BIOGRAPHY OF AN E-LEARNER

SOCIAL MEDIA LEARNERS AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

AUTHOR: MARY PETTY

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN E-LEARNER• APPROACHES EDUCATION WITH A “BLENDED LEARNING” APPROACH• MAY TAKE “ONLINE” COURSES WHILE ATTENDING “IN-PERSON” COURSES• MAY PREFER “HYBRID” COURSES THAT REDUCE FACE-TO-FACE TIME AND ALLOW FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY.• DESIRES MORE CONTROL OF CLASS SCHEDULE.

• DESIRES A “STUDENT-CENTERED” LEARNING APPROACH• DESIRES ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN WORK OUT PROBLEMS ON THEIR OWN• WANTS TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER LEARNERS • WANTS TO USE MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION • WANTS MORE FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE FROM INSTRUCTOR AS OPPOSED TO ONE-WAY LECTURING

CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN ELEARNERS (CONT.)• COMBINED LEARNING MODALITY • THIS LEARNER MAY USE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODALITIES TO ABSORB INFORMATION.• DUE TO A SHORT ATTENTION SPAN, AND REDUCED CONCENTRATION ABILITY, THIS LEARNER MAY NEED TO

HAVE MATERIAL PRESENTED THROUGH AUDITORY, VISUAL, AND TACTILE MEANS.• THIS LEARNER ALSO PREFERS THE USE OF HANDS-ON EXERCISES THAT INCORPORATES TECHNOLOGY IN A

MULTITUDE OF FORMS.

• INSTANT FEEDBACK AND COMMUNICATION• THIS LEARNER REQUIRES INSTANT ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK FROM QUESTIONS.• LEARNERS TODAY LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THEY ARE ALWAYS CONNECTED. WAITING 2-3 DAYS FOR AN

ANSWER TO A QUESTION IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE. IN MANY CASES, WITHOUT IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, THE LEARNER WILL BECOME FRUSTRATED AND GIVE-UP ON FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS.

GOALS OF AN E-LEARNER• OBTAIN EDUCATION WHILE EMPLOYED / TAKING CARE OF FAMILY• MANY E-LEARNERS ARE PART-TIME EMPLOYED AND HAVE TO BALANCE A FULL

SCHEDULE • SOME MAY ALSO HAVE FAMILY TO CARE FOR.

• FINISH SCHOOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE• MANY E-LEARNERS ARE TAKING COURSES TO PROGRESS THEIR CAREERS AND

THEIR TIME IS VALUABLE. THEY WANT TO FEEL THAT THE COURSES THEY ARE TAKING IS VALUE-ADDED TO THEIR CAREER PATH.

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS CONTRIBUTE TO THIS LEARNER• PROVIDES A COLLABORATIVE REAL-TIME ENVIRONMENT

• SITES SUCH AS FACEBOOK PROVIDE AN ABILITY FOR AN INSTRUCTOR TO CREATE A COURSE PAGE AND INVITE LEARNERS TO JOIN IT. THE SITE CAN BE CONFIGURED WITH LINKS TO OTHER SITES, VIDEOS, LEARNING GAMES, AND INSTANT MESSAGING. FACEBOOK ALSO OFFERS A HOST OF SECURITY FEATURES AND IS RARELY (IF EVER) NOT AVAILABLE.

• OFFERS SEVERAL DIFFERENT LEARNING OPTIONS • MANY OF THE MODERN LEARNERS WANT TO ENGAGE THEMSELVES WITH ALL OF THEIR SENSES. SITES SUCH AS

“YOUTUBE” GIVE INSTRUCTORS A WAY TO BROADCAST LECTURES, AND POST VIDEOS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO LEARNING MATERIALS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

• INTEGRATES TECHNOLOGY • LEARNERS OFTEN HAVE TECHNOLOGY WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES. INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY INTO THEIR LESSON

PLANS NOT ONLY GIVES THEM ACCESS TO MATERIAL AT THE PALM OF THEIR HANDS, BUT ALSO ENABLES STUDENTS TO VIEW THEIR DEVICES AS A TOOL TO ACCOMPLISH MANY DIFFERENT TASKS .

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS CONTRIBUTE TO THIS LEARNER (CONT.)• GIVES THE LEARNER SOME SENSE OF VOICE AND CONTROL.• JUST BECAUSE THE LEARNER CAN’T BE IN AN IN-PERSON CLASSROOM

ENVIRONMENT, THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEY STILL DON’T NEED SOCIAL INTERACTION. SOCIAL MEDIA PROVIDES THE LEARNER WITH A PLATFORM TO VOICE THEIR OPINION AND MAKE REQUEST FROM OTHER LEARNERS IN THE COURSE.

• IS FAST• MOST SOCIAL MEDIA SITES LIKE FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, AND

SNAPCHAT ALL SHARE SOMETHING IN COMMON, THEY ARE FAST! • STUDENTS ENJOY INSTANT GRATIFICATION, LIKES, AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM

THEIR PEERS.