eLearning Philosophy
When I consider the question, what is my eLearning philosophy, or what do I want to do with eLearning, many ideas come to mind. I also must consider what will I do with my new knowledge and qualifications, when I hopefully achieve my Masters, I am also sure that my eLearning philosophy will have changed by the time I finish the course. I have over 20 years’ experience in the Electronics industry, having only come to teaching in the last five years, I enjoy teaching and a subject area I would like to teach is Electronics from basic or 1st principles to more advanced levels. My long background in Electronics means that I have a wide knowledge of circuit theory, many different types of electronic systems and telecommunications systems, having worked for 17 years as a Network engineer. I believe with the knowledge I will gain in applied eLearning, I will be able to develop genuinely interactive on-line resources and also effectively integrate these resources into my classroom teaching. The type of teaching that would be my objective will have a mix of classroom and laboratory activity where hands on circuit building, testing and measuring can take place. There will also be a significant Maths element in the course as a good knowledge of Maths is vital in the understanding and measurement of Electronic circuits. I envisage a substantial portion of the course will be delivered on line, using a virtual learning environment, email, video conferencing and bespoke application software. I see this as a direct application of the skills, knowledge and competencies gained, that will support my ambition to be an effective eTutor.
The cohort I envisage teaching will be adults contemplating a change in career direction; this could be unemployed building workers, or trades people who are looking to add electronic qualifications onto their existing qualifications. I see eLearning here as a valuable support, especially for the adult learner, who may have many competing demands on their time, such as children and part-time work and may have to catch up on their course work at irregular times. I envisage a strong demand for workers within the growing green energy sector. Especially in the selection of environmentally efficient sites for the location of solar arrays and wind turbines. The construction, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance needs of these facilities is substantial in terms of man-hours and will require a highly trained and technically competent workforce who are familiar and comfortable with both communicating and constantly updating their knowledge using up to date mobile technologies.
I am looking forward to the Supporting Virtual Communities module of applied eLearning, as I hope I will learn some of the necessary skills that will enable me to become a skilled practitioner. I see their use of on-line group work as essential especially in co-ordinating project work and in helping students to work effectively in groups. I agree with the position of Mason (2002); that the effective use of new technology requires an evaluation of current pedagogy and a move towards interactive and collaborative teaching and learning activities. Entwistle, (2001) argues that, the early stages of an online course are probably the most important in encouraging student participation. Working in groups can also allow a creative door to be opened by the flow and interchange of ideas, resulting in new ideas, new outlooks and novel ways of using eLearning resources.
As is said life, has a way of getting in the way of best- laid plans of mice and men; and as “I face the final curtain” of the Applied Masters in eLearning, it has been a long and sometimes difficult journey. A sudden death in my family in April 2013, combined with the end of my VEC teaching contract, resulted in my emigration to Alberta and my studies had to be put on hold. The need to find work, accommodation and all the disruption and dislocation that goes with such a life-changing move resulted in a loss of motivation to complete the applied Masters. I decided to attempt to complete all unfinished course-work in November 2014, at this stage I had a full time job with the Government of Alberta, and accommodation in Grande Prairie. With a gap of 16 months it took a lot of effort to reconnect with the subject matter, and absorb my thoughts in finalising the Journal paper, especially when you are approaching the subject from a new country and different career. eLearning is a highly developed educational sector here in Alberta and I will endeavour to use my knowledge of technology-based education and training in pursuit of new opportunities. My supervisor Roisin Donnelly has literally been a rock of support during this process, and if not for her understanding and support I doubt I would have made the final effort to complete.
References:
Entwistle, N. (2001). Styles of learning and approaches to studying in higher education. Kybernetes, 30 (5–6), 593–602.
Mason, R. (2002). Review of e-learning for education and training. Paper presented at the McGourty, J., & DeMeuse, K. P. (2001). The team developer. New York: John Wiley & Sons.