What I Have Learned

By Ricardo E. Villalon, J.D., LL.M.

In our last class, I started to create a course in Parliamentary Law Online. This course is necessary in a democracy, because it ensures that freedom of expression, order, and efficiency, in the deliberations of groups, will be respected. Citizens, have an obligation, of learning the basic rules of procedure required in any assembly, in order that meetings are conducted in an efficient and interesting way.

The student will learn the meaning of such concepts as motions, quorums, minutes, the importance of nominations, elections, the writing of bylaws and their legal implications in the business world.

In this course I have learned that studies made by very well known and respected educators and psychologist, sustain the fact that a child possesses a particular learning style that conditions the way in which he/she interacts with the world. Understanding the learning styles of a child will help us to properly select those activities that will assist that child to learn.

I have also learned that online education is as good and effective as face to face traditional classroom. That in a traditional class, the educators tend to employ the same teaching style, while online education, through the technology available, can better address the students’ learning preferences. Fitzpatrick (2001). Most important, "…the distance education delivery method catered to, in part, students’ preferred learning styles", seems to be a significant factor in obtaining equal or better grades than traditional students. Tucker (2001).

Most important, in preparing my course, I have to be conscious of students’ disabilities in online environment, and take all necessary precautions to ensure equal access to people with disabilities. The course has given me the tools, bibliographic references in the Web, to plan the learning environment that will incorporate visual, read/write, aural and kinesthetic sensory modal characteristics.