Author: Stephen Downes, Affiliation: Researcher at National Research Council of Canada
“The Future of Online Learning and Personal Learning Environments”
Online Learning has been around since its inception in 1995. Today it is becoming a phenomenon because of all the different technologies now available to support its function. Now we have access to open source applications and software including Moodle, WordPress, Firefox, and Audacity. We also now have open educational resources including Wikipedia, and MIT’s OpenCourseWare program. To support all of this growth there are new environments for this technology to be housed in including podcasts, vodcasts, YouTube, Slideshare, mobile phones, PDA’s, and the 3D web including second life. Students also now have greater access to the Internet than ever before. Many schools are adopting the one-to-one computing through a laptop program. We also now have wireless capabilities through 3G technology for easy access everywhere.
Online learning is all about immersing the person in the subject by learning by doing. The computer helps connect the studnet to the rest of the world and the many discoveries awaiting them. The neat thing about online learning is that it enables the learner to create their own media through blogs, podcasts, and game modifications. The challenge to teachers in this environment is finding the right resource at the right time for the right person. There is a new way to do this through a Recommender System in which the learner creates a profile about themselves and it provides resource evaluations based on that information.
Networked learning helps facilitate personal learning as people are able to learn from others and at the same time provide their own information that they are knowledgeable about. The big issue of online learning is to practice the skills that were learned and then reflect back on what you did. Eventually the student will go through a process of looking at a model to be followed, practice that model, reflect on their practice, and then demonstrate through a project. The model can be provided through case studies or experts at work. Practice could be scaffolded practice, simulation, or job aids. Reflection can be conducted through guided reflections, journaling, or online community discussion. Online learning is really all about a guided practice that the instructor takes the student through as the student uses their creativity to solve a real world problem utilizing the skills that were demonstrated to them.
7:16 am - 10-17-2010
Looks like the PPT provided some great ideas. Unfortunately, not all online teachers use all the technologies and instead include a lot of text-based directions, etc.
2:45 am - 10-19-2010
Derek,
This looks very professional and has a great fact. Online learning does involve the students being immersed in actively participating in their learning. As this occurs, students will retain more of the information and enjoy their learning at the same time.