Presentation to give overview of essay on Digital Media MA (2012) that investigated the non-embodiment of educators in digitally-networked learning environments, via case studies of webinars and MOOCs.

1. CHATROOMS,
NOT CLASSROOMS
An investigation into the effects
of the non-embodiment of
educators in digitally-networked
learning environments.

2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• What effect does the lack of a physically-present
educator have on learning in a digitally networked
environment?
• What role does the educator play in learning when
‘face-to-face’ contact is removed from the learning
context?
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3. LEARNING THEORIES
• Behaviourism/Cognitivism/Constructivism
– Vygotsky (Zone of Proximal Development, Activity
Theory)
– Friere (Co-construction of Knowledge)
• Connectivism
– Siemens (‘Connectivism’, ‘Knowing Knowledge’)
– Laurillard (Conversational Framework)
– Salmon (5 Stage Model of eModeration)
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4. FURTHER RESEARCH
• Networked Learning
– Illich (Learning Webs)
– Wenger (Situated Learning)
– Goodyear (Research on Networked Learning)
• Others
– Distance Learning
– Richard E Mayer (Cognitive Theory of Multimedia
Learning)
– Benkler (‘Wealth of Networks’)
– Latour (Actor-Network Theory)
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5. CRITICAL FRAMEWORK
• Embodiment
– Boler (New Digital Cartesianism)
– Hansen (‘Bodies in Code’)
• Space and Location
– Bassett (‘How Many Movements?’)
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6. CASE STUDIES
• Webinars
– ‘a presentation, lecture or workshop that is delivered
over the Web’ (Wikipedia)
– Delivered using tools like Microsoft Lync, Cisco’s
GoToMeeting, or Blackboard’s Elluminate
• MOOCs
– ‘a massive open online course…aimed at large-scale
participation and open access via the web’
(Wikipedia)
– Examples: Coursera, Khan Academy, Udacity
• Application of critical framework to case studies
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7. METHODOLOGY
• Primary research
– Quantitative research: ‘concerned with testing
hypotheses derived from theory and/or being able to
estimate the size of a phenomenon of interest’
(Wikipedia)
– Data gathered from companies on use of services
used for webinar client software
– Data on MOOCs (no’s of participants, courses
running, instructors or institutions involved, items of
content, ‘certificates’ used)
• Secondary research
– Synthesis of book/journal material
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8. CONCLUSION
• What have I demonstrated?
• What have I found?
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Sources used