Teaching science 11–13

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 133 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-4277
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00048347

✦ Synopsis

Paul Bacsich's chapter on computer (mediated) conferencing provides a good introduction to the strengths (e.g. flexible student-student links and student-tutor links) and weaknesses (e.g. numbers accommodated and cost) of this medium, but the technical and costing information needs updating. Recent papers by Tony Kaye and Tony Bates should be consulted to follow the Open University's progress with this technique and technology.

The chapter on interactive video by Diana Laurillard is a good introduction to the possibilities offered, and the rather daunting conditions which must be fulfilled if interactive video is to be implemented efficiently and effectively. Readers should consult her more recent book on the subject to gain a deeper understanding and new strategies for interactive video development (Laurillard, 1987).

The fifth part of the book on the evaluation of applications needs to be complemented with a further section discussing computer technology applied to the appraisal of student learning (see Harris, 1987). The ways in which assessment is handled have a great deal to do with how students set about learning. Consequently, the choice between, for instance, computer-mediated conferencing vs. objective automated testing has large repercussions which need discussion.

In summary, the book is a well-chosen assortment of interesting papers, particularly valuable for students of distance education, but also for those interested in advanced forms of Computer Aids to adult Learning.