6.1 Conclusions
Cyberspace education implies an interactive learning environment offering multiple disciplines of knowledge for non-linear learning. In this paper it is mainly indicated by distance learning/education. The scope and connotation of it has been changing along with the development of technology. The four stages of distance education, correspondence study, multi-media model, telelearning model and flexible learning model, represent the evolutionary course of cyberspace education.
Technology has always been the dominant driver of educational development. From traditional one-way communication to interactive two-way communication, distance education has been reshaped through the years in many ways. The interactivity among teachers and students has been highly improved, and students have been more focused and centred. Education information has been enriched in contents and enlarged in quantity, and delivered at a faster speed. The teacher’s role has changed to mediator, facilitator or co-learning, while students role has transformed from passive recipients of information to active participants in a collaborative virtual learning environment. Assessments to students, both formative and summative, have focuses on encouraging critical, creative thinking more than before.
Learning at distance has both advantages and disadvantages. Distance education increases the flexibility of learning, provides more opportunities for sharing resources, and offers a collaborative and constructive learning environment. However it also poses high requirements for teachers and students on skills of using
more complicated technologies. Lack of competitive pressures, psychologic distance caused by physical distance, and high costs involved in investment may still be contraversal points of the wider application of distance learning.
Quality assurance is one of the important components to make a distance learning programme more attractive and competitive. Good quality assurance strategies should focus on four key aspects, namely faculty selection and training, time-on-task measures, student support, and goals and outcomes.
As a revolutionary method, web-based distance education is widely used around the world today. However, because of high reliance on technology in nature, distance education has been well developed in technology leading countries such as Australia, the US and the UK. Though some developing countries have made a lot of efforts, they are still constrained by the high costs of the Internet infrastructure and investments of distance education systems.
Maritime Education and Training (MET) is a special education field showing high needs for distance education. The high broadband technology and satellite communication make it technically possible for accessing to the Internet on board. A number of companies have provided some software packages for learning on board. Some European projects including METHAR, SEAGULL and METNET are also engaged in MET development and distance learning. In contrast, MET institutions have not done so much except some leading players of distance education, such as Australian Maritime College and RTM STAR centre. MET institutions do face the threats that come from private education providers.
The future development of technology will be towards a direction of being more reliable, more convenient and more intelligent. It is of no doubt that the new developments in hand-held digital systems, virtual reality, intelligent interfaces and voice recognition will bring a new revolution to the cyberspace education. The future
of the learning environment will be more brilliant if new technology is appropriately incorporated.
MET institutions will have great potential development in future. But this is based on strong support from governments, having enough funding sources and employing appropriate methods. Facing more competition pressure from other institutions and private providers of all over the world, it is time for MET institutions to seek some revolutionary and unconventional ways today in order to survive in future!
As a leading developing country, China is more aware of the revolution taking place in distance education. Some developments have been made through the effort of the government, but the gap in education level compared with developed countries is still very large. Facing the great opportunity of being the potential leading provider of seafarers for the whole world, Chinese MET institutions have a lot to do. Cooperation with leading MET institutions and private companies will be an effective way to the future.
6.2 Recommendations
Based on the foregoing study of this paper, the author strongly recommends that MET institutions need to achieve the followings:
• Obtain a strong government support as an essential pre-condition for surviving in future.
• Find all kinds of ways to incorporate new technology developments in education systems, including infrastructure, equipment, staff training, course design and delivery and so on.
• Build strong relationships with shipping companies, in order to provide needs- oriented education.
• Cooperate with private education providers, acquire advanced equipment and software packages, and renovate education methods in a cost-effective way.
• Build inter-institutional co-operation between institutions in developed countries and those in developing countries.
• As Chinese MET institutions, form a “corporate university” with western developed institutions and private education providers as the fastest way to change for the future.