Fair Representation?
I was reading an entry from Huong’s blog today and she made an interesting point in passing that started me thinking:
”The most simple and straightforward definition that i found concerning wikis was from http://www.answers.com (some may not consider this the best source for information but i personally think its pretty cool as it displays definitions/results from external sources as well as its’ own).”
Whilst researching for this e-learning subject, I have become aware of the two different types of information on the web: unsubstantiated information from individuals who write to put their ideas out there; and information from scholars or people referencing scholars.
I’ve always been told to reference quality sites which have references and/or are reliable. But I’m not sure that referencing like this on issues concerning the Internet is a fair representation of what the Internet actually is.
The beauty of the Internet for e-learning purposes is its informality, flow and exchange of ideas. Why compromise that by restricting the information which students are allowed to use in their learning? When a coach teaches soccer, he/she takes them to a soccer field, they use soccer balls and they recreate a soccer game. In short, they build an accurate representation of what actually happens in a soccer game. An e-learning class loses its integrity if it does not deal with the full reality of e-learning, informalities and all.
The Internet is a diverse and intricate world, we should view it in colour, not black and white.
Supporting E-Learning Initiatives
If e-learning is to be successful, then it must be supported and advocated within the organisation. Suemin mentions that senior management must be involved in the process of implementing e-learning in order for it to be successful in the context of change management. She also mentions that alignment with not only the macro culture but also sub-cultures within the organisation is essential to avoid a lack of collaboration or cooperation.
These are both of value to organisations when using e-learning, not only during times of change but also in the ongoing support of e-learning. Directly garnering support of e-learning from the top of the organisation and facilitating it at the bottom levels through cultural alignment is effective in that it is a two-pronged attack and therefore affects a wider variety of people in the organisation. Support for e-learning needs to be maintained so that it can continue to be used.
