What is it about online learning that allows learning to occur?
Unfortunately, many educators get excited about fancy software, like Flash, Shockwave, and Director. Equally unfortunate, other educators praise the value of items within software, such as PowerPoint’s ability to animate text and graphics. Why unfortunate? Earning does not come from the fanciness of media. A PowerPoint slide is no better than a handout created in Word processing. A handout created in word processing is no better than a message carved out on stone with slate. Media does not create learning. Rather, learning is created when learners are engaged in useful instructional strategies. Learners must become actively involved in developing an understanding of course content. They then must apply that course content to novel situations. Only through active involvement and application will learning occur.
