Getting into a rhythm with my two classes this term, and by far the most interesting is Online and Distributed Learning. The format of the class is quite different from the others that I haven taken.
It seems like a relatively small group, and everyone is fairly actively posting on the bulletin board set up for the purpose. We have a variety of smaller assignments during the course of the term, instead of one or two big ones. Also, the course moderator is especially active and does a good job in drawing out discussion.
As for the topic itself, it is particularly interesting to me. When I first decided to pursue a master's degree, I did a lot of research online to find out what the best way to go about it was. There was definitely a sense that it is best to do your master's work at a campus rather than doing it by "distance learning". There was plenty of online sneering at people that had a "degree by mail" and it was hard to imagine that all of this negativity wouldn't filter into the university systems that employ teachers, devaluing the experience of learning online or by distance.
The more I read about and explore online and distributed learning, the more it seems like it is a trend that will only continue and become more popular. The idea of students having to actually sit in the presence of a teacher, all at the same point in time to learn on a fixed path through a syllabus - well, it is starting to sound a little quaint.
When I see modern college classrooms filled with students carrying laptops, it makes me wonder why the students need to be there to listen to the instructor. Can't they watch a video of the lecture? How about submitting questions via email or online chat? Students collaborating on projects online as well as working individually can lead to some stimulating discussion and ideas as well.
Formal classroom learning is in no danger of extinction. Of course there will always be a need for learning from an instructor in person, but to me it seems like the future of learning is one that shifts the navigation of the learning path to the individual student, with the instructor acting as a guide to learning rather than the source of the learning.
It seems like a relatively small group, and everyone is fairly actively posting on the bulletin board set up for the purpose. We have a variety of smaller assignments during the course of the term, instead of one or two big ones. Also, the course moderator is especially active and does a good job in drawing out discussion.
As for the topic itself, it is particularly interesting to me. When I first decided to pursue a master's degree, I did a lot of research online to find out what the best way to go about it was. There was definitely a sense that it is best to do your master's work at a campus rather than doing it by "distance learning". There was plenty of online sneering at people that had a "degree by mail" and it was hard to imagine that all of this negativity wouldn't filter into the university systems that employ teachers, devaluing the experience of learning online or by distance.
The more I read about and explore online and distributed learning, the more it seems like it is a trend that will only continue and become more popular. The idea of students having to actually sit in the presence of a teacher, all at the same point in time to learn on a fixed path through a syllabus - well, it is starting to sound a little quaint.
When I see modern college classrooms filled with students carrying laptops, it makes me wonder why the students need to be there to listen to the instructor. Can't they watch a video of the lecture? How about submitting questions via email or online chat? Students collaborating on projects online as well as working individually can lead to some stimulating discussion and ideas as well.
Formal classroom learning is in no danger of extinction. Of course there will always be a need for learning from an instructor in person, but to me it seems like the future of learning is one that shifts the navigation of the learning path to the individual student, with the instructor acting as a guide to learning rather than the source of the learning.
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