Week 6 Reflection - Online Learning Theories

The readings this week give discerning information about what educational theories are and the vitality role of such theories paly in promoting and improving learning through technology. The following are some of the main points gathered from the readings and which I found quite interesting in the success of an online course.

·         Technology does not improve student output or performance; rather it is what is included in the content and the strategies used in the learning materials that count. Thus online learning must have activities that are challenging to promote high-order thinking skills, and activities must be well and properly designed to engage the learner and promote learning. Technology is a mechanism only by which learning is transmitted; not the agent of change in students’ performance

·         The success of online learning requires huge commitment and good resources and adequate and constant support from the facilitator.

·         The basis for effective online learning materials is proven and sound learning theories.  

·         Theory plays a major part in the success of online learning as it allows us to see the big picture of our work thus enabling us to make connections with existing literature deepening our understanding of our work.

·         Because of the many theories on learning, no single theory is better than the others; all are good so a combination of these to devise effective online learning materials is advisable.

·         ‘Learning strategies should be selected to motivate learners, facilitate deep processing, build the whole person, cater for individual differences, promote meaningful learning, encourage interaction, provide feedback, facilitate contextual learning, and provide support during the learning process’ (Ally, 2002).

Reflection

I am overwhelmed by this week’s readings because it opens up my eyes to the usefulness of educational theory to online learning, or to any learning for that matter – the fact that improvement on practices to be implemented and effective, sound existing theories are needed. I have not thought about this in the last two years when I encountered the challenge of getting my EL001 (English Language Skills Course) students interact more and effectively with me and/or with colleagues. It had now dawned on me to surf the Net for research re online learning, although I constantly fall back on the Net for resources on other educational issues; that is why I am astounded by the many positive ideas and promises accorded to online learning.

In the first week of ED403, I was predetermined that online learning will not work as I had a lot of reservations based from experience. First, how can the learning (via the technology) be made meaningful given that the physical presence of the facilitator is not there? In a traditional learning environment, the teacher is physically present to give support and guidance right there and then while the learning is taking place. This, I don’t find with online learning, hence when I started my course online (via Moodle), forums were the only means I interact with, or shall I say, contact (as I never got any meaningful interaction) students; no constructive questions or discussion taking place. Thus, it made me wonder and question the efficacy of the online learning; have my students actually achieved the outcomes? Is online learning really working for the regional students?

Secondly, is the issue of submission of work using the drop-box in Moodle. I don’t know why, but majority of my students never use the drop-box; their works are always sent to me via email instead. In the beginning when I receive work through this medium, I would respond noting that I have got the work, but asking them also to resubmit but using the drop-box in Moodle. This never happened although my students were told of the reason and its importance of this as it makes them embark on the use of good practice, that is, using the Turnitin feature in Moodle would make them realise how much plagiarism they done and in which part of their work, so that they can rework on these and resubmit till their work is 100% originally theirs. Again, this made me doubt the worth of online learning.

I know that work submission through Moodle is for a good cause but I don’t why my students were not using it, and I did not even try to find out also. If I had, it would have given me sound reasons which could be used to better the course for future students. Researching, I now know, is good practice and it is encouraging me to get involved in this area.

Additionally, is the idleness and boringness of online courses. In my case, my online course (EL001) was the duplication of the face-to-face version; everything planned in the course for traditional learning was merely dumped into the online platform. This is what I was made to believe and understand, but it further confirmed my reservations about online learning in that if students’ achievement through this medium is questionable, then what is the point. What I did not realise is that the success of my online course is solely dependent on me, and that I have to invest a lot of time and energy in order for this to happen. Again, I am glad for the readings and for the things I am given in this course (ED403) for they are really opening my eyes thus broadening and deepening my understanding of online learning, and most importantly to better my practices.

A way forward

Although there are many benefits of online learning, there are still many issues that needed to be further researched in the context of the pacific island learners. I have no doubt of the numerous studies and researches being done on this topic on subjects and environments other than those of the pacific contexts, hence I am not sure how relevant are those works to our contexts and to what degree can we apply their ideas to our contexts. Since online learning is a relatively new concept in the pacific, the need for research is paramount.