Are There Limits to the Affordances of Online Learning?

Have you ever used online learning to achieve your potential and realize your own capacities?

Even with almost 20 years of experience in corporate training design and consultation, particularly in eLearning, I can't say that I have personally utilized online learning to achieve a long-term learning goal focused on self-improvement or self-advancement that was self-initiated. For example, I recently assumed the role of product owner in Dell's Education Services department. This week, a group of us are attending online, synchronous certification training, but this was a business requirement. So while it does represent a self-advancement opportunity, it wasn't one that I was internally motivated to pursue.

Yet, I consider myself an avid online learner. Much of that comes in the form of just-in-time learning to address a particular short-term goal. I've watched YouTube videos to repair our dishwasher and stop our car from honking continuously after I replaced the battery, consulted herpetology and etymology sites to identify backyard bugs and snakes (and whether I should run inside and close the windows), and referenced 'best of' lists as I wandered aimlessly down endless isles of wine. I find that this sort of informal, motivated learning is perfectly suited to easily accessible online, mobile platforms.

I do utilize sites like Khan Academy and LinkedIn Learning, but not for realizing my personal potential. Rather, I usually visit these sites as refresher opportunities before I help my daughters with their math homework (and I am nearing the end of my ability to keep up). I may have watched enough videos to pass the Khan Academy Algebra 1 test, but that wasn't the purpose of my inquiries. Maybe I will identify a learning path that I would be interested in completing, and see how effective it is at some point.

I am taking a coding class this semester and we are using several online sites for code training. They have been surprisingly helpful so far. Enough so that perhaps by the end of the semester, I will have expanded my expectations about the extent of the possibilities of online learning. I will keep you updated!

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