Telecommunications, Distance Learning, and
Collaborative Interchange
TU4022
Autumn 1995

Course overview

While telecommunications in general is today playing an increasingly important role in global collaborative interchanges in education and distance learning initiatives of all kinds, the most visible aspect of telecommunications for education is currently the package of activities associated with worldwide use of the INTERNET. The syllabus of TU4022 will reflect this. The importance of television and other forms of telecommunication will be studied, but the INTERNET will receive a large share of attention. This will be reflected in the two major projects carried out during the term, both of which will involved team work: (1) learning to create simple, functional Web pages, and (2) participating in the implementation of Web pages in the curriculum of appropriate institutions and programs. Because a primary emphasis in the course will be to use technology to address specific, currently inadequately addressed educational problems, television will be examined as an exemplary way to do this, to begin the course. Even as appropriate aspects or characteristics of television are identified and their educational application identified, the first major constructive part of course will begin: learning to create simple, functional Web pages. The various uses of email will be stressed throughout the course and email will be a primary means of communication among participants, including instructors. Established uses of the INTERNET for information discovery and retrieval in many forms will be covered, then used and evaluated by all participants.

Learning to create simple, functional Web pages

HTML language features will be explored and the details of their use introduced. The characteristics of a Web page design will be presented, and several preliminary designs will be proposed by each team, as they master the rudiments of HTML. One appropriate Web page design will be approved for each team and that page will be implemented. The first half of the course will conclude with the presentation of each team's page to the class.

Participating in the implementation of Web pages in the curriculum of appropriate institutions and programs

As other aspects of telecommunications and collaborative interchange are explored in class, including the research on their future, particularly as it is underway across the street at the Center for Telecommunications Research , the second major team project will begin. It will involve teams, again, each working with a single group of educators to improve or develop a Web page for specific curricular purposes. The role of constructive changes to the Web page by both owners and users will be considered and, where appropriate, accommodated. The various contexts in which a Web page might be appropriate will be defined and contrasted with those in which other means of communication or technology might be better alternatives.

Substantive focus of the course

Given the serious ecological problems pressing in upon humanity and the earth at the close of the Twentieth Century, it is important to consider, with respect to any technology humans employ, how can that technology help solve those problems. This course will therefore also focus attention upon some of these problems, and require students to consider how their technology applications such as Web pages address one or more of these serious problems. Some of the required readings in the course will focus on these problems as will learning experiences required for INTERNET mastery.