The ALN Center invites you to join in a free new online discussion:
"Why ALN in Academe?"
You can join the discussion at:
http://www.aln.org/alnweb/alntalk
Here is a note from the moderator, J. Olin Campbell:
Why ALN in Academe? There may be different (but sometimes overlapping)
answers for faculty and for administrators. Faculty may like the additional
ways to communicate with learners and the additional learning tools that
ALN provides, in relation to the classroom. For example, it is easy to
refer learners to other sites that contain content-relvant information. In
some cases, free tutorials are available (e.g., one of the many "Internet
101" sites for those getting started with the Internet itself). These sites
can save the instructor time in relation to creating everything new.
Administrators may like the ability to reach a new market of learners--and
want to move fast to avoid someone else taking away their market.
BUT . . .
Faculty may also feel threatened because developing online learning is
typically an intense process that may involve many people and much faculty
development time. The faculty member may feel loss of control of the
course, especially if the school administration says they own the course.
On the other hand faculty may feel happy if they receive additional income
from sales or licensing of the course.
Administrators may feel threatened if another school or for-profit company
provides competing courses and programs that have content authored by "name
brand" stars in the field, high production values, and cost less.
What are the issues as you see them?
If you have already participated in ALNTalk, you will need to select
"Options" and click on the new forum to add it to the list of forums you
can view.
The ALN will be relocating this Tuesday and Wednesday. The servers must be powered
off and transported in the process. If you are not able to connect, please be
patient and try again in an hour.
Thank you, Jason Mann [log in to unmask]
ALNTalk is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
J. Olin Campbell, IPT
150 MCKB (P.O. Box 25089)
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
voice: (801) 378-1171
fax: (801) 378-8672
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