I am hopelessly lost in this module because I have not been checking the module forums . Been terribly busy at work with an upcoming research project and a journal article to submit. Gawd, this is awful!
The module begins with an introduction of what defines a E-learning professional . There were 4 views represented by Robin Mason, Gill Kirkup, Robin Goodfellow and Chris Jones.
In summary, the first speaker Robin Mason talks about an E-learning professional as:
- how e-learning has come of age and is now a profession when before there was no recognition of it as a profession
- he defines a professional as some one who does research and practise
- Was involved in MAODE course since its inception and in the forefront of e-learning consequently
- He is involved with e-learning as a profession by reading books & literature on e-learning, reviewing books and articles and having contact with other colleagues in the profession through conferences and visits to other universities.
- Sees the growth of e-learning from a profession that was side-lined in the early days of distance education
- E-learning has matured considerably in the last 20 years in practises rather than the research to his dismay. Campus based universities have legitimised e-learning as a profession in his view.
Second speaker in the pod cast is Gill Kirkup and these are her reflections on what defines an e-learning professional:
- Specialist as a distance educational professional working in Open University for nearly 20 years.
- Distance education contains significant amounts of e-learning.
- Became an e-learning professional by accident so to speak rather than deliberate intent.
- 2 things in being a professional- operating within a set kind of ethical standards and another set of standards of fairness, justice, appropriate treatment of other people , not taking bribes , doing good quality work , putting in many cases the interests of your professional client above your own personal interests.
- Follows the UK Academy sets of values of having respect for individual learners, commitment to processes and outcomes of research, scholarship and /or professional practice, commitment to development of learning communities , commitment to encouraging participation in Higher Education and commitment to continuing professional development and the evaluation of practice.
- respect for the learner and commitment to incorporate research and scholarship is big part of the professional e-learning practice.
- Emphasis on promoting and developing good practice.
- Professional means being in a state of flux of always learning ,updating and developing the field you belong to.
The third speaker Robin Goodflellow summariszs his ideas of what is a e-learning professional; They are;
- views e-learning as primarily as teaching but recognizes that there are other professionals in the field such as computer engineering, information science, management etc.
- 2P's - the little P which is professionalism means knowing one's job, and doing it well, which could apply to other occupations , the big P professionalism means belonging to a particular kind of occupational club.
- Professionalism as an academic researcher includes a commitment to the valuing of knowledge independently of economic or political considerations. Not easy in this materialistic climate to maintain.
- views himself as a teacher and researcher working in an educational context, which means having a commitment to learning for civilization as well as personal development.
- E-learning as an part of an educational technologist job
- technology dimension through an interest in the materiality of knowledge , that is the stuff in which is contained and exchanged and the way this "stuff" is used to determine roles, and status and symbolic capital , whole apparatus of civilisation through education.
The last speaker in the pod cast is Chris Jones and these are his reflections of what he thinks is an E-learning professional:
- PC - ability to distribute computing power widely across universities and across societies
- Introduction of networks that link up universities and individuals but also business organizations and any large organization.
- Context in which e-learning has radically changed with the World Wide web.
- Modern professionals - based on autonomy, memberships that are self-regulating and that builds on the notion of trust and relationships . Modern professionals are usually in corporate , managed environments and are often audited either by government or by the institution , the organisation , the corporate body that they are part of.
- Academic has to do teaching besides research and learning a huge part of the student's life .
- E-learning professional is something that goes beyond innovation and it is somethings where there's a beginning of organization and systematization of whats e-learning's all about.
- Questions whether there is a distinct E-learning professional or is this simply an aspect of other professions such as teacher, university lecturer , academic, trainer or staff developer or human resource developer in private corporate bodies?
After summarizing these points from the transcriptions , I probably agree to Chris Jones with what is question by him in the sense of is an E-learning professional a distinct profession or is just another aspect of other professions . I would think of as a e-learning professional as another aspect of being a professional in my case as a university lecturer and academic. I want to know more about how technology can enhance learning and teaching , that's probably my motive in taking this module.
