Remedial Evolution
The Kulliks, Peter Cohen, Kosma, Belle and Williams offered up plenty of data to chew on this week. The data and meta-data all revolved around Postlethwait's Audio Tutorial System developed in the early 60s. Although I have great respect for the investigators and felt like they provided valuable information on the efficacy of the Audio Tutorial System as compared to conventional classroom presentations; it was the description of Postlethwait's system that I found most helpful and interesting.
Dr. Postlethwait was a botanist that came up with a system which included audio and video tutorial lessons designed to supplement his traditional (face-to-face) classes. Not only did the students independently visit library carrels to view video tutorials, they also attended "General Assembly Sessions" and met weekly in small groups which were led by an instructor or mentor. In one of the articles the students that were the inspiration for the creation of the Audio Tutorial System were classified as "remedial."
The word remedial has not been used in education for many years now. Instead, students are described as someone with special needs. As with the word remedial, library carrels with video viewing equipment have been replaced with computer stations which offer internet access. Video viewing still happens, but it is much more readily available, via library, home computers and cell phones. Instructors have a vast array of resources which are available and can be shared with any of their students to enhance, increase and improve learning. For the instructor, the need to create material has largely been replaced by the need to access material. We are truly in the midst of the information age, so our challenge is to navigate and to teach others to navigate, retain and utilize some of the vast knowledge that can be found on the "World Wide Web."
Dr. Postlethwait was a botanist that came up with a system which included audio and video tutorial lessons designed to supplement his traditional (face-to-face) classes. Not only did the students independently visit library carrels to view video tutorials, they also attended "General Assembly Sessions" and met weekly in small groups which were led by an instructor or mentor. In one of the articles the students that were the inspiration for the creation of the Audio Tutorial System were classified as "remedial."
The word remedial has not been used in education for many years now. Instead, students are described as someone with special needs. As with the word remedial, library carrels with video viewing equipment have been replaced with computer stations which offer internet access. Video viewing still happens, but it is much more readily available, via library, home computers and cell phones. Instructors have a vast array of resources which are available and can be shared with any of their students to enhance, increase and improve learning. For the instructor, the need to create material has largely been replaced by the need to access material. We are truly in the midst of the information age, so our challenge is to navigate and to teach others to navigate, retain and utilize some of the vast knowledge that can be found on the "World Wide Web."
Posted by Cindy at 1/27/2010 10:27 PM 
Categories: ECI 517
Tags: Advanced Multimedia Postlethwait's ECI 517 Audio Tutorial remedial
Categories: ECI 517
Tags: Advanced Multimedia Postlethwait's ECI 517 Audio Tutorial remedial
You stated that "it was claimed that off campus students require more attention than on campus students require." I maintain that it is because of incomplete and unclear directions that cause off campus students to need more attention. In an on campus situation, students can ask face to face for immediate clarification and get it (well, most of the time) whereas online students must email back and forth until an understanding is reached. With this in mind, we have to be very careful when planning and implementing online lessons to make sure each step makes sense. I have found that getting someone in the target audience to independently review the material before it is published is the best way to avoid problems. You can't do it yourself because you are too close to the material to see the flaws.
Reply to this
Thanks Jill! What you are saying certainly is true, but we will never really know what the authors were referring to when they made this statement because they did not support the claim. Perhaps, if someone had reviewed their article before it was published (as you have suggested), the omission would have discovered!
Reply to this