Month: June 2025

Participating in the ONL course has been an enriching and transformative experience for me—far beyond what I initially expected. As someone with extensive experience in teaching, I approached the course with curiosity, but also with the question: What more can I learn about online learning that I haven’t already encountered in practice? The answer turned out to be: quite a lot.

The ONL journey opened up new ways of thinking about collaboration, openness, and digital pedagogies. One of the most powerful takeaways for me was the shift from teaching in isolation to teaching as part of a networked learning community. The PBL group work was particularly meaningful. It wasn’t just about completing tasks—it was about building trust, navigating cultural and professional diversity, and experiencing the very principles we were discussing. We were not just talking about collaboration; we were living it.

The mix of theoretical input and hands-on, reflective group work created a powerful learning dynamic. I appreciated how the course made space for questioning—not just how we teach online, but why. Why openness matters. Why sharing resources and co-creating knowledge with both peers and students is no longer a luxury, but a necessity in today’s educational landscape. These weren’t abstract ideas—they were discussed in relation to our real teaching contexts, and this grounded the learning in authenticity.

A special aspect of this experience was how it reframed student participation. I now see more clearly the importance of designing learning environments that are participatory, inclusive, and flexible—spaces where students are not passive receivers but active contributors. This mindset will shape the way I design both asynchronous and synchronous components in my future courses. I’m already thinking of ways to open up my materials, introduce collaborative tools more strategically, and embed moments of reflection and co-creation into my teaching practice.

Looking ahead, I carry with me both inspiration and responsibility. Inspiration to keep experimenting, but also responsibility to model the openness and collaboration that I wish to see in others—colleagues, students, institutions. I believe that when educators lead by example in this way, change starts to feel not only possible but inevitable.

If there is one thing I would love to explore further, it would be how learners themselves experience this shift toward openness. How do they perceive collaborative digital spaces? What kind of support do they need to truly flourish within them? I hope future iterations of the course might include more voices from students—after all, their perspective is central to shaping inclusive and effective online education.

In closing, I feel both grateful and energized. ONL has offered me not just new knowledge, but a renewed sense of purpose. I leave with ideas, tools, and a mindset that I know will continue to evolve—and that, for me, is the true mark of a meaningful learning experience.

One of the key insights from this topic was the realization that AI, while raising valid concerns around academic integrity, is not inherently a threat to education. On the contrary, it offers new opportunities for deeper engagement, especially if integrated thoughtfully into the learning process. The discussions reminded me that banning AI may be less productive than teaching students to use it critically and ethically—a shift aligned with the principles of adult education, which emphasize autonomy, reflection, and real-world relevance.

A recurring tension was how to assess learning meaningfully in an era where AI tools can easily generate text that appears original and coherent. I found the idea of using oral presentations, reflective assignments, and process-focused evaluation particularly compelling. These approaches align with constructivist and learner-centered methodologies, which value the process of learning as much as the outcome. They also allow educators to verify understanding beyond what is submitted in written form.

I resonated deeply with the shift in the educator’s role—from being the primary source of knowledge to acting as a facilitator and guide. With AI now capable of generating information, our responsibility is increasingly to support students in questioning, analyzing, and applying that information in meaningful ways. This also means building relationships of trust and openness, which are essential in fostering academic integrity and motivation.

This topic highlighted the urgency of developing critical digital literacy—both for students and educators. Students need to be taught not just how to use AI tools, but how to verify sources, understand biases, and evaluate the credibility of information. Most of all, how to COLLABORATE with AI tools. Educators, on the other hand, must remain up-to-date and trained to navigate these technologies themselves and guide learners accordingly.

Finally, what became increasingly clear is that the educational system as a whole must adapt. From course design to assessment policies, institutions need to rethink structures in light of AI. This may include co-creating guidelines with students, reimagining what constitutes “original work,” and designing learning environments that prioritize engagement, creativity, and ethical awareness.

This topic encouraged me not to fear AI but to explore how it can be part of a more dynamic, inclusive, and thoughtful educational experience. It challenged me to reflect on my own biases, to recognize the importance of transparent communication with students, and to design learning that nurtures not just knowledge, but judgment, curiosity, and responsibility.