My work for this week was thinking and writing in our document about the pros and cons of e-learning. Before I go into the content I like to give some thoughts about the chat-experience. Before our e-pedagogy course, I didn’t use MSN very much. I started with it last year, because we had a Turkish student as a guest family and MSN is a nice way to stay in touch with him. In the meanwhile I use it also when I am away from home, to keep contact with my children. For this purpose it is perfect.
When we used it past Tuesday, I had some mixed feelings. First we had some difficulties to start a group chat. When that was okay, we started our work. After a while I asked Alexander to take the lead, just like we have a moderator in Vitero. That was really necessary, because it was difficult to have a ‘logic’ conversation. After that it worked out better. But looking back on this, I think that we made some practical agreements. We also confirmed what was written and divided the tasks. But MSN is not the best tool for a discussion on the content. It might be if you want to discuss one or two specific items. But I was glad I wrote already a big part, before our chat session, so Alexander and Mark were able to give comment on what they could see in the document. For what we did on that moment, I think we needed a lot of time.
Then there is also the experience of writing in Googledocs together. I think that is a good tool. I was already enthusiastic about it when we practiced in the workshop with Jon in Bergen. Now, I still find it a very good tool. In our University College , our students have to make a thesis. They have a theoretic part, that they have to make with a group of 6 students. Now they always put new versions on Blackboard, but sometimes someone else is working in a version too or they are confused about the last good version. So I will ask my group next year to try Googledocs.
When I think about the subject ‘pros and cons of e-learning’, there are two ideas I want to mention here. First, this task helped made clear for me why I should use e-learning for my subject of the course. Every social worker always has to have in mind the ‘structural’ view on the problems and issues he is working with. Exchanging ideas and opinions, build up a network with other professionals, not only social workers, and with other people involved will be more and more important. Our society has new ways of social contacts and computers are a very important part of this. So we, as social workers, have to learn to use this. And just like all the methods we use, here also we have to discover what the best online tools and methods are to reach the goals we want. E-learning, when it is set up like this, not only as a community of knowledge but also as a community of learning, gives a lot of learning opportunities. Besides that there it gives us a good way o exchange ideas, opinions and methods all over the world, what gives us a big richness as a person and professional.
A second idea is that it must be very clear for yourself, your students and your organization why you find it important to use e-learning in a specific course. Distance and intercultural competencies are very important, but I think there are more arguments. On the other hand, this must not become a sort of ‘hype’. Therefore it is good to read some good articles about this, like we did the past weeks, because it deepens your insight in this.
I want to end with this. On Friday I had the presentation of my research about ‘professional secret’ and volunteers in the social and health sector. It was a contract we had with the government and the representatives of the minister and a lot of organizations were present. I worked out this presentation, using Flickr to find good illustrations. I got some compliments, not only on the content, but also on the presentation. Without our workshop in Bergen, it would have been only a text presentation. So, you see , the course helps me also in a few very concrete things I had to do this past week.
Click here for the link to our task pros and cons of e-learning
Hi Wim!
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote in Alexander’s blog; I am very pleased with your work with task 4 (and I am saying this before I have read you assignments. I am just commenting upon the process of collaboration in the assignment; - and the way you have tried the use of different tools during this work!). Well let me leave talking about the tools and other technical stuff.
But I find you reflections over pro-s and con’s interesting. It seems to me that this task helped you to clarify some of the issues we all should take into account when we are planning a teaching session or a longer course. What will we do, how can we do it, what is the best way of “delivering” the learning material for the student’s; how we want them to collaborate….? And the ICT gives us many opportunities. But as you write: we must not use the tools without knowing why we choose just this. And for some purposes and soem situations we can just as well use F2F teaching
And congratulation with your presentation; it is fine that you were able to show your partners and colleagues that you have learnt new skills after just a few weeks of being a e-pedagogy students!
Bests; Grete Oline;