Home MembershipSpecial Interest GroupsSIGTel (Telelearning)SIGTel BulletinArchive 2002-2003

A Reader's Response to Betsy Frederick's 31 October 2002 SIGTel Bulletin article, "What is Telelearning?"

Senior Lecturer Nola Campbell sent the following response to Betsy Frederick's original article and John Wenrich's remarks. Opinions expressed by Ms. Campbell are her own unless otherwise noted.

Recently I undertook a literature search looking for something related to eLearning. I was surprised to discover that I got different results when I used the terms e-learning, eLearning, elearning, Elearning, E-Learning or E-learning. I then found other options that gave me some of the same kind of information using terms like flexible learning, open learning, mixed mode learning, distance learning, distance education, telelearning ... Having cultivated a good relationship with some local librarians, also known as information managers, I was surprised to see that they had no simple answers to this terminology dilemma and they got into their own form of technospeak with words like metadata and Dublin core!

OK, I can hear you saying that these are just labels anyway and I thoroughly agree. What really matters for me is that this thing we call telelearning is primarily about communication across boundaries of time, space, age, culture and gender. This is about people, not the tools of the technolustful.

I was interested to see John's comment, "Online learning is learning about a subject through an online source - but not for credit through any group." This is certainly not my experience and another example of the diverse use of the language in this field. In my institution at the University of Waikato we have had a Bachelor of Education degree online since 1997 and our graduates are highly sought after by schools. I believe one of the reasons our graduates are in demand is that when student teachers learn online they have some first hand experiences as a learner to draw upon when they have their own classroom. How many teachers do you know who are teaching online in a way they never learned?

Betsy is a strong supporter of a people focus and I like the way she talks about "a passion for global connections between teachers and students that is central to SIGTel's understanding of telelearning." I believe this is at the heart of what is so good about what we do in SIGTel and in our classrooms, whether they are on the ground or online. However it is not just the connections between teachers and students but also those between teachers who are finding new colleagues and friends. Our students are now able to interact one-to-one with other students they may otherwise never meet. My classrooms are all online and my students come from several countries. I still catch myself smiling that I am part of such an exciting teaching and learning opportunity. I do not deliver courses and expect people to teach themselves, I am actively involved in the teaching process online. I think SIGTel has a role to actually share examples of good practice so that we do not industrialise the very things we like to do, to teach.

Ka kite ano (till we meet again),

Nola Campbell ngc@waikato.ac.nz Senior Lecturer School of Education University of Waikato Private Bag 3105 Hamilton, New Zealand

To "What is Telelearning?"

To Reader Responses to "What is Telelearning?":

• From SIGTel Board member John Wenrich
• From SIGTel President Elect Nola Campbell
• From New Zealand teacher trainee Julie Ball
• From New Zealand teacher trainee Paula Murray