Word and word-combinations

Supervision – нагляд Delivery – доставка

Mediated – опосередкований Framework – cтруктура

Devise v – розробити Panel – особовий склад

Obviously – очевидно Employee – співробітник

Plug v – підключати Assessment – оцінка

Pursue v – переслідувати Compliance – дотримання вимог

Available – доступний Resistance – опір

Unfamiliarity – незнання Flexible – гнучкий

Installation – установка Distribution – розподіл

Text 14a Online World Adds a New Dimension

It may seem like a 1990s concept, but there is nothing new about distance learning. Harold Wilson, the UK prime minister pioneered the “University of the Air” – later to become the Open University – in the 1960s to provide remote learning for degree courses. Since then, audio tape, video tape and CD-Rom have enhanced the original paper and book materials to make distance learning far more widespread.

Computer networks – specially Internet and intranet technology – have recently added an online dimension to distance learning. While there are still some reservations about distance learning over the Internet – particularly about its effectiveness and the level of supervision – there is a clear trend towards increased use of the technology.

“I think there are three distinct waves evident in the progress of distance

learning,” says David Burrows, group manager for skills and services development at Mictosoft UK. “The first is simple publication of training information on the web, which is now well established. The second wave, now under way, involves producing bespoke training with companies like Netg, using it as a delivery mechanism. The third wave is the most exciting because this gets into using the interactivity of the Internet to provide mediated training with things like video-conferencing and virtual tutors.”

British Telecom has devised a base framework for distance learning. Launched this February, Solstra is the result of two years’ research and development based on input from a panel of experts. “We assembled a team of around 35 training experts drawn from academia and corporate human resource departments to see where the network could contribute,” explains Mick Durham, manager of the Solstra distance learning development program. “This focus group provided the input we needed to create Solstra.”

BT’s research showed that there were three clear areas where networking technology could offer organizations the opportunity to improve training and, more importantly, create the conditions for a genuine “learning organization”. Mr. Durham says training was obviously identified as one area. “But we also saw two other areas in job support – where employees can plug into short courses relevant to a specific job task – and the area of knowledge management.”

The focus group recognized that the nature of the online training content should be more modular and needed to be surrounded by support material that would allow students to pursue their own path through the training material.

Mr. Durham says that Solstra Administrator supplies the mechanisms to monitor employees’ progress, carry out assessments and award appropriate accreditation to those who have completed course modules successfully. “This is where companies can really save money and get some real benefits.

Not only organizations can control the delivery of training content to employees, they can use Solstra to monitor personal development,” he adds. “This is becoming increasingly important where legislation requires companies to meet compliance criteria – and prove that their employees have received the proper training.”

Paul Pestell, training manager for distance learning at Ford in the UK, has been closely involved in the development of Solstra and is testing it in a “live” environment. “We are still testing it for the purposes of making it available across our company intranet. It is a long process and, inevitably, there is some resistance because of unfamiliarity with the approach. Everybody sees its potential – but they don’t want to rush in too quickly.” Mr. Pestell says Solstra is Ford’s first attempt at using the intranet as a delivery method for distance learning. The long term possibilities are considerable, however. “At the moment we have CD-Rom and Laser-disk based training – but the Internet is fairly new. But because its Internet based, we can potentially deliver training materials to any Ford installation in the world.”

Solstra also provides a flexible framework for Ford to combine existing training media like CD-Rom with the intranet-based materials. This is particularly important for some of the training courses that Ford uses, involving large amounts of training materials. “The web also gives Ford a lot more options when it comes to employees making their choices clear. What we have discovered with the web-based systems is that we can use it to help employees decide for themselves how they receive training.”

Distance learning does not necessarily work for everyone so Ford has built in links on the web pages to let people register for classroom training if they wish. Mr. Pestell expects to be able to explore the administration features of Solstra even further – and use it to monitor distribution of training and other sorts of information.

Завдання до тексту 14A.

Дайте відповіді на запитання.

1. Is there anything new about distance learning?

2. What has recently added an online dimension to distance learning?

3. What distinct waves are there in the progress of distance learning?

4. What is the result of two year’s research and development?

5. What did British Telecom show?

6. How could students pursue their own path through the training

material?

1. The result of what is Solstra?

2. How can Solstra be used?

3. What purposes is Ford still testing Solstra for?

4. How can Ford deliver training materials to any its installation in

the world?

5. What is particularly important for some of the training courses

that Ford uses?

6. How does Mr. Pestell expect to be able to explore the administration

features of Solstra?