According to Siemens (2009), the increasing approval of distance education is chiefly due to “more of us having experiences communicating online”. Today people are communicating via email, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter just to name a few. Dr. Siemens (2009) made an emphasis in his video that distance education provides the same learning experiences to those learners in F2F instruction but at best he states that positive impact of collaborative learning. He articulates that institutions of higher learning are progressively embracing distant education technology and that there is a momentous progression in online communication practices that provide access to online courses.
Global diversity, Communication, and Collaborative Interaction are three elements that are given by George Siemens that are being highly accepted. I personally like collaborative interaction because it allows the students to use critical thinking, be creative in their work, and share knowledge amongst each other. Collaborative learning provides profound meaning and organizes the learners for real world application. This element is a really basic tool that is already being used in elementary, middle, and high school levels. The students are able to work in collaborative pairs on different assignments.
References
Anderson, T. (Ed.) (2008). The theory and practice of online learning
Simonson, M. “Principles of Distance Education Video: Distance
Karen, I agree with you about collaboration being used at all levels in K12 education. Have you had successful online collaborative interaction? This is something that I am concerned about, and my students, who are taking online classes, have also expressed concern about.
ReplyDeleteDonna Parker
I agree that people have been collaborating through a various number of networks through the years. Using various forms of online collaboration can make distance learning classes more creative and enjoyable for the students that are taking them. I also like your statement, that "collaboration provides learners with organization for real world applications."
ReplyDeleteKaren,
ReplyDeleteWhat grade level do you teach? What technology tools are you using in your classroom? Do you a big difference in student achievement by using technology in the classroom? In your collaborative groups are the students discussing their experiences of blended learning in the classroom?