Online learning is an approach to learning that gives learners flexibility in terms of time, place and pace of learning. It is interesting to know that with the growing influence of technology, the actual process of learning is undergoing a paradigm shift. Learners today have a choice over the process of learning and sharing knowledge - in person, by exchanging printed or electronic media, or through technology that allows them to communicate in real time and through other chatting ways, despite being separated by geographical boundaries. Thanks to virtual classrooms that is a concept which is now taken more seriously by universities, institutions and corporates world-over!
Constructivist approaches blended with technology have been instrumental in helping learners in the online learning environment. The online learners are essentially engaged in real world or authentic tasks that are anchored in a situation depending on their context and performance setting. This greatly enables the adult learners to construct personal meaning from their experiences. They are also exposed to a variety of teaching methods/environment which requires communication with other individuals despite being separated geographically. Group work, collaborative efforts, reflective thinking, introspection, exploratory learning, etc finally make them self-directed individuals.
Constructivist strategies can be broadly classified into exploratory strategies, dialogic strategies and supportive strategies. Exploratory strategies include problem-solving strategies, role-playing, hypothesis generation and exploration. Dialogic strategies are those that extensively use dialogue in them. Articulation, reflection, multiple perspectives and collaboration and social learning come under the umbrella of dialogic strategies. Modeling and explaining, coaching and scaffolding are strategies that come under supportive strategies. These strategies promote teaching that involves some kind of a back and forth transaction between the instructor and the learner or between learners, over traditional teaching. In such a context, learners actively construct their own knowledge. They get more involved in the process of learning whereby they realize the importance of taking responsibility of their knowledge. All the constructivist strategies help in promoting self-directed learning, which is a strategy in itself. (Source: Online Learning, Concepts, Strategies and Application - Nada Dabbagh, Brenda Bannan-Ritland, Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall, 2005)
Constructivist approaches blended with technology have been instrumental in helping learners in the online learning environment. The online learners are essentially engaged in real world or authentic tasks that are anchored in a situation depending on their context and performance setting. This greatly enables the adult learners to construct personal meaning from their experiences. They are also exposed to a variety of teaching methods/environment which requires communication with other individuals despite being separated geographically. Group work, collaborative efforts, reflective thinking, introspection, exploratory learning, etc finally make them self-directed individuals.
Constructivist strategies can be broadly classified into exploratory strategies, dialogic strategies and supportive strategies. Exploratory strategies include problem-solving strategies, role-playing, hypothesis generation and exploration. Dialogic strategies are those that extensively use dialogue in them. Articulation, reflection, multiple perspectives and collaboration and social learning come under the umbrella of dialogic strategies. Modeling and explaining, coaching and scaffolding are strategies that come under supportive strategies. These strategies promote teaching that involves some kind of a back and forth transaction between the instructor and the learner or between learners, over traditional teaching. In such a context, learners actively construct their own knowledge. They get more involved in the process of learning whereby they realize the importance of taking responsibility of their knowledge. All the constructivist strategies help in promoting self-directed learning, which is a strategy in itself. (Source: Online Learning, Concepts, Strategies and Application - Nada Dabbagh, Brenda Bannan-Ritland, Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall, 2005)
It is a process in which learners take the initiative with or without help from others to analyze their learning needs, state learning goals, identify resources for learning, choose and implement learning strategies and most importantly evaluate the learning outcomes. Along with this the learner also learns to use the task strategies – rehearsing and memorizing, organizing and transforming; help seeking and time planning and management. The online environment is ruled by the fact that the learner and the facilitator are separated geographically and the effects of this constraint can be overcome by making the learners self-directed individuals.
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