[MUSIC] This episode provides, a brief summary, of
how the way we learn, is changing in our
increasingly digital society. We look at ways that institutions can
begin to, meet this challenge, and also highlight, the,
benefits of teaching online. The importance of maintaining a balance
between face to face and online learning
practices. And also, some ideas about how
institutions can start to support their academics, when they're trying
online teaching for the first time. >> Probably the most significant challenge
that, we faced in our education at the moment, comes from the fact that
the Internet is changing. The way knowledge work is done in society. >> The way we learn in our society is, of
course based around communication and the way society operates is that more
and more of our communication, is digital. >> In the trend of the world now, like we,
connect with each other and, we have to be updated, and, in, in the right time, so
teaching online is the, only way. >> I don't think we as a, [LAUGH] as a set
of institutions of learning can afford not to
be exploring and developing our strategies to be in sympathy with those
that are students are naturally adopting through their own engagement with these technologies outside of the, the
university. [BLANK_AUDIO] >> One of the most, obvious benefits is
flexibility of delivery and that's one of the
widely charted ones. >> Where we deliver curriculum, when we
deliver it, how we deliver it, et cetera. >> So, it's both, reach in terms of. local, national, international, obviously. And it's also, richness of
experience. >> The capacity to work, cross
disciplinary, to work cross campus, and also to enable, students
a more diverse learning experience. >> They normally enable us to access
information. They enable us to share information. They enable us to create communities of
common interests. They enable us to, facilitate communication between those communities of
interest. [BLANK_AUDIO] >> I like to think of the educational
experience in universities now as a blended learning experience,
that's a term that's commonly used. And I think it's a challenge for
universities to figure out how to get that blend right. >> What I realised is that it changed the why, the fixed dynamics of the,
lecture or presenting material and students
discussing it in classes. We were able in, the mid 90’s to start
using the Internet to change the way we use the on-campus time, for a
much more productive learning outcome. >> Really it's one space. It's a learning space that we're talking
about. Which has a physical component, and a
virtual component. And the two are, complimentary, and,
integrated in to each other in an ideal environment. [BLANK_AUDIO] >> It's a large change and a rapid change
but one that's essential to move with the
technology expectations of our students. >> In some ways, it's got to be both. Incremental and radical, and it also
needs, to be flexible enough to respond to what's
coming on the horizon. >> This is not an optional extra now. This is not a case of the university
saying, oh, how can we cut cost. >> I think we've got to keep the question
of, why use the technology and how we can use the technology to support
learning, teaching at the, forefront of all of our
thinking. And in terms of development of
strategy here. >> It's a multi pronged approach I think. And as part of that culture there needs to be strong leadership at the
university level. >> The university vice chancellor or deputy vice chancellor providing
identifiable leadership over the direction of the university in
the technology area, is essential. >> It can be problematic if your senior
management are not, fully behind. What it is you're trying to do in terms of
an online profile for your institution. >> To have an institution, which is
formalised, that got the courses together, that got the structure
together, got the team to produce the courses, simply means you're
in advance of a kind of training, you're in advance of what's
kind of happening anyway. >> It is hard stuff to, see the reasons
for change. And they need too, in their own way, so those were the reasons before, engaging in
professional development. >> I think, if you were to say, that
academics can be told to do something, you're in a
different planet. >> So while the students can appreciate
and understand and protect. Potentially, envisage the, potential for
the use of technologies in learning and
teaching. Many of our staff don't. >> Once people are accepting that it’s
the primary, objective, then it's a case of developing their understanding of
what a good learning environment would be. So it's not something that can be dictated
because people, teach in a way that they think is
best. >> Universities have a real obligation to,
stop running training courses in systems and telling academics,
how to do things. University's need to get back to where we
were, maybe ten or 15 years ago, which was see staff development as a genuine
developmental exercise. In which time and resources and money, are
putting into helping staff innovate, become
sophisticated Internet users in their teaching. And to appreciate that they'll be an
intangible return on that, freedom to, develop the
academic staff. Which is mostly seen in the way that academics then help, other academics
to become. Sophisticated and even expert in these
fields. [BLANK_AUDIO]
