Education versus 'edu-tainment': The use of the Internet for course delivery in New Zealand

J. Lynley Hutton
School of Accounting Finance and Law
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
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The use of technology has the potential to add value to education, but does it? It may also only act as little more than a source of entertainment unless the instructional design of courses incorporating technology use, or the use of technology in course delivery, is based on sound cognitive learning principles combined with an understanding of the individual learning variables of students, such as learning styles.

An examination is made of relevant cognitive theory pertaining to learning with computers, focussing in particular on instructional design issues. The theoretical discussion is linked to practical application in the context of reporting on the interim results of a research project evaluating the first courses being delivered via the Internet in 1998 by The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. In addition technology developments in New Zealand are reviewed in relation to the latest New Zealand Government strategy report on 'Learning with IT'.

Introduction

The Internet is perceived by some as the salvation of our education system: we have found the holy grail. A significant part of the infomedia revolution which has been predicted to dramatically change our world (Koelsch, 1995), the Internet is being credited with almost God-like powers to change the way we learn. How much of this is fact, fiction, or merely statements of faith, remains to be seen and will undoubtedly provide a fertile area for research in the future. Other technological developments, such as educational television, have also been heralded with much enthusiasm and similar faith, but have not made the contributions expected of them, instead they have been relegated to the role of an entertainment. Cynicism, however, should not blind us to the potential of a technology such as the Internet, but like any tool it is how we use it which will determine its success as an innovation.

In New Zealand the impact of the Internet is only just starting to be felt, with schools slowly updating their computer systems as funds become available. Tertiary institutions are beginning to respond to the possibilities of on-line education with an increasing number of courses offered over the Internet this year. The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand is one of those institutions, currently offering three courses on-line from its Bachelor of Applied Science. As New Zealand's only dedicated tertiary distance education institute, with a long history of supporting students studying at a distance and an established system of instructional design, the Open Polytechnic is in a unique position to offer leadership in the design of on-line courses. With over 31,000 students enrolled, 60% having computer access, and 21% having Internet access - a figure expected to dramatically increase in the next few years - supporting students by on-line delivery is a natural strategic development. Furthermore the expectation of the New Zealand government is that greater use be made of information technology in education.

Courses delivered by a medium such as the Internet must make creative use of best practice combined with current learning theories in order to maximise the potential of the technology to add value to the formal learning environment (Brown & Ryba, 1996). Failure to do so relegates the resulting courses to poor imitations of what could be achieved in a classroom, or a copy of paper based materials. Alternatively the courses may look good with attractive graphics and hypertext links, but be little more than 'edu-tainment' in that they are entertaining but lacking in educational substance.

The Internet, learning theory and instructional design

The Internet

The Internet has a number of functions relevant to the educational context. It can be used as a resource for research purposes, and as a method of course delivery; both functions enabling access to information. However as Recker (1997) points out, access to information is only one aspect of the Internet, a more important one being the capacity to extend the boundaries of classrooms by creating learning communities. Information access creates opportunities as well as challenges. With such an enormous amount of information available at a key stroke, information literacy skills are essential for people to be able to use the information (Bruce & Candy, 1995). From an educational perspective, teaching styles must change from a focus on content to facilitating the development of self-directed learning strategies so that learners become more self regulating (Boekaers, 1995). These skills are not restricted to use of particular technologies, such as the Internet, but can be shaped by them and transferred to other learning situations provided the learning environment is one modeling such skills and encouraging their use.

Features of the Internet, including hypertext links, graphic modelling, scope for interactivity, and the availability of synchronous and asychronous communication, make it an ideal learning environment for constructing courses of a problem-based nature which foster critical thinking skills (Savery & Duffy, 1995). Developments of this nature need to be guided by learning theories to maximise the opportunities available from using the technology.

Learning theory

Shifts in learning theories that guide and explain practice in the use of technology in education are evident (Robyler, Edwards & Havrilluk, 1997). Early experiments with teaching machines, built on a behaviourist's conception of learning, had no lasting impact on the educational environment, although a behavioural focus is still evident in computer programs which emphasise stimulus and response. Later technology developments such as Papert's Logo were based on a constructivist approach to learning whereby learners are viewed as constructing their understanding: students' prior knowledge, the structure of knowledge, and the learning environment all impact on how well they learn. In contrast to theories which are based on an individual's learning, Vygotsky proposd a socio-cultural understanding of learning in which knowledge is shared between teachers and learners, thus the communicative nature of learning is of central importance (Jones & Mercer, 1993). He also recognised what he called the 'zone of proximal development', a term he used to describe 'the difference between what a person can do by themselves and what they could do with help from people more experienced than themselves' (Tiffin & Rajasingham, 1995, p.22). Vygotsky's theories are highly relevent for learning in an environment utilising information technology.

To date information technology has had a limited impact on our learning environment, pedagogical practices accommodating the use of computers with little change being initiated (Heppell, 1993). This could be interpreted as reflecting the lack of integration of theory with practice, or the lack of relevant theory which can be used in this context. A Vyagotskian view of the nature of learning, focussing on the cultural and communicative aspects of problem solving combined with a recognition of the zone of proximal development, may provide a base for future theoretical developments. (Davydov, 1995).

Potentially it is feasible that information technology may be able to extend human intelligence, with the technology taking on some lower order thinking skills enabling students to engage in more higher order thinking. This could be one effect of working with technology, however of greater importance is what Salomon, Perkins, and Globerson (1991) refer to as the cognitive residue resulting from such a partnership whereby skills and strategies are developed which can be transferred to other learning situations. A danger of using the Internet is that it is all too easy to spend a lot of time mindlessly surfing, and too little time thinking and learning. When learners mindfully engage in a task they can 'mobilise more of their intelligence, generate more novel inferences, and commit more of the material encountered to memory' (Salomon, Perkins, & Globerson, 1991, p. 4). In a formal learning situation it is the instructional design which is of critical importance in insuring that such engagement occurs.

Instructional design

Instructional design has been described as 'the process of deciding what methods of instruction are best for bringing about desired changes in student knowledge and skills for a specific course content and a specific student population' (Reigeluth, 1983, p. 7). As a formal practice it is used extensively in distance education where teaching materials have historically been paper based with a limited use of other technology, enabling a comprehensive, planned approach to producing courses. Such an approach is appropriate for other learning environments, the only significant difference between distance education and other forms of education being that the teacher is separated from the student. As Garrison states 'There is nothing uniquely associated with distance education in terms of its aims, conduct, students or activities that need affect what we regard as education' (1989, p.8). Given the parallel between courses offered on-line and distance education courses, defined as the learner being physically separated from the teacher and the course materials being generally text-based, lessons can be learned from distance education as to instructional design principles and practices which can be used in an on-line environment.

A fundamental principle behind the concept of instructional design is that the instruction is based on knowing how people learn (Gagne, Briggs & Wager, 1988). A large number of variables may impact on how individual people learn in a formal learning situation, including previous educational experiences and qualifications, culture, learning styles and the teaching styles of courses in which they are enrolled (Hutton, 1997). The actual location of the learning environment can be irrelevant: what is relevant is that 'the environment and learning materials are causing effective [emphasis added] learning to happen, whether or not the learner is at a distance from the provider' (Race, 1989, p.14).

As with distance education, there is a risk when designing material for on-line delivery of relying too much on the pre-packaged nature of what can essentially be self-instructional materials. Garrison (1993) argues against this, stressing the value of the educational transaction between teacher and learner in facilitating the construction of knowledge, as opposed to the assimilation of facts. The benefits of interaction between students to facilitate knowledge construction should also be acknowledged. Communication between teachers and students studying at a distance was previously restricted and usually delayed: using the Internet for course delivery potentially removes this barrier. For this type of communication to be effective, however, it needs to be planned and incorporated into the course design to encourage its use. Simply making it available is unlikely to achieve this.

Regardless of the method of course delivery, evaluation of the effectiveness of the instructional process and design is essential. Yesterday's mistakes, as well as its successes, are the source of tomorrow's improvements and innovations. An unwillingness to experiment, take risks and make mistakes can restrict progress for the future, however this must be tempered by bearing in mind the needs of students and the practicalities of what can be supported. As with any learning situation evaluation can be achieved by various means, for example an on-line training evaluation form can help determine the instructional soundness of a course (Pisik, 1997). Also, students can be interviewed or sent questionnaires to provide their feedback, their assessments can be reviewed, and their contributions to class discussions are recorded so are easily available for analysis (Harasim, Hiltz, Teles, Turoff, 1995). The input of teachers supporting on-line courses, and the developers of the courses can provide invaluable information as to design aims and issues. Utilising such information can contribute to the evolution of instructional methods and design in an on-line environment.

Internet courses at the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand

Three courses from the Bachelor of Applied Science are currently offered on-line by The Open Polytechnic. These are being used to trial the method of delivery and students' experiences of learning with this medium. In order to evaluate the courses a research project has been initiated to examine student variables, such as learning styles, monitor reflections of the students while they are engaged in their course work, and assess the instructional design of the courses in terms of best practice and student satisfaction.

The courses selected were technology related courses, thereby increasing the likelihood of access to the Internet as students are required to do some work with computers. Students were sent the paper version of the courses, as well as given access to the on-line versions. A conservative approach was taken to developing the on-line courses, reflecting the budget allocated, enabling a thorough monitoring of the processes involved in designing and supporting the courses without other variables clouding design issues. It is envisaged that the experience gained and information gathered will provide a base from which future developments can be made, to maximise resource investment, and minimise the transferring of additional costs to students.

Other features of the courses which make them ideal for on-line delivery include the course philosophies as determined by the degree, which is problem based and explicitly aims to foster critical thinking. Assessment tools used by two of the courses provide records of students' reflections on their learning experiences, information that can be used in the research to evaluate students' responses to the method of delivery.

While some interviews have been undertaken, other information is not yet available for inclusion in this paper. Interim results will be available for the conference presentation.

The role of government

Governments play a vital role in providing direction and support, both financial and via policy, for information and technology developments in education. The use of information technology is both explicitly and implicitly addressed in The New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education, 1993), with technology being designated as one of seven essential learning areas, and explicit reference to information technology being made in regard to the eight essentials skills students are expected to develop. Further evidence of the recognition of the need for action in this area is evident in New Zealand government discussion papers, such as "Education for the 21st Century" (Ministry of Education, 1993), which gave 1998 as a target for having electronic networks established in all schools. This target has not been achieved, although champions of the educational use of information technology are to be found within government, who are proactive in supporting and encouraging initiatives.

The latest submission to the New Zealand government instigated by the Minister for Information Technology (Information Technology Advisory Group, 1998) following on from another paper looking at issues involved in learning with information technology (Butler & Zwimpfer, 1997), suggests specific strategies to implement proposals. Although not government policy as yet, it can be taken as an indication of the direction in which the government is moving. The strategies suggestions include: creating government funded central services for advice on hardware, software, and effective use of information technology; providing on-line teaching resources, and developing learning clusters of schools with a teacher support person and technical support person. Funding has been allocated in the latest budget for the development of a new computer and information technology project.

Conclusion

Despite the increasingly widespread use of the Internet there is a risk that it may become 'edu-tainment' rather than education if it is used as an add-on technology rather than integrated within a comprehensive curriculum based (Collis, 1996) on the development of information literacy, other cognitive skills, and recognition of individual learning needs. The use of the Internet as a teaching resource and method of course delivery must be rigorously evaluated to insure that it adds value to the educative process, rather than as an add on to existing practices. This requires a reshaping of education, and it is up to us to create that shape (Tiffin & Rajasingham, 1995).

Branson (1990, p. 10) calls for a new educational paradigm for the future, asking the question: "How can technology be used to make fundamental improvements in education?". That question has yet to be answered. The role of government is critical in providing funding and policy, however it is people working in educational institutions who ultimately determine if innovations succeed or fail. With creative use of available technology, such as the Internet, guided by theories of learning which are still evolving, we have the opportunity to change our system of education.

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Author: J. Lynley Hutton
Lecturer, School of Accounting Finance and Law
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
Private Bag 31914, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Ph: (04) 560 5647 Fax (04) 560 5656
Email: HutLyn@topnz.ac.nz

Please cite as: Hutton, J. L. (1998). Education versus 'edu-tainment': The use of the Internet for course delivery in New Zealand. In C. McBeath and R. Atkinson (eds), Planning for Progress, Partnership and Profit. Proceedings EdTech'98. Perth: Australian Society for Educational Technology. http://www.aset.org.au/confs/edtech98/pubs/articles/hutton.html

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