Communication entails learning and vice versa. We have moved from oral traditions passed from one generation to the next to formal classrooms with professional educators, but the system itself has not changed much. Modern technology has brought a revolution in learning, transforming it from an art to a science. Communication between the teacher and the learner is necessary for understanding and assessment, and communication between learners greatly enhances learning. We have now communication tools that allow teacher and students to have effective interaction while in different parts of the planet.
Blogs are accessible to anyone and they are a wonderful tool for a learning community. All kinds of content can be included in a blog, from text to video files. Blogrolls (a list of blogs that the learner follows) allow students to learn from each other discussing the content of the instructor’s blog and help the instructor monitor the discussions. The benefits of using blogs in class are many: students are accountable for participating in class discussions, and they encourage the student to read pertinent material before writing their post.
Laptops, tablets, and most of all smart phones, give portability to the classroom. Instructor and students can access the classrooms at any time and even do assignments on the move. Waiting time, for example, can be productive time. Distance education will continue to evolve, sometimes in unexpected ways now that location is immaterial. The traditional tools and strategies of the classroom exist on the internet in digital form, they are time saving and they are getting better all the time.
http://library.stmarytx.edu/acadlib/subject/misc/blogs_learning.htm
http://www.mottobiz.com/2011/09/communication-tools-to-enhance-distance.html
No comments:
Post a Comment