Education The vision of Virtual Education is being.pdf

Chapter 5: Education Penny Duquenoy 20 Social Responsibility in the Information AgeEducation The vision of Virtual Education is being transformed into a practical reality. What are the ethical and social issues pertaining to education and learning in a virtual context? The context of Virtual Education Simon Rogerson (1999) points out that there was a distinct gap between the perceived potential of virtual education, and the actuality of achieving that potential. The driving forces behind virtual education (VEd) were meeting with a number of practical constraints. Driving forces: ? technology suitability ? increasing obsolescence of knowledge ? increasing quality through enriching variability ? perception of a market place for expansion without cost increases ? need for access to education for isolated learners ? expectations of policy makers. Practical constraints: ? lack and cost of network access, computerless learners ? copyright restrictions ? high start up costs ? demand for equitable access for isolated learners ? technology aversion by teachers ? credit transfer ? independent vs dependent learners. The vision of VEd includes a ‘global’ education community thereby introducing a variety of cultural approaches and attitudes to education. Issues such as mode of address, voice tone, attitude to assessment, language and understanding, and the type of pedagogical approach (student-centred constructivist or teacher-centred transmissive) may have an impact on learning. The Issues The issues under discussion were wide ranging, but can be categorised under the headings of infrastructure, human factors in teaching and learning, and wider social implications. 1 Infrastructure The infrastructure supporting virtual education is a combination of technological and human resources. The most pressing concerns are: ? Technological - capability - reliability - predictability - controllability - cost of access (in terms of equipment, software and telecommunications). It mus