Reflection - Learning Platforms - Module 5

This module was on learning platforms. The thing about platforms is that a final assessment and how well the platform works for you is based on more of what the platform does not do, than what it does. Of course, there are certain features the platform must contain, but beyond that is how the platform performs, such as the true ease of use or difficulty in maintaining, etc. This post is a reflection on learning platforms based on my personal experience both as a tutor at Knowledge Learning Corporation.

The platforms for KLC consist of:
- Ning. A focused website that is used as a "teacher's only" forum. The company posts basic information - such as resources, telephone numbers, and self-paced courses (such as on how the system works or how to do basic questioning with students.) There are tutor and company intiated blogs, which I often use to ask other tutors on their experiences and get suggestions. A recent blog was how do you handle students when they ask you personal information. I find this website to be invaluable, but the front page of the site is confusing. Everytime some posts - such as an introduction - the list of blog topics changes to the most recent. Finding a blog you want to reference often takes a search, but the search is very sensitive. Also, when I am in the middle of a teaching session and I want to access a resource, it takes too many pages/strokes to get there quickly.
- GlobalScholar. This is a focused website that is used to track the tutor's students, their progress, and results in the lessons. This is similiar to Vista, where the students grades and classes are. There is not a posting capability, like in Vista, however. I think this system is very complete. GlobalScholar is a good platform. It maintains a list of all students I have ever taught, however, and rather than the current students I am teaching listed when I first enter, it is the first students - a year back or so - that comes up.
- Whiteboard. This is accessed through Global Scholar and is only available when the student is actually in the tutoring session. If you read the features of the whiteboard (which I suppose is part of the GlobalScholar platform), it looks perfect for our application. However, it is quite frustrating in daily operation and KLC is assessing making a change. The way the platform works, makes it very sensitive to bandwidth considerations. Many students logged on using it as the same time, often freezes things. When it is operationally working, the main feature I would change is the ability to have a student re-take an automated lesson. (The student takes a a self-paced, 10 minutes lesson after which a short 4-question practice is administered. After this I interact with the student to go over their work and pass them. If I feel the skill is not successfully mastered, my only choice is to personally continue working with the student - of which I have 3 others at the same time and is, therefore, not always feasible - or pass them.)