Last week I read about seamless learning. I had never heard of this kind of learning before, but it does combine learning theories that I am aware of.
What does 'Seamless' mean? The word 'seamless' implies learning that blends together and is smooth and without transition. This is part of seamless learning, and essentially it can be a combination of different learning, whether it be formal or informal that comes together to create a holistic, life-wide process for the learner. Technology plays a big part in the literature on seamless learning, with mobile and online learning facilitating learning, both inside and out of the classroom. This technology is how the learning can happen at any time, with smart phones allowing us to learn in a flexible way. Is it Blended Learning? At first I wondered, how is seamless learning different from blended learning? Particularly in English language teaching, blended learning is when formal educators use online resources to supplement classroom learning at home and thus combines face-to-face learning with technology (Hockley, 2018). It seems that seamless learning even goes beyond this. Although some of the literature suggests that it would still be linked to the formal classroom, seamless learning is not necessarily set by the teacher, and could involve learning that is more student-centred (Wong et al., 2015). My own experience of seamless learning Seamless learning, by its definition is happening all the time, across different contexts (Looi et al., 2012). It is even happening now, as I write this blog, which is a part of the learning process of an online class that I am taking. I read the materials assigned by the teacher. Next I posted some ideas and read my classmates ideas on a forum, I did a little of my own further research and then started writing this blog (while looking back at the reading and class discussions). And while we have new topics every week, I have found myself looking back at the older discussions and framing them in light of my new knowledge. It seeps into the other modules that I do, as my learning in an online environment reframes my perceptions of face to face discussions. If you, my readers leave a comment, we can even continue to build on this process through discussion of these ideas. Criticism My personal reservation, and one that cropped up from other classmates on the forum, about seamless learning, is that it works best when technology is involved, and is therefore exclusive. Although I think it could happen 'offline', certainly potential students of this course who did not have access to the internet would not be able to participate in the seamless learning that I have so far in this module. Perhaps because I have taught in contexts with poor internet access, I am wary about assuming that all learners have smart phones. References Hockly, N. (2018). Blended Learning. ELT Journal, 72(1), 97-101. doi: 10.1093/elt/ccx058 Looi, C. K., So, H. J., Chen, W., Zhang, B., Wong, L. H., & Seow, P. (2012). Seamless learning. In Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning (pp. 2975-2979). Springer. Wong, L. H., Milrad, M., & Specht, M. (Eds.). (2015). Seamless learning in the age of mobile connectivity. Singapore: Springer.
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LaurenI am an IMAESC student, English teacher and adult education researcher from the UK. Categories
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