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Critical engagement in E-learning
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Critical engagement in E-learning
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Critical Engagement of the Individual in the E-Learning EnvironmentShould we concentrate on e-learning in terms of teaching and learning methods
and safeguarding; or do we need to identify and understand the hidden
curriculum of the internet?
There has been vast recent developments in the power of learning online. In
ELearning magazine (2013) it observed that corporate companies invested 240%
more of their budget into E-learning in 2013, a yearly steadily increasing
percentage. It says that 90% of the fastest growing jobs in America and Europe
require technological abilities and companies plan to invest more than ever in
staff training within e-learning to reach the optimal level of institutional
productivity (Government ELearning, 2013). However, it needs to be asked
whether we should concentrate on e-learning in terms of pedagogy and
safeguarding, or do we need to understand the hidden curriculum of the internet.
This essay will focus on identity formation in public pedagogy within the global
information society as well as examining surveillance and the monitoring of the
internet in creating a regulated online platform, and if this supports the hidden
curriculum of the internet. I will do this by discussing surveillance in terms of
freedom and democracy and outline important concepts, whilst using key
theories such as Castells, Barber, Wenger, Turkle and Zuckerman to demonstrate
significant ideas.
In recent years our society has been undergoing a revolution of online
technology and this is only the beginning. In terms of teaching there has been a
huge increase of the use of technology and e-learning, which not only supports
learning, but also promotes the availability of qualifications to people that would
have not have access to it previously (Government ELearning, 2013). E-learning
is becoming an ever more significant area of the progression of online expertise
and the global information society, concerning education, communication and
the transferal of information. Although the internet has transformed and
modernized the distribution of knowledge and information, it is essential for us to
identify who exactly governs the availability of the data and if there is a healthy
surveillance of online use or if the powers that be invade individuals human right
to privacy (Shah, 2013). The global information society can be defined as a
series of networks within networks, used to distribute information through the
media of technology. Castells (2012) says “the use of mobile communication
networks is essential, but the networking form is multimodal” (Castells, 2012).
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, He refers to internet networking as adding to preexisting social networks from
both online and offline sources through the ‘tethered self’. He argues that the
power of the internet lies within the networks and the internet is governed by its
users, suggesting there is not an identifiable epicenter of leadership on the
internet and therefore is a true portrayal of democracy and freedom. However,
this concept only suggests the depiction of westernized democracy, and in other
countries or societies the ideal of representative autonomy on the internet being
our view on freedom may not apply in any way to them (Shah, 2012).
Contrastingly, Rheingold (1993) believes that the internet could either foster or
inhibit democracy depending on the underlying philosophy of the controlling
body. He recognized the potential for the government to lure users away from
the ideal of real life democracy by placing the internet as an alternative for social
equality and giving the notion of self-interested choice. Barber (2003) also
recognizes the internet does not depict democracy as it limits individual ideas to
close ended virtual communities, giving the ideal of freedom of choice, but
realistically simplifying the public’s opinions to govern underlying philosophies
(Hacking democracy, 2006). In contrast to this, Zuckerman (2013) agrees with
Castells concept of democracy on the internet and states due to the introduction
of technology, freedom of speech can no longer be governed by the owners of
the media or rulers that repressed communication in the past. He argues this is
because everybody has the power to voice their opinions and access information
online through the global information society within the network of networks.
Nevertheless, it is widely accepted that the internet is a paid for service
suggesting that the individuals use of the internet may not be democracy based
but rather reinforcing the capitalist hierarchy of social inequalities (Hacking
democracy, 2006). Realistically the internet is governed by corporations that
have ownership of Wi-Fi towers and connectivity, and if they were to turn of Wi-Fi
the public would no longer have access to the internet or the global information
society.
Castells (2011) identified the three forms of identity; legitimizing, resistance and
project. Legitimizing identity refers to an individual’s social class reinforced by
dominant institutions, countering resistance identity which is defined as being
generated by people who are outside of the dominant institutions and
stigmatised because of this. Castells (2011) argues those outside of the logic of
dominance develop a counter culture to normal society and this goes one step
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