I looked at the website http://www.elearnuk.co.uk/ where there are 21 different categories of subjects which can be learnt online. Although this may seem a ‘standard’ website to look at in reference to this weeks tasks and not as adventurous as it could be, I still think it highlights the basic points of online learning and the availability and flexibility for students. “The rapid growth of the Internet and the needs of a mobile society have made OLEs very attractive options to those seeking higher education.” (Journal – Collaboration Tools in Online Learning Environments: Jim Clark) For example with elearnuk.co.uk, you can enroll at any time during the year, therefore enhancing the added flexibility compared to restricted term times you have with meat space learning, which makes this development of technology accessible for people. However, referring back to previous weeks is this encouraging people to defer away real life situations and therefore missing out on communicational skills that could be gained from traditional methods of education because of the convenience the internet allows us to enhance. Although, in the journal that I found shows how e learning is trying to introduce more ‘collaborative tools’ such as “through discussion, group projects, group papers and the other methods discussed to create group bonds and make the students more central to their education should be continued.” (Clark Journal) Therefore, what is being demonstrated here is that although technology has developed, there still needs to be influences that mirror society to maintain its success as an option for a new media.
One last point… is online learning defeating the object of freedom on the internet? Although it is convenient there is a clear one way direction of information coming from a higher source which in effect takes away from Turkle’s idea of freedom. The student is not a ‘produser’ of the internet but they are just receiving the information that is being told to them to pass the course. Yet alike the communities e learning does allow for freedom in the sense that there is “the availability of the new technologies to all citizens in all nations” because now people are necessarily not being excluded from gaining education through “economic disadvantage, (mentioned in Zambia post) geographic isolation or physical impairment.”
Book - (E Learning: Concepts and Practice: Holmes and Gardiner: Page 132: 2006)
http://www.elearnuk.co.uk/ (Website)
http://www.aln.org/publications/magazine/v4n1/clark.asp (Journal)
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I don't think online learning is defeating the object of freedom on the internet. When people use these sites they expect the material to come from a higher source- they are there to learn off others who have more expertise and knowledge, not to voice their opinions or tell others what they know.
ReplyDeleteYou could say that it is actually giving people more freedom; they can now choose between produsage, open news and 'expert' institution websites to learn. (Although this raises the question of quality).
Prahaps it is worth accepting the 'educational hierarchy' of the institutions because the quality of the education will do people better in the long run...or will it!?
Yes, I agree with your point in how the internet is giving users the freedom of choice, but then with online there are tbe constant questions of validity, which is in all areas of the online world. Could it be asked if the qualifications gained online are actually as 'real' as the ones recognised in 'meatspace.'
ReplyDeleteThe problem with "Higher" education is that it isn't principally about learning 'semi-secret-stuff' that experts hand down to you -for the price of enrolment (although some of that will go on). It's about giving students the experiences that develop skills and approaches to apply to their subject which they will be able to use in novel circumstances and develop in the future without the need for someone of 'greater' wisdom and knowledge. (Even though they should respect these people, they should feel confident that their skills and approaches are reliable enough to challenge received wisdom and argue for its overturning.)
ReplyDeleteThis is very hard to develop without being in the right culture -and so far, that has been a face to face culture. CMC offers the best of the bad alternatives, but no-one knows how to create a virtual learning community to rival a good physical university. This is why the O.U. insisted on students doing summerschools and offered f2f seminars in regional study centres.