What challenges and opportunities do you see for the realization of your philosophy of education in the evolution of eLearning as we know it?

3/2/2013

eLearning has been around since about 1995 according to Stephen Downes which is interesting to me because I remember that computer labs in schools at that time was rare. I also think how my family has just
purchased our first computer and had dial up internet. I think about how much time I spend each day on the internet for school, work and checking emails and I often wonder how much it would be different if we were still on the snail pace dial up system.

Through my education degree program I did not hear about eLearning or distance education. I remember being a month away from completing my education degree and hearing about eLearning for the first time, not from a professor but actually from a friend of mine who was enrolling her daughter into a distance learning school. The idea stuck with me and intrigued me as I knew quite a bit about technology and I also knew that I had a child on the way so entering a brick and mortar school was a few years off. I looked into different schools around the province and less than a year after receiving my education degree I was offered a position with a distance learning school teaching the ages that I have always wanted to teach!

When I think about the evolution of eLearning, it is not only in the world around me but also in my own mind. The more I explore the topic, the more I am learning about the world of eLearning and in turn my own understandings and opinions are changing and branching off into different directions. Digital Web Magazine talks about the information available to students as “(a) vision of the Web in which information is broken up into "microcontent" units that can be distributed over dozens of domains. The Web of documents has morphed into a Web of data. We are no longer just looking to the same old sources for information. Now we're looking to a new set of tools to aggregate and remix microcontent in new and useful ways”. Through this students are able to pick out the pieces of information that are relevant to them and apply it to their own learning.

I am a big supporter of student led learning using inquiry and community of learners approach and I am constantly learning that eLearning and the tools available are able to be utilized in a way to help foster the learning that is taking place when the students are given an opportunity. I am excited to see how the implementation of LMS such as Desire2Learn, Moodle and other programs such as Blackboard Collaborate will help students to connect with each other and engage with their peers to expand their thoughts. I believe that eLearning will allow students the opportunity to be in charge of their own learning and Stephen Downes even states “In learning, these trends are manifest in what is sometimes called "learner-centered" or "student-centered" design. This is more than just adapting for different learning styles or allowing the user to change the font size and background color; it is the placing of the control of learning itself into the hands of the learner” which seems to agree.

Downes, S. (2005, October). E-learning 2.0. Retrieved from http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1104968

MacManus, R., & Porter, J. (2005, May 4). Web 2.0 design: Bootstrapping the social web. Retrieved from
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/web_2_for_designers

8 Comments

Avi Luxenburg

3/4/2013 12:07:35 pm

I loved the notion that the evolution of eLearning is “not only in the world but in my mind”. It reminds me that the technology is just technology... that the effective utilization of technology is what makes for potentially good pedagogy. And, that I am the person who creates the scaffolding of learning, which is based on my perspective on the world, and on teaching and learning. What if I’m wrong. Nah!
It really is amazing how students today simply "take to" remixing content and making it their own. What I like to observe is the development of content through discourse. I am constantly witnessing students choosing to learn from each other and develop new understandings together. I was telling Andrew F about my students who are "running" our News Magazine. They are the editorial board. There is something strange that happens when students are "directing the show". Students who are tasked with jobs by the editorial board not only seem to just do the jobs, they seem to be feeling a sense of freedom. I noticed an increase in productive creativity and general happiness. They seem happy to have students in control. I don't know if that is typical, as I have never tried to allow student control of such a large and complex process. I guess I'll see.

Breanne

3/9/2013 08:46:56 am

Hi Avi,
In regards to your comment "[T]hey seem to be feeling a sense of freedom. I noticed an increase in productive creativity and general happiness." but not knowing if that is typical is very common in my opinion. I remember the first time I allowed my students to be in control, it was a hard thing to give up based on everything I had been taught in classes and the way I was taught but through that my students just continued to blow me away on a daily basis with the exceptional work that they were able to produce.

Sonny Dhaliwal

3/6/2013 11:46:34 am

There are different views of what learner-centered is. I agree with you that changing colors, our picking how fast you can finish a course really is not learner-centered. I would like to build a sense of community in my asynchronous classroom, but struggle with determining an effective way of implementing this. In your post you mentioned that you have found tools that you use in the eLearning environment, do you mind sharing these tools? Perhaps I can steal some of your ideas for my students.
Sonny

Breanne

3/9/2013 03:45:24 am

Hey Sonny,
Sorry if I didn't come across too clear but I am in the process of trying to figure out how to implement them to create the community of learners atmosphere online. I only have six students this year, all in different grades and at different points in their learning so it is hard to implement quite yet. I am very interested in using moodle as it has many tools embedded in it (which I hope to have a firm grasp on after 504) and also using a synchronous tool such as blackboard.

Margot

3/9/2013 12:39:48 pm

Indeed, it's pretty mind blowing how fast technology has changed and how we use it now even compared to 5 years ago!

Waayyyy back in the early 90's I taught in Japan and several schools in the district where I lived were getting computer labs (a big hit as they were air conditioned unlike the rest of the school). At that time, elearning mostly consisted of playing games to help increase typing speed or reinforce multiplication tables.

I wonder a little about how technology will shape student behaviour and expectation. Having worked with students who come from a system where the expectation is that they are passive, and evaluation is based on 'fact' memorization, a learner-led model is very difficult to shift to. Closer to home, I consider Francis Kelsey in Cowichan school district which is more self-directed than other schools. Some students do really well, but there are others who find it a real struggle to manage that kind of freedom.

Now that computer use is the norm and many access the internet every day in self-directed pursuits will that change students' self-reliance?
Margot :)

Breanne

3/9/2013 01:45:21 pm

Some students really struggle with the self-reliance and student led learning, that is why as a teacher I will never be worried about my job becoming obsolete. I think as teachers we need to have our students be engaged and show them how to use the tools to deepen their understanding and take control of their own learning. As I read in another's blog post "guide on the side".

Andrew

3/10/2013 05:42:03 am

How true Breanne. I am reminded weekly how quickly we have become accustomed to things moving fast. At the Comox Mall I go into the Liquor store and my debit card is processed almost instantaneously. Then I go across to Extra Foods and it never fails to make my smile how painfully long it takes for their machine to read my card. You honestly have time to look up and have a conversation. I mention this because I do not want to be the guy who is impatient and always in a rush, I really don't. I simply find it interesting how quickly we become accustomed to our ever changing 'efficiencies'.

Breanne

3/11/2013 09:48:36 am

I read your reply this morning Andrew and I was wondering if I could relate until I went to the grocery store myself. I only had to pick up a few things and the cashier pointed out to me that instead of inserting my chip from my credit card and typing in my pin, I could simply tap my card on the screen and it would automatically process because it was under a given amount. I personally miss the days where you sign for your credit card purchases as I find it is easier to figure out a pin number for someone then copying their signature (especially a signature like my husbands, it is honestly the most illegible signature ever!). It makes me wonder how much the rules and opportunities of plagarism are going to change with the mass amount of information out there.

What challenges and opportunities do you see for the realization of your philosophy of education in the evolution of eLearning as we know it?

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