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Image: 7 Measures of Quality in Online Learning, Giulia Forsyth, Public Domain. In this post, I consider how the range of computer-based learning terms relate to vocational education, and how I define a digital learning environment in relation to vocational education. In his article “LOL – Limitations of online learning – are we selling the open and distance education message short”, Todhunter characterises the terminology used by his university and others as being inconsistent and unclear (Todhunter, 2013). While I have never really thought very deeply about the terms bandied about to describe the range of learning modes available through my local Technical and Further Education institute (TAFE), after reading this article, I can see how such a proliferation of terms is both inconsistent and confusing for both students and staff. Terms used in promotional material for the TAFE include “online in virtual classroom”, “online workgroup environments”, “online short courses”, and “online and blended learning” (The Gordon Institute of TAFE, 2017, 2019). After checking the public-facing website, I found minimal mention of any form of computer aided learning, and in the strategic plan, the word “online” (which appears to be the preferred term) is listed three times (The Gordon Institute of TAFE, 2017, 2019). This is quite different from two years ago, when blended delivery was emphasised as a distinct benefit of enrolling with this institute, garnering many mentions throughout all promotional material. Instead, there is greater focus on practical skills and hands-on experience which, while important for vocational education, seems to me to be somewhat regressive in the student offering. Given the TAFE’s Learning Management System (LMS) is known as “Gordon Online”, using the term “online” could indicate a preference for consistently referring to any computer-based or distance education as being “online”. The Gordon does offer a range of “Online Short Courses” (which might otherwise be known as distance education), but the title is the only clear reference to it being delivered completely online, besides stating that learners must be equipped with an internet-connected computer. I was unable to find any clear definition of the term “online”, with the term mostly left to the reader’s imagination. There is no breakdown or differentiation of terms to describe the various offerings incorporating computer-based learning, despite there being at least two different learning modes. Most qualifications offer a “blended” learning experience, in that the student attends face-to-face classes, and accesses a wide range of learning material, activities and assessments on the institute LMS via the internet. This mode can be equated with the modern “on-campus” delivery mode, with students enrolling online or in person, but with no differentiation between the two options. The other mode, briefly touched on previously, is the completely web-based “online” short courses. This mode has a different enrolment process and is fee-for-service only and appears to consist primarily of purchased “off-the-shelf” courses developed in the United States. While the short courses offer more “openness”, with many start dates, no eligibility requirements and the choice of many subjects, students must still comply with requirements, learn as specified, undertake prescribed assessment tasks and attend at defined times. In the Digital Learning Environment used by the institute: Moodle, the organisational structure can be defined as “groups”; formal, controlled learning environments lead by a teacher, with students enrolled in cohorts (Research Shorts, 2016, June 18). I have heard colloquially of learners forming their own online community on Facebook, but these students appear to be in the minority. Instructional designers were employed to design most of the courses on the LMS; each designer is also a qualified vocational teacher and so able to embed appropriate learning strategies within each course. Of course, this contributes to the perceived lack of neutrality in the use of technology, as a person has developed the environment, imbuing it with traces of their own experiences and perspectives (Research Shorts, 2016, June 18). The term “flexible learning” as used in a Digital Learning Environment can therefore be defined as flexibility in:
References
Research Shorts (Producer). (2016, June 18). Digital Learning Environments. [Video file] Retrieved from https://youtu.be/-7UI-dTbMr0 The Gordon Institute of TAFE. (2017). Strategic Plan 2018-2021. Retrieved from https://www.thegordon.edu.au/sitedocs/publications/corporate-publications/strategic-plan-2018-21.aspx. The Gordon Institute of TAFE. (2019). Our Training Facilities. Retrieved from https://www.thegordon.edu.au/future-students/training-facilities Todhunter, B. (2013). LOL — limitations of online learning — are we selling the open and distance education message short? Distance Education, 34(2), 232-252. doi:10.1080/01587919.2013.802402
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About meI'm a learning designer from Geelong in Victoria. I have worked in vocational education and training for many years, and for the last four have concentrated entirely on creating learning content to support teachers and students. Archives
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