Task 2.3 - Synthesis Discussion

This module has been an interesting journey thus far. Not all concepts are new to me, although I had not encountered them in an eLearning perspective. Maybe that is because I have not been looking in the right places for the information I have been looking for.

The Howland, Jonassen, & Marra (2012) reading resonated with me and made me critically reflect on why some eLearning practices were more successful than others. The key point to me was providing opportunities for learners to learn with technology than from technology. Learning with technology places the learner at the center of the learning process and increases learner agency and autonomy. Furthermore, it made me realise that I need to deliberately incorporate more collaborative learning activities into my classroom program. Not that I have ever discouraged students working and assisting each other. I will admit that this is one reading that I printed out and find myself drawn to on a regular basis.

Although I had come across the TPACK model (Koehler, Mishra, & Cain, 2013) previously I had not had the opportunity to reflect on the elements before and gain a deeper understanding. Although it is difficult to pull apart the framework into segmented pieces where eLearning is concerned it is important to in order to effectively integrate digital technologies into the classroom.

Having worked in a year 7-13 school for the past 8 years I also found the Gibbs & Poskitt (2010) reading quite pertinent. I have seen first-hand learners who have become disinterested in their own learning. Although I had read the article previously I had not really taken on board the engagement strategies suggested within an eLearning context.


Ever since I started teaching I have always had the perception that it is impossible for me to have all the knowledge and that the use of digital technologies is the key to unlocking the constraints of the silo classrooms in which we work as teachers. In the schools I have worked in the transition to eLearning has been very slow, however ,this course has opened my thoughts beyond what I could imagine and provided the theories that I knew were missing but just didn’t know where to find.

Effective eLearning is a complex issue with many contributing factors that lead to its success however pedagogy is the key. It has been a journey to put the theories, roles and responsibilities behind what I have been trying to do within my school and classroom practice.




Gibbs, R., & Poskitt, J. (2010). Student engagement in the middle years of schooling (years 7-10): A literature review. Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Education.

Howland, J. L., Jonassen, D., & Marra, R. M. (2012). Meaningful learning with technology (4th ed., pp. 1–19). Boston, MA: Person Education, Inc.

Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., & Cain, W. (2013). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)? Journal of Education, 193(3), 13–20. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/29544/?nl