What is Cyberlearning?
This semester, one of my subjects is titled ‘Cyberlearning’. This week we’ve been asked to reflect on our understanding of Cyberlearning, and reflect on a ‘critical incident’ of something we have experienced in the unit.
So far, my understanding of Cyberlearning is that it is another term for online learning, or e-learning.
It’s only the beginning of the unit, so it took me a while to think of something to write about. The main thing that has struck me about the unit so far has been how different it has been to the first time I went to university, which was more than 12 years ago.
The first time I was at uni, there were face-to-face lectures and tutorials, and I spent a lot of time in the library photocopying and looking through microfiche. Now, I’m using Collaborate tutorials, making reflections on blogs, and using Facebook to make groups! It’s definitely a different experience.
So far, I’ve noticed some advantages and disadvantages to learning this way. I think I still prefer a lecture or tutorial where I am actually sitting in the room, rather than online, because it’s so easy to be distracted by other things when learning online! On the other hand, it is very easy to catch up anything I missed. I also find that it is easier to ask the lecturer questions during the collaborate tutorials, as he/she can scroll through and get back to you if it’s busy. I’ve also found that there is so much more information available about what is involved in the unit than there was when I was at university previously.
It will be interesting to see how my feelings about online learning change as the degree progresses! I have a feeling that it is going to be a different experience with different subjects.
My TL Learning Journey 