screen device which is easy to use. A device like an Apple iPad or a Samsung Galaxy tab can be used for educational apps, such as multiple-choice questions, science quizzes, puzzles, a textbook chapter's summary, etc. Even diagrams are easy to learn on such a gadget. 

Touch screen board with electronic pen

This is an interactive board on which the student uses an electronic pen to answer a question & gets a quick feedback about whether it is right or wrong. It makes the student understand a mathematical problem faster. 

Slideshows & Power Point presentations

These teaching aids are effective in graphically explaining a subject & also encourage a student to do a lot of research for presenting a project. Audio-visual equipment which involves projectors is effectively used to present diagrams, animated images, graphs, etc. 

Portable white screen
A simple portable white screen can be set up just about anywhere indoors or outdoors (weather permitting!) to impart educational lessons.

E-learning packages

A few schools utilize pre-pared e-learning packages for subjects such as history, maths and science. There are even pre-programmed audio-visual packages for music & sport!

Accessories

Let's not forget some useful accessories: The teaching aids used for children first learning their numbers, alphabets, names of animals & birds, etc. span a wide variety: beads, flash cards, cardboard-cut outs, toys, even matchsticks and shells. 

At the higher classes, globes, prisms, magnets, stop watches, compasses, laboratory equipment & various sundry devices can be effectively used to convey information on a subject.

A majority of modern teaching aids are technology-based as can be seen in the list above.
Let's now discuss the benefits & drawbacks of such teaching aids

Benefits of modern teaching aids

Keeping in mind a child's exposure to video games, iPads and smart phones, it is not surprising that as a student the child takes to technological teaching tools like the proverbial duck to water.

Teaching & learning are both made more enjoyable through modern teaching aids of the technological kind. Children do tend to be more attentive as the audio or visual or audio-visual aids makes them engrossed in what is being taught. 

Devices like touch-screen gadgets makes learning more accessible and helps a child to understand a subject as complex as a Shakespearean play easy to understand thanks to the summaries of such subjects provided by the device's apps.

Teaching aids like animated slide shows saves time for subjects like botany and biology. For example, instead of the teacher constantly drawing a diagram of a flower to explain the parts of the flower or of the brain to explain its various features, time is saved by showing a slide show and simply explaining.

Drawbacks of modern teaching aids

It does seem increasingly clear that many companies which manufacture modern teaching aids are pulling out all the stops towards marketing their products aggressively. It is true that a student is no longer a mere passive learner. They are eager to learn with more involvement. However, are such technological devices really necessary? Some schools get carried away by the hype & herd mentality of "Other schools are using them; so should we". 

Here's why modern teaching aid can be ineffective:

The modern technological teaching aids which are used in the classroom today are a barrier to student-teacher interactions. Learning, like these aids, is not automated. Quite often, clarity can be lost & essential details overlooked while explaining a topic with a technological teaching aid.

The biggest drawback to the use of modern teaching aids is the investment costs. These costs can be really huge as it is not a question of simply setting up the equipment on a one-time basis. Any technological equipment needs to be maintained. Quite often, the budget for such teaching aids can overshoot the mark. This has repercussions, with school fees being hiked to astronomical proportions. Moreover, in the case of using software teaching aids, the software needs to be constantly upgraded. 

Then there is the factor of learning how to use the teaching aids properly & effectively. Not all teachers can grasp technology very quickly so this involves a need to train them first. Both the hardware & software industry is developing at a furious pace. In the blink of an eye, software can become redundant as a new one takes over or some hardware's feature can become more sophisticated. Hence the need to also constantly train teachers to understand new developments of teaching aids.

One also tends to forget that teaching aids used generally may be ineffective for children with special learning needs. It is important to have unique teaching aids for autistic children, those who are slow learners, those with visual disabilities and the like. Such children often get left out of the enjoyable process of learning because they may not be able to quickly grasp what is being taught through fancy gadgets & devices.

Finally, for schools which download & use direct Internet teaching software there is the constant threat of what affects anything in e-space: viruses & hackers. Also, when giving access to the Internet to school children to encourage them to do research, it is essential to teach them cyber security & monitor the sites they visit.

Conclusion

Whether a slide show or a touch screen device, a teaching aid must be a complementary tool to teaching and not a replacement of it. What's more, no two students are alike. Each student has his/her own learning abilities & a teacher's personal touch goes a long way in making a student comfortable in the learning process. 

Author: Swara