Theory for Online Learning

Prompt for reflection: how are you conceptualizing constructivism? And, how do you feel with the pivot to online focus this week?

Observed: Opportunity for collaborative/interactive learning

All higher education transitioned to some form of online learning amid global health crisis in early 2020. Many higher education institutions scrambled to put together a course to cater to students who were stuck at home (sometimes overseas). Suddenly, everybody, including skeptics of online learning, found themselves doing/delivering online courses. In most of the courses that I took during this period, I noticed a distinct pattern: professors initially resorted to lecture using zoom, but soon found out that some form of interaction among students is necessary. They welcomed with great relief the zoom breakout rooms that simulated classroom discussion and professors would occasionally drop by to stimulate discussions and to listen in to conversation. Use of other means (such as live polls, discussion forums) to engage learners actively within and beyond lessons gradually joined the arsenal of the teaching team. In all this development, one pattern is obvious - online instructors felt it necessary to incorporate aspects of constructivism in order to create a lively learning community of learners.

Would be better if: Learning could be interactive to promote higher-level learning and social presence, and to help develop personal meaning.

In order to make learning truly interactive in an online learning environment, I think it is important to rethink instructional design strategies. Directing learners to online discussion forums needs to be supplemented with recursive feedback from more knowledgeable others - the forum should move beyond broadcasting ideas and thoughts, and should capture learning formation in progress. If we could employ strategies to speed up trust-building and sense of togetherness, this would facilitate a non-judgmental, supporting and encouraging learning atmosphere. Again, if we could at least approximate face-to-face interaction experience, and embed regular feedback opportunities, this would promote dialogue about learning and increase social presence of both learner and instructor. This will promote higher-level learning and make learning a pleasant and meaningful.

Food for thought:

Traditional learning theories - such as behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism - have actively guided and informed educational practices since the institution of school came into being. Lately, among various modes of distance learning, a new breed of web-based asynchronous learning has emerged. Qualitatively different from traditional onsite learning and other forms of distance learning, asynchronous on-line learning differs in its important ways, such as the mode of interaction, delivery of instruction and role of learners. This demands a careful adaptation - if necessary, a development of a new theory - to consider the uniqueness of asynchronous on-line learning.

Learning theories - and their view of learner, role of instructor, and how learning occurs - inform curricular decisions and instructional design choices. I will now need to write and essay evaluating the suitability of 'connectivism' (Siemens, 2005) in web-based instructional design and learning choices. In the essay, I will also need to discuss implications for web-based asynchronous learning contexts.

Siemens, G. (2005). A learning theory for the digital age. Instructional Technology and Distance Education, 2(1), 3–10.