This is a demonstration of the edX
courses provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard
University and even from the demonstration you can tell that they have done
their homework. The course is very user-friendly because it is designed
linearly so that "students move in the same path
through the concepts, topics, and modules, and complete the same assessments
and tests" (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012, p. 170).
There are navigational menus at the top that take learners through the topics
of the modules and there is a menu on the side that defines the modules. In
fact, the modules are divided by the
weeks so that students will complete one module per week (Simonson et al.,
2012, p. 182). Because of the menus on the top and side of the course, the
navigation is very easy and even for learner who are new to the system (like
me) and it's very easy to follow.
However, perhaps the most interesting
feature of this course is the way the information is presented. It is clearly
multifaceted and "the instructors [have begun] to think visually"
(Simonson et al., 2012, p. 159) because there is the use of videos (and
multiple formats of videos such as a lecture, demonstration, and discussion),
interactive reference tables (i.e., there is a table that you are able to
scroll over and click on different parts to get more information), zooming
diagrams and course readings. Having a variety of resources enriches the
environment and makes it suitable for all learning styles and preferences. It
was enjoyable to explore each learning object because they were diverse and
engaging.
In fact, Simonson et al. (2012) remind
us that "it is important to remember that no matter which technological
formats are used in distance education, the trend is to reduce the 'amount' of
information delivered and to increase the 'interactive value' of the learning
experience" (p. 157). I think edX has done well with this because there
are a number of ways to be interactive in their courses. There are discussion
forums, wikis, quizzes, Google hangouts, and students are encouraged to connect
with one another by using Twitter, Facebook or other social networks. edX states,
"It's a proven face that if you engage with others while taking a course,
you're more likely to succeed" (edX:
DemoX edX Demonstration Course, n.d.). Similarly, Benson and Samarawickrema
(2009) wrote, "[T]he strongest factor that affected students’
transactional distance and engagement with learning was the transactional
distance between student and students, followed by transactional distance
between student and teacher" (Benson & Samarawickrema, 2009, p. 9). Therefore, if students are engaged with
each other and the content, learning becomes more meaningful.
Finally,
even within the demonstration course I can see my progress/grades by clicking
on the "progress" tab at the top of the course. There's a graph of my
progress so that I can assess how I am doing and see what I still have to do,
and there is more detail about each module as I scroll down the page to view my
progress. It's a nice feature that will help keep learners of edX course accountable.
It's clear
to me that edX has "[taken] the time to plan and organize the learning
experience when engaged in teaching at a distance" (Simonson et al., 2012,
p. 188). There is diversity in the presentation of the content and the
interactivity so that all kinds of learners would enjoy the courses and easily
be able to monitor their progress. Andersen (2009) reminds us "that high
levels of interconnectedness between learners [leads] to higher levels of
knowledge construction" (p. 252). edX seems to have found a number of techniques
in which to engage the learner in meaningful and diverse ways, so I believe
these courses will maximize the learning opportunities of any student.
References
Andresen, M. A. (2009). Asynchronous
discussion forums: success factors, outcomes, assessments, and limitations. Educational
Technology & Society, 12 (1), 249–257. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/12_1/19.pdf
Benson, R., & Samarawickrema, G. (2009). Addressing the context
of e-learning: using transactional distance theory to inform design. Distance
Education, 30(1), 5-21.
edX: DemoX edX Demonstration Course. (n.d.). In edX. Retrieved
from https://courses.edx.org/courses/edX/DemoX/Demo_Course/courseware/d8a6192ade314473a78242dfeedfbf5b/edx_introduction/
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., &
Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching
and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
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