Teleware: Instrumentation for Tele-learning

• Authors: Betty Collis
• Venue: Education and Information Technologies
• Year: 1999

The domain of Tele‐Learning may be a new one, but it has many roots. In essence, it can be defined as telematics applied for learning‐related purposes. Examples of tele‐learning may be defined by category relating to purpose. Thus five purposes of using ’Teleware‘ may be the publication and dissemination of information, such as through Web sites; structured communications through e‐mail; collaboration through groupware; information and resource handling through search engines; and specific applications for course delivery and support. An alternative perspective relates to aspects of the user‐interface and human‐ computer interactions, ranging from the software engineering world, to the importance of a cognitive and social fit in terms of potential usability and dissemination. In practice however, evaluating teleware to ensure tele‐learning may take place requires an appropriate model. This paper outlines the 3‐G model, which hypothesises that an individual‘s likelihood of using a telematics application in teaching or learning can be expressed as a vector sum of three vectors–’gewin‘ or perceived pay‐off, ’gemak‘ or level of difficulty or discomfort in making use of the application, and ’genot‘ or subjective personal interest in and response to the application. This model has the potential to provide a helpful interpretative framework in a number of investigations into the complex relationship between telematics materials and facilities, and the learning they may generate. It can also be used to assess the potential of new developments, such as Cyberlibraries, lesson‐support environments, and course‐ support environments, that are emerging. © 1999 IFIP, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers