WAVE 3 REFLECTIONS

Cari Lara
OMDE 601 Section 9040
Wave 3 Reflections
What really stood out to me in Wave 3 was George Siemens theory of
connectivisim. Siemens believed that learning is no longer generated and
validated mainly by scholarly study, but by discussion. (Bates & Sangra,
2011, p. 46). This is an important point that I discussed greatly in my last
reflection and now gives a name to my argument. I understand that while
the goal of all educators should be to encourage independent thought
through the application of the instructed techniques and methods, all
students must first have that base of scholarly study. Students have to gain
a knowledge base in their area of study before they can apply their own
experience and views. This point is still very interesting to me and ties into
the definition of DE I first submitted.
In my original definition, I focused mainly on education being a
process, in that education cannot take place if the course has not been
carefully designed and then the material appropriately conveyed in some
manner. Moore and Kearsley (2012) publish their definition to read Distance
education is teaching and planned learning in which teaching normally
occurs in a different place from learning, requiring communication through
technologies as well as special institutional organization (p. 2). This is the
textbook definition I chose that most closely aligned with my own. While I

WAVE 3 REFLECTIONS

agree with this still, I would say that it is a very bare bones definition. At the
risk of rewriting my first paper, I will simply add on from what I have learned
from this point. There are so many more facets to DE than this definition
states, but I understand the need to boil it down to its most basic form, for
the sake of understanding. As previously stated, I focused mainly on the
need for a well-designed course but I did not even discuss the role of the
learner. As we continue to the study the different waves in DE, the role of
the learner has evolved as well. In Wave 1, it was strictly asynchronous
learning. The course materials were sent out and the student either did
them or did not. There was no back and forth with an instructor. Wave 2
brought more asynchronous education with radio and television broadcasts,
but was still student-centered and independent learning. Now, with Wave 3
and the proliferation of technologies ranging from telephones to the Internet,
synchronous learning in DE is possible. However, I believe that it is the
student who makes the course synchronous or asynchronous.
In an online classroom, discussion posts are the main way to get
students to participate, which makes the course synchronous. Students and
instructors are asking questions, responding, getting feedback, etc.
However, while the grading rubric/scale dictates the amount of participation
required to attain the grade desired, it is still on the student to actually
participate. The student has to take advantage of the fact that they have
other students as resources also. At this level in education (graduate level),
there are learners in the class who are in their 20s and also in their 60s.

WAVE 3 REFLECTIONS

Learners who have no experience in education and learners who have been
or still are in the education field currently. That is one advantage learners
now have that just wasnt available in the first or second waves, but the
learner is still the one that has to use it. In my first reflection, I lamented on
how I despise discussion posts, mostly because in my previous courses, they
require little independent thought and are basically the same textbooks
answers, carefully reconstructed to avoid plagiarism. While there are still
several students who post the standard, good post, I enjoyed reading it
respond, there are still more who actually seem invested and interested so
they post valuable feedback or even better, challenges. I try to be the type
that posts questions or offers feedback in order to get that discussion going.
I do miss the traditional classroom, but through the discussion posts we as
online learners, can get the same experience, if not more so. There were
very few times in a traditional class where we just sat around discussing the
text. So few in fact, I couldnt think of a single time. However, I am finding
that by reading others discussions, I am getting different views of the same
topic, which is enhancing my learning experience. This is a major a ha
moment for me, as I mentioned before, I am not a fan of discussion posts.
But I do see their value now, when I didnt before.

Bates, A.W & Sangra, A. (2011). Managing technology in higher education:

Strategies for transforming teaching and learning. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.

WAVE 3 REFLECTIONS
Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2012). Distance education: A systems view of
online learning. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth-Cengage Learning.