Facilitating E-Learning Using Collaborative and Social Methods in the 21st Century

Abstract

Facilitating learners at all levels of the education stratum to become effective twenty-first century knowledge creators, inventors and innovative workers is increasingly recognized today as a primary objective of education. Presently, the rapid expansion and availability of knowledge indicates the importance of curriculum and instructions that will empower learners to process knowledge using learner centered strategies rather than merely memorizing facts infused by teachers or lecturers. This means that graduates at every phase of the educational system be outfitted with the skills to interpret, analyse or manipulate information, critically think about information, ideas and opinions, and draw conclusions, inferences or generalizations, and communicate their ideas and provide constructive feedback to peers. The twenty-first century has cemented that e-learning is indeed a viable and competitive option for facilitating learning. E-learning via fully online or blended course environments therefore needs to ensure that its learners are equipped with twenty-first century skills and competencies. This paper will demonstrate how a collaborative and social facilitation model, 2T2C, can aid in transforming e-classroom environments and assist in improving learner’s creative, inventive and innovative thinking, indicative of pedagogy and technologies to accomplish the dissemination of skills and competencies fitted for the twenty-first century. It also presents a delivery model with ODL training for facilitators which increases efficiency and effectiveness in preparing students for lifelong learning. // Paper ID 10