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Graduation 2008

Week 3, activity 8

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Edited by Amanda Harrington-Vail, Thursday, 24 Apr 2014, 14:36

Hypothesis 1: eLearning is a means of implementing education that can be applied within varying education models (for example, face to face or distance education) and educational philosophies (for example behaviourism and constructivism). Yes, this is the blended learning that I tutor.

Hypothesis 2: eLearning enables unique forms of education that fits within the existing paradigms of face to face and distance education. Yes, I’d say MOOCs are an example of this.

Hypothesis 3: The choice of eLearning tools should reflect rather than determine the pedagogy of a course; how technology is used is more important than which technology is used. Yes, there needs to be some freedom of student choice.

Hypothesis 4: eLearning advances primarily through the successful implementation of pedagogical innovation. Yes, the conversational style draws learners in (Laurillard, 2002).

Hypothesis 5: eLearning can be used in two major ways; the presentation of education content, and the facilitation of education processes. Yes, it stores and tracks as a facilitative process.

Hypothesis 6: eLearning tools are best made to operate within a carefully selected and optimally integrated course design model. Yes, seamlessness of design must be a key feature to enable a student-focussed experience.

Hypothesis 7: eLearning tools and techniques should be used only after consideration has been given to online vs offline trade-offs. No, this is no longer such a big issue now with mlearning availability.

Hypothesis 8: Effective eLearning practice considers the ways in which end-users will engage with the learning opportunities provided to them. Yes, user-friendly design is important to ensure smooth and logical flow of learning design that considers first-time users (Salmon, 2000).

Hypothesis 9: The overall aim of education, that is, the development of the learner in the context of a predetermined curriculum or set of learning objectives, does not change when eLearning is applied. Yes, this links very closely to hypothesis 8 - perhaps they could be combined. Idrus (2000), “The tools have change[d], the job hasn’t.”

Hypothesis 10: Only pedagogical advantages will provide a lasting rationale for implementing eLearning approaches. Yes, it's a tried and tested successful approach.

 

References

Idrus, R. (2000). “The pedagogical issues in e-learning.” New straits times/management times, 28/8/2000.

Laurillard, D. (2002). “Design tools for eLearning.” In Williamson, A., Gunn, C., Young, A. and Clear, T. (eds), Winds of change in the sea of learning, proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), Auckland. Keynote address.

Salmon, G. (2000). E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online. Kogan Page: London.

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