Mersham and Kehrwald
Mersham and Kehrwald
12 April 2012
Written by Lorraine Taylor – wlaj@orcon.net.nz
11052568 – Massey University
The exercise to critically evaluate two journal articles in respect to their views and approaches to a topic was a good academic exercise. As I complete my Post-Graduate Diploma in Education, I come away with a refreshed understanding of my profession through an in-depth study of academic journal articles. Noting the date of publication and the publisher assures that I stay abreast of good quality research. This is essential today as communication and technology advances continue to change the learning and knowledge sharing landscape.
As I have built up my understanding of theory and current research through reading and discussion with peers, I have become more critical in my analysis. I am becoming more confident in finding who I am as a learner and a teacher against the background of current research. I more fully recognize the importance of ensuring that a field of research is available to defend my viewpoints. I readily view the reference lists of journal articles to find golden nuggets to further my understanding of a topic. I continue to regularly subscribe to blog posts as it offers a good overview but I look to cement those ideas by looking at current research.
I found it refreshing to read Mersham’s e-learning article from the perspective of one disciplined in communication science. Taking oneself outside of a comfort zone and putting on different lenses ensures that a critical balance is maintained in our views. Mersham (2009) acknowledges that communication scientists and e-educators will each have to consider their customary approaches to the understanding of communication. At the outset, he acknowledged that there are many approaches to the understanding of the e-learning phenomenon and that communication theory, his perspective, offers an important viewpoint.
I appreciate Kehrwald's (2010) positive rebuttle to Mersham's article. He acknowledged support for Mersham's efforts to initiate discussion of online communication and he hopes that this discussion continues. Through discussions initiated in the online learning courses I have taken, a much broader and deeper understanding of issues has evolved. In my professional teaching practice I have not participated in discussion of current research or journal articles. The reading required has always been prescriptive of what I was meant to believe or do. Further to this, current academic research should be encouraged involving technological pedagogical content knowledge (Harris, Mishra, & Koehler, 2009) to ensure educators stay abreast of current developments in specific subject areas.
Kehrwald and Mersham’s debate, coupled with perspectives offered by fellow peers, was an effective exercise in good communication. It is through informed discussions that we can find a greater understanding of the pressing issues educators face today and can develop effective ways, in our personal situations, to overcome the challenges that will continue to meet us.
References
Harris, J., Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2009). Teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge and learning activity types: Curriculum-based technology integration reframed. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 41(4), 393-416.
Kehrwald, B. A. (2010). Social presence and online communication: A response to Mersham. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning, 14(1), 29-46.
Mersham, G. (2009). Reflections on e-learning from a communication perspective. Journal of Distance Learning, 13(1), 51-70.
Task 3.2 Failure is Happening Now
Failure is Happening Now
16 April 2012
Written by Lorraine Taylor – wlaj@orcon.net.nz
11052568 – Massey University
This is a reflection on past failures with online communication in order to identify tips for other online participants.
Failure in online communication is occurring right now. I have been in transit since last Wednesday morning. 15 hour flight to Sydney, 3 hours to Auckland. I can’t go home. I have to get to Dunedin, as I have made it to the finals of the National Toastmaster Convention. No worries, I have brought work, ensured I have booked into a B & B with a good Internet connection. I empathize with those learners that Anderson (2006) wrote about who can’t get online because of poor internet connection due to heavy rain.
I didn’t plan to learn so much at the Convention. I am now amongst some of the best verbal and visual communicators in New Zealand, including two World Speech Champs. I am intimidated at first, then humbled. Effective communication is essential. It can be so powerful. I have so much to learn. (I must go back and edit the above two paragraphs, my written communication has to be top notch. It is how I present myself. It is how people see me online.)
Breakfast at the B & B and I manage to read some course research articles I have stored on my iPad, finish my coffee, practice my speech on the drive to the stadium, and ponder the articles I read that morning. It strikes me, a majority of attendees at the Toastmasters conference are male, dressed in suits, proficient at communicating verbally and visually. Anderson’s (2006) study involved a group with 91% female in a teacher education course. How is gender playing out online? Do educationalists view learning and communicating only from their lenses? I reflect on the debate in my online class between Mersham (2009) and Kehrwald (2010). It is so important as educationalists that we ensure our online design and virtual communities are built with a variety of lenses.
Finally, the International Speech Competition begins. I am first up. Seven amazing speakers follow. I am honored with a 3rd place medal. I reflect on the first two speeches. What did they have that my speech didn’t? I had too much information. Oh yes, that’s right, Gunawardena & Zittle (1995) warn us of cognitive overload. And, the first two speeches included more humour. Not funny ha-ha humour, but that gift of being so human and so authentic. I must remember to include that in my Online Seminar next week.
Flash forward. It is now Wednesday afternoon. I finally made it home; my partner and I got our Online Seminar off to a good start. It has been amazing to draw on all that I have learned in the last year and a half, to collaborate with a fellow researcher, and to participate as one of the seminar attendees. The true benefit in such learning is involving oneself by being socially present, interacting, collaborating, being learner-centered and capturing cognitive challenges (Gunawardena & Zittle, 1995).
Sometimes I forget all of those benefits. I forgot this afternoon as I desparately tried to catch up with some past assignments for my e-learning course. I couldn’t start until I fixed some technological issues on our Seminar Wiki. And of course, ensured that I was positively and socially present in the Seminar. I did send a quick email to my seminar partner, “that was so good of you to participate in the other seminar, I will do that as well, what an example of online social presence support.”
I’m running out of time though. Anderson (2006, p. 119) stated that 60% of students spoke as if they never had enough time. Phew, at least I am in the majority.
I have a Project Management assignment that I must resume work on. I won’t be able to participate in the other seminar. Don’t have time to email Kristin back, maybe she will have time to read this post.
I just tweeted a quote that also appeared on my Facebook page. It helps to have Facebook and Twitter connected, saves time. I posted, “The first wealth is health. –Ralph Waldo Emerson #quote” It’s getting dark, the dog is waiting, I will just finish this. Surely no one will jugde judge gramer grammar mistakes…..they will no i am busy,
Ding, another email just arrived. It is Massey University, their third reminder to fill out a survey. I really want to do that, they probably think I am just ignoring them. it’s on ‘to do list’
Oh darnit. wanted to respond to posts I read. Wish I cud hav jst LIKED Suzanne and Alison’s post. Ok.put that on ‘to do list’. I’ll Skype Kristin later and respond to her post on the task I just completed when we catch up with the Seminar progress. We never plan when to Skype, who has time?
Resources
Anderson, B. (2006). Writing power in online discussion. Computers and Composition, 23, 108-124.
Gunawardena, C. N., & Zittle, R. (1995). An examination of teaching and learning processes in distance education and implications for designing instruction. In M. F. Beaudoin (Ed.), Distance Education Symposium 3: Instruction (Vol. 12, pp. 51-63). State College, PA: American Center for the Study of Distance Education.
Kehrwald, B. A. (2010). Social presence and online communication: A response to Mersham. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning, 14(1), 29-46.
Mersham, G. (2009). Reflections on e-learning from a communication perspective. Journal of Distance Learning, 13(1), 51-70.