According to the definition of "classroom" on dictionary.com [based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary], a classroom is either (1) a room, as in a school or college, in which classes are held, or (2) any place where one learns or gains experience.
This may sound silly, but I just realized that online courses are "classrooms." Since I work with Wimba, I had conceptualized a classroom as something that happens in real time. Wimba is officially called "Wimba Classroom," and people refer to it as a classroom. It used to be called "Wimba Live Classroom." I figured the course was the course, and Wimba was the classroom.
Last night I had a light bulb moment. I finally "got it" that the entire course is a "constructivist classroom" [I can't remember where I read that term, but I did not make it up.]. The Learning Management System doesn't just deliver content, it creates a space in which one learns, a classroom. Conceptualizing the course as a constructivist classroom makes all of the pieces fit together. The emphasis on communication, the group projects, the instructor presence, the works. It also jives with the adult learning theory we learned about in Canice's class--the anti-lecture instructional strategies of group work, dyads, having people work on projects they choose based on their interests, etc.
It’s nice to finally have all the material I’ve been gobbling up since last September make sense! Eureka!
This may sound silly, but I just realized that online courses are "classrooms." Since I work with Wimba, I had conceptualized a classroom as something that happens in real time. Wimba is officially called "Wimba Classroom," and people refer to it as a classroom. It used to be called "Wimba Live Classroom." I figured the course was the course, and Wimba was the classroom.
Last night I had a light bulb moment. I finally "got it" that the entire course is a "constructivist classroom" [I can't remember where I read that term, but I did not make it up.]. The Learning Management System doesn't just deliver content, it creates a space in which one learns, a classroom. Conceptualizing the course as a constructivist classroom makes all of the pieces fit together. The emphasis on communication, the group projects, the instructor presence, the works. It also jives with the adult learning theory we learned about in Canice's class--the anti-lecture instructional strategies of group work, dyads, having people work on projects they choose based on their interests, etc.
It’s nice to finally have all the material I’ve been gobbling up since last September make sense! Eureka!
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3 comments:
Hi Ellen :-) How's my fellow Newtonite doing? Would you like to grab some ice cream at Cabot's one of these days? Send me an email at robinamasio@yahoo.com!
Hope you're well! I always enjoy your posts :-) Be well!
-r
Ellen -
I loved reading this post. And yes, it all starts to make sense in a course like this one, doesn't it? (619). All the pieces are important to the learning pie. Hard to see sometimes, but it's there.
Joan
Classrooms where you never have to worry about adjusting the thermostat to suit everyone or get distracted by the rambunctious class next door...
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