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Personal Perspective Paper

The basic principles of learning Ð'- Discussion, Interaction, Study, Experimentation, Evaluation and Individual attention have remained the same through the years. However, the methods used to implement these principles have significantly evolved. The Educational sector has taken advantage of the Information Super Highway to help turn "information explosion" into "knowledge explosion". Electronic sources are replacing physical research tools and introducing audio-video simulations to enhance the materials presented to students. Universities and colleges are using the power of Learning teams to create a highly supportive and collaborative learning experience. Learning patterns are being modified by integrating the functions of the workplace that draw upon the diverse skills and experiences of all team members. This paper explores some of these modern educational changes, their advantages, disadvantages and growth potentials.

The Value of rEsource

All individuals have varying learning patterns. Some learn visually, some auditorially, some kinesthetically and some use a mix of all senses. rEsource attempts to use all these sense systems to help make learning more effective. Course material in an electronic format are expandable and dynamic. They can include animated illustrations, computer based simulations, collate non-sequential parts of a book or multiple books, include sidebars with additional information and historical background information. A 2003 Survey conducted at the University of Columbia, showed that a vast number of students and faculty depend on the World Wide Web, e-mail and library sponsored electronic databases for research.

However, electronic media has its set of difficulties Ð'- the vast amount of information is overwhelming and not always accurate. Students need to separate out the reliable from the unreliable information and many have difficulty making this judgment. Electronic material is not always portable or comfortable to use and requires the individual to be technically proficient. Nevertheless, it continues to be a fast efficient methods for distributing information. At the launch of MIT's Open Courseware, President Charles Vest befittingly called the online publishing of its course materials, syllabus and lecture notes "Open Knowledge systems" the wave of the academic future.

The Value of Learning Teams

Learning teams (LT) create an environment of active, involved and exploratory learning, stimulating critical thinking and clarifying ideas through discussion and debate. An important reason for team-based work is that technology-enhanced work and learning environments have become more complex, to the point that individuals simply are unable to work in isolation. LT serve as a nexus between the job and education, between theory and practice, and between individuals and respective groups.

Similar to teams at the workplace, LT are confronted with conflicting goals, negative attitudes, lack of support and miscommunication. Teams go through the Form, Storm, Norm and Perform process and understand first-hand the challenges of building effective teams. The LT provide an optimal environment for students to develop interpersonal relationships, understand the dynamics of diversity, conflict management, collaboration and prepare students for future workplace situations.

The Value of Problem-Based Learning

The modern history of problem-based learning (PBL) can be traced back to the early 1970s in the medical school at McMaster University in Canada. The PBL approach differs fundamentally from traditional curricula, in which students first acquire the theory and then apply this knowledge to analyze problems and scenarios. PBL is based on the principles of adult education and cognitive psychology - problems can be successfully