Jun
20
Theory of Online Learning
Posted by: Thomas Kritikos | June 20, 2009 | Comments Off on Theory of Online Learning
Keeping in mind your own experiences as a teacher and as a student, consider what Anderson means when he describes the attributes of learning in terms of being learner-, knowledge-, assessment- and community-centred. To what extent have you experienced on-line or mixed-mode courses that achieved this kind of learning environment? How might you use the learning technologies tools you have at your disposal to help you to create meaningful interactions?
Learner-Centred
As this is my fifth MET course through UBC I have had some experience as a learner participating within an online environment. With respect to the environment being learner-centred, I have always enjoyed the beginning of each MET course where students discuss themselves with respect to their educational background and relevant experience. This activity seems so trivial, yet I find it very interesting how much I enjoy responding to it. Equally enjoyable is reading the entries of other students. This welcome page I believe has the ability to set the tone for the course if it’s completed with some diligence. Each MET course that I have taken has been structured with synchronous and asynchronous modes of communication that have given me the ability to explore my own learning within an environment that has been collegial and informative.
Knowledge-Centred
Each course that I have taken including ETEC 565 has been extremely helpful in getting me to think about what I am doing, and why I am doing it. The provisions for reflective thinking have been quite extensive within the MET environment. As someone who has used technology for many years I find my MET experience to be fruitful in that I am able to apply some of my knowledge creation to my professional practice as a classroom teacher. An interesting side effect that I’ve experienced while engaged with the MET program is that I keep coming back to previous assignments/projects from other courses and revisit my work. It almost appears that I am trying to link my previous experiences with the ones that I am presently building. Some days I have more success than others mind you.
Assessment-Centred
I remember an activity in a MET course that I took last year where I was asked to peer evaluate all my group members (4 of them) on their achievement as it related to a specific activity. I have to admit that I felt a little uncomfortable at first glance. It wasn’t until I began to think about my task that I discovered that my reflections on their progress, actually helped me understand more about what I had learned in that activity. In my estimation it is the extensive amount of formative evaluation inherent within MET courses that guide students to optimally develop, and transform their knowledge.
Community-Centred
As Wilson (1997) stated, learners within online communities have a sense of expectation of learning. I have always come to each MET course with an excitement and expectation that my efforts will mutually blend with the input of my colleagues to further illuminate my understanding of each topic at hand. This may sound a little ‘corny’, but my expectation that I will learn from others, propels my own thoughts and actions to contribute to the learning environment in the hope that I will be able to construct new knowledge.
How might you use the learning technologies tools you have at your disposal to help you to create meaningful interactions?
Within my classroom I have always carried out personal online inventories and given students activities that informed me of their prior learning and knowledge. I have utilized web sites that analyzed a student’s response to questions that determined which multiple intelligence(s) they aligned closer to. My students have been engaged with using web-based applications that helped them understand the composition and structure of an electrical circuit. The web afforded students with the opportunity to further develop their understanding by having them use a collaborative draw program asynchronously to share in the sketching of an accurate diagram of a circuit. Students utilized the districts communication tool to collaborate and communicate both synchronously and asynchronously, to further enhance their understanding of electrical circuits. Students also used the communication package to upload their assessment of their performance based on district performance standards. Students receive a more complete educational experience when they have an activity that is Learner-, Knowledge-, Assessment-, and Community-Centred in its composition.
References
Wilson, B. (1997). Thoughts on theory in educational technology. Educational Technology, 37(1), 22-26.