E-learning

I have experienced a number of the student learning sites. I use them sparingly in my instruction. They usually end up as extension, intervention, and remediation resources. I like to have students have a specific purpose for computer use; we can set that purpose together at fist with them gradually taking on the responsibility. I want them to experience internet use as purposeful with a end point when objectives are met. Not undirected and unending. I liked the following game in gamequarium and gamequarium in general because of it's centered, clear list of suject and concept based activities: http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/fractionflags/ffthirds.html. Students can make specific choices easily without a lot of distracting text features. I also liked the Syllable Factory in BBC Skillwise. Simple, easy to use, and a great decoding and spelling tool for stuggling older readers. I hate Funbrain for the embedded site comics popup. Students are quickly encouraged to move out, get distracted from a useful game into a comic. Then at some point the product ads will pop in and be prominently and distractingly featured on the screen.

I think e-learning is a good accessory type of learning but should not replace classroom type instruction with human interaction...mostly for some of the same issues that come up with internet literacy:accountaility of authorship, understanding of context and tone, and a truer community connection. E-learning for adults is really the same in all respects as it is for children. It is great for choice, accessability, reaching a broad audience demographically and geographically, engagement, differentiation, equity, uniformity of delivery, and cost saving.