Di’s E-learning Experience

While researching some articles on learner readiness and associated barriers to e-learning last week I came across numerous references to the development of an e-culture within the class or organisation.  Another way to look at this would be the development of e-collaboration amongst the learners, and between learners/facilitators.

The development of an environment where learners do not feel isolated will most certainly lead to better learning outcomes. E-collaboration amongst learners will allow them to feel as though they are part of a community that shares information, provides feedback and poses questions for further research  and critical evaluation.  How can we encourage and support the development of e-collaboration within the learning environment.

One of the requirements of our e-learning class is to do at least one blog a week, possibly two.  There seems to be the emphasis on blogging for the sake of blogging, to write something even if you don’t have anything to say.  I find this concept a little difficult to deal with.  It is easy to just go on line and say hello world!!!!! (Possibly I am a little constricted in my approach to blogging and worry too much about the content on my blog). As a novice blogger I am quite in awe of some of the blogs I have read.  I feel when I put something up on line it needs to be of some interest to others, not just that I have had an interesting day in class!! What do you other bloggers think???

Just a short comment today.  It was great to get some feedback from my post on Blogrolls.  Three people whose blogs I included in my blogroll contacted me.  My theory works!!! I have started to communicate with other bloggers and to establish a network.

This morning  before settling into working on Assignment 2. I decided I was going to spend some time developing my blogroll.  What a fascinating and time consuming experience.  A blogroll is your favorite list of blogs, that you publish on the sidebar of your blog. I have just spend over an hour flicking from one blogroll to another reading and sharing writers opinions and different perspectives.  The amazing thing is that these writers are from all over the world, with completely different backgrounds and cultures and because of this they write about issues and experiences that are totally different to mine.  I can see this will be a useful tool, helping me to develop a resource that relates to my interests.  After thinking about this more I realised that my blogroll is a way of creating a network with other blogs, it allows others to see what my interests are, and develops an e-learning community.  Check out this definition of a blogroll, it gives more eloquent description than mine. 

Well enough procrastinating, it is time to focus and get back to my work on Assignment 2.

The recent focus of our e-learning has been on e-strategy and the importance of taking time to plan carefully. Detailed planning will enable the success of the program you are  introducing to your organisation.  One aspect of the e-strategy that needs consideration in your plan is the development of an e-culture  within your organisation.

The establishment of an e-culture (where staff embrace the use of Internet, email, e-learning etc) will help to minimise the barriers to new innovations, ideas and technology.  Some ways to develop this culture are:

• Allow staff to have input on the programs and technology to be used.
• Allow them to provide feedback
• provide training for those with “skill gaps”, minimise fear of the Internet
• ensure that staff feel they have some input and that they have some ownership of any innovation
• let the staff have the responsibility of finding and correcting shortcomings of a program or web page (build internal expertise)

I think it is important that organisations establishing an e-culture within their organisation as part of their e-strategy. Management should actually “walk the walk” and put resources behind developing their e-strategy.  Half hearted and under resourced programs are doomed to fail.

The topic of today’s class discussion was Jennifer De Vries article “E-learning strategy; A Framework for Success”. I found this article gave a very concise and easy to read examination of e-learning strategy.  The main gist of the class discussion was to  emphasise the importance of having a well thought out and planned strategy.   The importance of identifying needs of all the stakeholders involved in a program was discussed. Issues such as attitudes of learners/teachers, motivation, hardware and software , experience levels and internet connectivity were  identified as items that could make or break the success of an e-learning program.  Once these issues have been considered it is possible to establish the goals of the program.

De Vries points out that once you have set the goals for your program it is time to move on to your e-learning strategy.  She suggests that you consider the following points:

• Technology (synchronous – learning time between teacher and learner, and asynchronous- when the learner decides the time, place and what they want to view.)
• content  (what, how, and when).
• adminsitration and support
• communication  – attracting learners to the program.
• financial analysis – proof that the costs involved will eventually be recovered.

 The most valuable information that I have gained from this article and our class discussion today is how important your strategy or planning is to the success of an e-learning program. 

Over the weekend I have been researching articles on Learner Readiness and barriers that effect a learners uptake of new technology, ideas and expectations.  Some of the issues that the authors identify are: 

•  negative attitude towards computers,
• cost and inadequate technology
• lack of technical skills
• poorly designed programmes
• previous negative learning experience
• need for some face to face teaching
• need for on the spot feed back
• computer anxiety

And the list goes on!!!   Quite an long list I thought, but surely I can overcome these issues and move on with my e-learning.  I sat down at my computer and began to put my thoughts down on-line.  Well, it became quite a chore, I couldn’t access a number of the sites, my wireless signal kept dropping out and I would lose what I had written. Then when I finally managed to finish off a post for my blog page I couldn’t get the file to download!!!

I was on my own, who could give me some feedback on what I was doing wrong??? Should I kick the machine????  I am sure many e-learners can relate to this story. However the story does have a good ending. I packed up my folders and went to the internet cafe down the road, and started all over again, finally managing to make it all work. 

This experience did bring home to me the importance of recognising the different barriers  and frustrations that learners face with e-learning. I think that for successful e-learning to take place it is important support learners through these frustrations so they can move on to the rewarding world of on-line learning.

Over the past week I have been reflecting the first four weeks of my learning experience in e-learning.  Some of the aspects that I have observed are:

• an enormous amount of information, (how do I take all this in? should I focus on one area?)
• endless opportunties to research further
• an obvious balooning of information available
• an opportunity to completely rethink my outlook on the availability of information
• an opportunity to develop a new style of learning and sharing my learning
• an opportunity to receive feedback from all corners of the world
• an opportunity to share ideas with others interested in the same areas as myself.
• how do I keep a hold on educational values.

Also I have observed a variety of reactions to the new concepts of e-learning which I think I need to take on board if I am to utilize components of e-learning in my education and the education of others.  Some of these are:

• different learning styles
• different levels of enthusiasm towards e-learning
• A level of uncertainty related to publishing your thoughts on line for all to see
• the need to cater to these different styles and levels of uptake
• availability of resources to the learner
• different cultural values and expectations of the learners