I believe this is advantageous for all of us. We will tell you about our first-hand experiences of a method which in all ways is open and flexible, using inexpensive solutions and standard software. Everybody may participate and in principle there is no limit on the number of participants, as well teachers and students may work when it suits them best. The method may be used both by "distant" and "near" students (those already at the institution).
Our methods are in many ways based on the well-tried correspondence-school methods. One common method involves issuing course material which the students study while also taking part in discussions with other students and the teacher. Then they send in answers to exercises to be corrected and so on.
This method is what we started with, but we have adjusted it to accommodate modern technology, all the while adapting it to new methods and new situations.
It has been essential for us to use a method which students are familiar with, and then adapt it to a new technology which is also becoming increasingly common. I believe the greater part of NITOL's success is due to this simple observation and the subsequent adaptation.
Nevertheless, we do not want to rest on our laurels. We will be constantly developing new methods, both purely in technical terms and in regard to the presentation of the teaching material, person-to-person communication, group communication etc. within each individual subject.
That we herewith are offering "Pedagogics in Open Learning", is more proof of this openness and our intent to keep developing this method and our concept.
Perhaps it is only a matter of time before we will also be using video, video telephones, electronic bulletin boards, TV etc. in our teaching. The question is the extent to which these technical aids should be introduced. We must consider their usefulness carefully - do they contribute positively to our teaching, do they increase learning effect and enhance information distribution, and are they time-savers, hence improving cost effectiveness.
Irrespective of technical aids, the important issue is that we have chosen a basic teaching method to start with. NITOL has selected the following method as our foundation:
We then select the best and most inexpensive technology which will enable us to carry out these tasks.
The rest of this lesson consists of information about the technological base we need to teach according to this method. In the next lesson I shall explain how we implement this method using the technology described in this lesson.