DESIGNING LEARNING- CCTI COURSE. MY EXPERIENCE WITH ONLINE LEARNING.

The CCTI course is an online course and right from the beginning everything learnt has been through online learning.

Some of the Higher Heights

A lot of what I never thought of as teacher has been unveiled to me. In addition to the first course where I discovered the use of blogging, wikisspce, social media, collaboration  etc., in designing learning I have continued to gain more insight of online learning. With increased research skills, I have appreciated the different learning theories among which is the theory of multiple intelligence mix which looks at every human as capable , constructivist which puts the learner at the center of learning , and Socrates Question and answer approach which leads to critical thinking, Blended learning – flipping the class  etc.

So I have gained valuable skills as a teacher which I strongly believe have changed my attitude and will never look at teaching and learning the same way I used to look at it. 

I have learnt how to navigate the web and curate the best learning resources and this has enriched my subject content, pedagogy, and how to integrate technology integration. Online learning has its unique driving force, because one keeps on discovering new things independently there is away it keeps one’s curiosity leading to authentic learning.

All that I have learned so far has helped me greatly to change my teaching approach and I enjoy teaching more now because the learners seem to be enjoying the learning.

Why Online Learning?

Anywhere….
The main advantage of asynchronous online learning is that it allows students to participate in high quality learning situations when distance and schedule make on-ground learning difficult-to-impossible. Students can participate in classes from anywhere in the world provided they have a computer and Internet connection.

Anytime, Any Pace….
The Virtual Classroom is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Time efficiency is another strength brought by the online learning format. Students can access their courses at any time of day or night. Further, they have continuous access to lectures, course materials, and class discussions.

Synergy (collaboration)
The online format allows a dynamic interaction between the teacher and students and among the students themselves. Resources and ideas are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process.  The synergy that exists in the student-centered Virtual Classroom is one of the most unique and vital traits that the online learning format possesses.

High Quality Dialog
Within an online asynchronous discussion structure, the learner may reflect on comments from others before responding or moving on to the next item. This structure allows students time to articulate responses with much more depth and forethought than in a traditional face-to-face discussion situation where the participant must analyze the comment of another on the spot and formulate a response or otherwise lose the chance to contribute to the discussion.

Student Centered
Students control their own learning experience and tailor the class discussions to meet their own specific needs. Ideally, students make their own individual contributions to the course while at the same time take away a unique mix of information directly relevant to their needs, like we are doing in CCTI.

Level Playing Field
In the online environment, learners have a certain measure of anonymity. Discriminating factors such as age, dress, physical appearance, disabilities, race and gender are largely absent. Instead, the focus of attention is clearly on the content of the discussion and the individual's ability to respond and contribute thoughtfully and intelligently to the material at hand.

Access to Resources
Today's students have access to resources and materials that may be physically located anywhere in the world.

Creative Teaching.

The nature of the semi-autonomous and self-directed world of the Virtual Classroom makes innovative and creative approaches to instruction even more important. In the online environment, the teacher and student collaborate to create a dynamic learning experience. The realization of a shift in technology creates the hope that those who move into the new technology will also leave behind bad habits as they adopt this new paradigm of teaching.

While online programs have significant strengths and offer unprecedented accessibility to quality education, there are weaknesses inherent in the use of this medium that can pose potential threats to the success of online learning.

Some of the problems I have faced.

Accessibility to Technology

Internet service in our country are still very high so accessing the internet is not possible sometimes.

Time.

Time is essential if one is to do productive research since the information from the web needs filtering.

However today technology is everywhere, entwined in almost every part of our lives. It affects how we shop, socialize, connect, play, and most importantly learn. With their great and increasing presence in our lives it only makes sense to have mobile technology in the classroom. Yet there are some schools that are delaying this imminent future of using technology in the classroom as the valuable learning tool. Integrating technology into the classroom is definitely a great way to reach diversity in learning styles.  It gives students the chance to interact with their classmates more by encouraging collaboration.