Online learning has a reputation for being about as interesting as damp toast. This is based on the "traditional" approach of a toxic cocktail of mind-numbing worksheets and "death by Powerpoint".

I like Moodle and I hate it. I like it because it's easy to use and convenient. You can pop worksheets up there, link videos and photos, write basic quizzes and you can even get the computer to mark work for you!

I hate Moodle because it makes it very easy for "traditional" teachers (I fear many teachers would qualify as "traditional" where technology is concerned) to recreate the absolute worst of what classroom teaching has to offer - loads of worksheets and powerpoint presentations. Who needs prison?

Hang on though, how do humans actually learn? When was the last time YOU learned something, something INTERESTING, something you actually still remember?

I'll bet it was fun! I bet you were excited about it, or at least amused by it. Most critically, I'll bet you were allowed to participate in the learning in some way. How many young adults do you know who struggle with, say, functional skills, but who can kick serious butt at World of Warcraft? Some of those computer games require a very high level of skill... so... why the discrepancy in "ability"?

You can probably think of loads more than I've come up with here... but I think we're able to see the outline of what looks suspiciously like a pedegogical straightjacket.  If we're not careful, online learning will look no different (It already does in many cases!). And whereas you can wheedle the odd reprieve from  a 'real' teacher, computers, being about as smart as yeast, will only do what they've been programmed to.

I vote therefore, that we up the ante.

Let's programme online learning to ask for opinions, consider and respond to input, change gears according to student interests and above all, worry more about getting students to upload materials and share input than about populating the site with our own ideas of what constitutes learning for our students.

Good examples . . .  Send me those you know of and I'll showcase them here!