Module Three
Activity 3.1 – Learning Online:
- Article Reviews
References:
Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. 2001, Working with the Virtual Student, Ch.7, in Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom, Jossey-Bass, pp.107-124.
Watkins, R. 2005, ‘Preparing E-Learners for Online Success’, Learning Circuits, September, viewed 17 October 2007, <http://www.learningcircuits.org/2005/sep2005/watkins.htm>
Palloff & Pratt (2001) and Watson (2005) suggest that learners and teachers must be equipped with the required knowledge and skills to be able to be successful in online learning environments. See my post on Learner Success in Online Learning for further insight into these articles.
- Learning Styles
- What do I already know about my preferred learning styles?
- What influence will my preferred learning styles have on my e-learning experiences?
As a Hairdresser I am very visual. I like structure. I enjoy using computers and playing around with technology. Things need to be relevant to my interests. I enjoy reading and research, but struggle to keep to word limits when I start writing.
I will enjoy playing around with the technloogy in this subject. The problem is I tend to get lost in cyberspace as it is sort of mezmorizing 
.
See the posts for further information:
Activity 3.2 – Searching for Online Courses:
How do you find a short e-learning course?
Try a Google search, Del.icio.us search, check out known e-learning blogs, websites, and RSS feeds on Netvibes eLExp tabs.
Use the following search words: e-learning courses, free online training, free short courses, online courses, online training, or short courses. If you know your intended focus topic you can include this in the search too!
Activity 3.3 – Course Objectives and Expectations:
What are the stated course objectives?
That you will be able to speak in complete sentences after just one lesson and be on your way to becoming fluent.
What are my expectations?
That I will be able to learn a little about the Spanish language and possible speak a little.
What do I expect the experience to be like?
I expect that it will be fun, engaging, and that I might be able to speak a couple of sentences when I am done. I believe it will be difficult to grasp any significant content or develop skills in the small amount of time available.
What type of support am I expecting from the course?
I do not expect much support as this is a free course! However, I would expect that if I experienced technical difficulties that I could alert someone to the problem.
For further insight see the Time 2 Learn Spanish post:
Activity 3.4 – Evaluating the Course:
Online Learning Course Evaluation
Course Title: Visual Links Spanish – Learn Spanish Today
Course Provider: U.S Institute of Languages
Stated Course Outcomes: That you will be able to speak in complete sentences after just one lesson and be on your way to becoming fluent.
Achievement of Outcomes: Partial, due to the fragmented nature of the course.
Stated Course Duration: n/a Actual Course Duration: 6 hours
Administration Support: None Available
Materials: No support materials were provided. No certificates were issued.
Technology: There was a couple of issues with technology; see periodic blog entries.
Uno Update on Español Lessons, Dos Update on Español Lessons and Tres Update on Español Lessons.
Virtual Classroom: There were interactive screen shots available.
Interactivity: Some Feedback: None
Content:
- Catered for different learning styles.
- Kinesthetic - having to navigate through course and various links.
- Visual – very colourful, animation in some screenshots.
- Aural – spoken language from two different sources and you had to speak as well.
- Read/Write – you had to read the screenshots, although this was not absolutely necessary as most was spoken anyway.
- Was fragmented due to the trial nature of the course.
- There was an option for varying levels of expertise.
- There were verbal exercises and quizes to practice skills.
- Content was not delivered in plain English as it was in both Spanish and English.
- No real facilitators were available.
Navigation:
- Logical navigation; although we only received part of each lesson.
- No breadcrumbs; links on the sidebars though.
- Not easy to navigate back to where you left off.
- No FAQs.
Additional Comments:
- I believe that the full course version would be extremely good as you get the course booklet, the quizzes, and all the lessons on CD-ROM. Obviously support would be provided after purchasing the entire course.
- The biggest problem is that there is no feedback of pronunciation!!! How on earth can you tell if you are getting it right ;(.
- Unexpected outcome was that I am able to visually recognise some words, and also orally understand a couple of things. I have discovered that my neighbour speaks Spanish; she told her son the other day that the dog was under the house in Spanish and I picked up what she had said. I must have taken something in after all.
Gracias Visual Link 
