Education goes digital: the evolution of online learning and the revolution in higher education

Reviewer: Michael Lesk

Hiltz and Turoff claim online learning will replace traditional instruction, via an intermediate form of blended courses that combine face-to-face meetings with online discussion. This is more than just email. Instead of talking in class, a variety of communication tools, visualization methods, and groupware techniques can enhance the way students learn. Online classes involve more student participation and discussion and less lecturing than the familiar on-campus class. After the full transition, a few international mega-universities will have replaced a great many small teaching institutions. A good part of the article is a general discussion about how technological change infiltrates society and business. The authors assert that online learning is as effective as meetings in classrooms; this absolutely fundamental premise for their argument is unfortunately not footnoted or supported. Online Computing Reviews Service

Reviewer: Barrett Hazeltine

There are many ideas in this wide-ranging paper, including the idea that digital learning will be a substitute for both face-to-face and distance learning, creating a blend where the distinction between online and face-to-face students will disappear. A blended learning system can be far better than a face-to-face class. The technology of online learning will make heavy use of methodologies, improving the ability of large groups to communicate internally and work together (an example of such a methodology is voting to focus the discussion on areas of group difference). A challenge for research and development is to improve class collaboration, for example, by using virtual markets to integrate discourse structures. If instructors could express their own cognitive maps, and see their students' maps, they could better understand their teaching successes. Societal forces will drive the substitution of online learning, partly because this allows the instructor, and the university administration, to treat all students equally. The availability of courses in digital format will weaken the geographic monopolies of many colleges and universities. A need exists for an impartial mechanism to educate the consumer about the effectiveness of the educational alternatives available; perhaps professional societies, accrediting agencies, or the universities themselves will take on this role. Online educational technology is changing rapidly; it is important that organizations not commit themselves to current technology. This is a visionary article, with an emphasis on computer-mediated collaborative pedagogy. Forecasting is difficult, but the ideas are plausible. Online Computing Reviews Service