Verso

We need to beware of hype which tries to persuade decision makers that high-speed broadband is the ‘missing piece of the jigsaw’: education will only become more effective when a whole raft of problems are resolved

Some e-learning specialists feel that Web 2.0 tools like wikis have no place in vocational education because of the risks of ‘faulty knowledge’. I don’t agree, but I do believe we need to identify the risks when we are planning, along with what we will do when ‘faulty knowledge’ is contributed. The potential benefits of exposing ‘faulty knowledge’ outweigh the risks, but we do need a well thought-out plan for dealing with it.

The New Zealand government’s draft Digital Strategy, was released recently. But if New Zealand is serious about being a world leader in information and technology, it will need to radically change its management culture.

Institutional capability is partly reliant on the personal capabilities of the individuals within the collaborative group. Systems and resources alone are not enough, and developing institutional capability must incorporate professional development which helps develop individuals’ capability as well as their skills and knowledge.

The assessment of institutional capability for e-learning, distance or flexible learning is a process which results in a generalised statement of overall capability based on evidence from a sample of the institution’s programmes. A key premise of the eMM model is that we need to move on from ‘ad-hoc’ development. But institutional capability backed up by effective systems should not preclude early adopters from engaging in ongoing innovation and exploration of new technologies and new pedagogies.