Part Three: NetTel Curriculum

eLearning Principles

What is eLearning?

eLearning is the effective teaching and learning process created by combining digital content with local community and tutor support along with global community engagement.
Embedded in this meaning are the following important concepts:

• Effective teaching and learning process
  Learning that succeeds
• Combining
  The combination of ICTs and pedagogy makes the difference (some call it blended learning or mixed learning) 
• Digital content
  Content delivered electronically by CDs, cell phones, the computer and the Internet
• Local community and tutor support
  Support provided by tutors, facilitators or course coordinators
• Global community engagement
  Expertise provided by practitioners from government, regulatory bodies and the ICT industry

How does it work?

Each of the NetTel courses has the following elements:

• Course objectives
  The purpose of the course in terms of what the instructor aims to do.
• Learning outcomes
  Express the essential learning to be achieved by a learner and to mean the list of competencies or skills that a student will have learned upon successful completion of a course or of a module of a course.
• eLectures
  Aim to give the learner all the content of a conventional lecture, and access to additional resources through a web interface, which can include interactive elements not possible within a conventional lecture. Within our definition of eLearning there is a master lecturer who maybe separated geographically but is available for online interaction. In addition there is a local tutor or facilitator who is available for face to face interaction. Moreover, an expert practitioner or guest lecture is identified who is available for online interaction as well as occasional face to face interaction.  eLectures can be seen as a learning resource which can be used to: make information available on-line, provide a re-usable resource, integrate a set of learning resources around a particular theme, provide information to support face-to-face contact with a small group, local tutor or community of practice and provide expert (practitioner or academic) input on selected themes
• Learning tasks
  Activities that encourage learners to actively process the information and allow students to construct and explore ideas.  For NetTel courses learning tasks may require the learner to engage in a combination of the following:
  • Prepare an annotated bibliography
  • Prepare a web page
  • Prepare a PowerPoint presentation
  • Report or give live presentation
  • Develop a brochure
  • Develop an outline of a workshop
  • Prepare a policy brief
  • Write a journal article
  • Write a trade journal article
• Learning assessment
  Provides diagnostic feedback, help educators set standards, evaluate progress, relate to a student's progress and motivate performance. Learning assessments are always linked to learning outcomes. For NetTel courses, assessment shall include marks from a combination of (a) continuous assessment involving individual projects, at least one group project, participation in online discussions, and (b) an examination or examination equivalent that will constitute no more than 50 percent of the final grade.