KOSRAE RUINS

Kosrae is an island 370 miles north of the equator in the Pacific Ocean.  The island was settled during the first millennium AD.  The ruins that are visible today among the dense vegetation were built over 500 years go.  Lelu Island was the capital of Kosraean society.  The king and queen lived on Lelu Island and would hold large festive celebrations.  The king would order the surrounding villages to prepare food and bring him supplies.  If his subjects disobeyed his orders, the king would execute them.

One hundred or so ruins cover Lelu Island and nearby islets.  The kings and high chiefs resided within the 20 foot tall walled compounds.  Burial and spirit houses dedicated to the gods also filled the walled fortresses.  The structures were built over hundreds of years out of multi-ton basalt prisms from across the island.  How did they build these massive structures and why did they stop building them?  Light it up!

The Pros & Cons of Online Education

What are the pros and cons of online continuing education?  Proponents of online continuing education tout convenience, flexibility, lack of barriers due to geography, access to resources worldwide, and accommodating different learning styles as the pros of online education.  Naysayers point out that online education isn't suited for interactive discussions, you can't convey complex material effectively, and that some instructors may be suited for the classroom but are poor communicating online.  A President of a college had this to say, "if by online education you mean an electronic education factory where students are overcharged, faculty are under paid, subjects dumb-downed, and academic advising is conducted through a comptroller's office...then it's all a sloppy sham."

There are many new ways to offer online distance education.  Second Life, video conferencing, and interactive courses are different methods being utilized.  TED (Technology Entertainment Design) Talks are another example of new teaching methods.  TED was founded by Harry Marks and Richard Saul Wurman in 1984.  Wurman is credited with having coined the term "information architect".  He said, "I thought the explosion of data needed an architecture, needed a series of systems, needed systematic design, a series of performance criteria to measure it."  TED Talks address research, science, and culture.  Speakers are given 18 minutes to present their ideas.  The presentations are translated in multiple languages by volunteers and are available to view for free on the TED website.  So, what are some of the best ways to conduct distance learning?  What new innovative  ways of online education are on the horizon?  Light it up.