Jumpstart to E-learning

A brief introduction was given by our lecturer Mr. Alfred Low to set us thinking about various issues of E-learning for the weeks to follow.

The class was presented with a comic image which illustrates how in today's society, people are being gridlocked and caught in the whole frenzy of being in the bandwagon of technology race. On a technological deterministic perspective/ note, it spurs us on to think about whether technological advancements are spearheading creating social changes. Besides the fact that people are gridlocked and bounded by technology, another image which caught my attention was an elderly man trying to catch up with the "bandwagon" and a small child easing alongside the "bandwagon". This illustrates the digital divide, with various generations at various stages of technological skills and knowledge, some playing the catching up game whilst others living alongside and growing up with technology.

A video briefly summarizing the progress of E-learning was also screened, giving us the context of how E-learning came about. The history, the present as well as predictions of what the future has in store for us - virtual classrooms, holographic learning amongst others.

The definitions presented were aplenty, keywords which I barely managed to jot down were as follows:

Electronically
Web browser
Internet/ intranet
Strutured, purposeful use
Learning process
Web-based training

... and a whole lot more other terms....

The important factor of learning being pointed out by Mr. Alfred Low was...

HUMAN COMMUNICATION

The element of inter/ intra- personal communication is an important factor of learning, without which, I believe, E-learning will be impeded one way or another.

On a personal note, I do agree with this element of "human touch". On top of it, I feel that the online medium, by and on its own, will be limited and its potential will be heavily constrained without incorporating an offline element to it. This is especially so in the case where social aspects of E-learning are involved, where communities of being formed and relationships are forged.

Then again, I believe there are many faces to e-learning and various objectives of E-learning, considering how broadly learning as been defined in some of the readings. For example, if one were to just seek informational knowledge or access to a database of information, such element of human communication may not be as significant.

A Time-Place concept map was also shown to us. Learning can be executed in terms of...

Time
- Real-time (synchronous)
- Different time (asynchronous)

and likewise for...

Place
- Same location
- Different location (Distance learning?)

A group of 5 was also formed and we were given choices on executing various assignments. Our group chose to create a time-line for the progress of E-learning and I will now be digging for information from our readings... Ciaozz!