Jun 14 2009
four centres and online learning
In “Towards a theory of online learning”, Anderson (2008) purports that the internet “affords a vast potential for education delivery that generally subsumes almost all the modes and means of education delivery previously used – with, perhaps, the exception of rich face-to-face interaction in formal classrooms”. Moreover, Anderson contends that in an online environment, “sufficient levels of deep and meaningful learning can be developed as long as one of the three forms of interaction (student–teacher; student-student; student-content) is at very high levels.” Anderson defines the challenge for online instructors to construct a learning environment that is simultaneously learner-, content-, community- and assessment-centered. In the following, I would like to consider to what extent my experiences with online learning environments have addressed these four centres.
1. Learner centered: A learner centered environment acknowledges the unique personal history of each learner. An important starting point for a learner centered environment is diagnosing pre-existing knowledge and experiences. In my experiences this has been addressed through mandatory “introductory forum posts”. These posts stimulate student-student interaction and “break the ice”. In one online course I have taken, students are encouraged to discuss a series of “pre-test” questions to assess prior knowledge. However, I have not yet had an experience where an instructor collects data regarding students’ previous experiences.
2. Content-centered: According to Anderson, “the Net provides expanded opportunities for learners to plunge ever deeper into knowledge resources, providing a near limitless means for them to grow their knowledge and find their own way around the knowledge of the discipline, benefiting from its expression in thousands of formats and contexts.” However, Anderson cautions that the vast amounts of information can be difficult for a student to navigate and filter. As such, it is the role of the instructor to guide students to relevant and quality information. In my experience this has been accomplished through suggested activities, readings and resources as organized by an LMS.
3. Community-centered: Vygotsky’s “zone of proximal development” and Wegner’s “communities of practice” mandate the importance of social interactions in challenging and supporting knowledge development. Community development and the social negotiation of learning are supported online through synchronous and asynchronous communication tools such as e-mail, discussion boards and chat functions. Although these tools afford freedoms from restraints of space and time, I have yet to experience collaborative experiences of the same quality as collaborating in a f2f environment.
4. Assessment centered: Feedback is a crucial element to successful knowledge development. Frequent assessment gives important information to both learner and instructor about the learner’s progress. In my experience, online tools such as programmed quizzes, peer feedback circles, and instructor mark-up are excellent for formative assessments.
References
Anderson, T. (2008). Towards a Theory of Online Learning. In: Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Athabasca University.
