Image is about Moodle

Introduction 

A distributed online learning is an effective solution to break the barriers of inequity and bridge flexibility and success for Jack. He will be able to access a completely online distributed learning that uses Moodle as the Learning Management System. This online learning will be asynchronous which allows Jack to take care of his other important things, such as participating in after-school programs and working in his mother’s cafe shop. The asynchronous online learning will be much more flexible and convenient for him.

There are many obvious characteristics of the Moodle, which bring benefits to Jack as well. First, according to our course material, “Teaching Online – A Guide to Theory, Research, and Practice”, it describes that “the Moodle system allows the main page of the course to be organized like a syllabus, with blocks for each week’s activities and smaller information blocks on each side of the screen” (Major, C., 2015). The organizational features of Moodle will not only help Jack to better and easier to participate in, but also will make the required materials in each week become more organized and clearer. Second, a online built-in calendar is provided on Moodle, which can help Jack to highlight the deadlines of the assignments in order to reminder him. It helps Jack to manage his study time effectively and efficiently. Third, the Moodle allows learners to work and communicate with people in small groups. It also allows him to contact his instructor privately in order to ask questions or get feedbacks on his learning. Therefore, a more directed connection is built in this type of learning. 

Access

Jack will get benefits from the distributed learning, which contains a few features of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). For instance, first of all, the design of online learning activities and academic tasks are allowed Jack to participate in and access to. The distributed learning optimize him choice and flexibility, based on the guideline of UDL (2018). A course syllabus will be provided to Jack in the beginning so that he can organize his own learning. It provides flexibility and convenience to him. Second, a online built-in calendar and reminder is provided on distributed learning, which not only “increase the predictability of daily activities and transitions”, but also “help learners anticipate and prepare for changes in activities, schedules, and novel events” (2018). Third, both auditory information and visual information can be offered in distributed learning in order to help learners to better understand the content and participate in their online learning. 

Engagement 

Our group finds that a distributed learning environment should work best for Jack to stay interactive during his learning experience. Distributed learning environment involves multiple interactive activities, for example, videos, forums and etc. It helps Jack to stay engaged at all times. Jack worries about feeling isolated when taking courses online. Distributed learning environment encourages students to work in small groups and collaborate together. Jack is not likely to have the sense of isolation, since there are many opportunities to work on group projects and discussion forums to communicate with other learners. In addition, Jack is able to contact the instructor when he encounters questions or concerns, he could get a timely reply. The learning environment is quite straightforward. There is often a syllabus provided by the instructor for every course. Moreover, the instructors typically update the course website weekly depending on the time period of the course, Jack could follow the course material step-by-step. Jack is concerned that he may not be able to focus on the course materials since he is easily distracted. In a distributed learning environment, there is a little to no distractions since the website is usually owned by an institution and there is no advertisement since it’s not sponsored, for example, CourseSpace (usually called Moodle) which is owned by Uvic. Also, the distributed learning is often divided into small chunks, which makes learning process become much easier and clearer to follow. The academic setting in this type of learning environment also helps Jack to adapt to his future learning style in the university. Therefore, a distributed learning environment is suitable for Jack regarding the engagement.

Expression

An asynchronous distributed learning environment is best suitable for Jack to express his thoughts. Jack likes to chat with his friends and works with a small group of people, but he seldom provides a public communication through social media openly. Distributed learning provides him a more confident and suitable environment to express his ideas and communicate with other people. Also, Jack is a proficient internet users and has access to multiple electronic devices that gives him access to use social media and learning platforms. These characteristics allow him to express his ideas within an online learning environment. Moreover, distributed learning provides multiple types of assignments in order to examine students’ mastery of the course materials and express their thinkings and understanding of the materials directly. Taking Uvic’s CourseSpace (an example of Moodle) as an example, there are quizzes, discussion forums, and more. This learning environment is highly interactive and student-centered (Bhattacharya, M., 1999) and it provides a relatively private learning environment because it is managed by credible educational institution. Additionally, Jack struggles to manage his time effectively. He has a crowded schedule already, it is important for him to make sure the learning environment fits into his schedule. The instructors often send out the syllabus at the beginning of the course in a distributed learning. The syllabus gives the learner an overview of the course materials and the planned deadlines for all the assignments. In this case, Jack is able to cooperate all the deadlines into his calendar; therefore, he could better manage his time. Overall, in our opinion, a distributed learning environment is best for Jack to share his ideas and overcome the learning barriers in his study.

References

Bhattacharya, M. (1999). A study of asynchronous and synchronous discussion on cognitive maps in a distributed learning environment. In WebNet World Conference on the WWW and Internet (pp. 100-105). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Major, C. (2015). Teaching Online – A Guide to Theory, Research, and Practice. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=3318874 (pp. 88-105) Note: UVic login required.

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guideline. Version 2.2. Retrieved from: http://udlguidelines.cast.org/