Reflections on learning online - the hype and the reality

Abstract

Reflections on learning online- the hype and the reality This article describes a UCT academic's experiences of a twelve week course on networked teaching and learning run entirely online through a British university. She reflects on her experiences of isolation, the difficulties to do with lack of a sense of audience and the challenges of creating an appropriate online persona. She queries the deterministic claims in the literature regarding the intrinsic nature of online learning environments and collaboration. She argues that there has been a misinterpretation of theories of learner-centered approaches which have lead to insufficient structure in the course as well as the downplaying of expert knowledge. She concludes that sophisticated kinds of instructional design are required to provide an appropriate framework for learners for a course of this kind.


South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.15(3) 2001: 17-23