The Techno-Pedagogical Context of Distance Learning: Conceptual Roots - Teaching through Multi-User Virtual Environments - page 27

Chapter 3
The Techno-Pedagogical
Context of Distance Learning:
Conceptual Roots

Timothy F. Duruz
Independent Higher Education Consultant, USA

ABSTRACT

The incredible array of collaborative communication tools that have been incorporated into modern
day education rely primarily on the internet as a delivery mechanism. Our zeal to employ the latest and
greatest technologies towards instruction often ignores both the genesis and best practices for use of
these innovations, which can be traced to collaborative scientific and educational efforts and experi-
mentation in the latter half of the twentieth century. Knowledge of these advances and tools can help us
to understand newer emerging technologies, which have profound potential for learning applications,
such as Multi-User Virtual Environments. A brief discussion on the history of technology and informa-
tion sharing follows the section on pedagogical issues.

INTRODUCTION

employ the internet as a primary delivery mecha-
nism. The inextricable link between computers
and the internet is undeniable. As teaching aids,
computers never tire: they will repeat a lesson as
often as possible, and present a safe avenue for
exploration, allowing for multiple iterations and
limitless opportunities for content or skill mastery
assessment. Early computer mediated learning
was at best, rudimentary by modern standards, but
there were several aspects that became integrated
into almost all of our current learning technology.
For purposes of this chapter and this discussion,
we can include many paradigms of communica-

The world of modern day education is decidedly
different from that of 15 or 20 years ago, due in
part to numerous technological innovations. We
now regularly employ technology as a mediator,
ostensibly to provide more ubiquitous access to
learning materials. Of course, we have also un-
covered new understandings of how our brains
accept, process, store and use information. The
new tools, many of which engender collaboration,

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61692-822-3.ch003