Module 4- Flexible Learning Environment

Distance learning is a form of learning without a face-to-face contact with the teacher
and delivered via telecommunications. In the past, this involved correspondence
courses wherein the student corresponded with the teacher via mails. This turned out
to be beneficial since universities added students without having to construct
classrooms while they enjoy being able to work anytime and anywhere at their
convenience. With the advent of newer technologies, distance learning is delivered
via computer based media thus called online learning or e-learning. This made
classrooms borderless and learning boundless. This was enhanced by the emergence
of web 2.0 tools which made collaborative learning easier and more interactive. These
tools allow students and teachers to communicate, share resources, and collaborate in
real-time, further enhancing the learning experience. Online learning platforms like
Zoom, Google Meet, and learning management systems (LMS) have made distance
learning more efficient, offering flexibility and access to a wider range of educational
resources.
Lesson 1- Online Distance Education and Communities of Learners
Flexible Learning Environment
Learning nowadays is viewed differently. The present generation of learners has
access to information at their fingertips. The teacher is no longer seen as basically the
dispenser of knowledge but rather as one who expertly directs the learners to take
their own track in searching for answers to questions raised inside the classroom.
Then they bring these back to the class for further discussion until perhaps resolutions
are agreed. They can search the web and discover a breadth of information related to
the lesson. They even have the patience to stay in front of the computer for an
unusually longer time in search for more articles and multimedia materials that
simplify a challenging topic. That is why they can sometimes learn more than what is
confined in the four corners of the classroom.
Every chance or corner becomes a learning space. It is clear that learning takes place
anywhere and this adds to the concept of flexibility in the learning environment. With
technology, students can possibly continue to join class sessions even if they are not
physically around. The learning space becomes virtual or mediated. The library is not
only a physical structure where they can read published books but has also become
virtual.
Online Distance Learning
Online distance learning is not a new concept. Some schools, higher education
institutions in the country, and educational agencies such as the Southeast Asian
Ministers of Education Innovations in Educational Technology (SEAMEO-
INNOTECH) provide this mode of learning. It allows flexibility in learning to a
certain extent.
The Different Platforms
The flexible mode of learning uses a platform such as moodle, Google classroom,
edmodo, schoology, etc. These are free programs designed for educational purposes.
It has features that are patterned after the instructional activities of a teacher in a
physical classroom. When you use this, you can actually hold a lesson, post questions
for discussion, hold an online chat discussion, give assessment activities and provide
references or links to other online materials, features relevant t instruction and
facilitating of learning.

Moodle was created by Martin Dougiamas, founder and CEO of Moodle MOODLE
stands for Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment which is an open
source software. It is a Learning Management System (LMS) that supports teaching
and learning

Google Classroom is a free online learning platform developed by Google, designed

to help educators create, manage, and organize classes. It allows teachers to distribute
assignments, communicate with students, grade work, and share resources all in one
place. Students can submit assignments, collaborate with classmates, and receive
feedback from teachers. Google Classroom integrates with other Google tools like
Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, making it a convenient tool for both in-
person and remote learning.

Edmodo is an online educational platform that allows teachers, students, and parents
to connect, collaborate, and share resources. It functions as a virtual classroom where
teachers can distribute assignments, give quizzes, and track student progress. Edmodo
also provides communication tools, enabling teachers to post updates, interact with
students, and involve parents in their children's learning. It is designed to enhance
learning both in the classroom and remotely, offering a user-friendly interface similar
to social media, making it accessible for students of all ages.

Schoology is a learning management system (LMS) designed for K-12 schools and
higher education institutions. It provides a digital platform where educators can
create, manage, and deliver instructional content, assess student performance, and
facilitate communication between students, teachers, and parents. Schoology supports
a range of tools for creating assignments, quizzes, discussions, and multimedia
lessons. It also integrates with external apps and services like Google Drive,
Microsoft OneDrive, and Zoom, enhancing the overall learning experience.
The platform is known for its user-friendly interface and is often used for blended or
fully online learning environments. It also offers analytics and tracking tools for
teachers to monitor student progress and engagement.

Another recent modality to learning is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). It
is a model for delivering learning content online to any person who wants to take a
course. It allows one to pursue learning even outside of university or higher education
formal structure. Those who are working can enrol in MOOCS with no limit on
attendance. As long as you are willing to learn, you can engage in an area of
discipline and learn. It allows interconnectedness among peoples in the world to
discuss and share recent developments in their common field of interest.
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association with the mission is to advance higher
education through the use of information technology

Synchronous and Asynchronous

In the flexible learning mode, the activities can be done in two ways:
(1) synchronous and
(2) asynchronous.
An online chat at real time is a Synchronous session. Course participants meet in a
virtual classroom and discuss a topic in the lesson. So wherever they are situated in
the world, they agree on a scheduled session and log in to join the live class. The
LMS has this feature. The teacher called as the online tutor facilitates the discussion
Ideas are posted in an actual live class. One cannot lecture and take all the time in
explaining. In this mode, the course participants are made to be engaged in the flow of
discussion that is why, the online tutor has to plan out the instruction guide in
facilitating the discourse

Using the Skype in holding a live class is another example. Members of the class log-
in in their Skype account at a given time to join the video conferencing.
Another important feature is the Asynchronous session. This is when questions or
tasks are posted and course participants answer the question or post their reply at any
time most convenient to them. They can still participate in the discussion by replying
to the post. One advantage is that you can take your time when replying. The LMS
mentioned in this lesson has a feature that can allow an asynchronous

In the image map, there is a column of icon labeled as LIVE CLASS and FORUM. If
you click the LIVE CLASS it will lead you to enter the virtual classroom to attend the
synchronous session while the icon labelled FORUM is responsible for allowing class
participants to join the asynchronous sessions.

If you do not use any of the learning management system, asynchronous discussion
can be in the form of a blog or even a video blog (vblog). A topic of great importance
is discussed by the bloggers who can be the teacher or any of the class members.
Since it is openly accessible, anyone from the class once informed about it can
respond or comment on it and which can also be responded to by the other blogger.
The process creates a thread. This is like an actual face-to-face discussion or an online
chat but the response and comments posted may take a short while. Nevertheless,
revisiting the FORUM or the BLOG is needed to read the reaction of others.

Blended Learning
Another way of handling flexible learning is by combining modalities of instructional
delivery. Blended learning is a combination of a learning activities wherein a part of
the lesson is delivered online while the other part is handled in actual physical setting
of a classroom.

KINDS OF Blended Learning

Model 1: Face-to-Face Driver

In the face-to-face model, the teacher delivers the curricula most of the time and
utilizes online learning at certain times with the purpose to augment or provide an
alternative experience. Instruction is provided in a computer laboratory or assigned
tasks are uploaded online

Model 2: Rotation
In a particular course or subject, students rotate on a fixed schedule between learning
online in a one-to-one, self-paced learning environment and being inside the
classroom with a face-to-face teacher. This is the model that is in between the
traditional face-to-face learning and online learning

Model 3: Flex
This model uses an online platform that delivers most of the course. Support to
learning is provided as needed through on-site support or by an online tutor who
facilitates the tutorial or small group sessions. Sessions can be arranged into
synchronous or asynchronous. Course participants may work on their tasks at any
convenient time as long as it is within the confines of the course duration.

Model 4: Online Lab

The online-lab model uses an online platform in delivering the course but located in a
physical classroom or computer laboratory. Since the lessons are in modular format
and available in the online program, teacher assistants supervise these classes.
However, they may not provide the needed expertise if learners seek assistance.
Furthermore, students who are enrolled in an Online Lab model of blended learning
may be enrolled in a traditional classroom courses at the same time and therefore have
block schedules.

Model 5: Self-Blend
The self-blend Model is a system provided by the school where the students can
choose the courses they would like to have in addition to their typical brick-and-
mortar classroom classes. This model is always remote a major difference from the
Online Lab.

Model 6: Online Driver

The online-driver, model utilizes a platform and a teacher that delivers all curricula.
Students remotely work on their program most of the time. If ever there is a face-to-
face component, it is made optional or if ever it is required for the students to go to
the physical learning environment such as in a school, then it can be extracurricular
activities augmenting the curriculum.

Planning and managing blended learning experiences are very similar to planning and
managing a brick-and-mortar school with courses or subjects integrating technology.
It needs to be system-wide as the school makes a plan, develops guidelines for
students to follow for the use of technology in a blended format and provide a
resource guide. A lot of preparation is needed in designing a blended format.
Technology has to be prepared. The back-end and front-end infrastructures of blended
learning have to be put in place as well as the content in varied multimedia formats.
Teachers and teachers assistant who will act as online tutors and assistants need to be
pedagogically capacitated.
Online Communities of Learning / Social Networking
Pearl Dorothy Mayo

A network is the physical or virtual infrastructure of devices connected together,

while networking is the activities and processes that relate to creating, managing, and
maintaining those networks.

Social network platforms are websites and apps that allow users to:
Create, share, and interact with content
Connect with other users
Form relationships
Stay informed
Access information

There are varied platforms available where one can create a personal account. Some
of these popular social networking sites include:
Facebook apparently is the biggest social networking site founded in 2004 based in
Menlo Park, California. The most popular social network apparently is Facebook.
Used by most people, it allows users to post their profile, blogs, pictures and videos.
Facebook lets one share status updates, news articles with friends and family.
Although it started as a way for college students to connect and socialize, it expanded
its services allowing people ages 13 and up to use a Facebook account for personal or
even business reasons.
Twitter is the site where users post and interact with messages called "tweets,"
restricted only to 140 characters. Only registered users can post tweets, but those who
are not can only read them. One of the main features of Twitter is it enables people to
post their thoughts immediately. Founded in 2006, Twitter is based in San Francisco,
California, United States.
LinkedIn- The website lets one upload his educational qualifications, skills, work
history, and relevant experiences. One's connections can even endorse and this helps
employers who can message the one concerned and talk about the possibility of
employment. Launched in 2003, this is a popular social site in the professional world.
Google is designed to be a total communication social network.
Launched in 2011, Google is its parent and it is more advantageous if it is kept as a
browser for users are connected even if they are outside Google+ site. Users can make
friends and remained up to date with old friends without leaving their Gmail account.
YouTube is the world's leading digital video-sharing platform, allowing users to
upload, watch and share content for free. Users can access a wide variety of videos,
ranging from entertainment and music clips to educational tutorials and live
broadcasts. Since it is owned by Google, YouTube prefers a a Google account to
make it easier and streamlined. Just like with other social networking sites, users can
either make their videos private or public. Based in San Bruno, California, the service
was created in February 2005.
Pinterest is another social media tool that like YouTube, is often thought of as
otherwise. Pinterest was designed as a catalogue of ideas or project ideas by its
founder Ben Silberman. This is an excellent choice for those who have a passion for
creativity. Users must have an account to use Pinterest. An email account or a
Facebook account can be used in signing up to Pinterest, and if users will use
Facebook, their wall would be ready to post pins without linking with Facebook.
Instagram is a platform where users share visual stories. This system allows users to
post photos with captions allowing followers to like or comment on one's posts.
Photos shared have a wide range of coverage - trips, food, business products. Since
the site is free, advertisers can use instagram to reach a wide and are follower base.
Instagram account can be private or made public. It is the best social networking site
for photography.
Tumblr is a networking site that combines social media and tumblr. blogging. Its main
goal is to simplify social media and blogging. Users can post whatever they like such
as photos, videos, quotes, music, links. This is a social media that makes it very easy
and straight forward to search just about anything.
MySpace is another popular social networking website where members can make
friends, post blogs and photos, videos. MySpace had its dose of crisis but came back
stronger and rebranded to focus on music. Personal users can use MySpace to keep up
with their favorite artists, have an update on the music industry, see what their friends
are listening to, and connect with people who have similar music preferences.
Flickr (pronounced "flicker") is an image and video hosting website that was created
by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo. It offers massive online photo storage.
Bebo is a social networking website with the backronymi "Blog Early, Blog Often". It
was invented to answer the question what the name meant. It was founded by
husband-and-wife team Michel and Xochi Birch in January 2005 at their home in San
Francisco.

The Benefits of Using Social Networking Sites

Using social networking websites opens an array of benefits for users. The world has
become a global village through connectivity. The connection has transcended space
and borders. Getting connected to family and friends is now just a few clicks away. It
is an easy access to keeping in touch with friends, or keeping tabs on family. It
provides opportunities for making friends with others who share similar interests and
passion.

The Dangers of Using Social Networking Sites

Sometimes, a youngster gebied by others one who seemingly posessed as friends in a

social networking website. There are also trolls who actually instigate conflict,
misunderstanding or emotional response through social media. by eliciting anger of ill
fairy or controversial. Topping thignore the realso the danger of users getting hooked
on internet and may learn to ignore the real world Their ability to socialize is
incapacitated as they devote hours or days on gaming or using the computer
manifesting abuse to themselves.

Safeguarding Oneself when Engaging in Social Networking Sites

1. A social networking account has passwords and log-in details. Secure passwords
and keep them private.
2. Log out every time you use public computers.
3. Regularly check privacy settings of social networking websites so that only direct
friends or those particularly known can see the posts.
4. Online posts are saved and may become a permanent part of their online
 reputation. As you use the internet, you leave a digital footprint which can be traced
back to you.
5. Do not accept invites from contacts unless you know them personally or you are
sure of their identity.
6. Seriously consider the effect of possible posts on others before deciding
to do so. If posts (i.e. text, picture, video) could be considered offensive or
humiliating another person, then you refrain from posting or uploading it.
7. Using appropriate language is essential. The tone when communicating or sending
social networking messages should be respectful.
8. Better be safe than sorry. You should accept friends and connections when you
are sure of the person's identity. Personally meeting someone.

"Social media is not just a tool for communication; it's a platform for transformation.
Use it to inspire, uplift, and connect with others in ways that promote growth."