PTRLPD
Supporting e-learning
Theme 1
What is e-learning?
What is e-learning?  There are numerous interpretations of what is meant by e-learning. 

Take a look at the following resources and consider the definitions they give.
Wikipedia 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_learning

A primer on e-learning
http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/publications-reports-articles/web-articles/Web-Article948

E-learning, Learning through the use of electronic devices
http://knol.google.com/k/thomas-de-praetere/e-learning/20ohkjtmn38cb/2#

What is e-learning?
http://www.tonybates.ca/2008/07/07/what-is-e-learning/

Key Issues in E-Learning
http://www.nccmembership.co.uk/pooled/articles/BF_WEBART/view.asp?Q=BF_WEBART_113167

The many faces of elearning
http://www.elearningnetwork.org/content/many-faces-elearning

E-learning 2.0
http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=29-1

When you've finished exploring these links, click Next to move on to the activity
Reading activity
What are the similarities/differences in these definitions? 

Do any or all of the definitions match your existing understanding of what is meant by e-learning?  

Are any of them new? Follow the link and enter your answers into the course site:
[link to course site here]
As you can see, e-learning means different things to different people.  Definitions of what can be construed as e-learning continue to evolve as new technologies and opportunities emerge.  One example of this is the rise of ‘social media’ which has had an impact on e-learning and introduced new possibilities for educators in the e-learning space. This is sometimes referred to as ‘E-learning 2.0’ and we’ll be exploring this in more detail later in the course.
What is your attitude to e-learning?  

Take a look at the resources below, which explore the pros and cons of e-learning from a variety of perspectives.
Click next
How E-learning Works
http://communication.howstuffworks.com/elearning4.htm

The Benefits and Drawbacks of e-Learning
http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_3.htm

The elearning diet: Not recommended for long term results
http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=194343

E-learning: The fad that’s lasted 30 years
http://www.fastrak-consulting.co.uk/clives_columns2.pdf

E-learning stuck in the slow
http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/04/30/45693/e-learning-stuck-in-the-slow.html

Ignatia Webs: My top 5 list of agonizing eLearning Myths
http://ignatiawebs.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-top-5-list-of-agonising-elearning.html

Attitudes
What is e-learning?
Do any of the views expressed in these resources have particular resonance for you? Have your views on e-learning been changed or reinforced by any of the opinions expressed above?  What role, if any, does e-learning have to play in your own context. 
Reflection
Follow the link and enter your answers into the course site:
[Link to course site here]
Blogs
You may have heard of, or even used ‘blogs’, one of the more recent tools which have emerged from ‘Web 2.0’ and have found an application for learning. 

Visit a typical blog and you will see a relatively simple, text-based site.  The content will be based around a number of articles or ‘entries’, written by the blog author, arranged in reverse-chronological order.  

Other features typically include: 
1. A retrievable archive of previous entries.  
2. Links to other blogs and websites which the author recommends.
3. A function to allow visitors to add comments to an entry

James M. Branum (2001) classifies most blogs as either ‘filter-style’ or ‘free-style’.

Filter-style: These are like portals, bringing together material of interest to the audience of the blog.  Such blogs usually consist of hyperlinks to articles, news reports, etc with a degree of commentary by the author.  This kind of blog is often used within professional and academic domains.

Free-style: Branum refers to these as records of the ‘internal world’.  Generally speaking, these are often personal diaries – ‘stream of consciousness’ journals. Another ‘flavour’ of the free-style blog is the notebook, (Brooks et al, 2004).  Such notebook blogs are used as records of activity and thought, quite often for academic pursuit.


Blogs are finding an increasing range of uses within both informal and formal learning.  Thus we see blogs incarnated as course notice-boards, forums for collaborative work and even as learning management systems.  

 “Blogs are useful teaching and learning tools because they provide a space for students to reflect and publish their thoughts and understandings. And because blogs can be commented on, they provide opportunities for feedback and potential scaffolding of new ideas.”
(Ferdig and Trammell, 2004)

As part of the PTRLDP: Supporting e-learning course, we would like you to start your own blog. You can use your blog to post links to items of interest and also to record and share your thoughts on the issues raised in the course.

Post your response to Activity #2 in your blog.  Look at the blogs of other learners in your cohort to find out their perspectives on e-learning.  We will be discussing this further in Session X on Day Y of the class.
[insert link to blogging platform here]
References
References

Branum, J.M. (2001) ‘The Blogging Phenomenon, An Overview and Theoretical Consideration’, http://www.ajy.net/jmb/blogphenomenon.htm

Brooks K., Nichols, C. & Price, S. (2004) ‘Remediation, Genre, and Motivation: Key Concepts for Teaching with Weblogs’,  http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/remediation_genre.html

Ferdig, R.E. & Trammell, K.D. ‘Content Delivery in the 'Blogosphere'’, The Journal [on-line] February 2004 http://thejournal.com/articles/2004/02/01/content-delivery-in-the-blogosphere.aspx?sc_lang=en 

Karrer, T. (2007) ‘Learning and Networking With Blogs’, http://www.astd.org/LC/2007/1007_karrer.htm

What's next?
In Theme #2, we will be exploring xxxxx.