wayne

To begin, I am a teacher of Information Technology and Business Management and Financial Accounting (dual qualification), with 20 years teaching with an emphasis on Information Technology with the past 10 years being specialised Web Technologies and Multimedia. Prior to full-time teaching I held positions in accounting and systems administration after 20 years in industry. Having read through the variety of responses above, and discussion centring around the worth and usefulness of online learning from individuals' perspectives, the reality is that nothing stays the same, and as the beings we are, humans adapt to their environment and the changes within - which we may refer to as the economy. Global trends and competitive factors, combined with institutional initiatives and various government influences will dictate the evolution of education. At the beginning of the 20th century the economy was driven by such phenomena as greater use of science by industry; the proliferation of academic disciplines; the diffusion of a series of critical inventions (including small electric motors, the internal combustion engine, the airplane, and chemical processes); the rise of big business; and the growth of retailing. Progress for industrial nations depended on educating more people at the secondary and postsecondary levels. The western cultures established education systems that produced educated citizens and workers, enabled geographic and economic mobility, resulted in more equality of economic outcomes, and may have increased technological change and productivity (although that is harder to prove). It was largely a decentralised, forgiving education system that?in the context of the day?was highly successful. Today, however, more than one hundred years later, economic and social drivers are quite different, calling into question some of the assumptions that underlie institutions of higher education. The economy of the 21st century is driven in large measure by unprecedented advances in transportation and in computing, information, and communications technologies. To be competitive, industrialised and developing nations alike are driven by needs such as greater use of science and new technologies by average citizens; more creativity and more interdisciplinary work; greater understanding of highly complex, interacting systems; new and renewed efforts at building community and solving local challenges in the face of globalization and massification; and a substantial rethinking of retailing, services, and business in general as a result of changing tools, physical possibilities, and financial opportunities. Much of the rhetoric about contemporary higher education suggests that colleges and universities need to embrace change in response to advances in knowledge, technology, transportation, and more?advances that have dramatically shifted the way one functions in the modern world. But what manner of change for learning itself do the public narratives suggest? Commission reports, report cards, and public agenda profiles of requirements for higher education in many nations seem to be asking for substantial changes that will prepare learners to meet modern challenges. Initiatives designed to closely associate appropriate technologies with content-specific information to achieve defined teaching and learning aims are still largely creative, experimental endeavors. It stands to reason that the activities involved in creating new technology-assisted teaching strategies are time-consuming and labor-intensive because of the personal and organisational rethinking involved in the effort. From the existing platform, where re-visioning movements are institution-focused, on inputs, changing courses, curricula, programs; coverage of domain knowledge and skills is via individualistic, passive, and teacher-centered modes of instruction; students are approached and viewed as being absolute knowers; students are encouraged to develop problem-solving capabilities; teaching of skills occurs that does not lead to flexible skills or their application; skills and competencies are highly compartmentalised; and students treated as passive receivers of information and unengaged learners... the new vision requires Re-visioning movements are student-focused, on what students need to know and be able to do - competencies and outcomes are central; increasing emphasis is on hands-on, minds-on methods, authentic learning, and high-concept/high-touch capabilities; students are approached and viewed as being independent and contextual knowers; students are encouraged to develop problem-solving and problem-posing capabilities; teaching of portable skills occurs; information literacy, technology fluency, and domain knowledge are blended; and students treated as big-picture thinkers and critically engaged doers. The new educational paradigm is unfolding, testing the waters and adapting... and it will eventuate for economic reasons alone (the increasing overheads and the growing demand for enrolments being retarded by budgetary constraints), which make physical classroom instruction less viable. In the past 5 years, 50% of my classes have come to involve online components some completely online, and a greater focus on student ownership of their own learning (conducting research and completing assessments at home in their own time) thus reducing on campus class times and use of institutional resources. In the case of courses requiring the use of specialised equipment such as Health and Recreation (Fitness courses) and Hospitality areas, for example, institutions are consolidating industry partnerships which facilitate a practical hands on and real world environment for learning to occur through work placement programs as part of the course. Further, network-delivered, collaborative services provide increasingly improved unique virtual operating environments for groups to meet, share information, create content, and generally overcome time and space constraints encountered in on campus alternatives. All in all, Online Education is set to become the standard rather than the exception, and yes, students will be self managed, self motivated and achievement focused in order to succeed in their chosen field. So, like it or not, online education is here to stay.

We will doubtlessly cling to our own opinions. LolCheers!

Happy New Year to all - in this 3rd day of the New Year (In Australia), may 2010 (MMX) be a great one for the common people who have done it hard for too many years!Cheers!

I think the point has been made. Lol... We so have to be careful about the correction of fledglings who are contributing a lesser informed view so as to pursue their hosting entitlement..., and who, through intimidation about being corrected or shot down everytime a comment is made by them, will take their hosting dream elsewhere. Respectfully, this particular thread didn't strike me as being one for intense technical debate at the time I made my original comment about Frames being history... in fact, the original post by the thread starter in my view was referring to the blocky 3-page frames structure as a webpage format. There is a myriad of sites /forums /threads where technialities can be argued - but let us not lose the plot completely through domination with our own superior knowledge. Indeed, I could comment in many cases at a technical level possibly greater than your own - but is it in the best interests of the thread or Xisto for me to do so? Probably not. Interesting discussions here, nonetheless.

For the abovestated reasons alone, IE is still useful, and bound to survive the challenge of the new players. It's association with Microsoft means that it will ultimately share in the success of Microsoft Operation systems. My preference is for Firefox, and Opera.

I too have installed Ubuntu 9.10... Having installed various distributions over the past decade, it is obvious that as Microsoft begins to suffer losses (a sign perhaps that they are on the downslide), Ubuntu shows us the potential of linux to present as a viable alternative operating system.A lot of the concern of linux newbies is the removal from their comfort zone familiarity built up over many years of using Microsoft Windows (despite its obvious failings to deliver value for money in every release).I won't repeat all that has been said, but Ubuntu can achieve as good a result as anything Windows offers, and more - and it is well worth perservering with.

A name is a name is a name... lolBe judged by performance and service quality - they determine the level of success - the name is irrelevant. ...but to answer the question, I like it.

Lots of good escape sites here... now, where is the 36 hour day to alow me to use them?lol

This is a great discussion.. Thankyou. I have my question answered without having to ask it!

Camtasia Studio 6 by Techsmith is a good investment for creating streaming video... It allows you to add Titles and transitions simply... and allows the inclusion of several clips/formats as well as images. Its output options include... In the output phase, it produces all the html and javascript required...

I have used several free web hosts over the past 18 months.... and in the main, they no longer exist. They were all like this one - associated with a forum, and operated in much the same way. I am trying this one in the hope that because it appears to be solid, it will prove to be the right choice. For an immediate solution, 000webhost is up and going in minutes... but the offering for mysql databases and such is lower - it depends what you want. Even spending to purchase cheap hosting doesn't guarantee they will be there long term.

Excellent advice! I agree the technologies involved can make it as complicated and as technical as you like, but for beginners, keep it simple. Start with basics in any of the things mentioned in this thread, and develop from there.The other important factor is imagination. You are limited by the extent of your imagination in how your website will look. Excellent thread, btw.

right... with Christmas out of the way - time to get involved and get some hosting ....now, let's see...

I agree Word Press is best! (Self Hosted, of course). There is even supported scripts to include a shopping cart, making it a versatile alternative to suit many purposes. http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

So do I, and for the same reasons... We all find something that suits our need, and use it. I am sure if I had tried one of the others first and was satisfied with it, then it would be my favourite. Cheers!