#learning 2.0

Since online courses, and entire educational programs like SJSU’s MLIS, are becoming more ubiquitous it was nice to be reminded just how far education has come in the world of Web 2.0 and social media.  As I thought about all of the distance learning classes I’ve taken I started to realize that even in the last 8 or 9 years of my higher education I’ve seen a lot change.  In my early community college days there were still not a whole lot of options as far as completely online courses.  I remember taking a telecourse and having to watch my lectures on the local public access channel, and then turn in work through an online portal but show up to the actual campus for the midterm and the final.  I also took a telecourse where the course wasn’t actually broadcast on TV but the recordings were available in the campus library.  They were on DVDs and had to be watched in the lab, which proved to be inconvenient.  Sometime in 2008 I took an entire math course through one of my local community colleges that was run primarily through Second Life.  We met for lectures on our designated island, and only met for the midterm and final.  I took a handful of other classes online during my undergrad, and now here I am in an entirely online, accredited, master’s program.

As someone who started working in high school, and prided herself on being independent I think I was drawn to online courses, like some of the readings have pointed out, because of their flexibility.  I was considered a distance learner, but in reality I lived with in easy commuting distance of all the colleges I attended.  The ability to work, and continue my education on my own time was incredibly valuable.  This is a huge advantage to the streamlined platforms that online learning utilizes.  Telecourses were still confined to being home to watch a program, or at least record it on a blank VHS (there was no DVR!).  

I don’t think that in the beginning of learning 2.0 there many advantages besides flexibility.  With the uprise of all of the new tools that are being used for education and the new technology in general there are more advantages that are slowly surfacing.  For one, the ability to communicate via video and/or voice recording has helped quell the notion that online learning is not personal.  What’s more, I’ve actually felt more connected as I’ve progressed through this MLIS program.  It has been eye-opening to meet and interact with so many students from all of the world.  Salman Khan’s vision for Khan Academy to become a global source of learning is exciting.  Social media and Web 2.0 allow for students and educators alike to expand their viewpoints, learn from those not in their physical space, and connect with others on a worldwide level.  There’s something to be said for the ability to interact with cultures unfamiliar to our own.  It provides students the opportunity to be apart of an even larger collective knowledge than just the 25 other students in their class.

The disadvantages are ones that are easily overlooked in the excitement of putting a new tool or piece of technology into action.  Living in San Francisco has made me sometimes forget that the digital divide is still alive and a serious issue that needs to be addressed.  As more technology is adapted to education, the farther behind those who do not have access fall.  There are still areas where dial-up connection is the only way of getting online, and with the rapid speed that technology is constantly being improved it can be costly to keep up with the latest requirements.  The swift moving nature of Web 2.0 and social media also creates problems for maintaining staff that are knowledgeable on how to use these tools.  In order to best implement new tools educators need to be trained, and curricula needs to be critically evaluated to make sure that the implementation is worthwhile.  The dissemination of information in this age of creating and sharing content can be problematic.  It draws attention to the fact that digital literacy skills need to be honed by students more than ever.  On the one hand, the availability of widespread information is great, but deciphering what’s credible and appropriate within different contexts of learning is a skill that needs to be taught.