Online learning has opened up opportunities in my life which may not have been possible with in-class learning, as well as helped me reach my learning goals in a flexible and personally driven way. Online learning has also made me feel more secure with my online privacy, as I have become more aware of it and been given explanations on how to manage it. This is not to say that there have not been steep learning curves and some difficulties with security which have come with it. However, for the most part, the online learning experience has only acted to enhance many learning opportunities.
I am a mom of two children and am currently on maternity leave. I have been wanting to upgrade my pay and enhance my education for awhile now, but have found previous attempts at going to University while juggling two kids, work and home life extremely difficult since I was never able to attend the times slots offered. Online learning has given me the flexibility to tackle courses and material at my own pace in my own time. I can work on assignments and readings after I put the kids down for the day, or while they are snacking. Online learning felt liberating and I can see how, “the blending of face-to-face provision with online delivery has been one area of significant growth, and [that] it has allowed many “traditional” universities to offer flexible learning opportunities”(Weller, 2020) because I have experienced that flexibility and that growth personally.
Not only is online learning flexible, but it also offers “a curriculum [that can] be offered electronically not just to hundreds of students nearby but to tens of thousands around the world” (Weller, 2020). Therefore, learning is becoming more accessible to everyone all over the world. Furthermore, online learning offers the ability to work with people from all over the world. This has broadened and diversified my PLN (personalized learning network) because it has allowed me to learn from, and learn with, a variety of individuals whom I may never have had the chance in a “traditional” setting. This diversity in my learning network has provided me with diverse insights and life long learning.
All that being said, while attempting to use open learning resources, or creating media for myself or with others, there are so many regulations and privacy issues that come along with it. When I teach, there is the privacy act that we must follow, as well as parental consent for image release etc… There are also limited Apps that we can use . Even in my past course, we needed to use the Open Ed website rather than one of our choice. This presented a couple issues. When in Open Ed, we cannot share it with the public. I was hoping to use my website created for my classroom, but I will need to make another in a separate way. Another issue I ran into was sourcing and confirming where those sources come from. Many times you trust the person who has posted a resource, but they may not be adhering to FIPPA regulations.
After absorbing this weeks readings, I realized that I have never actually heard the term OER (open educational resources). I have possibly used some as an educator, but I have not ever truly known the term or where to find these open resources. I feel like this may be what this course is all about, becoming a creator of learning resources and having the ability to share those ideas freely and openly online, without the restrictions of some e-learning. This would entail learning about privacy and securities, as well as how we would go about creating and sharing in general. I truly hope to learn more about how we can help our learners create learning objects which will enhance their understanding of intended learning materials, as well as to share that said information to educate others. As Weller mentions, “there [is] more to an education than simply the content” (Weller, 2020). I believe the same. I think that once we can produce something for others, collaborate around different ideas and enhance/ remix original ideas, we not only have a solid understanding of the material, but we gain more insight and skill sets which can aid us in becoming life long learners/ educators.
CItation
Weller, M. (2020). Chapter 6 – 1999 E-Learning. 25 Years of Edtech. AU Press. Retrieved from https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/2f403890-5fb5-431a-baf8-876144a4656d#ch06
Weller, M. (2020). Chapter 11 – Open Educational Resources. 25 Years of Edtech. AU Press. Retrieved from https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/ad633722-07b5-494f-80e7-a572f543bc1c#ch11