Thing 20 - Online learning, where is it going?

In this week’s blog we are looking at all things to do with online learning. I know what online learning means but I have never heard of it being referred to as MOOCs. I had to go and find out what it meant. MOOC stands for “massive open online courses”. For me personally this was a whole new world that I had never explored before.

When I was studying for my Library Technician degree it was a full time program run through Tafe Queensland.  I studied 2 years full time. I never had the opportunity to study this online.

I can see that the option to do online learning has many benefits. We as a society are becoming time poor, so we are looking for other ways to learn in our own time at our own pace. So to have the option to do a course or program that is fully online is an enticing one.

In my current workplace I have had to do online learning programs on such things as –

Trade Practices Act

OH&S - Legal Compliance

Workplace Behaviour - Bullying

I found the online learning option to these courses to be beneficial. They were self-paced and I could work on these courses when I had the time. 

I decided to spend some time delving deeper into MOOCs.  I found a number of articles that helped me to gain a better understanding of what it is all about.

We all have hobbies and interests. Doing an online course is really just an extension of say going to the gym or taking a class in photography.

Doing online learning can help us in many ways. I can certainly see the positives. It is a great way to update one’s skills or to do something for yourself that maybe you always wanted to learn about. I was truly amazed by the high volume of open online courses that are out there in the cyber world.

The world where I live in today is so much different from when I initially did my studies in the late 1990’s. Today most people have a smart phone or a tablet and are using multi social media applications to stay connected with one another and with work. I have a smart phone now that I can access my work emails.  Personally I do see online learning as a positive rather than as a negative. I see online learning as a future way of learning. We are in a culture where we want information then and there. We want it all now.

With everything in life there will always be positives and negatives. I can see both sides to online learning.

Some of the positives I found were -

·         Study can be scheduled around work and family obligations

·         Online learning can accommodate different learning styles and can provide for a variety of learning activities

·         Self-paced learning allows for people to study at their own pace.

·         Study can be anywhere you want it as we can access internet through Wi-Fi, tablets and smartphones etc.

The negatives I guess you could consider when it comes to online learning are -

·         Poor study habits and not being motivated enough may lead to falling behind

·         People may feel isolated from their teacher or peers.

·         Teachers may not always be available at times that are more convenient to others when needing feedback or asking questions.

·         The other negative (which we all know about) is slow internet connections or Wi-Fi issues.

Having thought about the positives and the negatives I still think that online learning is a great option to have and to consider.

Just by doing the “23 things” program and the subsequent blog I am learning in an online environment. I make sure that I find the time each week to read and to blog my thoughts and opinions on everything that I am learning on a weekly basis. Having spoken to fellow “23 Bloggers” I know how easy it can be to fall behind.

For me online learning was effective when I managed to put the time and effort into it. I needed to make sure that I was on top of the weekly readings and tasks and to make sure that I kept up to date with my weekly blog.

I personally see that the concept of online learning is a positive one and could help to enhance workplace learning.