In Ontario, the Ministry of Education is making it mandatory for high school students to take at least 2 courses through online learning. Moving forward, deciding on the most effective delivery of instruction through online learning creates a framework in reading articles on best practices, modes of delivery, massive open online courses (MOOC’s), blended models, and overall deciding on the most effective pedagogy for e-learning and supporting theory behind the model delivery.

 

Mapping Pedagogy and Tools for Effective Learning Design summarizes some of the key theories when delivering an e-learning course. Behaviourism, cognitive theory, constructivist, activity based approach, socially situated learning, experiential, and systems theory are the foundations in basing a design for creating an e-learning platform. The challenge is finding the correct delivery method, the presentation of material, learner engagement, mode of assessment, and the human resources which are available to deliver the curriculum.

 

An educator who previously worked in Ontario during our online collaboration informed us the Ontario government has  already spent money on infrastructure to create an e-learning environment. Students are able to access courses from remote communities that may not have the course being offered in their school. Some of my colleagues from Fort St. James explained the E-BUS program, School District 91 in northern British Columbia, allows their e-learning instructors to visit students in remote communities in person to develop a relationship in order to meet the learning needs of the individual. Presently, I don’t have information on the delivery method that will occur in Ontario for their e-learning course, hoping that learners won’t feel isolated when completing the course. 

 

E-learning can be very effective, but the challenge is to ask oneself if it is effective for every student? The variation of e-learning courses makes it challenging to answer this question, but the potential of meeting the needs of a larger percentage of the population may be a more suitable approach in giving flexibility for students with their education. Students with special learning needs such as mobility, pace of learning, or with social emotional challenges such as being in a classroom setting could find an e-learning environment the only successful choice. Additionally, an e-learning environment not only takes away limits for the learner, but also for the instructor. An example is having a distributed learning environment where synchronous communication can occur with guest speakers and specialists. If the course 

One more aspect of the e-learning environment is having effective training for the instructor. Peers in our distributed learning course for our masters program described how there was very little training from finishing their undergraduate degrees in education and then entering the field of distance education. As well, new software management tools need to have a support system for educators to be taught to educators.  As outlined by my peers, if no training is provided for using new technology, then the technology isn’t as effective at what it is supposed to do.  

 

In Learning Design and Open Education, the article summarizes that there is still a need for professional development in OER’s and MOOC’s to engage, create, and enhance the learning of students. How governments move forward with consideration to funding models, e-learning theory, and best practices hopefully moves towards meeting the needs of a large proportion of our learners. What happens in Ontario will most likely be analyzed for either the mistakes that are made and for the positive steps that created success.