An E-Learning Collaborative Environment:Learning within a Masters in Education

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Hendricks, N. (2012). An E-Learning Collaborative Environment:Learning within a Masters in Education. International Journal on E-Learning, 11(1), 39-53. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/33297.

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Journal Information

International Journal on E-Learning
ISSN 1537-2456
Volume 11, Issue 1, January 2012
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)  Chesapeake, VA

More Information on IJEL

Author

Natheem Hendricks, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

This article contributes to the debate about e-learning as a form of adult education. It is based on the experiences of South African students, describes and analyses group interaction in an intercontinental Masters in Adult Education Programme which uses a computer electronic platform as the primary medium for learning and teaching. The article focuses on students’ subjective navigation of an e-learning platform and explores whether or not e-learning replicates what goes on in a lecture theatre, and whether or not e-learning becomes a passive development tool. This article shows that, through negotiating and mediating collaboratively, students in this Masters Programme took ownership of their constructed knowledge. Whilst presenting evidence that e-learning has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning, the article challenges some of the claimed advantages of e-learning. In particular, the article questions the assumption that e-learning encourages equality amongst students; it counters the claim that e-learning provides learning opportunities that are highly flexible; and, contrary to claims that e-learning removes personal anxiety, this article shows that students do experience anxiety when making their contributions to collaborative discussions.

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