The Educational Technologies (ILT2000) Module : What the students think?

Student 1
First of all,frankly speaking it was a bit difficult at the beginning then it became a routine.I had adjusted myself to the different learning activities that was a daunting challenge,because most of them were unknown to me.Meanwhile i had to spare some of my time to concentrate on this topic.I had made many researches and even viewed examples before carrying on with the exercises given.

After doing this super gems,first of all i had gained knowledge and i had learned many new things like how to incorporated audio and video in e-learning courses or how to create blogs; just to mention a few.Of course most of them could be used doing my projects or assignments.Educational activities had accommodated different learning styles and facilitate learning through a variety of activities. 

This had developed my knowledge of the Internet and computers skills.After successfully completing on-line courses.this had built self-knowledge and self-confidence and encouraged me to take responsibility for my learning.

Without the routine structures of a traditional class,i got confused about course activities and deadlines.Most of the time i felt isolated from the instructor and classmates and instructor was always available at that particular moment when i was studying or needed help.When i was stuck on something,i asked a few simple questions and discussed it on the forum itself so as to clear the doubt.It was frustrating to manage computer files and online learning software which were complex for me as i was a beginner-level computer skills,but later i managed as i mastered the module properly after much researches on the different activities respectively.

Above all the Q&A forums were of great help to keep in touch with the tutor,friends and classmates. Finally it was really a great experience that i had done this activity.I had no regret,thumbs up. 

Student 2

Before coming to the University of Mauritius, I have never heard about SuperGEM and I did not even know what it was all about. Soon, I get to know its importance within my program of study and among the three choices I had, Educational Technologies seemed to be the most appealing to me. I did not have any apprehension and chose the Educational Technologies SuperGEM module without hesitating. Back then; I was unaware of the fantastic and innovative learning experience that I was about to undergo.

Soon after the enrolment, I started Unit 1’s lesson on Educational Technologies together with the forum post activity hassle free. I also noticed that all of the other units were hidden and I deduced that they were going to be revealed progressively. I think that this is where this SuperGEM stands out from the two other choices I had. Many friends of mine, who opted for the one of the two other SuperGEMs, did not get the chance of undergoing a similar e-Learning approach. For them, all of the units were made available from day one and this created much confusion and disorientation. On my side, the Educational Technologies SuperGEM was from day one well organized on a neatly presented e-Learning environment.

Then, week after week I carried out the units and their activities, as they were made available on the platform. All of the learning resources provided were written in a clear, concise and explicit language and were easy to read and to understand. The learning activities were my favourite part of this SuperGEM because everything had to be done and/or submitted online. No need to waste time and resources, as online submission boxes were made available and results were instantly displayed for activities like MCQs. All of these were amazing.

Things started to get more interesting when I had to do the assignments on concept mapping, the VCILT blog and the online video lectures. These were surely challenging but absolutely more innovative and instructive. I think that this is also a very creative approach because it reduces the conventional way of doing excessive and systematic written works. Everything was fine and running smoothly and semester 1 came to a beautiful end.

However, semester 2 started with some difficulties. The assignments were a bit longer to complete, there were frequent problems with my Internet connection and the assignment on the EXE web design tool brought about some issues over its installation and use. All these resulted in the building up of lateness at the level of submission of some works. But hopefully, I have been able to overcome these difficulties thanks to the extension of the submission deadline provided and the alternative to the EXE, the NVU which I used effortlessly. I hence submitted my 3 last assignments with much relief.

Now that I have completed all the lessons and learning activities, I feel so educationally and technologically fulfilled. This SuperGEM has provided me with a lot of innovative educational tools. Tools that I have never used before but that I will now make use of for my entire life as a learner and even as a future instructor.

Concerning the Q&A forums, I think that it is another good approach for the tutor to interact with students regarding some unclear issues. Still, many students misused it and posted their general opinions instead of questions on the Q&A forums. Anyway, it is just a little confusion which is due to may be too much of old-fashioned education. The only suggestion that I can make for a possible betterment of this SuperGEM is to organize workshops at least once a semester or even once a month.

Finally, I have to say a big thank you to VCILT, for the support they provided throughout the duration of this course, and to all the dedicated people at the VCILT who are actively working towards the promotion of e-Learning in Mauritius. The benefits I gained from the concept mapping techniques to web page designing are incredible. I will never forget this incomparable e-Learning experience and I will surely share and nurture what I have acquired from this module.