12551: Reply on higher education solutions

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LeGrace Benson <legrace@twcny.rr.com>

RE:Online education/Distance Education: Agood and difficult idea.

There is a surprising amount of investment required in hardware, software
and human resources needed for effective online and other distance
learning programs. For recent discussions of all this one can pick up
threads in the Chronicle of Higher Education and the free mag. circulated
to many tech resource center percsoneel in US schools and colleges. Other
aspects of appropriate usages are a continuing discussion that reaches
back at least to the late 1970's.  There is an extensive literature in
both popular and academic journals, to which I myself have contributed.

There are many aspects of the possible implementation of such programs in
Haiti that do not immediately meet the eye, but what does appear
immediately is that these programs are all expensive.  They all require
either very durable and generous subventions or private fees comparable to
those of major, top institutions.

That is the bad news. The good news is that a distance learning/online
learning program could be implemented in Haiti by Haitian educators who
are deeply familiar with both the most pressing educational needs of the
country and with Haitian ways of learning that can most effectively be
incorporated into a fruitful program.  There would have to be a faculty
training program, as the design of course materials, course activities and
teaching/learning strategies for distance and/or online programs require
some specific types of attention, development of certain skills and
strategies.

A well-conceived program could be implemented initially with Haitians who
already have attained some level of knowledge and expertise and are ready
to move on, especially if they can do so while holding a paying job.

In Haiti, in my opinion, a distance program would at the beginning at
least, need to be more heavily print-based than internet-based just for
practical reasons.

I hope others will urge motion in the direction suggested by M. Pierre,
but with full awareness of the resources and planning needed.

LeGrace Benson

former Coordinator of Arts and Humanities, Center for Distance Learning,
State
U. of NY