ONL212 - A Learner's Journey

       ONL had suggested that I attempt this blog by answering the following five questions.  I will begin each of these questions with a popular quote, just as I have made the quote by Michelangelo as the title of this blog.  He succinctly embodies my sentiments after completing the ONL module.  I have learnt many new concepts and approaches that may be helpful in my journey as an educator in Engineering.  ONL has not quenched my intellectual thirst on learning, in fact, it has encouraged me to continue to search further and has made me realize that my journey will never end and I am not disappointed.  Let's move forward with the questions:     1.     What are the most important things that you have learnt through your engagement in the ONL course? Why? The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change. Carl Rogers I have learnt many things in the ONL course.  The foremost of these is surely meta-cognition.  Meta-cognition in brief is thinking abou

Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.  - Malcolm X   Humanity has always wondered what the future will be like. In the same vein, I have ventured to foretell what the education systems of the future will be like.  Perhaps the image below may be helpful to envisage the education of the future.   Fig. 1:  Education of the future.  Personalized Education without instructors.       Based on my experiences as an educator, these are some of the characteristics that I think will dominate the future educational landscape: The world will "shrink" and the world will be my classroom.  Institutions of today will cease to exist - students may enroll in whatever modules of their choosing.  Demographics of today suggest that the rate of population growth in the future will decline rapidly until we reach a stable equilibrium.  The educational culture will evolve to a state where we no longer obtain an education to prepare oursel

Digital Literacies: Before and After   In this post I will like to take a light-hearted approach towards Digital Literacy.  My PBL group discussed many approaches and its consequences of becoming digitally literate.  Based on the first scenario that was posted, I will like to imagine the scenario as an advertisement for the "Before" and "After" of Digital Literacy, in as much as the advertisements that we are familiar with weight loss regimens or products.  I will also like to portray the state of mind of the person in each of these "Before" and "After" posters. The "Before"  (Source: https://www.claritychi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AdobeStock_95703483-scaled-2048x1366.jpeg) State of Mind I have little experience of online courses. I am unable to find my way around websites and am incompetent with digital tools.  I think other participants at ONL212 are smarter than me. I feel stupid about asking questions and really do not know ho

 Teaching Students to Drive their Brains!!! This blog is a product of the intense discussion and feedback of my PBL group on Topic 4.  Our PBL's discussion has been published here .  I thoroughly enjoyed myself working on meta-cognition in learning.  I shall concentrate on meta-cognition in this blog.  (source: https://vimeo.com/190268593 )   The graphic above is the cover of a book and also a vimeo podcast (the link is provided in the caption).  Although the podcast was first published about FIVE years ago, I believe it is still relevant.  What appealed to me about the book title is that it succinctly and accurately describes my quest as an instructor.  In the past, I was focused on how to be a good instructor and how to improve students' learning.  But to teach them to drive their brains - that is the ultimate! and a totally refreshing perspective. I started with not knowing anything about meta-cognition in learning.  The little that I have read, instantly appealed to me.