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The term “social�? is the adjective that decribes something or someone’s relationship with society. It is, "derived from the Latin word ‘socius’, which as a noun means ‘an associate, ally, business partner or comrade’�? (Wikipedia, 2005). Therefore, the implications that are referred to in the contexts of the virtual classroom ( E-Learning - The Virtual Classroom ) are those that impact on a students relationship with their peers.
The debate that has emerged here, is one that evaluates the relevance and importance of human-to-human contact in the virtual classroom environment. It has been proven that to some extent, social interaction is enabled in a virtual classroom, but whether or not this is sufficient is what is questioned by critics.
When speaking of the virtual classroom, a panel from Harvey Mudd College stated that, “Actual visualization, moment-by-moment multiple perception, and direction, recognition [and] identification -- essential features of truly human contact -- don't stretch across this medium. We don't get to watch a person's ‘body language’.�? (1997) It raises the argument of how valuable is the ability to interact with people at a face-to-face level for a corporate setting and are the interactions that are enabled via online communication sufficient.
The panel also explored the notions of no commitment in the virtual environment. By this they refer to the lack of physical human contact as a missing link in the development of strong, loyal and long-lasting relationships.
While some argue that the quality of classes for the individual will be threatened by online procedures, Cuikshank maintains that, “because the discussion groups are based on a message posting system like most newsgroup servers, it is impossible to interrupt someone or ignore them because they are shy. If someone posts a messages, it is there for the world to see…this sort of environment does facilitate better one on one discussion.�? (1998) Others argue that whether or not a student benefits from this kind of environment is all relative to their personal needs. The solution they suggest is one of a spilt-level classroom where students can choose to participate either in on-line, on-campus environments or in a combination of the two.
The virtual classroom is still a relatively new concept. Those who have already adopted it will become the subject of much debate, research and documentation in order to determine its validity for future exploitation. As the social implication on students is one of the most pressing concerns of many education professionals, it will be closely assessed.
Some agree that at first the virtual classroom may have negative social implications for the students and teachers, however, they inisist that it is the next logical step in technological advancement and one that is virtually unstoppable. They claim that adapting to this technology in the classroom is necessary in order to prepare for other similar progressions that are about to occur in other facets of the community. “We should expect that the virtual classroom will emerge not as a singular idea but a multitude of constructs adapted to not only higher education, but also corporate, religous, and political ideologies and initiatives.�? (Cervino, 1997)
• The Virtual Classroom – Synchronous Communication
• The Virtual Classroom – Asynchronous Communication
• The Virtual Classroom – Advantages
• The Virtual Classroom – Disadvantages
• The Virtual Classroom – Learner-centred Teaching
• The Virtual Classroom – Pedagogy
• The Virtual Classroom – Angragogy
• The Virtual Classroom – Collaborative Learning
• The Virtual Classroom – Independent Learning
• The Virtual Classroom – Online Education Support Systems
• The Virtual Classroom – Online Resource-Based Learning
• The Virtual Classroom – The Teacher
• The Virtual Classroom – The Student
• The Virtual Classroom – Online Assessment Advantages and Disadvantages
• The Virtual Classroom – Online Courses
• The Virtual Classroom – Global Virtual Classroom (GVC)
• The Virtual Classroom – University of Kansas Medical Center
• The Virtual Classroom – Certification and Degrees
• The Virtual Classroom - Commercialisation
• E-Learning
Cervino, Dr. J. 1997. The Virtual Classroom- What Does the Future Hold for the Virtual Classroom?. http://ils.unc.edu/disted/distint.html (accessed 20th October, 2005)
Cuikshank, A.1998. Virtual U: Brain-Eating Computers No Poised to Take Over Education. In The Peak. http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/98-1/issue6/virtualu.html (accessed 20th October, 2005)
Harvey Mudd College. 1997. The Virtual Neighborhood and its Social Implications. http://www2.hmc.edu/~tbeckman/essays/VIRTUAL.HTML(accessed 20th October, 2005)
Wikipedia. 2005. Social. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social (accessed 20th October, 2005)
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User:Debbie Butler
Debbie Butler 16:51, 27 Oct 2005 (EST)
