ELearning and ecommunities asymmetries and dilemmas

1
E-Learning and e-communities- asymmetries and
dilemmas

• Mike Hart Professor of Business and
  InformaticsUniversity College WinchesterWinchest
  er, UK
• Roz GrahamSenior Lecturer in MarketingUniversity
  College WinchesterWinchester, UK

2
Hampshire, England. Winchester is the ancient
capital of Anglo-Saxon England
Winchester Cathedral
King Alfreds statue
3
Traditional v. e-learning stages of learning
4
Emergent problems with e-learning modes of
learning

• Despite meta-analysis of 300 studies which
  shows no significant differences between
  traditional and distributed learning approaches
  
• Massification of higher education (4 1961
  402004 502010 )
• The electronic shovel encourages uncritical
  trawling of the superficial rather than the
  deep web
• Plagiarism almost certainly on the increase
  (Dordoys 2002 survey shows over 70 students and
  staff regard copying of paragraphs uncited to be
  common)
• Suggested solutions demand new approaches to
  assessment (e.g. suggestion that original
  contributions be written in green ink)

5
Communities of practice engage in e-learning

• Case study Cascading Style Sheets Bulletin
  Board
• It is evident from an examination of the
  dialogues involved that
• E-Learning is taking place (the wool has been
  lifted from my eyes)
• Discussants appreciated the new knowledge because
  as experienced web-designers they could see the
  potential and applicability of new techniques
• certain amount of instruction and practical help
  is evident
• there is evidence of some reflection (now I
  come to think about it..)

6
Characteristics of e-learning in communities of
practice

• We can induce certain characteristics of
  communities of practice (from the case-study)
• Active participants will become learners
• Some observers (but not participants) will learn
  in either a positive fashion (good
  practice to be followed) a negative fashion
  (bad practice to be avoided)
• Some observers will not be learners
• The silent learner is interesting.
  Non-participating observers may be
  learning nothing (because they cannot follow the
  discussion) or
• learning a great deal (but this is not
  being manifested)

7
Modes of learning and participation
Non-participating Observers/Learners
Observing non-learners
Participant Learners
Non-Participant non-learners
8
Can we measures the processes of e-learning?

• It is conventional to measure educational
  attainment by the demonstration of learning
  outcomes BUT
• Do we need to concentrate upon processes of
  learning as well as outcomes?
• How do we capture process apart from crude
  measures of participation (e.g. log-ons,
  contributions to a message board)
• Exact boundary lines between the
  non-participating observers/learners and the
  observing non-learners needs exploration(active
  v. passive learning, deep v. surface learning)
• The case study indicates that much more vibrant
  learning may well be taking place
• Outside the normal academic community
• When assessment and certification are no longer
  salient issues

9
How do communities of practice foster e-learning?

• Communities of practice are social groups in
  which the normal social dynamics of groups
  apply i.e.
• A sharing of some common values and beliefs
• Group norms are enforced by a graduated series of
  sanctions
• A norm of reciprocity is needed in the long run
• As in studies of the scientific community
  (Hagstrom, 1965), it isinteresting to observe
  the processes in which information is
  proffered in exchange for recognition
  i.e.motivation and rewards are symbolic rather
  than pecuniary
• How does e-learning take place across group
  boundaries (varying degrees of
  participation)

10
Action learning and the e-community

• Initially we examined traditional v e-learning
  modes of learning in the undergraduate community
  who may well use learning in a highly
  instrumental way
• However mature students often display a
  manifestly different pattern and display
  excellent patterns of collaboration
• Past experiences of group members helps
  participants to learn and apply new insights

11
Action learning and the education/work interface

• Action learning has been most prominent in the
  Corporate Virtual University (CVU)
• Universities have needed to confront (painfully!)
  their re-conceptualisation of what constitutes
  academic attainment
• The nature of the e-learning experience requires
  emphasising for
• Post-graduate
• Part-time
• Work-experience
• modes of education
• We might note the importance of techniques such
  as learning logs and diaries of reflective
  practice

12
Conclusions

• Two broad conclusions are
• E-Learning might have greater salience outside
  rather than inside the undergraduate programmes
  in higher education institutions
• E-Learning activities are much more likely to
  bear fruit outside the comventional 18 intakes
  into higher education
• And so
• Is the rapid introduction of VLEs more a strategy
  to cope with problems of massification rather
  than the development of a new pedagogy?
• Is there a way in which we can extend the
  characteristics exhibited by communities of
  practice into the undergraduate curriculum?

13
And finally.
Any questions?