EdTech'98 Proceedings: Bryn Jones - the Asynchronous Space and Time Planning Tool Workshop

The Asynchronous Space and Time Planning Tool Workshop

Bryn Jones
University of Notre Dame Australia

Technology planning in education is a relatively new art and educators desperately need tools which are easy to use and which will allow them to understand and plan better. This is an example of one of a range of tools developed by the author and fellow planners to meet this need.
The session will take the form of a workshop where the 'Asynchronous Space and Time Planning Tool' will be explained and presented. Participants will then have an opportunity to try it out in a variety of contexts not all to do with technology planning.

Background

Robbie McClintock in Power and Pedagogy makes the comment that schools as we traditionally know them were created in the early 19th century when the only practical way to teach people was to bring them to the same place at the same time, almost irrespective of their readiness to learn.

Existing schools can be viewed as a means for synchronizing diverse activities in space and time.

He calls this "Synchronous Space and Time". Modern communications technologies free us to a greater or lesser degree from that constraint and allow us to consider education in "Asynchronous Space and Time".

By asynchronous space and time, we mean the ability of people, who are not synchronized in the same place at the same time, to communicate easily with each other in a variety of responsive ways.

At Notre Dame University, we like to treat our students individually and provide them with a University experience which is both high quality and distinctive.

We set about considering the opportunities and imperatives of presenting academic units in flexible delivery mode. It became clear to us that it was essential for us to be able to reassure ourselves that we could maintain that quality and distinctiveness in modes other than "Synchronous Space and Time".

It was in this context that the planning tool was developed.

Power and Pedagogy is available on line at the ILT site (16 June 1998) [http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/]

The full text book is at (16 June 1998) [http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/academic/texts/mcclintock/pp/contents.html]

About the Planning Tool

Purpose of The Asynchronous Space and Time Planning Tool

To provide a tool to describe and categorise four modes of learning activity in space and time on a two dimensional matrix.
To assess the advantages and disadvantages of each mode for a particular purpose.
To assess what is gained and lost by moving an activity to another mode.
To assess the extent to which technology (for example) can help to mitigate any losses or enhance any gains.
To provide a means of assessing the changes in the quality of an activity when it changes modes.
To provide a base line of quality assurance to assist in deciding if a mode of delivery is appropriate to the organisation. (ie. If the quality drops below a certain point and we can't find a way to put it back, then we won't do it this mode.)

How to use The Asynchronous Space and Time Planning Tool

Place a learning activity in its appropriate box in the tool.
List Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats of that mode.
Move it to a different box.
SWOT again
To learn how to use this planning tool, practice by using everyday non learning activities like sharing a family meal or playing chess or greeting a loved one.

Quality control using The Asynchronous Space and Time Planning Tool

Move an activity a new mode.
Carefully describe how it would work in this new mode.
Access quality losses and gains
Can technology (or something else) make up for the losses?
Is it worth proceeding at this stage?
What emerging technologies may help?

The Asynchronous Space And Time Planning Tool

Bryn Jones		SPACE
1997		Synchronous	Asynchronous
T I M E	S y n c h r o n o u s	This activity happens with participants in the same place at the same time. Examples Lecture Colloquium Game of chess Live Theatre Conference Night in the pub	This activity happens with participants in different places at the same time. Examples Live television Audio conference Video conference Internet Relay Chat Satellite broadcast IRC or telephone chess
	A s y n c h r o n o u s	This activity happens with participants in the same place at different times. Examples Notice board Pigeon holes Billboard Chess board left in room? A unit on the local area network	This activity happens with participants in different places at different times. Examples Email list Web pages Electronic bulletin boards Postal or Email Chess Traditional correspondence course using mail or fax only.

Bryn Jones
University of Notre Dame Australia
17 Mouat Street, Fremantle WA 6160
bjones@nd.edu.au
Please cite as: Jones, B. (1998). The Asynchronous Space and Time Planning Tool Workshop. 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/jones-b.html

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Created 16 Jun 1998. Last revision: 18 Apr 2003. Editor: Roger Atkinson
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