As another week draws to a close, I now take time to pause and reflect on the information that was covered in this module. The first activity was centered on the creation of a concept map. Concept mapping is identifying key concepts in a body of subject matter and arranging those concepts around a focal concept. It also involves linking the selected concepts by lines and labeling them to show meaningful relationships between and among them. A personal grasp of these relationships between and among concepts is supposed to portray meaningful learning. Once acquired, concept mapping skills are useful for organizing information, reading and studying and preparing an assignment, paper or report. As I completed my concept map, I couldn’t help but think back to the time when I worked in the computer industry. This is where I encountered a diagram known as a flow chart. A flow chart is a graphical or symbolic representation of a process. Each step in the process is represented by a different symbol and contains a short description of the process step. The flow chart symbols are linked together with arrows showing the process flow direction. They were used exclusively by computer programmers as these diagrams provided an insider’s view of how a computer program performs its intended purpose.
The required readings for this module included an article, Perfect E-Storm: emerging technology, enormous learner demand, enhanced pedagogy, and erased budgets by Dr. Curtis J. Bonk. Although it was written in 2004, the article provided us with some food for thought, as Dr. Bonk discussed among other things, how technology, the needs of learners and the art of teaching all have converged to create the perfect e-storm. He notes that all of these elements when combined will serve to enrich and expand the horizons of the distant learning landscape in an unprecedented manner. However, after touting the benefits that will occur as a result of this melding of distant learning components, Dr. Bonk concludes that many universities and colleges still face a pressing need to create exciting and relevant online materials that will engage and motivate the online learner. While I wouldn’t use the word 'storm' to describe the events that have transpired in the area of distant learning over the past ten years, I do see where there has been substantial growth in this area of the educational paradigm. This growth may be due more to the fact that the development of new technology is often accompanied by new ideas and methods concerning how best to use the new technology. For as the old aphorism states, “A rising tide lifts all the boats.” Until next time, stay healthy and be good to yourself.
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