Chrisp’s e-learning expriences

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald I found quite interesting and thought I might share it. The article is titled   ‘E-learning ‘key to indigenous education’. (SMH 2008). The article tells how language and other barriers for remote communities can be a serious disadvantage. It comments on how some of this challenges can be overcome with the help of e-learning. An is another wonderful example of the scope and depth that some e-leaning techniques can offer. They claim

 “Technology also helps to build the confidence of the most disadvantaged students, most of whom have reading and writing skills significantly less than mainstream children of similar age” (2008)

The program is supported by the federal Government and is attracting some attention and more importantly some funding.

“CDU researchers Ruth Wallace said the e-learning software was proving to be an effective tool in the education of Aboriginal children. Traditionally, indigenous learners would have to start with a written text not in their first language, she said.Now with e-learning, they can actually start with something that looks more relevant” (2008)

http://news.smh.com.au/national/elearning-key-to-indigenous-education-20081107-5jx1.html

One major advantage of this online course that I am currently undertaking is the ability to participate when and how I like. This is quite convenient as like most I am busy however would like to get the most out of it. Today like most days in the last week I have used the course for musical ear training. There are several ways you can do this using the facility provided. One way is a question answer program that can be accessed on the website. Simply open the facility and begin. On your command the system will play, via your computers speakers a musical note. Then it provides a selection of possible notes that the sound could be. It will then alert you to the correctness of you answer. If you are incorrect it then informs you of the correct answer. Convenient way to get a little music practice in whilst going about your normal daily business. Works a little like a common computer game. It is something you can do at any time for any amount of time.

I put another hour in today. I think i may have discovered somthing here. There are plenty of exercise and plenty of areas to explore. Today i was looking at standard riffs for both Blues and Jazz and on the learning site there is a ‘heap’ of them. The difficultity now is where do you start and where do you head. I suppose this is one of the problems with this for of training/education.

It is all up on a website, it is all available however as there is no guide or teacher (for want of a better description). So to create a structured learning exprience it is really up to the student. Sometimes it is tempting to move to another area before mastering the first.

Anyway i will continue …..at this point i see much potential.

Today i participated in a further session of my chosen online course. This time i looked at some standard progressions. These progression were display on the screen in what is know as tab form. With in this form the fingering positions on the fretboard are inducted by numbers and by pushing the play button the tune is played at whatever speed that siuts your style. For the learning of the progression the speed can be played very slow and sped up as confidence builds.  This has been useful. The exercise of control of the the speed and other characteristics that can be exercised with the online method as well as the fact that in can be accessed at any stage is a deffinate advantage of e-learning.

Ok, i commenced my online course. Today spenting about an hour with the online ‘ear training’ suite.  This involves and exsercise of selecting a question via a command button where the training system plays a note from a particular musical scale. They then provide a series of tick boxes against a selection of possible notes. You choose which you think it is and the system responses. My ‘hit rate’ was not to strong today. I think it takes a little more concentration then what i could dedicate and the result was quite. All the same i intend to do some more tomorrow to see if i can improve. I also went to a section where you can have the system play scales in different keys. It will also create appegios for listening within any selected key. This i found useful, working in common keys i was able to ‘attempt’ to improve my recognition to the different keys. Ok, thats it today. I finding it interesting and intend to comtinue even on completion of the e-learning subject at Uni.

Some more Tomorrow  -

I have decided to do an online music course for my e-learning Module 3 assignment. I have played Bass Guitar for many years. It has been an interest or passion of mine since i was young. Playing in several bands over the years and doing plenty of playing for my own pleasure it brings great enjoyment into my leisure hours. I have never recieved formal training; more or less taught myself. I recently decided that i would learn the instrument in a more formal way. No better time then your middle years ‘me thinks’. With this end in mind i recently enlisted the services of a professional teacher to guide me on the journey. I expect that the sessions with the teacher will serve to enhance much of the practical skills required however i see no reason why some of the theoretical elements could not be done with the use of an e-learning program.  E-learning module 3 requires us to complete a short online e-learning course; great !  what an opportunity.

I have located a course. It is provided for free on a specialist website.  Providing basic music training at different levels this course is just what i have been looking for.  The course is divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced level. I intend to do 4 hours of the course and see just how far i can advance. So here we go!

test

I have a strong preference for a visual style of learning.

10 on visual

It can be useful for online learning platforms. As the online world is a visual world.  Sometimes the material is quite text heavy however when combined with visual cues  i find it does work well. Graphs, diagrams and other visually based tools are also my choice when delivering training online also. I find it combines well power point presentations and similar formats. These formats a the preferred method for face to face training but they can also convert to the online platform.

Some of what Watkins suggests has a special relevance to me and my experience as a trainer. In my work we are just beginning to introduce or relatively recently have introduced various forms of e-learning platforms. They have generally proven effective however, they have not been with out challenges.  As Watkins suggests these technologies have ‘created new demands on both learners and instructors’. Introducing these methods to groups who in the past may have been more accustomed to the age old classroom/face to face methods can be arduous and at times time consuming. But as Watkins suggests a little planning and preliminarily work in bringing the students ‘up to speed’ with the new technologies may be effective. I find that fear of the unknown seems to underpin some of the resistance that is encountered. The student will quite often see the new technologies as completely alien to what they know or what they have exprienced in the past. It is interesting to note however and Watkins does make the point that ‘e-learning typically takes many of the study habits from the traditional classroom’. If the student can quickly adapt their already developed study skills to the new platform confinence with the technology can build equally quickly.

As the internet or ‘Web’ naturally evolves then the talk of these new technologies and methodologies generating social change surfaces. Just as it is said that the printing press was the catalyst for the french revolutions then maybe just maybe the current web technologies may generate a similar level of social change. The following passage is taken from a promotion blog, broadcasting for an up and coming conference conducted by an organisation called ‘ Virtual Worlds London’. This conference is being conducted for industry professionals and it certainly seems set to cover some interesting topics;

 will be focusing on the spectral part of the gathering: the Future of E-Learning (Monday), a panel I have the honor to moderate. What will we talk about? For instance, its already evident that the intersection of Virtual Social Worlds and User-Generated Media is transforming E-learning. The panel will discuss the path for integrating Web 2.0 and Web 3D media to fundamentally transform enterprise collaboration, informal learning, and knowledge democratization, which drives organic growth within the enterprise.

http://www.mixedrealities.com/?p=649