Module 7: Blog Reflection – Online mass-sharing (being immersed in the public domain)

As new and more advanced technologies are appearing in the classroom, more and more the students are becoming part of a global, self-educating, online community where they are involved in learning programs that encourage them to gain knowledge and master skills through mass-sharing.

Mass-sharing of information and skills through the Web is changing the very meaning of teaching, learning, and even schooling, itself; the roles of the learner and the teacher are changing, teaching and learning can occur outside the four walls of the classroom and beyond the time limitations of traditional class schedules, and, the focus is fast changing from teachers teaching to students learning.

By making education more achievable by more students, mass-sharing of information online will give access to improved, meaningful learning to students all around the world. Students need to be taught how to make the most effective use of the online tools available to them; web-based multimedia learning experiences for student learning communities, such as videoconferencing to learn and teach, on-line discussions with other students and course consultants/experts, sharing learning through online publishing tools, using a wiki as a collaborative tool to share class notes, web activities complete with images, sound, and video to present information, test knowledge and skills, submit assignments and communicate with students and faculty on a global level, all create a high quality learning experiences.

Computer hardware malfunction, inappropriate use of the computer, difficulty in accessing an Internet service provider, on-line traffic overload leading to low or no internet response, and security problems are obstacles that students need to learn to deal with in twenty-first century education.

Mass-sharing makes learning more dynamic, interactive and authentic, focuses on the social learning process, enables members of the learning community to access and share information resources speedily and easily, and motivates and empowers students. Students need to be encouraged to develop an interest for connecting with a global community and sharing with others as a means of learning and expanding their knowledge.

The power of mass-sharing cannot be under-estimated; collaborative, online learning community experiences more effectively augment acquisition of knowledge and skills than traditional or individual studies. In that light, it can be concluded that students need to be prepared/trained for a life of mass-sharing; they need to be aware of the implications of being immersed in the public domain. (See my Blog Reflection: Module 4)