Technology and Online Learning - Free Paper Example

Introduction

Online learning is a flexible instructional delivery system that entails learning through the internet (Ally, 2004). Other terms used to refer to online learning are e-learning, virtual learning, networked learning, distant learning, and web-based learning. According to Ally, the terms imply that the learner is at a distance from the tutor and uses forms of technology like laptop, tablet, or phone to access the learning. The learner also uses technology to interact with the tutor and other learners. The model further supports the learner throughout the learning process to obtain knowledge, construct personal meaning, and grow from the learning experience (Ally, 2004). The learning system allows flexibility of access from anywhere and at any time by participants, which would be impossible through the traditional classroom.

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Organizations are adopting online learning to train their employees and many educational institutions in delivery to their students. The move is necessary in cases whereby students are distant from their instructors facilitating access to learning materials any time from any location and also allow for real-time interaction between tutors and students (Ally, 2004). Tutors update the learning materials at any time, and students can access them immediately hence continuity in learning despite the distance.

For effective online learning, some technical skills are required. Among the skills required are computer hardware and software, which is the main Web literacy required. Skills in using the computer and its programs are installing, using and updating software, running virus scans, and saving and retrieving files. Computer literacy, such as conducting an effective search, evaluating Web resources, and understanding copyrights, licenses, and plagiarism, are required. It is also essential to understand Learning Management Systems that perform tasks such as posting discussion responses and replying to posts, uploading assignment submissions, downloading course documents, and viewing recorded presentations.

Principles of Online Learning

There are fundamental teaching and learning principles that facilitate best practice for distant learning for effective online learning. Among the principles to deliver an effective online lesson are: Let the students do most of the work, interactivity, and strive for presence. Studies show that the more quality time students spend being engaged in the content, the more the content they learn (Pelz, 2010).

To effect the principle, the tutor should involve them in student-led discussions and find and discuss Web resources that deal with content relevant to the topics discussed. The tutor should also encourage peer assistance, where students help each other solve problems or do other tasks. Besides, the instructor should allow students to grade their assignments and allow for case study analysis. Therefore, the tutor is limited to providing the necessary structure and directions, supportive and corrective feedback, and evaluating the final product.

On the second principle, interactivity defines effective asynchronous online learning. Students must interact with one another, their instructor, the content, and the internet concerning the course content, assignments, problems to solve, case studies, and lab activities (Smith & Winking, 2004). It can be effected through collaborative research papers and research proposal team projects.

Also, there should be strife for social, cognitive, and teaching presence for effective online learning. Social presence is affective, interactive, and cohesive forms as participants in the online course help establish a community of learning by projecting their attributes into the discussion. Cognitive presence is achieved by introducing factual, conceptual, and theoretical knowledge into the discussion, thus enabling the instructor and students to construct and confirm meaning through the discussion. On the other hand, teaching presence entails facilitating both cognitive and social presence to realize personally meaningful and educationally worthy learning outcomes (Pelz, 2010).

Online Instructional Strategy 1

Tutors should create opportunities for student-centered learning. Therefore, rather than the instructor being the sole source of content knowledge, they play the role of a facilitator. Students will therefore be encouraged to not only interact with the content and instructor but also with each other to understand, research, and come up with their conclusions about the course material. Instructors should create a climate of trust and belonging that will offer support for interaction and a questioning predisposition (Garrison, 2006). The goal of the approach is to establish comfort and the willingness to engage the community of learners collaboratively. Also, instructors should establish critical reflection and discourse that supports systematic inquiry.

According to Ruey, tutors should organize instructions to facilitate learners' development of personal cognitive strategies for meaningful interpretation (Ruey, 2010). The instructions should incorporate cognitive strategies to guide their learning, thinking, action, and feeling. Learners are, therefore, able to gradually develop the ability to construct meaningful situation models for meaningful interpretations based on their autonomy. The instructional model requires collaboration and interaction, which allows learners to support one another's learning that benefits them. Assessment plans and adequate plans should be enforced to maintain a high quality of delivery (Ruey, 2010).

Online Instructional Strategy 2

Instructors can also create opportunities that have practical, real-world applications. The activities involved in online learning should be based on tasks that require students to perform in a different setting outside the classroom. Learners should have opportunities to enhance their knowledge about the world through critical thinking and reasoning skills. According to Garrison, in online learning, students should be encouraged to do activities in the different learning phases that encourage them to move from awareness to knowledge construction and application, which is the main goal (Garrison, 2006). There are more important, justified, and linked ideas in online learning, as students are involved in deep critical thinking.

Therefore, in online learning, students should be encouraged to choose authentic projects in the different learning phases grounded in professional practice. The project should be complex to develop analytical and problem-solving skills sufficiently. Moreover, it should facilitate intrinsic motivation and creativity in the real world outside the classroom. Assessment should determine whether students: have understood the relative and provisional nature of knowledge related to organizations, can generate new knowledge and demonstrate it through an appropriate form, can come up with their judgments from evidence, can apply knowledge in various contexts, and approach performance and professional practice from a reflective, critical and evidenced base (Johnson & Aragon, 2003).

Conclusion

Conclusively, some of the principles to effectively deliver online learning are students to do most of the work mainly through discussions, the emphasis of interactivity between students, instructors, content, and the internet. Also, another principle is striving for social, cognitive, and teaching presence. Different online instructional strategies are utilized, and among them are student-centered learning and practical activities that reflect the real world. Following the above discussion, online learning can be effective in offering time-based and content- centered distant learning.

References

Ally, M. (2004). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. Theory and practice of online learning, 2, 15-44. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=RifNwzU3HR4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA15&dq=definition+online+learning&ots=SgerGfIZuw&sig=G6DEiQo-4-kvdcW1nKZfWx_hbyk&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=definition%20online%20learning&f=false

Garrison, D. R. (2006). Online collaboration principles. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 10(1), 25-34. https://www.academia.edu/download/32982062/online_collaboration_principles.pdf

Johnson, S. D., & Aragon, S. R. (2003). An instructional strategy framework for online learning environments. New directions for adult and continuing education, 2003(100), 31-43 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ace.117

Pelz, B. (2010). (My) three principles of effective online pedagogy. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 14(1), 103-116
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ909855

Ruey, S. (2010). A case study of constructivist instructional strategies for adult online learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), 706-720
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00965.x

Smith, M., & Winking-Diaz, A. (2004). Increasing students’ interactivity in an online course. The Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 2(3), 1-25. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mc_Smith/publication/255590063_Increasing_Students'_Interactivity_in_an_Online_Class/links/54ca7e250cf22f98631b1b23/Increasing-Students-Interactivity-in-an-Online-Class.pdf.