Professors Weblogging


Abstract: SJSU Professor Dennis Dunleavy is weblogging! I think use of weblogs by faculty is a wonderful innovation. His weblog is a great example. Dennis Dunleavy's weblog extends the reach of the classroom beyond the classroom and it invites the world into the classroom.

A lot of what we have seen in the way of instructional media in the past has served to extend the classroom in its most boring aspect. Before the web we had (and still do have) Instructional Television (ITV.)

ITV, which evolved into web based evolution into streaming media, has too often meant the broadcast of a person sitting in front of a camera talking. This talking head was typically delivering a typically boring lecture. Just what are we supposed to do with that? What use of bandwidth is this making? If it is the intention of the instructor to deliver content this way, why not just use audio-only web based delivery and not waste the valuable bandwidth (and staff time) producing static video?

Some professors and other content producers have extended the delivery of educational content by incorporating screen shots or time based computer screen media into their content. This is great for teaching computer science. If the action is happening on a computer screen showing students a computer based video has real value. Beyond that I do not think this is a great improvement. Some computer based and delivered instruction consists mostly of title slides (with a few graphics) on a screen. The ubiquitous Power Point presentation, delivered with a lecture, now can put people to sleep at home as well as the classroom.

Other professors and content providers have been more creative and, with careful observance of copyright laws, have enriched their content with visual and audio content collected outside of the classroom. This can be stills, video and field interviews. This is a vast improvement, in my opinion, over lecture based media, but it is still one way delivery of content. In essence it is a dynamic lecture that does not allow real time feedback.

This is where the revolution of folks like Dennis Dunleavy comes in. In a school that teaches Mass Communications, Dunleavy is making it happen! His content is visually dynamic, it is thought provoking, it is both asynchronous and interactive and it extends the concept of learning into the realm of the global community. I hope he starts a revolution at my alma mater.

Posted: Tue - June 8, 2004 at 09:57 AM      

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