Week One Activities

Thourn Heng's Blog

E-Learning Boom

As society move from the industrial age to the information age, many aspect of society needs changing. For example, educational institutions are changing to fit the needs of more learners. Traditional education is extending beyond the classroom with e-learning online. With e-learning, many people can learn at anytime, any place, and at any pace using course management systems (CMS).



In 2005, McGee, Carmean, and Jafari expresses concern for the development of the next generation of CMS. They mention that the current system of CMS needs to be studied more along with the current user’s needs. Moreover, they suggest that there needs to be speculations and studies on the future user’s needs. Future users do not only include end-users of the CMS, such as students and instructors. Future users should include everyone and anyone who is involved in the process of creating the next generation of CMS, such as CMS software developers and CMS stakeholders.

Five years later, Nagel (2010) reports that “The Future of E-Learning Is More Growth.” In Nagel’s report, he mentions that “electronic learning, by dollar volume, reached $27.1 billion in 2009 and predicting this figure will nearly double that by 2014, with academic institutions leading the way.” North American purchases accounted for 43 percent of the large expenditures and the purchase was made by PreK-12 and higher education (non-profit and for-profit).

With the increase of e-learning in non-profit and for-profit educational institutions, what does the future hold for traditional education? Will there be a hybrid between traditional and e-learning education in the near future? Or, are we going to all lean towards e-learning because of the flexibilities and pacing for the learning?

McGee, P., Carmean, C., & Jafari, A. (Eds.). (2005). Course management systems for learning: Beyond accidental pedagogy. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.

Comment on Thourn Heng's Blog
E-learning is not just learning anytime and any place, if you allow me to change your wording a bit, learning at anytime from any place. Far too often, people fail to see the convenience of learning form any corner in the world, professors, not just in the United States, but the world. That is amazing, you can literally have access to the best minds in any given filed at any given time.

Quinn Brown's Blog

Logging Into Learning Platforms Is Not Just About Logging In

“A learning platform is an integrated set of interactive online services that provide teachers, learners, parents and others involved in education with information, tools and resources to support and enhance educational delivery and management” (wikipedia). Learning Platforms (LP) are not a new concept. According to www.learningplatforms.info (2010), “If you have recently graduated from an university chances are that you have used a LP”. Learning platforms have an immense amount of possibilities.

However, simply utilizing a learning platform is not always enough. According to Pusawiro (2010), “Learning platforms within an old teaching frame may not deliver much impact at all”. Traditionally the teacher lectures and scaffolds learning and the students learn the information. The “old teaching frame” must be altered in order for students to receive the full possibilities of a learning platform (Pusawiro, 2010). Pusawiro (2010) states, “After experimenting with Web 2.0 based LMS, CMS or LP for many semesters, I have found that students do better if the platforms all them to self direct or personalize their learning”. Taking an active role in learning provides the students with more responsibility for their own learning. Pusawiro (2010) also states, “Based on my experience, I can testify that students learn better if they think about what they are learning and have an opportunity to engage with the learning materials, rather than simply get the chance to see it and passively use it”.

According to Kenny (2010), “The new ways of learning also require training for teachers. Online learning is not just about logging in. These are skills to be learnt”. Some may view using LP’s as an opportunity to shy away from the “old teaching frame” all together. This is not the case. Learning platforms are a tool to enhance not replace. The possibilities that can be reached through LP’s are obtained by properly blending the “old teaching frame” with the new teaching frame. Kenny (2010) states, “In some ways, platforms are enabling teachers to do what they have always done - but in a medium that children find attractive. But when used well, learning platforms can help teachers do what would have been impossible just a few years ago”. The learning platform has allowed teachers to take a step onto a platform that will make education and learning relevant in this technological age. It is not just about logging in, it is about accessing tools to enhance the quality of overall learning.


Resources


Kenny, J. (2010). A world of possibilities. Times educational supplement magazine. Retrieved

Retrieved on July 9, 2010 from http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6044668

Pusawiro, P. (2010). Web 2.0: learning platform for higher education. Retrieved from on July 9,

2010 from http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/06/21/national/Web-2-0-Learning-

platform-for-Higher-Education-30132000.html

Comment on Quinn Brown's Blog
Learning and teaching strategies had to evolve in order to maintain relevance and interest. These new Learning Platforms are a product of that mutation and as you stated earlier, “they are meant to enhance, replace” its absolutely correct. In this new era of communication overload, education is bound to take part in a formal way of teaching and learning. LPs provided that not just for educators but learners as well.