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FINAL
ESSAY EDUI 6702
Philip Pond
Introduction
I learned many valuable skills and
found many valuable resources in this class that I can apply to the class I
began creating in EDUI 6701. In that
class I began creating a hypothetical 15-week undergraduate introductory course
in electronic commerce and I have been continuing with that project in EDUI
6702. My course selections for examples
used electronic commerce related classes that were consistent with my
objective, in one case even sacrificing some level of the quality of the
example for relevance to my topic area.
I found the best of what was presently available for my course,
tentatively titled Electronic Commerce 101 Online. My course will cover
electronic commerce history, key components of electronic commerce, how to
create competitive advantage on the web, creating a functional web site, and
independent judgment about the topic.
VARK
In this class, EDUI 6702, I learned differences between behavioral
lecture teaching versus facilitative constructivist teaching models. I learned I learned the value of VARK as a
criteria for finding and developing my online course materials so that each
learning style that can be represented to the best of my ability and access to
available resources. For visual
learners I found links to streaming videos with audio included for aural
types. There were some excellent audio
links I found to industry giants such as Bill Gates, too. I found graphs and representational models
that will aid visual learners. I found
a multitude of superb readings for the read/write type of learner. Kinesthetic learners can benefit by putting together
the web site, where they assimilate all the material.
Multiple Intelligences
I learned about Gardiner’s multiple intelligences (Harvard says he may
be making it nine by adding an existential intelligence.) I think I now understand the difference
between the eight intelligences and VARK.
Although VARK has been defined as a learning style, I tend to think of
it more as a presentational and information intake style. I think of the multiple intelligences as the
learning style because learning and processing are more active than presentation. From my readings and experience, I think the
real learning takes place in the assimilation, for instance in creating this
analysis. This private definition will
be useful to me in preparing classes, but I do not present it as a proposed
change in accepted definitions.
Electronic Commerce 101 Online Applications Of VARK And Multiple Intelligence Theory
The issues of learning styles and multiple intelligences have
applications that can be incorporated indirectly in my electronic commerce
course and personal learning. Web sites
and electronic commerce themselves take place in an online presentation
medium. They are visited by and acted
upon by consumers who take the part of the ‘student’ in many respects in
e-commerce applications.
Online Versus On-Ground Teaching And Learning
We discussed and had readings related to the differences between online
and on-ground learning and teaching. I
was shocked at how many on-ground elements could be simulated in the online
learning environment and experience as discussed in the online article on
instructional designers, for example. I
now believe the asynchronous mode of interaction online to be superior for
assimilation and learning than traditional classrooms, based on our readings,
discussions and my personal experience as an online learner.
Accessibility
I learned about accessibility issues for the disabled under the ADA and
the importance of compliance from a legal, ethical, moral and business
standpoint. I gained experience in the
subject of accessibility by participating in the creation of an ADA Section 508
compliant site and checking it using an automated online site compliance
checker. Relating this course to me electronic commerce course, an ADA
compliant business could increase the number of visitors who can effectively
visit their site, whether compliance is necessary or not. Large commercial
sites can make significant gains in revenues with a minimum of added expense
with these ideas.
Conclusion
Looking back, I find it hard to believe the depth and breadth of the
material covered in this course. I
found so many relevant and useful bookmark links I had to reorganize my already
overflowing favorites folder. These
links related not only to online teaching and learning but to source content
and ideas for the course I am developing as well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved
- from instructors to classmates and to the unseen but appreciated support
personnel at CSUH, Embanet, and Blackboard.
