ICT Current Trends

A reflection on an academic article about ICT in tertiary education

The purpose of this post is to reflect on an academic article of my choice. I have recently read the executive summary and key sections of the report "The impact of web-based lecture technologies (WBLT) on current and future practice" (available at http://www.cpd.mq.edu.au/teaching/wblt/overview.htm)

The report arose out of a collaborative project between several universities, is sponsored by the Australian Teaching and Learning Council and covers a number of pieces of research.

The research focussed on the use of WBLTs by both students and lecturers and unsurprisingly found that while students were generally enthusiastic about the technology and the flexibility it gave them to hear lectures on their own terms, lecturers themselves were divided about their use, mostly because of the perception that student use of WBLTs was negatively affecting lecture attendance.

The research found that most students found WBLTs helpful (even those who also attended face-to-face lectures). It also had the advantage of acting as a revision tool and allowing students to absorb information at a slower pace than in the lecture.

The way I see it, the biggest problem here is lecture attendance. On the one hand, there are students who love not having to attend lectures and feel that they are getting the same outcome from using WBLTs and on the other there are lecturers who feel that lack of attendance is preventing them from interacting with the class and gauging understanding. Some lecturers are also not convinced that students do get the same outcome from WBLTs as from live lectures.

As I see it, there are two possible responses to this dilemma. Either we find ways to use technology to create online learning that allays lecturers fears of the inadequacy of online resources, or we make lecture time irreplaceable by online learning, by showing that lecture time is an interactive and collaborative experience that you need to be physically present to experience.
In the first model, WBLTs can be supplemented with other technologies that create liaisons and interaction between lecturers and students online (such as discussion boards etc). To make online materials more effective lecturers may have to move away from their traditional speech plus powerpoint style of presenting information.
In the second model, we need to make lecture time more interactive than simply watching a video or listening to audio. There needs to be some real value for students in attendance if we want them to attend.