Comments on: Email a ’rounding error’? https://blog.learnlets.com/2013/03/email-a-rounding-error/ Clark Quinn's learnings about learning Wed, 02 Oct 2013 09:57:55 +0000 hourly 1 By: Genie McGuire https://blog.learnlets.com/2013/03/email-a-rounding-error/#comment-429389 Wed, 02 Oct 2013 09:57:55 +0000 http://blog.learnlets.com/?p=3242#comment-429389 Business interests, represented by people like John Chambers, are talking up elearning/online learning/mlearning because they are recipient stakeholders – wanting to make money out of other people’s aspirations. However convenient learning by paying for an e-course appears, the model is flawed.
We must be mindful of two essential components of learning theory:
(1) Whilst the delivery of the material is via a digital medium, the potential quality of learning depends largely on the quality of the course materials
(2) Ultimately the acquisition of knowledge and skills by the learner is constructed by the learner through a conscious cognitive effort.

In relation to (1), do some online searching (e-research!) for tertiary courses in Computing Science, Programming, or Network Systems which are fully delivered online. You will find that at least 95% of IT courses require f-f teaching and tutor-assisted computer laboratory sessions. How ironic that so very few courses in ‘computing’ are available online! One would reasonably expect that courses about computers would be offered online.

Further in relation to (2) evidence supports the human ‘interface’ as the best learning opportunity. An experienced teacher can correct a student’s misunderstanding in a fraction of the time it would take the learner to read the ‘Help’ section.

Think about this for a moment. Assume you need Excel for something a little more complicated than normal. Do you hit F1 and read the help sections, or seek someone who knows and ask for guidance?

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