Abstract:
Closed campuses, working remotely, and physical distancing have changed the way we work, teach, learn, shop, attend conferences, and interact with family and friends. But the Covid-19 pandemic has not changed what we know about creating high-end online education. Two decades of research has shown that online education often fails to fulfill its promise, and the emergency shift to remote instruction has, for many, justified their distrust and dislike of online learning. Low interactivity remains a widely recognized short-coming of current online offerings. Low interactivity results, in part, from many faculty not feeling comfortable being themselves online. The long-advocated for era of authentic assessments is needed now more than ever. Finally, greater support is needed for both underrepresented students and for faculty to move beyond basic online instruction to create a strong continuum of care between the teaching and learning environment and the student support infrastructure. For those who have been long-term champions of online education, it has never been more important to confront the three biggest challenges that continue to haunt online education – interactivity, authenticity, and support. Only by confronting these challenges squarely can instructors, educational developers, and their institutions take huge steps towards better online instruction in the midst of a pandemic and make widespread, high-quality online education permanently part of the “new normal.”
"This story is a good example of the difference between social networks and communities of practice. In an open network the potential for online outrage and group orthodoxy is large. It is the major criticism of social network platforms like Twitter. In a community of practice, membership is usually controlled and activities are monitored by people who want the community to be a place of learning. I belong to several of these and have had heated debates in them. But the difference here is mutual trust. While we may disagree, we respect each other. We are not shaming people in public.
As online activity grows, we all need safe places to learn and reflect. Yes, be engaged on public platforms, but find a safe place to have deeper conversations. Nurture these communities for diversity of opinions and experiences. I believe that it is essential for every citizen today to develop and engage with a diverse network of knowledgeable people in order to make sense of the world.
Citizens also need somewhere to integrate their learning and get trusted advice. This is one of the objectives of our perpetual beta coffee club. It is also a core component of personal knowledge mastery and the Seek > Sense > Share framework to which I was referring in my tweet"