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[PATRICK TING]陳幹煌

Seeking to be a simple yet an ordinary one is just like a journey through Pacific Ocean

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

This is the first ever e-learning session that i've gone through during my journey of tertiary education. By the way, I still consider one-year programme- PGDE as my last year of tertiary education. =)

ya, indeed, in this elearning week, we all have definitely practised collaborative learning and self-directed learning through the use of online discussion forum, which is our own group's wiki. However, for this time, my e-learning process is not conducted in a form of group, and i guess the experience will be different from individual working on e-learning process. Nevertheless, when we come to commenting, it turns into a whole-group work as it requires everyone in the group to parcipate and to comment on whatever threads they feel like to comment on. Ok, for those two questions posed to us and they are, as below:

1.
Have I achieved my learning goals? How did I make that happen? Were my learning strategies effective and efficient? Can they be improved?

From my point of view, one of my learning goals is to be an ultimately intimate 'friend' with techonologies, namely e-forums, portals, wiki and other platforms, so that I am able to grapple with information provided in the platforms, and which further helps to process my learning tasks more effectively and efficiently. Of course, prior to the embark of e-learning week, we must regularly visit relevant platforms, although we may not post any comments or ideas, at least, after usual visits, we are more get used to the cyberspace, so that we are able to navigate well.
Participation wise, I think I am always contented with what others voice out, as I think theirs sound very reasonable and if I am going to comment on them, I will only have the terms 'ya, i agree!',' exactly', 'precisely' and etc typed on the thread. Anyway, ya, I will try to prompt my mind to have my own independent and exclusive ideas and comments! =)

2.
Were the group processes supporting our group learning? Why and why not? How can I/we improve?

So far, I feel that our wiki is in a quite muted mode as there are not many happenings yet. Perhaps due to our PGDE, we have other commitments and tasks to be completed and many modules are conducted concurrently, due to the prolonged commencement of those courses. Anyway, I guess every peer is putting effort trying to complete every task ASAP and perfectly, of course including e-learning tasks. Anyway, group processes definitely do support our group learning, as groups are consisted of more than one member, if so, we are equipped with more brains to work on tasks, especially mutual-commenting, so that we are able to learn from each other, and it's a form of sharing of ideas and knowledge as well! =)
For improvement part, I guess there's no much to be mentioned here. Anyway, so far so good!

On a side note, I prefer to have my reflection typed here instead of wiki, as I find that my personal space which is my blog is much more user-friendly than wiki, as it is my personal space as mentioned. =)

jia you guys! let's work hard to get through this hectic semester! =)

-Below are my threads posted on ICT Group 15's wiki-

Indeed, the use of the internet for teaching and learning cannot and should not be avoided. As mentioned in Chapter 8 (ICT for self-directed and collaborative learning, pg136), the dilemma of using the Internet for teaching and learning is actually clear, that cyberspace can be a useful platform for students to glean academic learning, but it can also be potentially dangerous for students, for instances, cybersexual addiction, cyber-relational addiction, gaming addiction, net addiction and etc.

Perhaps, Mrs Xing did aware of the potential internet safety issues, however, some procedures or actions she had taken may just be inadequate to cope with the potential safety issues.

Firstly, Mrs Xing should not upload a powerpoint file.Instead, she should create a webpage via or under school Learning Management System, whereby there is a homepage showing instructions for the task, websites students could visit, and some questions to guide and stimulate students' thinking. For example, http://155.69.84.21/wbaml/Resource/L0251/index.htm itself is an ideal one, as it shows every detail explicity and students are not able to modify the content. If so, students dont have to download anything as they may have problem in accessing the file, apart from that, it functions as a proof for parents,so that there wont be any misunderstandings like when children caught navigating irrelevant websites says pornographic and etc and yet claimed that's what of the instructions, between teachers and parents.

On a side note, Mrs Xing should send out letters or consent forms to parents or guardians for information regarding e-learning week. In the forms, details of e-learning tasks and instructions are stated clearly as well and parents are supposed to sign on the space provided on the forms, then students are to submit their forms back to the school.

To avoid students from cutting and pasting internet information, Mrs Xing should require students to do a report or summary of what they have researched,perhaps also state the origins of resource and etc.

Here are my questions for peers to think of:

- Do you think that students need to be further evaluated on what they have learnt(on the topic-Energy)?

- Any other potential internet safety issues that Mrs Xing has to deal with?To conclude, I think e-learning can be a way to promote cybersafety and awareness of cyberdanger to students, teachers and parents or guardians.

However, students may still fail to overcome cyberdanger during e-learning day and may claim that they are merely trying to do the work that teachers have instructed, so, at least, school and teachers have to make sure that there is no misunderstanding in between schools and parents, as teachers and schools cannot wholly make sure that all students are in cybersafety as self-awareness and self-conscious also decide whether or not they are safe enough in cyberspace.

Patrick Ting ~ 9/03/2009 01:45:00 AM