This week's readings talk about choosing a learning medium that supports learner collaboration and cooperation. For adult learners, social mediums provide a platform to share experiences and expertise while enabling the learners to keep track of their own development. It also offers flexibility in using resources.
However, there are a few assumptions that impact how these social mediums foster collaboration and cooperation among learners. The most important one of these assumptions is that the learners understand the purpose of their learning and will thus be responsible for directing their learning process. This is a significant assumption that can result in the failure of the learning process as it affects the level of trust and comfort required in educational collaboration and online community building. There are personal agendas involved. How can an educator or instructor turn it around if the learner is not able to establish this psychological contract early on in the learning process?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Samar, I agree with your assessment about self-directedness in learning and issues around power and positionality.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever experienced this in your role as an educator, or perhaps otherwise as a learner?
I haven't had any experience with issues around power and positionality in an online training environment but I remember a situation in one of the trainings where I was amongst the audience. A participant of the training (a departmental head), left the training complaining that it was a waste of his time. The training could not be discontinued as there were other people attending, nor could it be called off. The situation made everyone really uncomfortable and created a solemn mood in the room. Some people apologized to the trainer and asked to go and talk to the person. After 15minutes, it was decided that the training would be continued without the person. After that episode, I saw the facilitator struggle with creating a comfortable environment where people could share ideas.
ReplyDeleteIt was later found that their was an interpersonal conflict between the trainee who left and one of the departmental heads who had arranged the training. The trainer was not at fault here but was the worst effected by the incident. I thought the impact that training should have had was lost.
I haven't had any experience with issues around power and positionality in an online training environment but I remember a situation in one of the trainings where I was amongst the audience. A participant of the training (a departmental head), left the training complaining that it was a waste of his time. The training could not be discontinued as there were other people attending, nor could it be called off. The situation made everyone really uncomfortable and created a solemn mood in the room. Some people apologized to the trainer and asked to go and talk to the person. After 15minutes, it was decided that the training would be continued without the person. After that episode, I saw the facilitator struggle with creating a comfortable environment where people could share ideas.
ReplyDeleteIt was later found that their was an interpersonal conflict between the trainee who left and one of the departmental heads who had arranged the training. The trainer was not at fault here but was the worst effected by the incident. I thought the impact that training should have had was lost.