Teaching at a distance

1. OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING
Unit-II
TEACHING AT A DISTANCE
2019-2021 (IV Semester )
Dr.N.Sasikumar
Department of Education
Alagappa University
Karaikudi

2. ICT and Distance Education
• Today’s society is said to have entered into the
age of a new social revolution, i.e. ‘information
revolution’. 21st century has witnessed the
explosion of information technologies.
• Open and distance learning is getting more
dependent on information and communication
technology (ICT) and has been playing an
important role in the delivery strategies of
distance learning.
• Educational technologies (information and
communication technology) are replacing direct
teacher-student interaction.

3. • By digital revolution, technologies in computers,
audio-visual devices, and communications are
integrated into a powerful technology-information
technology.
• The global era is characterized by rapid advances in
technology and expansion of knowledge.
• The application of new technologies in the
distance education context provides an
appropriate starting point for delineating the
knowledge base required of expert teachers in
today’s global society.
• Teaching the distance learners requires different
skills to prepare relevant learning materials to
facilitate the construction of knowledge and
learning.

4. • The effective integration of ICT into the
educational system is a complex, multifaceted
process that involves not just technology-
indeed given enough initial capital, getting the
technology is the easiest part- but also
curriculum and pedagogy, institutional
readiness, teacher competencies and long term
financing, among others.
• The technology which can be integrated into the
distance education system, based on our
experiences, the following factors should be
considered:
 Accessibility
Cost effectiveness
Human acceptance
Pedagogical suitability

5. ICT in Open Distance Learning
• Faster and flexible course delivery: ICT technologies have made it possible to
deliver lessons/courses in a faster and easier manner in distance education by using
computer-based or internet-based technologies.
• Improved and increased access: ICTs have the capable to expand access for higher
education as well as secondary education among people. ICTs enables distance
education institutions to provide knowledge within reach of all. ICTs provide the
opportunity of conducting thousands of classes on hundreds of subjects and courses
available anytime, at any place, as per the need and convenience of learners.
• Enhanced pedagogical and course design skills: Pedagogy is the art and science
of teaching. Pedagogical knowledge is essential while using ICTs in course delivery
at any stage of education. ICTs offer flexibility in an organization and design of
courses in a suitable and effective manner that facilitates development of
knowledge, skills and competences among learners.
• Educational administration and management: Various areas of educational
administration and management require ICT help at different levels. At school and
colleges, at universities, there are different programmes available for registration,
digital record keeping of staff and students. Academic Management Information
System (MIS), Financial Management Information System, Student or staff database
and Examination data base are some examples.

6. • Enhanced collaboration and interaction: Usage of ICTs encourages interaction and collaboration
between teachers and learners, and among learners in distance education. Collaboration and
interaction among students creates environment for learning. Communication tools like telephones,
cell phone, SMS, online forums, chat, blogs, social media platforms and e-mail etc. can made
communication and discussion for meaningful learning experience among learners.
• Preparation of teaching learning materials: With the use of word processing programmes ICTs are
helpful for teachers in preparing their own instructional and visual materials. Programmes like Power
Point, Paint and Photoshop help teachers to prepare various instructional materials. Internet provides a
lot of material and information in searching required subject matter or helping aid.
• Library and information service: Library and information services are very essential for academic
process of an educational institution. Majority of educational institutions arrange ICT facilities in
library services for teachers and students accessibility. Bibliographical searches for instructions,
learning and research work, accessing online database and repositories. Internet has made library
services easier, faster and more efficient.
• Evaluation: Sending online assignment, questionnaires and submitting responses online, participating
in discussion, blogs are modern approaches of evaluations which are being applied successfully with
the help of ICTs. MOOCs are one of the best examples for this kind of online learning and evaluation.
• Research: Research includes Formulation of hypothesis, Preparation of objectives, Data collection,
Interpretation and analysis and Reporting as important areas. E-mail, computer programs like MS
Word, MS Excel, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) are very useful technologies in
the research. Literature review can be performed easily by using online search engines and Meta
search engines.

7. Network infrastructure
• Network infrastructure comprises hardware and
software, systems and devices, and it enables computing
and communication between users, services, applications
and processes. Anything involved in the network, from
servers to wireless routers, comes together to make up a
system's network infrastructure.
• Network infrastructure is the hardware and software
resources of an entire network that enable network
connectivity, communication, operations and
management of an enterprise network. It provides the
communication path and services between users,
processes, applications, services and external
networks/the internet.

8. Computing Infrastructure
• Computing Infrastructure provides management and support
for end-user computers, servers, storage systems, operating
systems, databases, middleware and ERP systems. There are
three groups that make up the Computing Infrastructure team:
• Database and ERP Administration
• End-User Computing
• Server & Storage Services
• The Computing Infrastructure team has a vast collective set of
skills and expertise in areas such as data center management,
Storage Area Networks, desktop and server imaging, database
administration and general troubleshooting skills, that can be
leveraged by other groups at the University for advice and
consultation.

9. Stable system and application software
• Software that is intended for the public to use is usually
“stable”. It is released, and following the release no new
features are added apart from the odd bug fix. To get new
functionality users eventually need to upgrade to the next
version.
• System stability is the measurement of overall system
performance, accessibility and usability.
• It includes ensuring uptime in components such as Web
and database servers, sure, but it goes beyond that.
• It's also about maintaining end-to-end reliability from the
user's point of view.
• Taking into account the user's experience, it is important
to measure individual server statistics.

10. Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• Internet service provider (ISP), company that
provides Internet connections and services to
individuals and organizations.
• In addition to providing access to the Internet,
ISPs may also provide software packages (such as
browsers), e-mail accounts, and a personal Web
site or home page.
• ISPs can host Web sites for businesses and can also
build the Web sites themselves. ISPs are all
connected to each other through network access
points, public network facilities on the Internet
backbone.

11. Internet Bandwidth
• The maximum amount of data transmitted over
an internet connection in a given amount of
time. Bandwidth is often mistaken for internet
speed when it's actually the volume of
information that can be sent over a connection
in a measured amount of time – calculated in
megabits per second (Mbps).

12. Security infrastructure
• Computer security can take two forms.
• Software security provides barriers and other
cyber-tools that protect programs, files, and the
information flow to and from a computer.
• Hardware security protects the machine and
peripheral hardware from theft and from
electronic intrusion and damage.

13. Service compatibility: Computer
hardware and software
• Software compatibility is a characteristic of software
components or systems which can operate satisfactorily
together on the same computer, or on different
computers linked by a computer network. It is possible
that some software components or systems may be
compatible in one environment and incompatible in
another.
• Compatibility of Hardware and Software means the
components those can be replaced because they have
the same properties and mostly the same or similar
design.

14. Scalability issues- ensure data
compatibility
• Scalability problems: the hidden challenges of
growing a system. ... The trouble with scaling any
system is that, once we actually start down the
path of growing it, inevitably run into some
hidden complexities.
• Database scalability is the ability of a database
to handle changing demands by dding/removing
resources. Databases have adopted a host of
techniques to cope.

15. • Scalability is the measure of a system's ability to
increase or decrease in performance and cost in
response to changes in application and system
processing demands. Enterprises that are growing
rapidly should pay special attention to scalability
when evaluating hardware and software.
• Scalability is an essential component of enterprise
software. Prioritizing it from the start leads to
lower maintenance costs, better user experience,
and higher agility. Software design is a balancing
act where developers work to create the best
product within a client's time and budget
constraints.

16. Security in distance learning
• Cyber security exists to protect computer
systems and shared data from theft or damage
by any presence that plans to do harm. Security
is a constant issue as technology changes and
criminals circumvent existing safety measures.
• Flexible learning technologies will continue to
appeal to all classes of learners in the post-Covid
world
• Many of the devices which are used for distance
learning are often unprotected and unpatched

17. Network Service
• In computer networking, a network service is an application
running at the network application layer and above, that provides
data storage, manipulation, presentation, communication or other
capability which is often implemented using a client-server or
peer-to-peer architecture based on application layer network
• Types of Networking Services
• Network (WAN) Optimization. Latency and bandwidth
constraints often cause enterprise WANs to suffer from
performance issues. ...
• Interconnection. ...
• Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) ...
• Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) ...
• Ethernet Private Line Network.

18. Hackers
• Computer hackers are unauthorized users who
break into computer systems in order to steal,
change or destroy information, often by installing
dangerous malware without your knowledge or
consent.
• Their clever tactics and detailed technical
knowledge help them access the information you
really don't want them to have.

19. Service software
• With computer software, a service is software
that performs automated tasks, responds to
hardware events, or listens for data requests
from other software.
• In a user's operating system, these services
are often loaded automatically at startup, and
run in the background, without user
interaction.

20. Design and coding of hosted software
• Hosted software means having your software
installed in a datacentre, providing online access
to the application.
• It differs from Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) as it
is essentially an owned and licensed product,
whereas SaaS just provides rented access to the
software, in a Pay-As-You-Go model.

21. Passwords
• A password is a string of characters used to verify the
identity of a user during the authentication process.
• Passwords are typically used in conjuncture with a
username; they are designed to be known only to the
user and allow that user to gain access to a device,
application or website.
• So to recap, a password must be at least 12 characters
long (ideally, even 15 characters) and should consist of
a seemingly random collection of uppercase and
lowercase letters, numbers and special characters, like
punctuation. With that in mind, here are some good
examples of strong passwords: X5j13$#eCM1cG@Kdc

22. Social engineering operational controls
• Social engineering is the term used for a broad range of
malicious activities accomplished through human
interactions. It uses psychological manipulation to trick
users into making security mistakes or giving away
sensitive information. Social engineering attacks
happen in one or more steps.
• Operational controls are security controls that are
primarily implemented and executed by people (as
opposed to systems). These controls are put in place to
improve the security of a particular system (or group of
systems).

23. Thank