Memberâs Profile

Richard Elliott Richard is one of the first - and few - members who have responded (yet) to the call for contributions.  He is the Head of Learning Technologies ["Learning in the drivers seat, Technology turning the wheels!"] at the UNITEC Institute of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand.  His list of research and staff development expertise for UNITEC includes strategic planning, organisation and managment of learning environment technology; use of the internet and intranet in education; evaluation and use of presentation software; Web page structure; use of multimedia applications in learning; evaluation and use of laserdiscs and CDROM formats in learning; use of communication hardware and software for online learning; and writing instructions for using learning technologies.  Richard was a c0author of the 1998 publication, Conference with Confidence in Cyberspace. Interactive Learning Environments in the New Millennium.

My current involvement in online education revolves around enabling faculty members to 'buy in to' exploring and trying alternative but complementary methods of education delivery with a major focus on web based learning.  The team that works with me provide educational, instructional and technical advice and support as well as analysing  development and maintenance costs (physical, financial and human) of web based resources.  My department also provides access to a range of high end resources to enable staff and students to develop skills and competency in the use of computing, learning and electronic telecommunication technologies.  We also carry out research into how well web based course work and meet learning objectives

It would be great if WAOE could encourage members to share best practice, experience and general views on possible (and existing) ways of creating learning environments that engage as many different types of learning styles as possible.  There is no such thing as one size fits all in education and there is a need to think outside the square and recognise that not every approach to teaching and learning is going to suit every body.

I am sure that there are lots of things that WAOE can do.  However my impression is that so many people are 'hyper' active these days that finding time to contribute is not always easy.  There needs to be a clear focus on what outcomes are expected and what benefits will accrue from the time and energy commitment.

About Member's Profile

In each issue of WEB a different member introduces him- or herself and talks about experiences and interests in online education and training. Drawing on the information and URLs provided on their registration forms, the WEB Editor is targetting individual members who are doing especially innovative and exciting things in online education with requests to provide a brief profile.

But why wait to be asked? All WEB readers are urged to use the Memberâs Profile to help flesh out the person behind the impersonal email address youâre known by in WAOE. We are a member's organisation - reMEMBER!! Just a short piece will do. As well as giving us some background information, weâd like you to tell colleagues why you joined WAOE, what you hope to gain from your involvement, and what you would like to contribute.

 

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