Guide to Transformative and Emancipatory Learning - Essay Example

Rеflесtivе Essay Name: Instructor: Task: Date Mezirow (1990) argues that reflection is more valuable when an individual works from within a team. It is also more significant when working in an online setting (Brookfield, 2006) as online courses are interactive and construct online communities. Online courses give a long-term experience. In an online setting, a cautious community is formed, and there are openings to debate on goals and communication style that lead to a foundation of other activities, which encompass a critical reflection of the course. An online setting of a significant reflection is a triumphant method of gathering responses from a class perspective. Additionally, it is an effective way of monitoring student experiences in relation to their assignment. Brookfield (2006) reveals that, in order to experiment evidence of group progress in online learning, the significant occurrence questionnaire is a suitable tool to use. For this essay, I suggest to address one of the online issues, which I have completed in my online course unit. My plan is to talk about a critical reflection on my thoughts about online learning, and my feelings for online learning. In the essay, I will also reveal the significance of learning online in comparison to other online activities. My learning journey in this unit, as a team member and a producer of an online resource, has been amazing in relation to how much I have learned both from this course and from my peers. I thought I was IT perceptive before I started this unit, but it has been quite a revelation to acquire healthy scepticism, opinions, as well as good technical skills. I chose to study this unit because the flexibility suits me in that i can combine education and employment in order to fast track my career. I have learned a vast deal through the course Learning and communicating online and have highlighted a few key experiences. However, the biggest learning curve was not based on my experiences, but how I learned them. Becoming part of the virtual learning community was foreign, unfamiliar and uncomfortable. I thought I would take the plunge and challenge myself to engage in this type learning. However, I have realized that communication is the key to a successful online learning experience. Significantly, I have acquired communication skills on the use of etiquette when corresponding electronically. I am now respectful and aware of what is suitable, as well as what is not acceptable in the virtual learning environment. For that reason, I am in a position to use the same ethics and morals as if am face- to- face whenever communicating inline. I have realized the importance of respecting other people’s time, as well as presenting myself using a positive outlook such as employing excellent writing skills in my email and blogs. Lastly, I have also realized the importance of respecting other people’s privacy, as well as avoiding heated discussions. Due to the above-mentioned key learning experiences, my time and money invested doing this course has inspired me to go further and enquire about a degree programme in ICT. I have acquired other Key learning experiences such as building confidence and trust as well as the respect to work with random selected members. Additionally, it is worthwhile highlighting that collaborative learning has enabled me realize the importance of paying particular attention to weekly learning activities. For instance, in the face to face study you are constantly reminded of tasks that need to be attended to. However, having studied online I learned to be responsible to take my own initiative to stay aboard also looking at previous works of high distinction have also inspired me. Concisely, the Key learning experiences have been summarized by the fact that I have learned to pace myself and set realistic goals to accomplish the task; hence, allowing myself a set schedule being 3-4 hours per day to work on given activities. Upon reflection, I have realized that I have learned so much in this course by 'doing' and 'participating' and 'reflecting' through collaboration and sharing with others. I found lecturers and support team approachable and quite happy to email them and debate ideas or take part in interactive tutorials. Forums were also a powerful tool as they provided a platform of interacting with other groups. The virtual world provides amazing opportunities for people from differing cultures to collaborate, share expertise and knowledge, and learn from each other, my group consisted of 5 members living interstate. However, due to the anonymous nature of the internet because we did not network face -to -face and in actual occasion, sometimes getting a response would take minutes, hours or even days which was a barrier to having a quick response. Leading up to finalising the group task, one of the members did not submit their work, which lead us to investigate and prompt her to respond, after looking through the visual clues on Facebook, this person turned out to be a man and not a woman. In my team, there were a number of challenges that presented themselves as being apart of a virtual team. For instance, time management proved to be an uphill task for many team members due to work and family commitments. The second challenge was the lack of effective communication among the team members. For instance some team members were not clear on the assessment task and thus created conflicting ideas and confusion on further use of internet jargon, which was hard to interpret. Other factors included the accessibility of an online tool as many of the members had trouble accessing the online link for marketing, which was attributed to the possibility of being computer illiterate. Members who showed genuine interest stood out amongst others with their active participation and their persistence to complete assigned tasks even though one team member was notoriously slacking off. A more responsible team member decided to complete the part of the slacking off member in order to avoid the group grade dropping. It was interesting to view other groups’ visual presentations, the wide gallery of animations and slide transitions effect as it was intelligently and wonderfully put together. I believe bringing creative minds together to generate and produce great works would strongly depend on the commitment and contribution of all individuals. As an online producer of a product working with web teams 'team group' from Swinburne, to conceive, design, and launch new web product to sell or to service the community, it was vital to produce work with credibility, updated information, easily available information and organisation. In this group task group: one uploaded the link on the Swinburne forum for discussions and feedback. With more than 6.5 billion people living on earth today, a large percentage use online media to shop. Online buying has been introduced to the convenience of the customer and there is a wide range of goods available. The world has been gradually turned into a one digital world. Multimedia social networks have offered a convenient means of sharing multimedia contents like videos, images, and blogs among others. Content, which is shared, is easily accessible by people using the Internet. Advancement of technology and the internet has come with its share of excitement and disappointment. It goes without saying that communication and connectivity has been enhanced. Companies have taken advantage of the internet for marketing and promoting online buying. This is also an advantage to buyers since they can purchase goods from the comfort of their homes. Information is readily available on the internet and bloggers have enhanced this fact. Consequently, Individuals have explored their entrepreneurial potentials by relying on the internet to market their products and sell their innovations. Additionally, Emerging technologies have offered optional ways to conceptualise and convey education and in the process, they have revolutionised how learners work, reflect, and construct knowledge. Technology is becoming essential to teaching-learning practice as ongoing progression offer new opportunities for learning. Significantly, online learning and the application of CMC tools have rapidly grown in popularity in contexts of higher education. However, the implementation of the above medium in the teaching-learning practice has hastily outpaced my acquaintance concerning how it might pre-eminently be used. This gulf in perceptive must be bridged if one is to build up and offer effective online education. Through my learning journey and collaborative learning, I have noted something that learners fail to spot when they engage in online learning and the menace intrinsic in transposing our secure and recognizable online activities and prospects into the new means. Notably, for one to expect an online learning experience to appear like a 'copy' of other learning experiences is significantly difficult. The question is if it is not the identical does that essentially make it a less important experience? Burbules (2000) argues that affluent online practices are "distinctive and inimitable learning avenues themselves; and frequently they can barely survive online" (p. 277). Considerably, one should note that online learning practices in cyberspace are crammed with inconsistencies. Idhe (1990) points out the divergence that the "user both needs and does not desire the technology. The user needs what the technology offers but does not wish for the limits" (p. 76). The above exchange is a reminder that, as technology enlarges and lessens, it exposes what is current and what is absent. In conclusion, in spite of achievements that the instructors and their learners habitually enjoy through online college courses, they do not enjoy the benefits of face-to-face contact as they learn. Significantly, one cannot ignore the emerged heftiness of online conversation, impulsiveness and inventiveness as well as being perceived by the other and understanding to be an online student. Consequently, there is a need to develop comprehensive regulations that would guide online activities. Lastly, governments have the responsibility to come up with effective policies that would help administer online learning as well as address the evils committed through fraudulent activities. References Mezirow, J, 1990, Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: a guide to transformative and emancipator learning, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Burbules, N & Charles, D, 2000, Postpositivism and educational research, Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Rowman & Littlefield. Brookfield, J, 2006, Crossing Borders: Bringing Students and Professors to the Same, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Ihde, D, 1990, Technology and the life world: from garden to earth, Middlebury, VT: Indiana University Press Read More

Lastly, I have also realized the importance of respecting other people’s privacy, as well as avoiding heated discussions. Due to the above-mentioned key learning experiences, my time and money invested doing this course has inspired me to go further and enquire about a degree programme in ICT. I have acquired other Key learning experiences such as building confidence and trust as well as the respect to work with random selected members. Additionally, it is worthwhile highlighting that collaborative learning has enabled me realize the importance of paying particular attention to weekly learning activities.

For instance, in the face to face study you are constantly reminded of tasks that need to be attended to. However, having studied online I learned to be responsible to take my own initiative to stay aboard also looking at previous works of high distinction have also inspired me. Concisely, the Key learning experiences have been summarized by the fact that I have learned to pace myself and set realistic goals to accomplish the task; hence, allowing myself a set schedule being 3-4 hours per day to work on given activities.

Upon reflection, I have realized that I have learned so much in this course by 'doing' and 'participating' and 'reflecting' through collaboration and sharing with others. I found lecturers and support team approachable and quite happy to email them and debate ideas or take part in interactive tutorials. Forums were also a powerful tool as they provided a platform of interacting with other groups. The virtual world provides amazing opportunities for people from differing cultures to collaborate, share expertise and knowledge, and learn from each other, my group consisted of 5 members living interstate.

However, due to the anonymous nature of the internet because we did not network face -to -face and in actual occasion, sometimes getting a response would take minutes, hours or even days which was a barrier to having a quick response. Leading up to finalising the group task, one of the members did not submit their work, which lead us to investigate and prompt her to respond, after looking through the visual clues on Facebook, this person turned out to be a man and not a woman. In my team, there were a number of challenges that presented themselves as being apart of a virtual team.

For instance, time management proved to be an uphill task for many team members due to work and family commitments. The second challenge was the lack of effective communication among the team members. For instance some team members were not clear on the assessment task and thus created conflicting ideas and confusion on further use of internet jargon, which was hard to interpret. Other factors included the accessibility of an online tool as many of the members had trouble accessing the online link for marketing, which was attributed to the possibility of being computer illiterate.

Members who showed genuine interest stood out amongst others with their active participation and their persistence to complete assigned tasks even though one team member was notoriously slacking off. A more responsible team member decided to complete the part of the slacking off member in order to avoid the group grade dropping. It was interesting to view other groups’ visual presentations, the wide gallery of animations and slide transitions effect as it was intelligently and wonderfully put together.

I believe bringing creative minds together to generate and produce great works would strongly depend on the commitment and contribution of all individuals. As an online producer of a product working with web teams 'team group' from Swinburne, to conceive, design, and launch new web product to sell or to service the community, it was vital to produce work with credibility, updated information, easily available information and organisation. In this group task group: one uploaded the link on the Swinburne forum for discussions and feedback.

With more than 6.

Read More