Reflection on Using Blogs in Your Training Mix
Hi Folks:It took me approximately ten minutes to set up this blog, and copy and paste information from one topic of our Making the Right Choices for Your eLearning course into a blog posting. So, as you can see, blogs are one way to quickly set up a rudimentary form of eLearning.
Can you see uses for blogs in any of your training? Could experts in your organization set up blogs about their knowledge area, with others having the ability to ask questions? What about using blogs as part of a blended learning solution, whereby information and discussion could be shared before and/or after a specific face-to-face training event? Or could these be used as learners' journals for reflection and sharing?
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Asynchronous Learning
This course is asynchronous. Although we will be staging some synchronous learning events (e.g. web conferences) here and there so that you can also experience this form of learning, the course is, for the most part, asynchronous. You can log in when it suits your schedule, work your way through the material at your own pace (within limits of course), and participate in discussions at any time.
Advantages of Asynchronous Learning
Convenience and Flexibility
Learners can participate at times that are most convenient for them. This is very important when learners have very different schedules, and are juggling many demands on their time. This flexibility is also important when you are engaging learners from different time zones.
Pacing
People learn at different speeds. Asynchronous learning respects this. The learner can go through material at quickly or slowly, can pause and reflect when necessary, and can go back and review sections as necessary.
Quality of Discussions
Because there is more time for reflection, learners can carefully craft more thoughtful contributions to asynchronous discussions than may be the case in a real-time synchronous discussion. Also, asynchronous discussions can be a “leveler,” making it easier for more reserved learners to let their views be known. These reserved learners may be hesitant to speak up in the hurly-burly of a synchronous discussion.
Disadvantages of Asynchronous Learning
Lag in Feedback
The very nature of asynchronous learning means that there may be delays in receiving feedback. A learner may post a question, or a comment, and not see a response for many hours, or the next day, depending on when they posted and when a facilitator or other learners are able to respond.
Requires Discipline
Because there is not a scheduled time for the eLearning, it is easy for learners to put off visiting an asynchronous learning site. Other pressures of life and work take precedence, and the learner can easily fall behind, or, in the worst case, never finish.
posted by Rick Nigol @ 11:07 AM
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