IT assignment help essay: Online Learning & social networking 

1)    Connectivism as a learning theory

Connectivism  as a learning theory is a learning process that inmate the learning process by using technology, use of self organisation ,self behaviour, social networking ,connections with like ones, collaboration with the self company people and by using knowledge management tools (Driscoll, 2000).

In this way connectivism helps in learning by suing social networking tools, internet, and our own peers groups.

In past learning was something where we went to school ,learned the thing taught by teacher, and then used that to busily our carrear.But time shave changed now and technology ahs come into role, where it helps to connects ,people, share knowledge and ideas, and thus build network which help to spared the knowledge ganging process toe large extend. Today ethnology is changing day by day and we can see technology affecting our life in one way or the other. Internet and social networking sites are example which has changed our life completely. We can do every thing using internite, in fact it has replace the classrooms and teachers.

Connectivism is based on the fact that knowledge spreads by making network an and this network is build up the connection of nodes. Nodes connect one information to another, here node may be anything may a person, an organistaion, information, dataetc.Eg.an organisation may be a source of information and knowledge when it is using some new technology in its functioning. And this new technology may be something which its competitor may also want to use, and then the next competitors and so on the chain goes (Gredler, 2005). In such connection some node say be weak and some be strong, but a combination of these nodes help to take knowledge to the last node. Connectives also specifies that learning by this process it all depends on self organisation an self behaviour how we organise such knowledge and imbibe those which are most relevant to us.Connectivitsm offers a diversity of knowledge and such knowledge keeps on changing by the change in technology and information system’s it depend on self organisation of behaviour how we dedifferentiate the different information, the old an the new ones and the important and the unimportant ones.

Connectivism starts from an individual himself where an individual uses his own knowledge to learn something new ,understand the fact, get himself into the network of knowldgea,co relate the facts and figures an thus learn something new.Knowldge development takes place by understanding the right information other wise wrong information may lead to gaining of wrong knowledge.

In an organisation, flow of information is an important elemnt, which lead to organisational effectiveness. Information flow is not lays smooth, sometimes it can be turbulent, sometime very normal and somatic a little midway’s it depend how we utilise this flow of information, use it effectively and nurture such information, this will help to maintain a healthy connections and thus gaining of right knowledge at the right time.

Connectivism helps in learning process only right information is connected to right people. Every organisation has large database elf information which needs to be utilised effectively (Gredler, 2005).Every information needs to be connected to the right people at the right time so that learning process can be initiated.

Organisation itself is broad database where knowledge sharing is done by various approaches, an organisation is place where new technology comes to knowledge of people and they learn how they can sue this knowledge, where and why. An organisation has diversified teams where each one share their knowledge and viepoint,and this leads to pool of knowledge na dideas.Ideas and knowledge are used for innovation and new development. So coonectivitism has largest base in organisation where sharing of knowledge is free,peoepl can learn ne things in taems.such organisation and management system  help in the learning process where each one can identify what is more he is hold learn, and how this knowledge can improve his effectiveness in working

But an organisation today also faces challenges because some knowledge are related to  old ideas which nee dot be reinvaded .So it all depend on organisational ability to foster, nurture the knowledge so that each node I gets the right information and leering process is enhanced.

Learning environment ahs to redesign so that there is always a right flow of the information. Information sharing should always be two way because this helps in generation of more ideas and thus enhancing the learning process.

Conncetivitism is different from the other learning theory because eat focus on those knowledge areas where raped learning is required or may be in a very complex environment. It all depends on the networks, a ditch strength of nodes watt is the speed of learning a sharing knowledge.

Criticism of Connectivism as a learning theory

Some critics say that connectivity’s is just pedagogy but newt a learning theory which guides what should be learnt, how it should be leant nod why. It does not represent the gnarl world outlook where other learning theory focuses on the existing nature of work, experiences and social factors. This theory totally depends on the current diversity of networks.

Connectivism focus on the concept that learning today is important a sit help to identify what the future hold for us. Knowledge continues to grow day by day with the recent advancement of technology and the implementation of it. Implementation of learning tools change the learning process, today learning depend on the effective utilization of various learning skills and tasks (Kerr, 2007). Connectivism has helped in the learning process by making the effective use of networks and diversity of information in the organisation and society.

 2. Critically discuss some key teaching and learning principles you would use in designing an online learning module in your discipline. [15]

Introduction

Online learning is one of the best example and utility of the technological dimensions that is being used by the student and teachers as a media of learning with so much of ease and convenience (Junco, 2007). It is really beneficial to support and encourage the online learning due to the immense advantages and the effectiveness the student and teachers can get in this learning module. It has changes the whole traditional way of teaching and learning (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).

Due to increased use and utility of technologies and devices, it is quite easier and effective to go for online learning. Even students and teachers both are convenient with this approach of learning. At this approach, the students can get time for their personal and professional purposes also and teachers can also get some time for their own work and any secondary work if they are interested in.

Key teaching and learning principles

There are various key teaching and learning principles that are required to be followed by the administrator while making any program module.

Courses offered: The kind of courses offered and the requirement of students should match for the betterment of students and their convenience. This will also make them interested in taking admission to the online learning and courses. Time to time the courses should be enhanced and added with some new kind of degrees and creative learning to make the whole course more interesting and effective. This way the students will be taking more interest in learning and taking admissions to the new courses.

Target population: The course and module should be always focused towards the targeted population, such as the professional courses should focus on the executives and similarly, the undergraduate courses should focus on the students who have just passes their schooling. This will help in the effective segmentation of the target population.

Structure of online lectures: Online lectures are one of the most critical factors for the successful completion and implementation of the online learning and teaching. The classes should be scheduled regularly to avoid any kind of issues while learning. If the student is facing any problem with the learning and course lectures then there should be an extra online lecture for clearing their doubts in an effective manner.

If the lectures are not being scheduled on time and while need then the online teaching will be ineffective and the students won’t be able to understand the lectures and the course module. This will be a biggest drawback for the online teaching. So there should be a proper team to follow up these requirements of classes and lectures for the convenience of students. Course material and necessary documents will be provided to the students timely for their ease and convenience; these all things should be taken care of in online learning (Knight and Wood, 2005).

Assessment and Evaluation criteria: There should be proper and effective assessment and evaluation criteria that should be followed by the evaluators while marking any evaluation for the students. There should be a proper format and module for the evaluation criteria and students should be told regarding the rubrics and the evaluation criteria and their importance. Proper assessment will give the effective evaluation and assessment to the students that will lead to the effective completion of the program. It should be based on the curriculum and within the syllabus but must be critical and creative in terms of asking the questions, rubrics and test criteria. That will lead to the creativity and effective learning to the student.

Feedback system: The feedback system allows the student to provide their response over the process and module of the online teaching. If there is any requirement of changes or modification then the administration can get a prior feedback related to any requirement of changes for the convenience of students and teacher both.

Program Approach-Principles

The approach also matters if we talk about the successful completion and implementation of the module of online learning. There should be a proper format and lecture schedule for the effective running of the program. This program should also be modified time to time to make required changes in the schedule and the program. If the approach is not being modified as per the need a requirement of the day then what is the meaning of online learning. Online learning is basically provided to the students for their ease and convenience and if the structure of program is not suitable then it won’t be effective and competitive.

We can see the various universities are following and even running their courses successfully online. This shows the kind of requirement and need of online learning among the youngsters and professional (McFarlin, 2008). We can see the future of online learning in coming days. It is going to boom in coming days and the whole thing is going to be technology based even the blackboard and chalks also.

There should be proper assessment and evaluation criteria for the students, so they can be evaluated equally (Dandy & Beichner, 2002). If there will be any issue in the evaluation or the student is not happy with their grades they there should be a facility of getting re-checked their assessment or test for their satisfaction.

These are the main concern of the online learning that the whole learning and teaching process should be more convenient and effective rather than being faulty and ineffective.

3. State how your identified learning style influences your learning designs

Learning style always influences the learning designs. As we know that our learning gives us new ideas and ways to do the things in a different manner every time. Each learning lessons gives us new ideas and ways to approach the same thing in a new manner that will lead to the new learning designs for the betterment of the whole online learning and teaching process. If we talk about the advantages of online learning and teaching then the very first thing comes in our mind is the ease and convenience that is far better than the traditional learning and teaching design.

This will be the very first and effective step towards the design of new learning styles and based on these new styles, we can make various new learning designs that will again help in making the online learning more effective and hassle free for the students and teachers both.

Now we are using some study material that is being provided to the student time and again but we can now modify it by automation of the course material available to the online library for the students. That library will contain all the required course material, presentations and other required material and students will be able to download it as per their need and requirement. This will be a new approach for the students and teacher convenience while learning and teaching.

Apart from that the new style will also help in diversification of the course strategy by developing the student and segment of the students as per the new requirement of the market and professional courses according to the new jobs in the corporate sector.

These all things will be helping a-lot in making new dimensions for the online learning and new approach of teaching and online learning design.

But the main question comes, whether the students will be able to grab and move ahead with all the rapid changes in the course design and structure as per the new approach and style. If the result is negative then we should be able to make some alternative for the learners and new students to make them understood about all the kind of changes and their requirement at this competitive scenario.

Critical Evaluation

As we move on with the new learning styles as per the new technological dimensions, we try to implement it to the new learning approach and design but whether the students and teachers will be able to handle this change of modification in the rapid changing strategy of online learning. So there should be a combined portal for student and teacher as well as the administrator to make a bridge between the student, teacher and administration to make the understand about the need of changes and modification in the teaching style and design that is required for the upliftment of the online teaching and learning aspects.

If we are able to make them understand the requirement of the changes as per the new style and design then it will be convenient and effective for us to implement those changes to the course and module.

There may be some cases where the students will be opposing these changes due to some reason like change in curriculum and course structure or any other issue. But we need to handle these issues very carefully to maintain a rhythm between the student and teacher. The main concern is to make the whole process of online learning more convenient and effective and to attain this objective; we must keep on implementing new approach and design based on our new learning style. This way we will be able to meet the objective of the online learning and teaching i.e. to provide the effective and convenient learning phenomenon to each and every learners whether they are students or professionals.

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