The aim of this session is to present to the reader an argument as to whether existing educational paradigms, philosophies, pedagogy, and practices require revision to effectively teach web-based instruction.
Due to the length restrictions of this paper the reader is advised that not all paradigms, philosophies, and practices are included, and those that are evaluated as to their usefulness in web- based instruction are very limited in scope, definition, and explanation. In all probability you will find that this paper will ask more questions than it answers, but in doing so will hopefully stimulate each of us to view and analyze the effectiveness of the current practices employed in web- based instruction.
Today’s student’s lifestyle and objectives are also very different than those students of yesteryear. It is not at all uncommon to find that today a typical student may be a single parent, who may be working two or more jobs to make ends meet in order to provide for their family.
This same person may want to pursue a higher education, but may be unable to do so as a result of time commitments and constraints that are usually required in institutions of higher learning. Additionally we find that many students do not have specific available time blocks, which they can reserve or allocate to a particular course or educational unit of instruction.
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More students than ever before engage in learning programs that offer courses at nights or weekends. Some educational institutions even offer courses on Sundays – which in some religions could be considered a sacrilege! Additionally schools have realized that in order to sustain themselves and to remain competitive they must adjust their offerings to accommodate these students.
As a result of newfound technological advancements in both the fields of computer technology, education, and fractional technology, we find that web-based instruction is becoming somewhat commonplace in what could be considered traditional higher educational ‘settings. Many schools now conduct a minimum of some type of web-based instruction. Additionally an entire new industry of web-based instruction has risen to compete with the universities in this endeavor.
It those otherwise traditional institutions where the implementation of web-based instruction has been Accomplished, the school is assisting the nontraditional student in the meeting of their educational goals and ‘objectives. The school is also meeting its’ social obligation educate even the most nontraditional of students. Now that the movement toward web-based instruction is Underway, the question and thesis of this paper, is whether a paradigm shift is necessary or required to Support the nontraditional student in their use of web- instruction.