Virtual learning as a suitable setting for teaching Bioethics I

On many occasions, those of us who, as teachers, develop and integrate online educational proposals, wonder about their difficulties and strengths. .

In addition to the benefits of many professionals distant of academic centers being able to receive training in online educational initiatives, it is important to describe and analyze the main strengths and opportunities that virtual learning offers.

Image: MOCA Los Angeles

Vanessa S Watkins & John Lantos, from the Ethicscope Editorial Group, raise an important topic and emphasize that "On-line learning environments are best when they support exploratory and dialogical learning that engages learners in activities that require collaboration, communication, social interaction, reflection, evaluation, and self-directed learning". 

In this sense Pierre Dillenbourg (2013) describes the concept of "orchestration" to refer "to how a teacher manages, in real time, multi-layered activities in a multi-constraints context. Many pedagogical scenarios integrate individual activities (e.g. reading), teamwork (e.g. problem solving) and class-wide activities (e.g. lectures). Some of these activities are computer-based, some not; some are face-to-face while others are online. This pedagogical integration is mirrored by the technical integration of different tools (simulations, quizzes, wikis, etc.) distributed over multiple artifacts (laptops, sensors, tablets). These integrated scenarios require forms of management referred to as orchestration". 

Additionally the author mentions that an "Instructional design has to cope with 3 intrinsic constraints: the contents to be taught (what), the learner’s characteristics (who) and how brains build knowledge (how). This is not new. However, beyond these intrinsic constraints, teachers also have to cope with several extrinsic constraints".

Perhaps we need to move - specially in adult education - to a more holistic and integrated view of the learning - teaching process, that takes in consideration the relationships between knowledge, learning, thinking, understanding and analyzing. It is also important to clarify if dialogical learning is a tool, a method or an approach that fosters collaborative and social learning.

Any comments on this topic are welcome!!