Important elements in an e-learning course
Beginning of the course, structure and working plan introduction- Everything depends on the start. If there are misunderstandings at the beginning then there would be no success.
Feedback- It is important ta make clear if there are some mistakes and give feedback during the entire course, then there’s a change to learn by doing.
Evaluation- Evaluation criteria should be clear and understandable and fair.
Communication- There should be a way to communicate as much as needed.
Structure- The course should be structured logically and be easy to follow.
This week I learned about the learning theories:
-Behavioral learning
-Cognitive learning
-Constructivist learning
-Social-constructivist learning
I have learned about these different theories in the past, but it was necessary to repeat them over. It was interesting to see all these different learning games and environments.
Our group work is moving on smoothly ;)
Friday 16 April 2010
Sunday 4 April 2010
IFI7139 Week V
My learning contract is really full filling its purpose. I still have the same problems that I want to eliminate and same things I want to learn and its reminding me this all the time.
IFI7139 Week IV
First of all I have to say, that my experiences with e-learning can be considered as new, so maybe I think I do not have the whole picture yet. In the light of these courses which I have had, I would say that one good example is „Ethics and Law in New Media“. I really like the wikiversity environment, because it had everything we needed, but nothing overmuch and the Skype conversations worked well, were interesting and easy to follow. In ELNM we blogged every week (like in most of the e-courses it seems to be) and the blog environment was our choice. Clear and simple!
Not so good examples for me are the ENIM courses. The page is full of different opportunities,everything is mixed up, theres no one way hierarchy, dozens of forums and to many places to look for information, too many different information categorisation. Also I do not like when the course insist daily participation (even if there is nothing to do) and all you actions are being followed and minuses are coming for every undownloaded file (even if you got this five from some course mate). In sum not the knowledge and experience count, but right clicks on the right time and in the right oder.
Components of course design:
Identification-Firstly it is important to describe, what the course is about, its goals and what knowledge the course should provide.
Method- What methods and facilities are needed.
Structure-How do the course look like, what are the topics, tasks ect.
Choosing the materials-What kind of text, videos, clips, pictures ect. have to be presented (or gained).
Choosing the environment-In which environment the course will be held in. Which environment supports the course structure.
Feedback- How is the feedback arranged.
Evaluation-How to evaluate the participants. On what a final grade will be based on.
The most important thing I learned this week was that everything should be ready by the right time, otherwise some complication may arise ;)
But according to the reading materials I found out that there are several methods and models and it is ok not to agree with everything and combine the suitable one for yourself.
Our group worked very well this week. We are in contact regularly.
Not so good examples for me are the ENIM courses. The page is full of different opportunities,everything is mixed up, theres no one way hierarchy, dozens of forums and to many places to look for information, too many different information categorisation. Also I do not like when the course insist daily participation (even if there is nothing to do) and all you actions are being followed and minuses are coming for every undownloaded file (even if you got this five from some course mate). In sum not the knowledge and experience count, but right clicks on the right time and in the right oder.
Components of course design:
Identification-Firstly it is important to describe, what the course is about, its goals and what knowledge the course should provide.
Method- What methods and facilities are needed.
Structure-How do the course look like, what are the topics, tasks ect.
Choosing the materials-What kind of text, videos, clips, pictures ect. have to be presented (or gained).
Choosing the environment-In which environment the course will be held in. Which environment supports the course structure.
Feedback- How is the feedback arranged.
Evaluation-How to evaluate the participants. On what a final grade will be based on.
The most important thing I learned this week was that everything should be ready by the right time, otherwise some complication may arise ;)
But according to the reading materials I found out that there are several methods and models and it is ok not to agree with everything and combine the suitable one for yourself.
Our group worked very well this week. We are in contact regularly.
Thursday 1 April 2010
IFI7139 Week III
Planning the design of an e-learning course by Deborah C. Hurst and Janice Thomas the group should consider five principles:
1. The deadlines must be met. This project was important to all.
2. Whoever was best able to lead on a particular task would do so.
3. Each member would contribute 150% to this project, and endeavor not to let the other team members down.
4. Team members would raise a flag (let others know about tasks not likely to get done on time).
5. Team members would pitch in to complete work as needed.
This week the five recommendation for effective teamwork were the most useful for me:
• Work hard in the beginning to develop a trusting environment. Without it, nothing will work. Trust builds as relationships build in online teaming, and therefore must be present in online team development.
• Expect shifting of roles and leadership. Sometimes the teacher will be the taught and the leader must learn to follow.
• Employ as many forms of interaction as possible in the initial phases of the collaboration. If possible, face-to-face is probably the ideal way to kick off. However, most of us do not have this luxury, and there is growing evidence about and experience with online kick-offs, such as the learning module discussed above.
• Open communication is critical to any team endeavor. Determining how to encourage it in your particular online world is your most critical task.
• Employ good project management practices. Agree how you will work together. Plan the work. Assign responsibility. Monitor progress. Celebrate success.
I came to the conclusion that e-learning needs even more communication that the regular learning process. One reason is the distance and information holes are more easy to come and because there is no face to face relationship it is not so easy to make yourself fully understandable, understand others they way they want to, explain and re-explain yourself.
Also it is important to find suitable environment for a group work or course. There should be just enough facilities, but not too many. Also it would be good, if the environment is already familiar to all who have to work with it.
At the time this assignment should have been finished I had contacted with other team members and changed contacts.
1. The deadlines must be met. This project was important to all.
2. Whoever was best able to lead on a particular task would do so.
3. Each member would contribute 150% to this project, and endeavor not to let the other team members down.
4. Team members would raise a flag (let others know about tasks not likely to get done on time).
5. Team members would pitch in to complete work as needed.
This week the five recommendation for effective teamwork were the most useful for me:
• Work hard in the beginning to develop a trusting environment. Without it, nothing will work. Trust builds as relationships build in online teaming, and therefore must be present in online team development.
• Expect shifting of roles and leadership. Sometimes the teacher will be the taught and the leader must learn to follow.
• Employ as many forms of interaction as possible in the initial phases of the collaboration. If possible, face-to-face is probably the ideal way to kick off. However, most of us do not have this luxury, and there is growing evidence about and experience with online kick-offs, such as the learning module discussed above.
• Open communication is critical to any team endeavor. Determining how to encourage it in your particular online world is your most critical task.
• Employ good project management practices. Agree how you will work together. Plan the work. Assign responsibility. Monitor progress. Celebrate success.
I came to the conclusion that e-learning needs even more communication that the regular learning process. One reason is the distance and information holes are more easy to come and because there is no face to face relationship it is not so easy to make yourself fully understandable, understand others they way they want to, explain and re-explain yourself.
Also it is important to find suitable environment for a group work or course. There should be just enough facilities, but not too many. Also it would be good, if the environment is already familiar to all who have to work with it.
At the time this assignment should have been finished I had contacted with other team members and changed contacts.
IFI7139 My personal learning contract
My objectives:
I want to learn what e-learning is, how it works, what are it’s advantages and disadvantages and different opportunities. As this e-course is a bit different from usual university courses, the most important thing form me is to find out how can I make e-learning process the most efficient for me.
What resources will I need:
First of all I would need time. Then I need internet, people (group members). For my learning process I need Skype, Google Docs, a blog (there are many options). And I really need to force myself ;)
How will I do it:
To achieve my objectives I need to take part of the course constantly, I need to finish the tasks on time and take time to finish my tasks. Only like this the course is most efficient for me. Firstly I need to get acquaint with the course (which I have already done) and mark down all the actions I need to take (different tasks, deadlines, meetings). Then I just need to follow the facilitators instructions and work out suitable solutions for assignments.
Evaluation criteria:
Self-evaluation is a really duff thing to do. But I would try to mark down criteria:
1. I have to finish all the tasks on time.
2. I have to finish the task and submit it when it is really done (not because of the deadline).
3. I have to understand everything I have read and wrote.
4. Not to be on a autopilot but to find something new about myself also (according to learning process).
Self-reflection:
Will be done later..
I want to learn what e-learning is, how it works, what are it’s advantages and disadvantages and different opportunities. As this e-course is a bit different from usual university courses, the most important thing form me is to find out how can I make e-learning process the most efficient for me.
What resources will I need:
First of all I would need time. Then I need internet, people (group members). For my learning process I need Skype, Google Docs, a blog (there are many options). And I really need to force myself ;)
How will I do it:
To achieve my objectives I need to take part of the course constantly, I need to finish the tasks on time and take time to finish my tasks. Only like this the course is most efficient for me. Firstly I need to get acquaint with the course (which I have already done) and mark down all the actions I need to take (different tasks, deadlines, meetings). Then I just need to follow the facilitators instructions and work out suitable solutions for assignments.
Evaluation criteria:
Self-evaluation is a really duff thing to do. But I would try to mark down criteria:
1. I have to finish all the tasks on time.
2. I have to finish the task and submit it when it is really done (not because of the deadline).
3. I have to understand everything I have read and wrote.
4. Not to be on a autopilot but to find something new about myself also (according to learning process).
Self-reflection:
Will be done later..
IFI7139 Week II
The most important things I learned this week were Nordgren’s list of important themes that must be solved in educational institutions in order to provide the future learning environment:
• Students owning their learning
• Standards and curricula that guide rather than dictate
• Constructivist teaching strategies that empower students
• Trust and adult supervision
• Democracy and empowerment
• Global Workforce Competence: Making schooling relevant to the workplace.
These upper points and rest of the text made me think. E-learning as a process gives a lot of freedom but at the same time more duties and responsibilities. What happen if these criteria are not suitable for some leaner and there is no force coming inside. Is e-learning not suitable then at all? Or is there something to do, to make it work?
As I already mentioned, I think that e-learning needs more responsibility. Everything you say or do is out to see for everyone (usually) and you have to be more careful and stable in words and actions that are being taken.
But at the same time, this opportunity to see others working process gives ideas and knowledge not only according to the product ( team work outcome for an example) but also how to achieve the best results in process.
• Students owning their learning
• Standards and curricula that guide rather than dictate
• Constructivist teaching strategies that empower students
• Trust and adult supervision
• Democracy and empowerment
• Global Workforce Competence: Making schooling relevant to the workplace.
These upper points and rest of the text made me think. E-learning as a process gives a lot of freedom but at the same time more duties and responsibilities. What happen if these criteria are not suitable for some leaner and there is no force coming inside. Is e-learning not suitable then at all? Or is there something to do, to make it work?
As I already mentioned, I think that e-learning needs more responsibility. Everything you say or do is out to see for everyone (usually) and you have to be more careful and stable in words and actions that are being taken.
But at the same time, this opportunity to see others working process gives ideas and knowledge not only according to the product ( team work outcome for an example) but also how to achieve the best results in process.
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