In my many talks with clients about developing a new type of course, I often ask about the possibility of using virtual classrooms, to solve the challenge of deploying effective training globally. Most of them sound interested but skeptical about the ability to use virtual classroom to facilitate true learning. Now there are several reasons for their skepticism, The first articulated is that e-learning seems good for soft skills but not effective for extremely technical learning. Many companies have their own disaster stories about the adoption of e-learning in the 90’s and being extremely frustrated with results.
It is really easy to use the failures of the past to inhibit the acceptance of new technology. I think in order to evaluate the potential of virtual classroom we have to understand what is learning, and where does it take place. I believe that learning is a life long process and can take place in any environment. I have argued in the past one of the basic function of learning is problem solving, and as a consequence learning can take place anywhere. On the surface many people will agree but when it comes too technical learning we are convinced the only place to learn is in the classroom. Never mind that gravity was discovered under an apple tree. In Herbert Thomas ‘s Paper learning spaces he has shed some light on what is behind the thinking that real learning takes place in the classroom.
Traditionally, at least according to popular wisdom, learning took place in venues that were custom-designed for the purpose. The purpose, given the evidence of the artefacts with which we are confronted, seems to have been the educational equivalent of the production line that so succinctly characterised the industrialisation of society. One consequence of this design logic, however, is that learning is defined as something that is married to a ‘place’. This paper will argue that the conceptual ‘slippage’ that characterises the disappearing differences between ‘learning spaces’ and ‘learning environments’, coupled with the further ‘displacement’ of the learner (turned avatar) in virtual spaces such as Facebook and Second Life, serves to ‘displace’ learning itself. The paper argues further that we have failed to recognise the primacy of ‘physical situ- atedness’ to our conceptions of learning itself.
The physical situ-atedness of learning is an interesting concept, a class does not define learning, it is our body and minds that defines learning. Virtual classrooms change the dynamic of learning from instructor being the primary source of knowledge and information and displacing it to the individuals with in the classroom. In order for Virtual classrooms to be accepted by the oil and gas community it would mean that as an industry will have to change the way in which we view learning. Perhaps the failures of e-learning in the past is result of our very limited understanding of learning.
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"The physical situ-atedness of learning is an interesting concept, a class does not define learning, it is our body and minds that defines learning."
ReplyDeleteI think this is very true. It is hard for some in an instructional capacity to recognize that learning can and will take place where ever new knowledge is gained. Students learn in the streets, on the bus, riding in cars. For some moving education out of the four walls has been difficult. Maybe they feel that they cannot control the environment in a virtual world.