I am of the strong belief that learning does not happen in a vacuum. With the vastly evolving world of technology, there are so many educational tools and courses available that it is often up to the students’ own desire and motivation to take advantage of what is possible. That said, one of the key affordances discussed was the concept of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, and the question as to whether one is more powerful than the other (Collaborative Intelligence, Part 5C: Extrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation). I would argue that the key to helping students get the best advantage for success within an e-learning environment is to tap into community and collaboration tools.

Juxtaposed with the innovative technology is a learning tool as old as civilization itself - community. Scholar and educator Amy Bruckman states it this way, “The learning potential of Internet technology can come from the most familiar sources - peers and elders.” (Bruckman, 2002). In addition to this rather simplistic answer to a complicated question, I would also like to share that this community approach and emphasis promotes cultural diversity and equity, as sharing stories and knowledge is a way of life that transcends demographics (Caminotti, 2012).

Within the videos, the instructors brought up how social media is a way of positive feedback growth, and how the extrinsic motivation for followers/likes/interactions (Collaborative Intelligence, Part 5C: Extrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation) provides reciprocity that we can tap into to make e-learning more effective, through what the instructor labeled as a “Help Community.”

I find it an extremely helpful tool as an instructor whenever there are tools available to help students work together in a community of peers, and additionally so in a corporate environment when there is a history of comments, interactions, and edits on a certain project. It can reveal the thought processes of the individuals and groups, and also the cohesion and improvements from feedbacks from any given moment.

Bruckman, Amy. "The future of e-learning communities." Communications of the ACM 45.4 (2002): 60-63.

Collaborative Intelligence, Part 5C: Extrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation, Coursera 2022

Caminotti, Enzo, and Jeremy Gray. "The effectiveness of storytelling on adult learning." Journal of Workplace Learning (2012)