My name is Shem, and I am a contributor to this blog.
As a technical support analyst who works in the health and education sectors, I am often called upon to offer face-to-face and online training to employees ranging in age from 18 to 70 on how to use hardware and software products such as smartphones, tablet computers, data projectors, Microsoft Office programs, and provincial and municipal databases. Given the diverse age range and skill sets I work with, it is important that I exercise sound pedagogy by understanding my students’s learning styles and needs so that I can differentiate my instruction accordingly to foster an engaging, motivating, and collaborative learning environment.
When training is offered face-to-face onsite, the security and safety of the learning environment can be controlled and monitored using hardware and software that has been tested, configured, and customized for all participants. However, in an online setting, where the technology used to deliver and participate in the learning process is less standardized and protected, the educator and student need to be aware of the variety of threats that can compromise the integrity and availability of the learning environment. For example, software incursions such as viruses, malware, denial of service attacks, and phishing schemes, along with academic dishonesty involving plagiarism and cheating need to be addressed in a fair, judicious, and cost-effective manner that does not de-motivate educators and learners from participating in online learning (E-Learning Faculty Modules, 2011).
As a result, given my background in technology and training, I will be focussing my discussions on establishing and maintaining a safe and secure online learning environment in an effort to help define an “online pedagogy” that is conducive to collaborative learning and utilizes accurate and meaningful assessment strategies that parallel those implemented in a traditional classroom setting (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010).
I look forward to your constructive feedback and comments, and scholarly discussions.
References:
E-Learning Faculty Modules. (2011). Secure Learning Online. Retrieved from http://elearningfacultymodules.org/index.php/Secure_Learning_Online
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools (1st ed., Covering Grades 1 to 12), 79-81. Toronto: Queen’s Printer of Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf
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guestauthor. (2011). Outsourcing Computer Security Management To A Local Service Provider. Retrieved from http://www.tech2date.com/outsourcing-computer-security-management-to-a-local-service-provider.html
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