| Description |
xviii, 204 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Contents |
1. The vision -- 2. Education is communication -- 3. In a class of its own -- 4. The writing on the wall -- 5. Roads to the virtual class -- 6. Telelearning in cyberspace -- 7. Virtual reality -- 8. The virtual class -- 9. Think global -- 10. Act local |
| Summary |
In a challenging yet enlightening exploration of the demands of a new era, In Search of the Virtual Class presents a vision of what education and training could become as information technology develops. As industrial societies transform to become information societies, our educational structures are threatened; today's classroom--designed to prepare students for life in the industrial world of old--must adjust to prepare them for life in tomorrow's society. Around the world there is a growing crisis in education. There has to be a better way of learning. Authors John Tiffin and Lalita Rajasingham examine the nature of the classroom as a remarkably powerful communication system, irreplaceable even today by alternative communication technology, such as educational television or computer-assisted instruction. Yet they point to a future possibility, contingent on the further development of information superhighways, which could offer a serious alternative to the classroom. The authors predict a union of technologies, ranging from virtual reality and artificial intelligence to fiber optics, resulting in a genuine technological revolution and the emergence of a serious alternative and/or complement to the conventional classroom--what the authors call a "virtual class." Not merely a theoretical project, In Search of the Virtual Class compiles action research which seeks to implement a class by the year 2001. This controversial work brings light to a pressing subject which concerns us all and will prove an immense contribution to our understanding of the era to come. --Publisher |
| Analysis |
Education Use of Computers |
| Notes |
Authors lecture at Victoria University of Wellington, N.Z |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [192]-197) and index |
| Subject |
Communication in education.
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Computer-assisted instruction.
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Distance education.
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Education -- Effect of technological innovations on.
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Educational technology.
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Telecommunication in education.
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Virtual reality in education.
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Virtual reality.
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| Author |
Rajasingham, Lalita.
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| LC no. |
95213637 |
| ISBN |
0415115566 (hbk) |
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0415124832 (paperback) |
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