Analysis of Technology Tools for Online Educational Sharing

Online learning enrollment has quadrupled over the past 15 years, according to The Brookings Institution (Dusst & Winthrop, 2019). With this massive increase in demand, an understanding of online learning technologies is critical for the next generation educators. To better determine effective online learning technologies, this paper will compare three types of technology tools that facilitate online learning: blogs, video conferencing, and learning management systems.

Blogs    

Blogs can be an effective online learning tool that encourages learners to participate in discussions and collaboration around a topic that in turn stimulates cognitive thinking (Gregory & Bannister-Tyrrell, 2017). Blogs, with their origins as online diaries, create a space for both instructor and learners to reflect and share, creating a higher level of engagement and knowledge transfer obtained critical thinking (Gregory & Bannister-Tyrrell, 2017). Blogs can be specifically useful when writing skills where “dialogue, discussion and storytelling” (Alsamadani, 2018, p. 45) are being used to develop written communication skills. Instructor and learner feedback are easily gained in real time with an ability for the instructor to connect new knowledge with existing knowledge in keeping with the individual and group needs (Gregory & Bannister-Tyrrell, 2017). There are several examples of blog sites that are easy to set up and administer. A favorite blogging tool to this author is WordPress, an open-source content management system that includes both free and paid expansion tools to create robust blogging websites sites that can include any number of educational add-ons (WordPress, 2021).

Video Conferencing

Video conferencing has gained attention in the past year as a global pandemic forced many to stay home, forcing the educational system to move online. Video conferencing has multiple benefits for learners and instructors. The ability to bring in learners from regions far and wide means access to education is no longer contingent on the ability to commute to a physical location (Dhawan, 2020). Instructor led learning, multimedia integration and real time instructor/student discussions are all possible with video conferencing, all contributing to a deeper level of learning often found in traditional educational environments (Dhawan, 2020). One of the largest advantages to video conferencing tools as educational tools is the ability for the instructor to continue to monitor verbal and non-verbal cues of the learners to gauge understanding and engagement, reducing the chances that a learner is left behind (Basko & Hartman, 2017). Advances in video conferencing technology now also include engagement tools where learners can emote through icons, click on interactive assessments and chat in real time for question-and-answer sessions (Basko & Hartman, 2017).

Learning Management Systems

Learning management systems are typically online platforms that deliver educational content in various formats to engage learners into a self-guided learning experience (Chaw & Tang, 2018). The learning environment may include written material, videos, quizzes, surveys and other educational tools, that help stimulate learning. A clear advantage to a learning management system, besides the ease of access, is the ability for the student to receive immediate feedback with the use of formative assessments that can be built into the learning system (Cavus, Uzunboylu, & Ibrahim, 2006). There is some debate about the effectiveness of learning management systems, however. Easy access to course notes may demotivated learners to attend live learning sessions (Borboa, Joseph, Spake, & Yazdanparast, 2014). Learning is often unsupervised in a learning management system that may also create environments where students can easily use supplemental material for summative assessments, a practice that could be consider cheating (Cavus, Uzunboylu, & Ibrahim, 2006). Lastly, students have reported a dislike of learning management systems due to a lack of personal attention that comes from instructor led course (Cavus, Uzunboylu, & Ibrahim, 2006).

For the purposes of the portfolio project of creating a Technology Guide for Distance ad Digital Learning Tools (Colorado State University Global, 2021), a blog site will be developed. The reason for this choice is that the content will be used a resource for additional learning, not as an interactive educational tool. The content can easily be organized for the learner to navigate through guide to glean additional information when selecting a learning tool for their own programs. The blog format also allows for the learner to comment on the material being presented with an instructor response mechanism. Learners and visitors will also be able to see one another’s commentary on these tools to help in decision making, utilizing social proof (Mullin, 2020) as a means to discern which tools would be best for their own programs.