After reviewing Unit 3 resources, I composed three questions about confusing or interesting ideas:
1) The first question – Can MOOCs be considered a disruptive innovation? According to Downes, disruptive means taking the product and extracting the main features of the product for a lower price point. It all depends on how one looks at it. Yes, technically MOOCs disrupt the existing educational market, but if we take education, extract the basics of it and make it more accessible, we can serve many more people. My argument about it is that if we are able to serve more people for a lot lower price, then at the end, the benefit will be the same. At the moment, mostly wealthy people can receive a high-end education from Harvard, or Yale, or any other expensive University. They do pay a lot of money to obtain an education, but if we extract the important information and put it into MOOC, a lot more middle-class people will be able to attend schools, paying less, but the number will compensate for a lost profit. Meaning that the more people sign up for MOOCs, the more money will come back. Therefore, MOOCs are disruptive to a point. Once they expand and find its way onto a standard way of life, they will not be disruptive anymore. If we look at it, every innovation is disruptive until it is wholly adopted, then it becomes a common feature of everyday life (Downes, 2016). 2) Another question comes from Bray”s and McClasky’s article, “Personalize your learning environment.” They talk about redesigning the learning environment after the class is designed and the teacher knows his/her audience. My question is - Is it really possible to redesign the learning environment at that stage? Bray and McClasky offer to divide the classroom environment into learning zones based on how the students learn and comprehend. In my opinion, redesigning a class or a course happens at the beginning, at the planning stage. Once a teacher plans his/her course, then the redesigning part begins when all the planned information is transferred into videos, interactive discussions, games, tests, and assignments, - all this is part of personalization in instance education. However, personalizing learning environment would not happen halfway through a semester, it would happen at the planning stage. Some adjustments can be made to help the students understand and follow the curriculum within a course, but I do not see it happening after a teacher learns his/her students in an online environment (Bray & McClasky, 2014). 3) And finally, the third confusing idea I came across in Unit 3 – Is it possible to avoid contextual ambiguity? Dron and Anderson offer to divide different groups of people into different conversation groups so that it allows them to share what they want to share but by specific groups segregated by context. I still think this concept is very vague. In today’s world of technology and free speech, anyone can share anything they feel like sharing on the Web. The main problem for distance education, in my opinion, is not how to avoid contextual ambiguity, but how to help the students navigate the Web for appropriate information. One way is to provide the students with resources the educational institution wants the students to read, and another way to avoiding any conceptual ambiguity in distance education is to provide a stricter set of rules on how to choose appropriate information and resources for assignments and collaborative discussions (Dron & Anderson, 2014). In today's world we do have all the learning tools in our pocket, now we need navigation and guidance on how to use them. • Write 2 predictions based on one of the resources (what will happen next) Prediction #1 Dron and Anderson also state that disruptive innovations can only take root when they don’t compete directly with existing technologies (Dron & Anderson, 2014). My prediction is that in about 10 to 20 years, such things as Distance Education, online learning, and MOOCs will not be considered disruptive innovations. They will find its way to adapt to the way of life and will become something natural and easily accessible. I think it is a perfect way to educate those populations that still do not have means to obtain an education. Every new thing can be considered disruptive until it is not. Some things cannot compete with traditions, and they disappear, but some innovations are there to stay. It took around twenty years for jet engines to substitute propellers; therefore, I think we should give some time for distance education to become undisruptive (Dron & Anderson, 2014). Prediction #2 The professions that are considered impossible to study online at the moment will find its way to be taught online as well. Some occupations: doctors, K-12 teachers, language experts, some hazmat technician professions, and many more, will be trained with an online option as well. • Make one connection based on the resource (connect to something you know or have experienced) When Downes talks about disruptive innovations, the one thing that comes to my mind is the first computer I have ever used in University in Russia. We had a computer lab with computers where we could come for the whole day to type up our theses and final capstones. Our library was open 24/7, so we could go there, lock ourselves up in a separate room, and research actual physical books, journals, and articles in periodicals. I used to hand write everything I studied, then I would go to the University computer lab to type all my written research. It took me forever to type as my fingers were not used to finding the right buttons. Now I am in the process of obtaining a degree that is completely online. I have days when I sit at my computer the whole day trying to catch up for the days when I do not have access to the internet because of my profession. I am going to repeat myself, but I agree with Downes, Dron, and Anderson, and, I am sure, many others that anything that seems disruptive at the moment but makes sense to have, will find its way to becoming standard one day. Unit 3 and overall experience Unit three had a lot of required resources. Most of them I had to print out to read because I am in one of the military courses at the moment where there is no Internet in the barracks. It felt like in the old days in the library. But I did find a way to read them all. In the beginning, I had a hard time figuring out how all the resources are connected to learner support, but learner support in DE, like the whole notion of distance education, is relatively new as well. DE is a completely turned upside down phenomenon that requires new ways of teaching and instructing, new support systems, and unique approach to students; therefore, it all makes sense at the end. Now, I am in the process of posting my last clusters of questions for this unit. I still have to catch up on unit 2 posts, but I composed most of the presentation when we worked with my partner, that is why that part should not be too complicated. I am also getting ready for my new group to participate the debate next week. After this weekend, the group debate will be my focus. I did struggle this semester with time management. Military course on top of master’s degree was rough, I had to pick and choose what to grab first to learn, but it all is coming to an end and a little break. In this course, I learned a lot about what seemed so apparent at the beginning and became so complicated after reading course material – learner support in DE is not just libraries, tutors, and writing centers. It is a complex system that can be very particular for each educational institution. Being part of disruptive innovation, online learner support still encounters many issues and obstacles, but I believe one day there will be policies and entirely new set of rules on how to use them. References Dron, J. & Anderson, T. (2014). Issues and challenges in educational uses of social software. In J. Dron & T. Anderson (Eds.), Teaching crowds: Learning and social media (pp. 275-298). Retrieved from http://klangable.com/uploads/books/99Z_Dron_Anderson-Teaching_Crowds.pdf Bray, B., & McClasky, K. (June, 11, 2014). Personalize your learning environment. ISTE International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/ArticleDetail?articleid=11 Downes, S. (2016, July 27). Disruptive innovations in learning. TCU International e-Learning Conference, Bangkok, Thailand (Keynote). Retrieved from http://www.downes.ca/presentation/389
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Unit 2 Reflections
• Three things you found out 1. From the readings in unit 2, I found out that the companies nowadays prefer employees that are more adaptable to online learning that offers more flexibility and individualized approach the success of which can be traced instantly (Batalla-Busquets & Pacheco-Bernal, 2013). Employees, on the other hand, have different opinion towards e-learning versus face-to-face, depending on the age of the employees and personal preferences. Employees who have been working for a company for many years prefer face-to-face training; whereas, the employees who worked for the company only for two ears preferred e-learning because it allows more flexibility and faster learning to catch up with the needs of an employer. Although companies try to identify their employees’ needs to give them appropriate training, employees must expect online training as one of the most efficient ways to be trained on a job they study for (Batalla-Busquets & Pacheco-Bernal, 2013). 2. Although in today’s age of technology any distance education can be synchronous and asynchronous, particular groups of learners do not have a choice but use asynchronous DE opportunities through the DVDs, iPods, iPads, and pod-cast based instructions. In this groups, we can include military communities, prisoners, remote populations, professional athletes and special needs students (Bates, 2012). The most exciting part for me was about distance education for incarcerated populations. I think it is a philosophical matter whether prisoners should be educated or not, but I thought about it more in-depth, and I agreed that not all of the prisoners are serving a life sentence. Some of them are there only for a couple of years, so why not educating them so that when they get released, they can start a new life without committing any more crimes. 3. I also found out that there is remote teaching for medical personnel in remote rural areas. GPs use information and communication technology (ICT) to supervise medical students remotely. For example, a remote supervision program in northern Canada trains up to eight family physicians a year. They are supervised alternating between a week of remote training and three weeks of on-site training. In Australian outback areas, the new doctors are remotely supervised for six months followed by four years of on-site residency training. Twice per year, all new registrars are managed by an experienced practitioner. While new ways of teaching medical personnel remotely are being explored, it still faces obstacles, because on-site hospital training remains the primary system of educating GP practitioners (Wearne, Teunissen, Dornan, & Skinner, 2015). • Two things that sparked your interest 1. During my research, I found out that there are different distance education Platforms for Distance Education. I knew that UMUC used LEO as an educational platform, and I knew we were using Blackboard before. But I never knew that each University has to choose and purchase one to be able to use it. Now I am very interested in details. So, once the University purchase it, how do instructors get trained? Who puts the classroom content for them on the platform? Who chooses what content to put in there, and how important an instructor’s opinion in all that? 2. Another piece of information that makes me think how personal DE can get is the fact that learner support in Distance Education is becoming more personal each year because Universities and colleges try to achieve the highest level of retention. If before, in face-to-face education, providing administrative support to learners was enough, Distance Education requires more learner support involvement through cognitive aspects to achieve student-centricity. I understand learning about students to know what kind of life they have to identify what can prevent them from successful accomplishment of a program, but I cannot imagine anyone helping me with assignments part by part. With clear instructions and enough learner support tools, anyone can learn as much as if they learned the material with a tutor. I think just an instructor and maybe a support instructor is more than enough. However, it seems like it could be another philosophical question. • 1 question you still have From what I researched and read for my assignment # 2, I have one question: Will medical education ever be in the format of DE education? • A couple of more reflections: This unit was challenging. My groupmate and I had to prepare a presentation. We chose the topic on Learners Characteristics and Special Groups, which was quite impressive. It was challenging because my groupmate seems to have a hectic schedule, and I belong particular military group. So, I basically belong to the topic in our presentation. However, eventually we figured it out. I composed a plan and divided it by sections. My groupmate did an excellent good job on researching her sections, I researched mine, and then I put it on my account in Prezi.com, which is my favorite option to substitute a regular PowerPoint. I think if I wasn’t so restricted in time, I could have done a better job organizing out presentation, maybe adding some YouTube videos and some more supporting material, but all in all, we did what we could with all that little time we had. I also had to write a paper, assignment #2. Fortunately, I am military and belong to a particular group of militaries. Therefore, Bates article on special groups in DE was that particular subject I am passionate about. I liked the fact that Bates stated that DE is an excellent way of learning, but it still has to overcome some difficulties in near future. Some groups do not have an opportunity of time or internet access to be able to attend DE courses. Although those group are special groups, some alternative ways of learning and teaching have to happen to educate those groups. References Batalla-Busquets, J., & Pacheco-Bernal, C. (2013). On-the-job E-Learning: Workers’ attitudes and perceptions. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL),14(1), pp. 40-64. Retrieved from http://irrodl.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d5e8b9866b8a89a545c675602&id=49a6cefd81&e=67a34f1683.Additional MP3-Recording: [MP3] Bates, R. (2012). Distance learning for special populations. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 15(2). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer152/bates152.html Wearne, S., Teunissen, P.W., Dornan, T., & Skinner, T. (2015). Physical isolation with virtual support: Registrars’ learning via remote supervision. Medical Teacher, 37(7), 670-676. Retrieved from https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/doi/abs/10.3109/0142159X.2014.947941?journalCode=imte20 - What did you learn in each unit?
In Unit 1 of OMDE 608, I learned a lot. I revised some history of Distance Education along with learner support history: Generally, institutions are much quicker at preparing online lessons and overall curriculums than equally accessible online learner support services. However, lately, the progress in learner support both online and on-campus has been significant. Every school has its learner support system based on an institution needs and student surveys and assessments (Brindley, 2014). Students’ cultural diversity is one of the most influential factors of distance education success. This is when communication of empathy with the learner is essential because when the students are independent but are supported by ‘voice’ in self-study materials and/or written feedback by the instructor, they are guided in the right direction. They know what is expected of them and how well they perform in their self-study process (Brindley, 2014) Every DE institution either has registry administrators or an online self -registry option that goes through a registrar system. A registry administrator is responsible for a registry, managing users and accounts, assurance and cancellations, often marketing, transfers, and any reported issues. A large volume of information goes through the registry system, especially in Distance Education. Therefore, it is important for each school to have a very organized order to keep track of the students and to avoid chaos (Dinguirard & Brookfield, 2015). Library services nowadays are entirely different from what library services were ten years ago. If before students had to go to the library and ask the librarian to help them to find specific physical books, now everything can be done online. However, the workload goes both ways – the librarians have to know how to work the Web to help the students at a distance, and the students have to know how to search online resources to find the particular material. Because there are so many schools with online library services, there was a need for institutions to create a single sign-on into library databases to allow users one username and password to make it easier for them to access library services of particular schools the students attend (Corbett & Brown, 2015). References Brindley, J. (2014). Learner support in online distance education: Essential and evolving. In O. Zawacki-Richter & T. Anderson (Eds.), Online distance education: Towards a research agenda (pp. 287-310). Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120233/ebook/11_Zawacki-Richter_Anderson_2014-Online_Distance_Education.pdf Corbett, A., & Brown, A. (2015). The roles that librarians and libraries play in distance education settings. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 18(2). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer182/corbett_brown182.html Dinguirard, F., & Brookfield, P. (2015). Setting the institutional framework for transaction registry administration. Partnership for Market Readiness. Retrieved from https://www.thepmr.org/system/files/documents/2015%2009%2009%20PMR_RegistryWS_BackgroundNote2_Admin.pdf - How did you learn the material? I learned a lot more than I listed above because I always read all the material provided in class. So, I read everything first and make notes. Then, I choose questions that interest me the most to respond to discussions. After I return to discussions, I try to pick to respond to my peers on the subject that I do not answer so that I learn and commit the material I read to my long-term memory. Besides, my peers often research something else that might be very interesting and acknowledging. - How confident are you about your knowledge of this unit/course? I think I pretty confident in the material I learned. I read a lot, and although I did not have a chance to answer more questions, I think I chose the most general ones to extract the most valuable information. - What was challenging for you in learning the material? The challenging part was to manage my time, but the material itself was quite easy to comprehend. I liked the fact that we could choose the questions to respond to. It gave me some flexibility on what was really interesting for me. - What strategies helped you learn the material? I always use the same strategy for all my classes. I read the required material first, and only then I got to discussions. I often research some other databases if something is hard to interpret. For example, for this Unit 1, I researched more on Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. I had no idea that we use them every day. Now I do! - What changes will you make in your approaches to studying for the upcoming unit/courses? I will try to manage my time better. However, I like my approach, because this is the only way I can learn. If I read only part of required materials, then I have a feeling that I missed something important. Although, next time, I will probably look through the questions first, so that I can focus on particular thoughts and research more. 1.1. Introduction and Overview of Learner Support
Brindley, J. (2014). Learner support in online distance education: Essential and evolving. In O. Zawacki-Richter & T. Anderson (Eds.), Online distance education: Towards a research agenda (pp. 287-310).Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120233/ebook/11_Zawacki-Richter_Anderson_2014-Online_Distance_Education.pdf Institutions are much quicker at preparing online lessons and overall curriculum than equally accessible online learner support services. However, lately, the progress in learner support both online and on-campus has been significant. No research says that only one specific study led to the development of online support systems. It is one of those fields that continues to progress and widen every day, and it will continue to encounter future challenges as online community grows and develops. However, support systems are becoming more proactive. It is essential for schools to interfere early to minimize dropouts, but the students’ ability to self-discipline is as important. Some students need group work and instructor support while others work just as efficiently with online material on their own (Brindley, 2014). Baloyi, G. (2013). Learner support in context of open distance and e-Learning for adult students using new technologies. Proceedings of the International Conference on e-Learning, 31-37. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=2f58c8f1-b3f0-4f54-a511-82723bddabcf%40pdc-v-sessmgr01 University of South Africa (UNISA) is the largest and one of the oldest Universities in South Africa. UNISA pioneered tertiary distance education in 1946 and ever since has played an essential role in giving access to higher quality education to previously disadvantaged groups. In 200, Garrison, Anderson and Archer (200) proposed the Community of Inquiry as a model to research what learner support systems UNISA needs to broaden the participation rate in higher education even in remote rural areas. Although the study was lecture and interview-based, 400 students registered to participate (Basloyi, 2013). Learner support might cover learning materials, teaching and tutoring, administrative aspects, guidance and counseling. The study that was done in UNISA refers to all aspects of learner support systems and is defined as of importance, especially for open/distance learning institution Individual or group interaction is necessary when the students choose online study for its convenience but may not be ready for online learning because they have not developed self-directedness and maturity required for success (Brindley). Therefore, they have to go through some readiness assessment, or they have to learn some prerequisite skills. Although, how much institutions are responsible for the success of online students, remains an open question. Of course, it is essential for schools to interfere early to minimize dropouts, but the students’ ability to self-discipline is as important. Some students need group work and instructor support while others work just as efficiently with online material on their own.
Students’ cultural diversity is one of the most influential factors of distance education success. This is when communication of empathy with the learner is very important because when the students are independent but are supported by ‘voice’ in self-study materials and/or written feedback by the instructor, they are guided in the right direction. They know what is expected from them and how well they perform in their self-study process (Brindley). For example, I grew up in Russia, and I am bilingual. I have never had to read so much in English as I do now, let alone taking online classes. My military career forced me to consider distance education as a possible way of obtaining education. My first online course was a disaster. I could not find anything; I was terrible at following what I needed to complete. However, now I do not need as much learner support as I needed before. That is why I think some type of learner support is necessary, in some cases a little more than in the others. References Brindley, J. (2014). Learner support in online distance education: Essential and evolving. In O. Zawacki-Richter & T. Anderson (Eds.), Online distance education: Towards a research agenda (pp. 287-310). Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120233/ebook/11_Zawacki-Richter_Anderson_2014-Online_Distance_Education.pdf Generally, institutions are much quicker at preparing online lessons and overall curriculum than equally accessible online learner support services. However, lately, the progress in learner support both online and on-campus has been significant:
In 1989 Holmberg offered the concept of guided didactic conversation which allowed the student to be independent but guided by study materials and instructors. Sewarts (1993) also offered a concept of continuity of concern, when the same tutor-councilor addressed both non-academic and academic concerns of a student through the entire term of a student studies. This model was mainly supported at the Open University, United Kingdom (OUUK) (Brindley, 2014). However, in North America administrative form of support was separated from academic and was carried out by separate staff (Brindley, 2014). In 1978, Vygotsky came up with the theory of shared discourse that shifted mostly towards the learner and him taking control over his own studies. An example given by Brindley is distance education library services that provided not just access to resources but to teaching information literacy as well. Towards the same concept opted Moore and Kearsley (2012) recognizing that learners can take control of their own studies depending on their readiness to be autonomous – the theory of transactional distance. Web-based technologies provided bases for more interaction among students and with the instructor (Brindley, 2014). The cultural diversity of students presented some challenges for learner’s support systems development as well. However, Brindley (1987) discovered that the students who persisted in their online studies had the same personal or geographical challenges as the ones who dropped out. Therefore, cultural heterogeneity of students did not prove to be a major problem for learners and their persistence continuity (Brindley, 2014). Student satisfaction surveys and need assessment played a significant role in learners’ support practices. For example, in a survey at the New York Institute of Technology, the online students expressed a desire for additional services such as clubs, newspapers, online tutoring, etc., which often leads to appearing of new additional learners’ support services and counselings (Brindley, 2014). Tait (2004) also wrote an article on how to improve learner’s support through cognitive, effective, and systemic domains – all three included learner characteristics based on geography, scale, management system, and technological infrastructure (Brindley, 214). Simpson, on the other hand, also proposed a new theory, Proactive Motivational Support (PAMs), that relies heavily on proactive interaction with learners in order to identify their strengths to learning. Later on, Boyle, Kwon, Ross, and Simpson (2010) studied peer-to-peer mentoring support which resulted in higher persistence of students choosing online studies. Peer-to-peer support is also critical for students choosing MOOC. Peers help online students to deepen their learning experience (Brindley, 2014). No research says that only one specific study led to the development of online support systems. It is one of those fields that continues to progress and widen every day, and it will continue to encounter future challenges as online community grows and develops. However, support systems are definitely becoming more proactive and affective (Brindley, 2014) References Brindley, J. (2014). Learner support in online distance education: Essential and evolving. In O. Zawacki-Richter & T. Anderson (Eds.), Online distance education: Towards a research agenda (pp. 287-310). Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120233/ebook/11_Zawacki-Richter_Anderson_2014-Online_Distance_Education.pdf Unit 1: How can a library help learners to develop information literacy and research skills?2/27/2018 Library services nowadays are entirely different from what library services were ten years ago. If before students had to go to the library and ask the librarian to help them to find specific physical books, now everything can be done online. However, the workload goes both ways – the librarians have to know how to work the Web to help the students at a distance, and the students have to know how to search online resources to find the particular material.
The library services have to know how to help the students with searching and locating resources for assignments, teach them to learn how to use those resources and support their educational needs. Another critical role of online library services is to provide technical support like tutorials on the library web pages or hands-on training on various programs. Both students and librarians need to know how software programs work to be able to utilize online resources. The reason for it is that online libraries include not only books and articles but also online instructions on how to navigate to specific sites, videos, tutorials, television, and blogs. Library online services are designed to help students from all walks of life, from different time-zones and financial income. That is why they should be accessible 24/7. Each school library services continuously experiment with delivery methods to determine what works best to deliver course contents properly. Therefore, each online library is different in different schools. That is why digital library resources often provide learners with information on how to access library resources to be able to meet each school’s guidelines (Corbett & Brown, 2015). Because there are so many schools with online library services, there was a need for institutions to create a single sign-on into library databases to allow users one username and password to make it easier for them to access library services of particular schools the students attend (Corbett & Brown, 2015). Not only students use online library database. Faculty members, administrators, tutors, and staff members use them on a regular basis, if not more, as well. They cannot give the material to students knowing they are not able to find it online, or without providing them with a “link” to it. That is why the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) developed “Standards for Distance Learning Library Services”, which were approved by the ACRL Board in July 2008 that states that every college member is entitled to library services regardless of what part of the world they enrolled in, as long as they are members of that institution. It also allowed for an embedded librarian who provides learners with instructions on how to access the library and how to efficiently choose the reliable sources. Today, it is not enough to merely rely on Google search engine, but the students and staff members can always ask the librarian for help in identifying a reliable source. It is essential for librarians to keep up-to-date with research and technological skills to be able to assist the students and faculty members with continuing education and developing further opportunities (Corbett & Brown, 2015). References Corbett, A., & Brown, A. (2015). The roles that librarians and libraries play in distance education settings. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 18(2). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer182/corbett_brown182.html Every DE institution either has registry administrators or an online self -registry option that goes through a registrar system. A registry administrator is responsible for a registry, managing users and accounts, assurance and cancellations, often marketing, transfers, and any reported issues.
Roughly it is possible to distinguish three levels of registry administrations. - Level 1: When only registry administrators have access to the system. Users do not have personal direct access to it. Only the registrar manages users accounts. It is very safe because the registrar composes a file on each user, often a paper of that school database file that is only accessible by one person which makes it fraud risk low. - Level 2: The registry is fully computerized with the automation. In this case, user interfaces are provided and can be accessed through the Internet. However, the execution of operations requires the involvement of the administrator. The risk of accounts holding, and fraud is moderate in this case. - Level 3: This level is the most complicated for the registrars because they do not have complete control. Online users have access to registry system without a registrar. This registry is automated, and a large volume of information is exchanged. A large volume of information goes through the registry system, especially in Distance Education. Therefore, it is important for each school to have a very organized system to keep track of the students and to avoid chaos. References Dinguirard, F., & Brookfield, P. (2015). Setting the institutional framework for transaction registry administration. Partnership for Market Readiness. Retrieved from https://www.thepmr.org/system/files/documents/2015%2009%2009%20PMR_RegistryWS_BackgroundNote2_Admin.pdf The early days of the internet brought a lot of frustration on its early users, especially among online student communities. Such things as instability across the telecommunication systems, difficult user interfaces or navigational issues, and disjointed online communication were just a few that caused that frustration that was also combined with the lack of technical support (Berge, 2013).
Web 2.0 stylet became standard in the 1990s. Web 2. 0 allowed web pages to move beyond the standard static documents. It allows the use of gradients, colorful icons, reflections, drop shadows, etc., - all were collected to design tutorials and the like (Morrow, 2016). Web 2.0 aims to broaden the e-skills and competencies of teachers and tutors and helps them to create adequate online training without time and distance barriers. They also integrate the social media in their courses’ curriculum. The utilization of social media in Web 2.0 enhances the communication between the students giving them the opportunity to create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks almost instantly. However, We. 2.0 if often underutilized due to the lack of training on how to use those tools. This is the biggest challenge of the technology because students and especially teachers lack training and familiarity with the web technologies which often prevent their educational utilization and development (Perikos, Grivokostopoulou, Kovas, & Hatzilygeroudis, 2015). However, in most cases chances are, we all have already used Web 2.0 tools without realizing that they are Web 2.0 tools. For example, what you read in the online encyclopedia is static and most probably a Web 1.0 tool, but what you read on Wikipedia is dynamic (Web 2.0). It lets users make changes to make explanations more accurate and comprehensive. Therefore, Web 2.0 tools can generate more powerful and full content. Students these days are probably using Web 2.0 tools in their daily lives. Such devices as Doodle, Twitter, or Pinterest are often used daily, primarily by the “newest” generations. Web 2.0 tools allow users to collaborate, generate, and upload content. It is an excellent tool to engage learners and help foster a community of learning in any course. For instance, using mind mapping tools like Prezi or Popplet help students brainstorm ideas asynchronously and synchronously. Teachers and students have access to multiple presentation tools that help them to transfer knowledge more efficiently. For example, for my presentations, I use Prezi.com because it is more dynamic and has a lot more features than a regular PowerPoint. I have just discovered GoAnimate, which is a cartoon/animation building tool that I can use for videos and more detailed visual explanations. Although not a lot of teachers and students know all the features of Web 2.0, they do not even realize that they have been using them in everyday life for quite some time. References Berge, Z. (2013). Barriers to communication in distance education. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 14(1), 374-388. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286122039_Barriers_to_communication_in_distance_education Morrow, K. (2016). Web 2.0, Web 3.0, and the Internet of Things. uxbooth.com http://www.uxbooth.com/articles/web-2-0-web-3-0-and-the-internet-of-things/ Perikos, I., Grivokostopoulou, F., Kovas, K., & Hatzilygeroudis, I. (2015). Assisting tutors to utilize Web 2.0 tools in education. ERIC. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED562502.pdf Web 2.0 tools in teaching and learning. (2018). University Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://teaching.pitt.edu/blog/web-2-0-tools-in-teaching-and-learning/ Michael G. Moore and Greg Kearsley wrote in their article “Distance Education: A Systems Approach View – Tutoring” that the primary reason for having online tutors is to provide students with individualized instructions. Very often the tutor is the only person the student interacts with throughout the course. They may have many functions: discussing course content with a student, providing feedback on progress, grading of assignment/tests, helping students plan their work, etc. Although, not all students take advantage of tutoring services. The tutors often serve as a bridge between students and the institution to help the students to interpret polices and solve problems or difficulties they might encounter. Also, in some programs, the tutor does not even have any specific course-related duties, and his/her primary job is to provide counseling and guidance, which is often very important due to difficulties the distance learners encounter. The role of a counselor/tutor in much more important in DE than in traditional face-to-face education (Moor & Kearsley, 1996).
Teachers in DE must accomplish the same goals as in the conventional environment, but they face specific challenged due to separation from the learner. For example, the learner is often insecure in the absence of a teacher, which is the main course of such phenomenon as “drop-out”. Therefore, the teacher has to take extra measures to ensure the course is very well structured taking in consideration clear objectives and students’ time (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). As Moore and Kearsley (2012) state later on, there is a big difference between distance education and distance learning. DE is the responsibility of an institution and the instructor. Distance learning, on the other hand, is what the students do and it is their responsibility. Therefore, in DE there are many communication barriers the teachers have to overcome to achieve effective communication (Berge, 2013): - Cognitive distance – the more cognitive distance there is, the more challenging it is for both parties to achieve concept development through discussion. - Contextual distance - when one context is presented at a distance and understood differently than it would be in an authentic situation. - Cultural distance – when people have patterns of thought different from one another and to make the learning process clear an instructor has to break through those differences. - Emotional distance – the students often feel fear, distrust, and suspicion towards DE. - Pedagogical distance – involves transactional distance that causes challenges in understanding and teaching/learning. - Physical distance - Psychological distance – a subjective feeling of distance with a person. - Social distance – perceive a difference in class. - Technical distance – access to technology across various people. - Temporal distance – distance in time zones (Berge, 2013 p. 376). All these barriers to communication in DE often make the work of teachers and tutors more complicated. Although tutoring is one of many learner support systems, quite often the function of both, teachers and tutors, can be equally important. References Berge, Z. (2013). Barriers to communication in distance education. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 14(1), 374-388. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286122039_Barriers_to_communication_in_distance_education Moore, M.G. & Kearsley, G. (1996). Distance Education: A Systems View. Wadsworth Publishers, pp. 146-51.Retrieved from http://web.worldbank.org/archive/website00236B/WEB/TUT_01.HTM |