Topic 194

Telelearning: isolated and remote areas; use in hospitals, prisons, retirement homes by Kent Harvath

Telelearning is a term that refers to any learning related process via communication technologies. You could imagine you being a student and teacher being on the screen of your computer and you talking to the microphone while voice of your teacher comes from the speakers. There even could be a whole class on the virtual class room that only exists on internet and you may be discussing about some subjects with people who are physically scattered everywhere around the world. This learning process through telecommunication is telelearning.

Telelearning is essentially full of efficiency and the society would benefit. It would reduce the cost for transportation and purchase of physical tools such as textbooks or even uniforms. Schools would also be unnecessary and the school itself would physically exist only as a small office in a building. Since schools take a great amount of space, telelearning could save a great amount of lands that could be used for other means. People in isolated areas would benefit since they could get sessions at their home. Those who live away from a particular school they want to go would benefit as well if the school introduced telelearning.

It would also be useful for people who can not or are not allowed to physically move from where they are. This includes people in hospitals, prisons, and retirement homes. This could help people missing certain materials and being behind class for going to hospital for a couple of weeks. It could also give chance for education to people who have more severe medical problem and have to stay in hospital for more than a year or so. People in prison may be able to keep track of the outside world or have the chance to be educated so that they would not be too much behind in their life when they come out of the prison. It gives them chance to use their time in prison wisely and not just waste it. People in retirement home would not want to wake up at 6 in the mourning and go to school that is an hour away every week days. Telelearning would give them the opportunity to learn at their home. Thus, telelearning saves time, energy and money and almost every individuals and the society as the whole would benefit.

Along with the development of the informational network and communication technologies, many things are becoming more and more completely on computers such as note books changing to word documents and school would not be an exception. Most likely, telelearning would start to be known as a purchasable small learning sessions rather than a long curriculum that dominates your whole year since it is usually the business people who starts up such new things. At the same time numerous universities would install telelearning sessions. And in time, demand for telelearning sessions would exceed that of the learning style that is considered normal in our time now.