eLearning ?? it??s not about the technology
The basic premise of Dom??s presentation is that technology alone isn??t what makes eLearning happen ?? perhaps it may assist in delivering content – but he argues the need for a much stronger emphasis on instructional design to ensure that the materials are then ??instuctional??.
Personal comment ?? sounded a little like someone who has come into this field very recently. Surely we??re well past notions of ??instructional design?? ?? replacing it with the understandings of ??learning design?? . The former reflects an ??instructivist?? approach. We certainly have a lot to learn from the former theories and theorists ?? but need to embrace what they have to teach us within the modern, constructivist, learner-centred approaches that have been a feature of so may of the presentations at this conference.

Notes from Dom??s presentation…
why the excitement about eLearning?
– a way to cut costs
– potential to reach a greater number of participants and overcome infrastructure limitations
– significant increase in learner choices and strategies
– studies showing ??no significant difference?? between eLearniing and classroom instruction when each is ??done correctly.??
problems persisting with some of the current solutions
– not all students thrive
– not the great cost savings that had been hped for
– many students and instructors feeling isolated
– learning suffer if material is not designed correctly
why technology and content are enough:
– What the technology offers??
1. faster chip speed
2. better storage-personal and server
3. more broadband access
4. enhanced wireless technologies (EvDO)
5. improved voice over IP)
Dom then demo??d a number of online ??courses?? that illustrated the content only approach, but lacked any ??instructional organization??
Then went on to use Cagne??s 9 steps of instruction and how these are (or are not) taken into account in the instructional design of online courses