What kind of tutoring and learning is needed in an online course? One way to outline the nature of online teaching or guidance is to divide it into three parts in the manner of Päivi Mäkinen: interactive, reflective and operational guidance. Interactive guidance contains support for group work, the reflective supervision for content-related expertise and functional supervision for the coordination of studies. All three fields are important, but from the perspective of achieving goals, it is essential how reflective guidance succeeds and what, above all, are the channels and problem aspects of such supervision.
Information overload appears to be the biggest problem in learning. There is too much data, it comes too fast, and it is often wrong or in a format difficult to handle. What is pivotal, therefore, is to be able to select information in a target-oriented manner.
Comments picked up from forums:
Hilda Kabuki Ocansey: “Kabuki is entirely lost amidst all these experts and ‘familiar-to’ participants.”
Kae Novak: “Live and let lurk! I’m not sure lurking isn’t part of some people’s learning process. Especially when we are in the midst of connected/networked learning, it’s entirely new way of learning for some people. To feel comfortable in this new type of environment they may need to lurk for awhile. And since this type of learning is new maybe we’re just used to how the early adopters (textroverts) treat this environment.”
Adam Warren: “I think that the sheer density of the messages can make it difficult for novices to post their own thoughts – especially if they are not natural ‘textroverts’.”
Inger Carin Grøndal: “I have two concerns about learning through connections, and they are maybe contradicting each other. – – The first concern is that when you learn through networks, the network tend to repeat and strengthen what the members say, in psychology terms, you get group think. The dissidents are soon saying the same as the majority, or they move to another network. The second concern is that learning through networks tend to get overwhelming. People in this course already complains that the information provided is overwhelming, and that goes for connectivism as well.”
Bibiana Jou: “I still don’t get the difference between constructivism and connectivism – -. I’m still confused with all the terminology and what it actually means and imply…”
Jennifer Verschoor: “I´ve just found this wiki that has two different points of view about Connectivism. Which is your position?”
Minh McCloy: “George, Stephen – need informed clarification here”
Eduardo Peirano: “Are we getting support from the instructors? Do we need their support? Note that I am not complaining.”
Hi, I just wanted to say, I really like your posts here, its nice to have these little pieces, they are just the right size – it makes you stop and think
I wanted to try and do something like that with all the mini-conversations that I’m having offline with people about connectivism – just these tiny little comments here and there,
Thank you !
Thanks Nicola, I appreciate your comment. It is so important to get feedback – and have a reader! Let’s keep in touch. -Riitta
Hi Riitta,
I love your blog and your questions. It is not easy to participate in an online course with many many others.
We are all facilitators to each others but how to do it? Time is restricted, we all have work to do and life to live.. but sometimes, something can be said.
Did you participate Mindtrek 1.10. in Tampere? Chris Messina had a lecture about “I am the platform” .. we all are with open ID and the world is open.
Hohhoijaa, how to say that using English? But interesting anyway!
Thanks for commenting, Heli. I really like the idea that we all facilitate each other’s learning. We all are teachers and learners at the same time. There is a big lesson to learn, especially for us teachers.
I certainly participated in the Mindtrek conference and listened to Chris Messina
– the conference gets better every year.