Learner profile

media and technology need to fit with learners' needs and realities

• How do they learn?
• What are their motivational levels?
• What learning difficulties do they normally face and how can technology be used to address this?
• Do they have access to the required technology? If not, will they be able to acquire it?
• Is there a distribution issue?
• Do they have skills to use the technology?
• Do they have relevant prior learning?

Curriculum and Type of Material

media and technology need to be appropriate for the curriculum and for teaching effectiveness

• Is the content structured or unstructured?
• How immediate is the need since development of structured content is generally time-consuming and more costly?
• Will delivery be synchronous or asynchronous?
• What is the lifespan of the course materials?
• What is the size of the audience?

Capabilities of the media and technology

media and technology should match the needs of the learners

• Is this the most appropriate technology to achieve the learning outcomes?
• How proven is the technology?
• At what speed can it be updated/replaced?
• How difficult/costly will it be to maintain the technology?
• Is there in-house capacity to maintain the technology or will it be outsourced?
• Does it cater for interactivity?
• Will the technology stimulate/motivate learners?
• Can it be used for feedback to learners?
• Will students be able to assess their progress?

Cost and time to produce content

media and technology must be affordable for the institution and the learner

• Do you have the time to produce the content?
• Can you afford the preferred development and delivery model?

Resources

essential resources should be available

• Do you have the necessary human, financial and physical resources to achieve this?
• Is special equipment required?
• Do staff need time to develop new skills?

The more traditional print courses are provided entirely on paper.Printed course book, course guide, letters, comments on assignments are some examples.

Print courses are usually delivered via the mail, but some also have email or fax options to enhance communication between student and instructor.

• Extremely portable
  
• Comfortable
  
• Cost effective
  
• Readily
  

• Lacks interactions
• No audio/visual elements
• Require reading skills
• Time delay

Tips:

• Distribute print materials well in advance
• Include clear directions for use
• Require interactions
• Specify a timeline

Audioconferencing is sometimes considered a conference call, but with many optional features available and an almost limitless number of individuals being able to simultaneously participate in the same event. It is an easy, economical way to bring many people together to meet, learn, and teach.
Basic technology needs is simply a telephone.

• Inexpensive
• Easily accessible
• Easy to use

• May require scheduling
• Not conducive to visual information
• May be impersonal

Tips:

• Distribute visual materials in advance
• Set communication protocols
• Encourage interaction
• Record audioconferences on audiotapes
• Get to know the students

• Allow both audio and video communications
• Facilitate personal feelings
• Enable high levels of interaction

• May be expensive
• Require a great deal of planning and preparation
• Must be scheduled
• Require technical support team

Tips:

• Avoid the "talking head."
• Practice with the cameras and the crew before the lesson
• Encourage interactions
• Use the best cameras possible
• Ensure quality audio

Computer Disk/CD-ROM/DVD 

Some classes are offered on computer disks, CD-ROMs, or, more recently, DVDs. You need access to a computer to view the course materials.

IHETS Interactive 

IHETS Interactive [1] is a Web-based application that supports live video and audio as well as other types of interaction and collaboration. Students watch and listen to the instructor using a standard Windows PC and interact with the instructor and one another using the application’s audio and text chat features. IHETS Interactive classes can be taken at any location with a networked PC meeting the minimum technical requirements, including from home or work.

Internet 

Courses delivered over the Internet often, but not always, use the World Wide Web. They may include material to read online, exercises to complete online using interactive forms, discussion forums to exchange ideas with the professor and other students in the class, and many other types of instructional activities. Students can participate from any computer with an Internet connection.

• Allow self-paced instruction
• May incorporate text, graphics, audio, and video
• Allow high levels of interactivity
• Provide written record of discussions and instruction
• Inexpensive
• Worldwide access

• Require hardware and software
• Generally rely on written communications
• Require substantial planning
• Computer viruses
• No guaranteed performance

Tips:

• Provide adequate structure and guidelines
• Provide timely feedback to participants
• Get to know the students
• Ensure sufficient technical support

Allow both audio and video communication

Arguably the oldest delivery method for distance education

Not conducive for visual information

Require hardware and software

Access to a computer is necessary to view materials

• Better learning resources
• More flexible pace of learning
• Greater choice of where to study
• Increased self-reliance
• Improved computer literacy

• Alienating learning experience
• Technical Frustration
• Inadequate access to computers
• Loss of contact with staff
• Reduced instruction

• Ensure printed material is at hand in case of computer breakdown
• Provide alternate means of contact with staff for timely feedback
• Provide technical support