The least likely to learn online

If someone had asked me only one year ago whether I would consider studying my masters online I would have had said a steadfast "No." My engagement with online learning was researching information on the web and watching videos (i.e. YouTube, TED, Vimeo, etc.), like Clare, but not enrolling in an entire degree online. (Clare's "Growing definition of networked learning" reveals that I wasn't alone). Forward a year and here I am, amazingly, quite enjoying it, even ... seeing it as the way things are.

It was not only my experience as a university lecturer that caused my reservations, as I believed, and still do to some degree, that the learning online can be very impersonal (as many of my clients have expressed) but my nostalgic recollections of being an undergraduate, thinking and believing that one had to interact with their peers in a real space is what confined my thinking. However, what I'm finding in the virtual space is that I'm not only saving a lot of time (not having to drive to lectures and tutorials and not even having to view them) but I am feeling connected to a community of learners.

Each day I'm checking to see what my peers are posting, as well as reading the posts of bloggers within my writing networks.The benefits of blogging has far exceeded my expectations, becoming a tool, as Brendon highlights in his post, that "leads to better learning." He cites MacBride (2008) who has identified the potential of blogs to "support learning" as they are an effective tool to "promote reflective thinking" and "nurture collaboration and relationship-building," amongst many other benefits. I, like Brendon, did not keep a reflective journal during my undergraduate experience and have realised the "benefits of reflection and consolidation of understanding" through blogging.

Through being connected in an online network, I find myself thinking a lot about how I can contribute to my networks, where the future of learning is heading, what my role is going to be in that future, can I even think about the future, particularly considering how rapidly technology has changed since even just five years ago, and so forth. As it turns out my peers are also thinking about these things. Anne is asking questions about where "education might be heading?" Philip is thinking about the "Next Generation of on-line learning pedagogy and instructional design," but also "career development." I'm now following his posts with particular interest as his working thesis is:

if it can be expected that, in the future, any employee, student, or participant in the global economy needs to be a technology-savant, ‘communication-ready’, open, autonomous, creative, ready for the challenge of giving and sharing’ online – THEN it’s almost like giving a job seeker a passport to find jobs in Finland, Georgia or Timbujtu!

His thesis expresses the way of the future and I agree with Philip, it is very exciting.

Although I'm still at the early stages, I certainly feel that my identity as a learner is changing. I no longer see myself as the least likely to learn online, or at least engage in formal learning.