e-learning Philosophy at beginning of Msc
I enjoyed reading Mark Prensky’s writing on “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants” Prensky (2001). I am a “Digital Immigrant” I was not born into the digital world but I am willing to adapt to it and the more I adapt the more fascinated by it I become. “Digital Natives” are those who have been born into the digital age and speak the digital language of the web and computers. How often have we seen a young child pick up any of today’s portable game consoles and proceed to play with them? No one showed them what to do they just seem to know. And so as a “Digital Immigrant” I’m very happy to look at new technology and its application to my professional practice. What is available is overwhelming. Technology is developing at such a rate that Cook, White, Sharples, Sclater and Davis (2007) state that search engines such as Google are affecting many areas of learning in “unpredictable ways”. David Jonassen (1993) suggests that learners should be kept active, constructive, collaborative, intentional, complex, contextual, conversational and reflective. In outlining what is necessary to support a constructivist approach he suggests that it is easier to consider ways that technology can be used to support or promote this. So Jonassen’s model provides me with some guidelines as to what should be considered when approaching design. However as a “Digital Immigrant” there may be a tendency to overuse or misuse technology such is my preference for all things digital. The challenge is to find a balance between new technology and traditional methods of e-learning so that the content created provides a learning experience. If that is achieved then Jarvis (as cited in Dyke, Conole, Ravenscroft and De Freitas 2007) states that the transformation of experience, the essence of reflective learning can help turn the information revolution into the knowledge revolution.
E-learning philosophy 2013
Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing
towards what will be
Kahil
Gibran, A handful of Sand on the Shore
Almost 4 years ago now, I was part of a project team that managed the implementation of Moodle as the Learning Management System (LMS) for the organisation I work for. The main reason for the implementation was to deliver and track compliance training. Like Larson (2006) suggests we set about developing and promoting e-learning and as Rosenberg (2006) contends we were at stage 1 of 3, that “we should get into e-learning” (p. 2) stage. We developed as much e-learning as we could as quickly as we possibly could. As I look back on it now, it was one method, one way of delivering training. There was some consideration of the learner as we developed and designed material but it was still one way of doing things. Larson (2006) compares the development of e-learning methods to that of Alexander Graham Bell’s experimentation with vocal communication which “accidentally” led to the discovery of the telephone. It started out with one expectation which led unexpectedly to something else. I feel that our journey has followed a similar path. What has started as a method of supporting learning is now taking a different journey as we utilise technology to improve access to learning content, improve knowledge exchange and collaboration. As Larson (2006) advocates if we use technology appropriately we can circumvent the need for training by providing easy access to immediate information that addresses the issue at hand at a level that is meaningful for the learner. Rosenberg (2006) acknowledges that we always want immediate results and changing the way people learn can take time. However this is where I see our role in Learning and Development changing. We can no longer keep up with the constant demand for content; we are changing to what London and Hall (2011) describe as system designers and architects. We are expert in learning theory and use innovation to incorporate learning theory into the use of technology, establishing structures that support workers creating content in their own environment. By supporting workers we are ensuring they can use the appropriate technology to create learning content, we are consultants and guides providing expertise and advice. As an organisation we have moved to Rosenberg’s (2006) stage 2 “we need to get better at e-learning” (p. 2) it’s no longer acceptable to use technology to deliver static educational content. I agree with Rosenberg (2006) we are using technology to create access to a dynamic repository of information that workers can easily access when needed.
References
Larson, J. (2006) e-Learning: Advancing towards what will be in Rosenberg, M. Beyond E-Learning: Approaches and Technologies to Enhance Organizational Knowledge, Learning, and Performance (p. 309-313) Pfeiffer: San Francisco
London, M., & Hall, M. J. (2011). Web 2.0 support for individual, group and organizational learning. Human Resource Development International, 14(1), 103–113. doi:10.1080/13678868.2011.542902
Rosenberg, M. (2006). Beyond E-Learning: Approaches and Technologies to Enhance Organizational Knowledge, Learning, and Performance Pfeiffer: San Francisco
