Going beyond access: On-line education in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands

This paper discusses several approaches to Web-based learning, on-line learning and IT instruction that have been implemented at the University of Hawaii, including studio-based learning, techniques for implementing critical evaluation skills when utilizing on-line sources, virtual museum use, the use of metacognitive prompts in on-line instruction and outreach to other Pacific Island communities. The paper also addresses aspects of ICT and on-line instruction and community building in multicultural settings that represent some of the most geographically isolated regions on the planet, with socioeconomic disparities spanning the digital divide. This paper shows how technology can be used to promote higher order thinking, metacognition and critical evaluation skills that encourage students to use ICT in more discriminatory and evaluative ways. The paper also shows that using virtual museums for sharing cultural knowledge and using metacognitive prompts for critical analyses are other ways of enriching knowledge through the use of the Internet. Furthermore, technology can be used for communicating with different populations regardless of income or ethnicity, and the Internet can improve access to higher education for rural populations that would not consider university access a possibility without being provided with the support that technology can give.