Friday, 23 November 2012

Some thoughts on e-learning

I have been reading many articles and watching many clips related to e-learning over the past few weeks, so thought it might be a good idea just to articulate some of the questions going on in my head.


  • When we use e-learning tools for a classroom course, are we trying to improve the delivery of the materials? Is this necessary?
  • Is student interaction with the target knowledge the key aim?
  • Should educators be trying to encourage more interaction with the target knowledge at each stage of the pedagogical scaffolding?
  • Learners are individuals, therefore 'one size fits all' lessons should be avoided? Or can the learner adapt this lesson to fit their own needs?
  • If game based learning provides motivation and enthusiasm for learning, is it useful for all learners?
Any thoughts on the above welcome.

2 comments:

  1. Good questions.

    I think when you are using elearning, delivery method is obviously improved. There is access to more content, wider knowledge base, interaction with content, peers, etc. If the courses are designed keeping the target audience in mind, there will definitely be an improved knowledge transfer and understanding.
    One size fits all should be avoided but if the lessons are designer according to the target audience, their prior knowledge, expertise with the subject etc, it will definitely increase the level of learning outcome.

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  2. I also get frustrated by what is driving technology enhanced learning... when it is top down pushed by policy at government or senior management level I start to twitch and come over all Foucault: what's the real agenda here? Is it just to deprive the children of the non-advantaged access to the physical spaces in which so much opportunity dwells? I mean it cannot really be about improving education because every other policy that emerges at government level seems to make the conditions for successful happy learning diminish... for us benighted practitioners it starts with questions like - who are our students - what do they want and need? How can we make a bridge to the learning that we hope to happen? I've posted elsewhere that I'm moving away from even my limited forays into PowerPoint not by plunging into Prezi (where the form does seem to dominate the content) into hand drawn paper 'slides' that I can show via visualiser; with this, and drawing on an ordinary whiteboard, I now feel much more in control of what I want to communicate... Best, Sandra

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