Social media and education

By Laura Summers

Online learning needs to be more than just page turning.

While taking a course on how to create a secure commerce network, Mike scrolled through Web page after Web page. He found himself getting bored and wondering how he was going to remember all this new information. When was he going to be able to apply what he was reading?

Mike’s story is a prime example of ineffective online training that doesn’t engage the learner. Imagine, instead, an online course that mimics a real computer network where Mike can work through a Web-based simulation to diagnose a network problem. In this scenario, he is applying his new skills in a real-life context. Then, imagine an online learning community where Mike can talk to experts in the IT field, access job aids, and e-mail questions to a course mentor or tutor.