The use of the W eb in the education and training of information professionals in SADC – panacea or problem?

1. The use of the Web in the education and training of information professionals in SADC – panacea or problem? Johannes J Britz Theo JD Bothma Retha (MMM) Snyman Maritha E Snyman {britzh / tbothma / msnyman / mesnyman } @postino.up.ac.za

2. Angola Botswana Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Lesotho Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Seychelles South Africa Swaziland Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe SADC Southern African Development Community

4. Overview • Introduction • Case study at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee • Case study at the University of Pretoria • Recommendations for the SADC environment • Conclusion

5. Some assumptions • Web-based education the panacea for educational problems in developing countries • Massification and individualization simultaneously (new economics of information) • Facilitation of knowledge • Elimination of distance

6. The reality check • Developed world, e.g. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs • Developing world, e.g. University of Pretoria

7. Criteria • Price • Technology • Support • Enrolment • Demographics • Students • Faculty • Communication and context

8. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

9. General background • MLIS offered fully on the Web • Rated as one of the top 10 schools regarding DE in the USA • Strongest growing point for school (could only accept 50% of applications for 2003) • Have students all over the world (Germany, Hong Kong, Brazil)

10. Price • More expensive than onsite • Flat rate – “in-state rate off campus” applies • Contribute to income of School

11. Technology (hardware and software) • Affordable • Own server – Helix Universal Server –able to stream Real Player files • Webct 3.8, Windows XP, Real player 1 • Internet Connection (56k at least ), broadband high speed (cable or DSL). • Acrobat reader • Video Camera – Sony PD150 (for institution) • Camtasia software – use for creating demonstrations of software applications

12. WebCT • Lecture outlines online • Prescribed reading material (journals) online • Learning management system • Bulletin board • E-mail • Chat • Video and audio streaming

13. Support • 2 IT experts to assist the lecturer and the students • Lectures and students do not have to know all the IT details • Available every day (Monday to Friday) • In the same building on the same floor

14. Enrolment • Very strict • Enrol online via University System • Waiting list • No massification • 25 – 30 students per class • More than 30 (not more than 40) faculty get assistance (TA) • No combination of online and onsite in one class

15. Demographics • Preference to students who are not living in Milwaukee county • Must be in the MLIS program

16. Faculty members • Friendly requested to teach via Web (not compulsory but difficult to say no!) • Must make a paradigm shift in teaching • Workshops and other training opportunities available • Understand IT and application to teaching • Issued with necessary IT equipment to work from home • Restricted in expression • Creative in presentation/ get experts

17. Facilitate knowledge • Counted as a separate class • Normal load of three classes per semester – can be one onsite and two online • Duration online: 8 weeks • Onsite is 14 weeks • Possible to use a recorded video lecture for a next class • Have to update

18. Students • Advantage: time, location • Understand and use IT • Paradigm shift in being educated • Examinations difficult (no exam – research papers and discussion groups) • Assist one another (IT problems, general questions etc.) • Group projects difficult

19. Learning management system • Faculty can trace a student’s participation and engagement in class • Privacy (reply function on WebCT) • Difficult to verify if they did all the reading and watched the video

20. Some experiences of students • I like the lectures and the fact that I can start and stop them whenever I want. If I get too tired to pay attention or want to replay something, I can. This is not the case in a face-to-face course. I have not had trouble with audio and video. I have a fast Internet connection, however. I enjoy the chats, and even if the professor cannot see us, it is helpful to make connection with a person by seeing him/her.

21. I have been very lucky and have only had wonderful teachers, which I feel fortunate about. I think that if the teachers weren’t on the course all the time and responding to students as they do, it would be a horrible experience. • Overall, this has been a very positive experience for me. I would do it again.

22. The teachers have been very responsive. I even had a teacher call me in Brazil to touch base with me before I started my research project. As was mentioned on the bulletin board in your class, some teachers give a lot of feedback on papers, others do not. It is nice to get at least a sentence or two, especially if you didn’t get an A, so that you can make adjustments.

23. As far as the "discussions" go, I felt about as satisfied as I do in a face to face class, because it was fun to spend a little more time articulating exactly what I wanted to say in response to a question or idea. It was also fun getting and reading responses from others. By the same token, it was kind of like a slow motion discussion, so there wasn't the same conversational flow you get in a face to face class. Real time chats can help add to the conversation, but real time chats aren't quite the same as a face to face class either […]

24. Message no. […]Sent by […] on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 9:49pm […] I've been very disappointed with the"mechanics" of this, my first online class […] I'm just not very computer savvy, and I think onemust be to take a course like this. I've been one stepbehind […] I've also found this onlineformat far more time consuming than a regular "brick andmortar" class

25. […] I can honestly saythat this will be my one and only online class. […] Unless Ihave absolutely no other choice available, I won't takeanother web course again. […] I didlike your online lectures. […] You are an excellent lecturer, oneof the best I've had at UW-M

26. Communication, context and interaction • Use video to record lecture • Ask students and experts to join in the recording • Have a live chat every week (interactive: students type questions and faculty replies on the camera with live stream) • Live chat is archived for those who can’t make it

29. Critical success factors of Milwaukee • Infostructure • Affordable • Student and faculty paradigm shift • Support • Student numbers

30. University of Pretoria

31. General background • Offers full undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in • Information Science • Library Science • Publishing • Multimedia • Information & Knowledge Management • Web-supported teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels • Not distance education

32. Price • Standard price • Does not include computer or access to computer unless the module has a component that requires computer use • Computers are expensive – luxury item

33. Technology (hardware and software) • WebCT • Limited lab access for students • Campus servers - central • Digital video and still cameras and software • Other software such as Acrobat Reader • Limited experimenting with audio recording

34. WebCT • Lecture outlines online + class notes • Prescribed reading material (journals) online • Learning management system • Division into small groups • Bulletin board • E-mail • Experimenting with audio - limited

37. Support • One administrative assistant within the Department + students • Telematic Learning and Education Innovation • Technical support • Design support • Assessment support • Fairly high technical know-how expected

38. Enrolment • Per module • 1st year: around 500 • 3rd year: around 200 • Honours: around 25 • Coursework Masters: around 15 • Standard enrolment criteria • At postgraduate level • Computer and Internet access required

39. Faculty members • Web-support is required • Early adopters vs laggards • Mind shift • Technology training • Education innovation part of performance management • Various programmes for training

40. Students • Enthusiastic • Lack of access to computers and printing • Technological problems • Expect more • Interaction • Quick response • Content • Very sharp and direct in criticisms • Very positive about audio experiment

41. Communication, context and interaction • Bulletin board • Threaded and archived • E-mail • Interaction not yet optimal • Mostly deals with administrative matters • Little academic interaction • Forced collaborative projects via small groups • Don’t participate if not assessed

42. Critical success factors of Pretoria • Enthusiasm of (some / most) faculty • Paradigm shift through education innovation • Linked to performance management • It IS extra work that requires extra input

43. Main problems • Lack of infrastructure • Student access to computers • Bandwidth / slow Internet • Printing facilities • Limited support • Technical know-how of faculty AND students • Costs

44. Important issues in Web classes • Communication is permanent • Be careful about what you say or type • Intellectual property • ‘Face recognition’ (onsite) becomes ‘name recognition’ (online) • Language/hermeneutics • Humour - difficult • 24/7 – always follows you!

45. Successful application of web-based education in SADC?

46. The Milwaukee idea would not work in SADC • Infostructure • Cost • Computer and information literacy of students and faculty • Support • Massification

47. Africa –ideas that may work • Phased growth path • Cooperation between LIS schools • Face-to-face teaching • Web-supported teaching • Limited use of technology • Telecentres • Online teaching • Collaboration at post-graduate level

48. Collaborative teaching • International and local experts, e.g. Memphis and UP • Study material (lectures,prescribed material, etc.) available on the Web for free • Payment structure • Fee is based on local enrolment fees • E.g. the agreement between UP and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

49. Web-supported teaching • Teaching the traditional way • Use Web to support teaching • Access to all study material via the Web • Study guides • Prescribed material • Enhance interactive communication between students

50. Decentralization and massification • Centralize the study material on the Web • Decentralize accessibility – via for example telecenters • Decentralize support –per telecenter • Decentralize teaching assistance – one or two adjunct instructors at centre • Centralize the expert • Faculty member who created the content • Can be reached via adjunct instructors • Involve authors / industry experts