Online Learning - Effective as Social Learning Strategy?

Proponents of constructivism suggest that “learners create their own learning” and emphasise the “interaction of persons and situations in the acquisition and refinement of skills and knowledge” (Ormond, Schunk & Gredler , 2008, pp. 184-185).  Knowledge, according to the social constuctivists, is “socially and culturally constructed” and learning is “a social process”, which “occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities (Kim, 2001). Taking these suppositions to be valid, this assignment asks a very relevant question to this course – can the online environment be effective for learning?

In attempting to answer this question through the eyes of the constructivists, we should also ask whether or not the online environment is a social one.  In a broad sense, the term ‘social’ refers to the way in which organisms interact with each other (Wikipedia).  On this premise, we can safely say that the online environment is ‘social’ in nature as it does allow for various levels of interaction between its members (students).  Applied to our discussion, our investigation is aimed at finding out whether or not the interaction between students is adequate enough to facilitate successful learning.  

Ormond, Schunk & Gredler (2008) propose that cognition is influenced by the ‘tools’ of the social environment - cultural objects, language and social institutions (p. 191).  How then do these tools apply or take effect in an online learning environment?  Well, this same source goes on to say that “cognitive change results from using cultural tools in social interactions and from internalising and mentally transforming these interactions”.  In my view, such interaction best takes place in an environment that encourages learner interaction and discussion, which is typical of most online learning forums.  Students interact in discussion boards such as this one, sharing their views, which have been influenced by their cultural tools and mutually learn from each other’s experiences.  Thus far in this programme, I have been able to share views and experiences from my Caribbean background, while at the same time been able to learn about practices and approaches from other cultures, thus broadening my knowledge base.

One significant difference between learning in an online environment over a face-to-face environment is the fact that we cannot rely on observation of and therefore learning from non-verbal cues, which too are socially influenced, and can impact how we learn (of) or view a person or concept.  We therefore have to rely on and are more influenced by interpretation of writing tone in the online environment.

Another key element of applying constructivism to learning settings is that the Instructor needs to challenge learners’ ways of thinking. One way of doing so is by using a variety of teaching/learning methods in instructional delivery.  According to one online source, this is done in the online setting in a variety of ways; including “structured online discussions, collaborative online activities, online assessment, interactive course material, and the changing role of the teacher from ‘a sage to a guide’” (Gulati, 2004).  These techniques aid in fostering that social learning environment; and the teacher’s role as a ‘guide’ fosters that self-discovery which constructivists deem crucial to learning.

So, is online learning better than or as effective as the face-to-face environment, when investigated through the eyes of the constructivists?  I will suggest the view of another writer that “just as in the traditional classroom, it is the quality of the relationships among the professor, the content, and the student which affects learning.”  (St. Clair, 2008).

References:

Gulati, S. (2004). Constructivism and emerging online learning pedagogy: A discussion for formal to

acknowledge and promote the informal.  Education-line.  Retrieved from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00003562.htm

Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and

technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate

custom edition). New York: Pearson.

St. Clair, J. (2008).  Distance learning: It’s NOT about the technology!. Online Learning: Issues, Challenges

and Opportunities.  Retrieved from http://online.umwblogs.org/

Wikipedia (2011).  Social.  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social