Jeremy Pagram

Issues In E-Learning: A Thai Case Study

E‐learning is a very topical and much misused term. Nevertheless, many countries both developed and developing, are rushing to embrace this new educational technology. Perceived benefits in both cost of delivery and educational outcomes are often the driving force.

Bring Your Own Digital Device in Teacher Education

Abstract This article reports on an investigation to advise a teacher education institution on the feasibility of having a “Bring Your Own Digital Device” policy for students. The investigation built on components of two research projects while adding the comprehensive testing of representative potential hardware and software platforms. The initial emphasis was on identifying the digital technology demands of our teacher education courses. A representative range of potential devices was tested against these demands. At the time of testing, all laptop devices were found to be adequate but only the iPad was adequate in the mobile range. In a survey of a sample of students, nearly all owned an appropriate device but most made limited, if any, use of it at the university.

Findings and Conclusions

The study involved teachers from four courses (Applied Information Technology, Engineering Studies, Italian Studies, and Physical Education Studies) and at least one of their senior-secondary classes. This section provides a summary of findings of the study for each course.

Online or Out of Reach

As we move into the 21st century, higher education institutions in Australia and around the world are undergoing a transition. The trend is to move away from traditional methods of course presentation towards online methodologies. In theory, students within isolated and remote areas of Australia and around the world no longer need to relocate to major cities and educational institutions as they have access to learning opportunities online. This paper describes initial research findings undertaken at two isolated and remote schools in the far north of Western Australia. The schools were visited in order to determine how practical this approach to education is in the ‘real’ world. Early results suggest that in many parts of northern Australia access to these new courses is limited by the telecommunications infrastructure in place. It is evident that in the bush, some Australians are in danger of plummeting into the widening ‘digital chasm’.

Laptops which talk: liberating dyslexic learners

This paper describes a number of case studies in which laptop computers with speech synthesis were used in order to determine the cognitive and motivational effects on the literacy and academic self-esteem of disabled students. Students who have poorer than average reading and writing skills, are disadvantaged in all areas of education. Such disadvantages are often related to lowered academic performance and self-esteem. Computers have been used for remedial teaching for some time, but it is only recently with advances in technology and reductions in price that it has become possible for children to have a computer when and where they really need it: in the classroom to help them with their class work. By using a laptop computer with speech synthesis as an aid reading and writing impaired students may be able to participate more fully in classroom activities.