As-Is Perspective
Currently, students mainly depend on their professors to provide them with course materials. The professor gives lecture notes, titles of textbooks and other relevant materials that the students can use for further reference. Also, students can obtain lecture slides from the I-Learn system in case they missed a lecture or a part of it. Most of these resources are available at the library, and students easily access them. However, these materials may not be exhaustive of all the updates as per the daily research findings in the different fields of study. It is an uphill task altogether to keep the library stocked with all the new versions of books, new ones and other updated material since the updates are coming up every day.
As evidenced by some of the students interviewed, some resources are quite old, and this calls out to the professors to keep searching for newer information to update their lecture notes and references, and this is not always the case. Most of the students believe that what is offered at the university is all that they need. Yes, it is enough to help them pass their examinations, but what about in the real world? In the present day competitive job market, one must stay on top of the game by having the most recent updates in his field of specialization. This calls out for better information supply system to ensure that graduates of Bond University will always be ahead of their competitors. Here are some recommendations on how ICT can be deployed to enhance learning.
To-Be Perspective
As we all know, in this digital era, a lot of information is found on the internet. This includes but not limited to eBooks, research findings and the most recent breakthroughs in different fields. This means that it is a valuable tool when it comes to learning. As a first recommendation, the internet should be the first reference tool. The conventional textbooks should be replaced or used together with eBooks and other online materials that are relevant to the course content (The Economist Intelligence Unit 2008). This will ensure that students do not miss out on any important updates. Social networking sites and other open forum discussion sites should be freely accessible as students get to learn of some updates from their peers.
With such a setting, even group assignments can be discussed without having to bring the group members together and also encourage interactive distance learning. As professors prepare their lecture notes, they should also consider the internet as a major resource when it comes to educational content. They should avoid overdependence on textbooks only; some of which are already too old and outdated. This does not mean that they should be done away with, but they should not be considered as the sole source of information. Most eBooks come at a cost, either to be purchased and others as subscription services.
To enhance the accessibility of these books, the university should consider buying them or paying the subscription fees instead of buying the hard copies. It is easier to replace an older version with a new one while using electronic sources, and in most cases, editing and updating of such information are made in real-time hence it is hard to miss anything. Also, devices such as cameras and voice recorders can be installed in lecture theatres to capture every part of a lecture (The Economist Intelligence Unit 2008, Velayao 1994).). This can then be uploaded for students to view at will. It can replace the lecture slides, which just highlight the main points of that particular class.
References
The Economist Intelligence Unit (2008). Future of higher education: How technology will shape learning. Web.
Velayao, R. (1994). Supplementary classroom instruction via computer conferencing. Educational Technology. May/June, (2026) 20-26.