Week 4: Asynchronous E-Learning

This week we were joined by Mo Kader who delivers a range of e-learning courses using asynchronous text-based strategies. He believes that this method provides great flexibility for students who can log on and collect their next assignment or ask questions when it suits them. This delivery style seems well suited to the busy lifestyles we seem to have adopted on mass in the 21st century! Thanks Mo, we appreciate your time.

That said, our asynchronous forum has been very quiet this week. For this group it seems to be an additional burden - just another thing to do - and something which so far has not been of great value to participants. My thoughts are that our regular weekly meetings in the virtual conference room may provide sufficient contact and that people are busy thinking about the multitude of technologies to which they have been exposed. Maybe the forum is overkill.

For the facilitator (me), this is problematic because I don't actually know whether people are happily engaging or whether they need help. I have to confess to doing a ring-around earlier in the week after which I was greatly relieved to find that there is a whole lot of activity going on out there! It's also possible that including the expert speakers early in our program has accentuated the lack of feedback as these sessions left very little time for us to chat about what people have been doing in their projects. This is something I may re-think next time.

So that brings me to my learning for the week which is about creating appropriate conditions for e-learning. They are:

Trust - to post or blog for the first time is a big step. Participants have to feel they are in a safe environment and that anything they share will be well received. It takes time and requires confidence to build this kind of trust.

Freedom to explore and engage with tools of relevance.

A structure in which to engage and explore which incorporates multiple methods for regular feedback.

To set realistic goals.

A high level of support is necessary along the way.

The space to reflect.

The ability and willingness to learn independently.