Philosophy

We now live in an information age. Information and knowledge are now the most important elements in our work and daily life. Because the world of information is changing so quickly, there is a tremendous necessity these days for people to engage in learning -- and not only the formal kind of learning we get from schools -- learning on the job, learning constantly, learning in any place, at any time, and learning from others. Therefore, our philosophy of learning and education encompasses all these venues. By bringing you this course over the Intenet, we believe we are contributing to a new kind of education. We've designed the course to be as responsive to your learning needs as possible. We hope to learn, along with you, much about how this new type of teaching and learning is best served.

What is CARE (Cyberspace Assisted Responsive Education)? -- Ifay Chang

• Information technology is making an impact on education just as it has in the transformation of many other industries.
• However, paradigm shifts in education are occurring much more slowly than in the rest of society
• Telelearning or distance learning and teaching is a byproduct of the implosion of space caused by telecommunications
• Life-long learning is a necessity that educators have recognized for centuries but has never before been so necessary.
• Hyperlearning or non-linear learning - where learning has no real starting or ending points - represents a key paradigm shift possible in education facilitiated by new information technology (hypermedia).
• Highly interactive teaching and learning methodologies represent another key paradigm shift where groups of teachers and learners can flexibly interact using communications media.
• The global reach of telecommunications can bring about another paradigm shift in education with resource sharing and distanceless global teaching and learning.
• Is it possible that yet another new learning paradigm may evolve from the CARE leaning process?

I-CARE Courses

• I-CARE is very different from ordinary correspondence courses, computer aided instruction, or traditional distance learning courses.
• The pedagogy of I-CARE is based on CARE, exploiting the Internet medium and all the advantages of using Internet tools.
• Internet Informatics is the first I-CARE course covering information science, technology and system issues with a focus on the Internet and Internet applications

How Will the I-CARE Courses Be Taught (FAQ Answers)

• The I-CARE course is modularized with each module covering a subject domain at a given starting level. Hypertext lectures and interactive exercises with instructors and peers are the vehicles of teaching and learning. You will be able to learn at your own pace but also be expected to progress along with the group. Groups made up of faculty will teach student groups globally. You are encouraged toforge ahead and extend your learning beyond the scope of the present module, but you are also encouraged to take the lead and to help others to reinforce what you have learned.
• Each module contains lots of jumping off points for exploration and discovery. Search tools and navigation paths will be offered by the faculty or generated by students.
• Instructors and students will both work in teams, grouped by interest and experience. Students are required to fill out a background survey when signing up.
• CARE group teaching and learning tools will be provided after registration. E-mail will be used to facilitate effective communication between all participants. Bulletin boards will be used for posting relevant materials to the group. A calendar will be used for scheduling events, appointments with instructors, student group activities etc. Chat sessions for one-on-one or group discussions may also be used.
• The procedure for taking the I-CARE course is as follows:

  * Register through the Internet on-line process and pay tuition via mail or by credit card. You will tthen receive a student ID & password

  * Fill in the on-line student survey using your student ID.

  * Navigate through the I-CARE course demo section.

  * Browse the course calendar, note the schedule of modules and other learning milestones

  * Study and exercise with the I-CARE resources and tools then e-mail a note to a faculty member to signal your readiness to begin the course.

I-CARE Facilities And Tools

• Communication tools