After attending the introductory lecture to the partucular module for which this blog was designed, I was left thinking that the wings of change have already transformed university education. The module in question forms part of the BSc in Psychology curriculum at London Metropolitan University and it is assessed alomost exclusively in online formats. Reflective blogs, wikis and online learning environments all form part of the learning experience here. But what does this actually mean?
Surely, being able to access material at any time and place is convenient. I have always had a theoretical interest in learning styles and it is obvious to me that online learning can accommodate different learning styles (Bonanno, 2005).Ironically, having struggled for two consecutive days to post here using a mysteriously slow and disorganised mobile broadband connection, I fround myself keeping a written reflective journal in order to transfer my thoughts here at a later time. Clearly when technology doesn’t work, online learning seems such a tremendous task! The question for me is how -since it’s cognitive psychology we are talking about here- the frustration that such technological mishaps cause interfere with the cognitive processes of learning. I will revisit this idea throughout the course, being aware of the interplay between such affective influences and cognitive processes in the context of my online learning experience. If judgement involves evaluation and decision implies a way of action (Hardman, 2009), it will be interesting to form a judgement on online learning based on my own experience here, and to decide how I can use this rescource to engage with the learning material.
To my surprise as I found myself procrastinating more than usual, I found out that online learning may actually require more motivation and the responsibility to generate such motivation lies with the learner. Here I need to take initiative to access tha learning process and engage with the learning material which raises issues of self-awareness and self-regulation. In other words, is the successful online learner a more ‘grown-up’ learner? As the flexibility of online learning allows more time away from the educational task, it paradoxically gives rise to increased discipline and I find this challenging.
Online education clearly defeats great distances, is cheaper and faster and perhaps more accessible. But do we have to do away with the social and interractive aspects of learning? Now the question is on education: Will all education be conducted through the Internet in the future?
References
Bonanna, K. (2005). Online Learning; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Paper presented to the Australian School Library XIX Association Biennial Conference – Meeting the Challenge, Zillmere, April 2005.
Hardman, D (2009). Judgement and Decision Making: Psychological perspectives. Chichester: Backwell.
