Learning is Learning (or is it?)

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Many years ago I read a short story by the science fiction write Ray Bradbury. I have not, to this very day, been able to find the work. Nonetheless this piece stuck in my mind as a profound analysis of the disconnect between people as a result of technology. It described a lamenting man who while strolling through a residential area noticed that there were no people outside their homes. There were no children playing, there were no neighbors conversing over the common fences, there were no gatherings of women in the empty streets. This man could only see a faint blue light flickering from the front window of each home. As I ponder the online learning environment, I can't help but feel as the character walking the ghostly street. I feel as though the interactions between students are superficial at best. We all stare at the pale blue light of our computers which claim to assist us in being better connected. But are we? We as humans need the interaction of our peers to complete a well-rounded learning environment. They provide sources for peer review and feedback which are vital to catching things we often miss being too close to our own work. They are at arms length to be questioned or aid us in real time if need be. Here in lies my dilemma.  I hold these beliefs on one hand while simultaneously proving the opposite. Let me explain. You see I have received the best grades of all of the classes I have taken in the online environment. This is adverse to what I truly believe and yet the results speak for themselves. While technology advances we as students must embrace it or suffer a disadvantage in future endeavors. I had a difficult time this semester getting in the habit of creating a well developed blog post. I had no experience with this technology. Honestly, I had no idea exactly what a blog was. Looking back this seems silly and after the initial post was finished I felt quite accomplished. With each subsequent posting the sting was less and I found (to my surprise) that I was beginning to enjoy the process. So in closing I must say that there are pros and cons to everything and this is no exception. I look forward to the next technological advance that might in some way re-establish the significant role of interpersonal communication in the online learning environment. In the mean time I will also lament the pale blue glow.

If you would like to learn more about learning online:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-learning