My intention in the next two posts is to address two of the HEA topics within the context of discussions and readings from Weeks 6 and 7 regarding the concept of ‘space’. Admittedly I have found the subject matter in this section of the course quite challengingly abstract and have observed myself retreating into “lurker” mode as a result, but after sustained reflection I have begun to achieve more clarity. In this post I would like to suggest that, as part of the endeavour to make online learning environments more effective, it is necessary to take into account how learners’ expectations regarding what constitutes an effective digital learning ‘space’ can be influenced by their perceptions of physical spaces and the qualities which make such spaces conducive to learning or otherwise. I will also briefly consider how the effectiveness of an online learning environment can be evaluated.

There was some interesting discussion in the forum surrounding the factors which contribute to the user-friendliness of a space, and speculation about the degree of similarity between physical and digital spaces in this regard. Several comments suggested that in order for a space to be suitable for learning in particular, it should be as distraction-free as possible, lending itself to quiet contemplation, but doubts were raised about the extent to which such spaces can be said to exist online amidst the seemingly insatiable activity and myriad potential distractions. In my experience of studying online, it’s certainly more challenging to draw a clear distinction between study time and leisure time and all too easy to constantly slip in and out of study mode at the click of a mouse. Even certain aspects of the MScDE Moodle itself can serve as a distraction; for example, I personally find it difficult to resist the urge to spend hours immersed in the various intriguing discussions taking place in the discussion forums when I should probably be doing something more productive like writing a blog post!

While studying online carries with it considerable potential for distraction, divided attention and consequently less effective learning, I believe it is possible to mitigate against this to some extent, firstly by building ‘space’ into the design of online courses. One simple feature of the IDEL course which I have found effective is the scheduling of ‘sanctuary’ weeks, and I actually think there is scope for introducing an additional sanctuary week in which we could devote our full attention to the assignment! – hint, hint 😉 Another way to reduce the possibility of distraction and introduce more ‘breathing space’ into a learning environment (whether physical or digital) is to take into account the cognitive load placed on students by course materials, activities or concepts and design learning experiences in such a way as to reduce this load or make it more manageable. This might be achieved by making the VLE as easily-navigable as possible, limiting the amount of supplementary reading material provided, or using a variety of media to present course content so as to avoid overload of one particular stimulus at the expense of others. Finally, it wouldn’t hurt to remind students from time to time that they are not expected to consume every single discussion forum post, recommended link or supplementary journal article in order to meet the requirements of the course. On the contrary, excessive consumption of course content could be detrimental to their performance in other fundamental aspects of the course, namely the production of blog posts and assignments accompanied by necessary reflection, and with this in mind students should be encouraged to strike an appropriate balance between consuming input and producing output in their studies.

While effective learning environments, whether physical or digital, could be said to share certain characteristics, they also differ considerably, and one key difference is the process by which their effectiveness can be evaluated. In order to make improvements to learning experiences it is necessary to observe how learners engage with them and decide upon modifications accordingly. In the context of an online course, in which learners are not physically visible to tutors, this could be problematic or at the very least require an adaptation of the practice of observation. After all, simply monitoring student output on the course (the product) will shed little light on all that comes before (the process) and any problems which students may have encountered along the way. It could be argued that tutors working on online courses have less control over learner activity than in a classroom situation and as a consequence, online platforms and materials have more potential to be used in a way which deviates from their intended purpose or from the intended learning outcomes. One possible way to tackle these issues would be soliciting feedback from online students in much the same way as would be done in a physical classroom setting. Perhaps permission could be sought from students to use their blog comments for course evaluation purposes.

Week 6-7: Cultivating an effective online ‘space’ for learning / Jemima Collins/An introduction to digital environments for learning (2018/2019)[SEM2] by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0