Rural Schools and Technology
Connecting for Innovation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47381/aijre.v23i3.669Keywords:
technology, innovation, distance learning, video conferencing, technological environmentsAbstract
Placed within the context of rural teaching and learning and the use of new technologies, this paper presents a comparative study of three technological approaches to the presentation of curriculum in schools. Supported by three different research projects in one Canadian province, it highlights three areas of e-learning: the use of video conferencing to deliver curriculum to children in five rural schools (Barter, 2004), web-based distance education implemented by the Ministry of Education to deliver academic courses to students in rural and remote areas (Barter, 2011), and a lap top computer-based project with a class of intermediate students (Barter, Murphy, Hardy, Norman & Pack, 2004). Including a literature review, the paper provides a brief background of each project, outlines the results, and then discusses the impact such projects can have on education. Two projects (video conferencing and Ministry of Education delivered distance education) are described and then discussed through the responses of practicing teachers, while the third (lap tops for learning) is explored through the reflections of participating teachers as well as those from consenting junior high students.
Accepting that the three projects represent a largely localized instance of curriculum research, they are used as a ‗stepping off point‘ that serves to highlight the challenges and successes in implementing curriculum through multiple forms of technology that can be expanded to a wider audience. The paper does not delve into the effects of different technology applications. Rather, it focuses on the effects of implementation in general. The intent is to present the successes and challenges of the three projects as examples that may help educators to identify and define theoretical aspects of technology leadership and lead to further understandings about how users may experience its implementation and use. The three projects and an extant literature indicate that innovations involving technology are process driven. They bring opportunity as well as challenges that stretch the limits of teaching and learning. As a result, the effective use of distance education, in any form, requires consistent, extensive support for both students and teachers.
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Copyright (c) 2013 Barbara Barter
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