Distance Education, through Open University’s MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), is designed for experienced cyberians like me who prefer comfortable online or virtual learning environments [VLEs]. Hey, I'd be able to upgrade my knowledge and capacity building skills with greater focus at my own pace and even advance technically in my writing career without the usual hassles of commuting to a physical campus.
Now, one's personal drive or self-motivation to move forward can help any distance learner accomplish anything, anytime, anywhere.
My DE Ready badge from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU).
If you’re curious, but a bit hesitant on joining the course, you can read my short reflection on distance learning.
Out of the Open and distance e-learning (ODeL) experience I can say that we, as learners, have been assimilated into a culture of quality and change.
Culture of Quality
On quality, Terry Anderson emphasized that "learning-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centered educational experiences will result in high levels of learning by all participants." He also believes that the "integration of the new tools and affordances of the educational Semantic Web and emerging social software solutions will further enhance and make more accessible and affordable quality online learning experiences.
Since I have titled this observation as ODeL Xperitus [from Latin experitus = experienced, tested, proven], let me say that learning must progress to maturity; to function well as social innovators promoting excellence through Capacity Building and Development. Yes, this is the Quality Assurance (QA) principle that defines and determines the standards of online learning, but this is a society's task.
Michael Moore even says that this is a fact of distance education wherein "teaching is hardly ever an individual act, but a collaborative process joining together the expertise of a number of specialists."
So ODeL Xperitus means you have to TRY OUT the Open and distance e-learning experience yourself and experiment with it. You'll discover that it is beyond an information-based curriculum because it requires active participation. Though ODeL, as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), has its demands like self-paced learning and group activities, it utilizes recent advances in technology and creates an "opportunity for students to engage in sufficient dialogue."
Self-assessments are included in the programme but online forums are there as well just for learners to experience peer interaction, support and feedback. Now self-tests clearly stress the need for quality content and performance standards for ODeL; not only for reports purposes but also as a measuring tool for each learner's progress and, most especially, for further course/curriculum improvement and enrichment. Therefore, everyone is benefitting from these structured processes.
Culture of Change
On change, ODeL offers not only quality content but also a valuable platform for supportive conversation that leads to transformational learning. Anderson asserted that this learning community provides "social cognition" thereby creating a community of inquiry and/or a community of practice that "support and challenge each other, leading to effective and knowledge construction."
Come to think of it, we are in a digital age wherein "access to technology is increasing" and there's also that "access to an ever-growing body of content."
What ODeL does not achieve in the control of content access must be effectively achieved by the increase of interactivity. Well, interaction with the content is all about its augmentation. Both students and teachers can question and comment on a certain course they are interacting with, but only the teacher as a representative of the institution can monitor, review, and update the contents being delivered via ODeL. As agents, they are both in control of the content's use.
As content providers, however, teachers or educators consent to the aim of the Higher Education Institution (HEI) and connect "to change and to induce change and progress in society."
Thus, a better ODeL experience means a far more generative learning. That meaningful education experience as a generative activity means you learn by doing, by building one's capacity, by learning with other contributors, and by reflecting on the content. So it is crucial to incorporate creativity in any style of learning.
And so, in ODeL, we are assessing how well the student understands the course content material, but "the flow of communication in online courses [is] much less 'teacher-centric'" and, according to Anderson, teachers "playing a less dominant role in class discourse can actually support the emergence of greater learner commitment and participation."
When students summarize the course content in their own words it becomes a connectivist's learning tool. Who is the connectivist here? Is it the teacher whose job is to facilitate learning? Or, is it the learner who is engaged in this cognitive process of constructing a more personal, deeper meaning in his/her interaction with the content?
This is definitely that ODeL Xperitus where the "learning environment is simultaneously learner-centered, content-centered, community-centered, and assessment-centered;" herein you'll experience expertise and transformational learning.
These are the insights that I have gained through ODeL. We might want to add our own conclusion, and here is mine: The student who is fully immersed in learning the content concepts becomes a connectivist whose personal perspectives are transformed. The ultimate goal of ODeL, therefore, is achieved when there is a positive, meaningful change in the learner's perception of themselves, the content information, and the world wherein they thrive to advance that culture of quality and change.
