LMS Online Courses Tap into Web 2.0
Olivia on Jul 15 2009 at 2:36 am | Filed under: Parenting
One enormous benefit of LMS online courseware is its ability to help students develop and nurture strong self-motivation and independent study skills. However, what many people haven’t heard is the fact that e-learning has in many ways turned into a collaborative venture, rather than solely an independent one.
It’s a known fact that the teaching style of an educator or trainer can make or break a class. A high degree of interest in a course can be lowered by a dull instruction style. In the same way, an engaging professor or trainer can give life to even the simplest or dullest subject.
The latter case is often partly attributed to the factor of student input and discussion in the classroom. More and more e-learning programs are putting this pedagogical method to use. Almost four centuries ago, John Milton said: “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience.” For many people, what makes higher education different and special is the space it often provides for dissent, debate, and engaging discussion.
Despite the fact that many university professors still do not follow an interactive format in their classrooms, online learning is becoming more collaborative.
Many course topics, of course, aren’t suitable for classroom discussion. For example, there may not be a great need for student interaction in calculus class. But a space for student collaboration or discussion is in fact helpful and appropriate for a great deal of online course topics. With student-led discussions, learners become familiar with the course content and develop their own ideas effectively and quickly.
With the growth of Web 2.0 tools and their inclusion in online courseware, e-learning certainly has come a long way from the solitary enterprise it started as. With LMS programs and Web 2.0 tools, learners can “utter” and “argue freely according to conscience” just as Milton suggested was a basic human need. Tools such as wikis, discussion forums, and social network pages dedicated to a course allow students an efficient, simple and easy space for students to share and develop ideas with their peers.
They also tend to effect more sophisticated and democratic discussions, in which students can take their time to respond and develop thoughts. LMS online courses which use Web 2.0 tools offer a dynamic and engaging space for optimal student learning.
