E-learning Design for Indigenous Communities: Towards a Pedagogy of On-line Education for Aboriginal Cultures
Aboriginal symbol for story sharing
Excerpt
This paper endeavored to demonstrate that, to accommodate indigenous students, e-learning can be designed holistically and knowledge can be contextualized. Rather than assimilate students from aboriginal cultures, web-based educational design should seek to celebrate their specificities and encourage self-determination while providing access to the communication age.
A successful e-learning experience for native students is typified by a wide selection of participatory tools and processes. This collaborative requirement is well satisfied with the on-line structure embodied by communities of practice. The communal construction of knowledge, built using a globally situated content, favors both the active participation of students as well as their predilection for contemplation.
Another sine qua non for indigenous learners is the inclusion of emotional management in their studies. This goal is best achieved with the previously mentioned sharing approaches as well as with the use of authentic activities (McLoughlin & Oliver, 1999) epitomized by the guidance of elders through artistic creations; story-telling; songs; anecdotes; vision quest; etc. For this purpose, technological processes like video conferencing (Ginsburg, 2002) or the use of digital short films as well as tools allowing real audio are invaluable pedagogical strategies (McLoughlin, 1999).
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