Epistemic Metacognition- A Necessary Competency for the Online Learner

As an experienced and competent online learner I am dumbfounded when someone suggests that “they don’t like to learn in the online environment. ” When I ask why, the response is usually vague finishing with “I guess I just like face to face interaction. ” When I ask why to that, the answer back may go something like “I like to see my instructor, I learn more that way.” I find this perplexing as I am an individual that could care less whether the instructor is two thousand miles or three feet away. I will learn regardless. Consider how restricted this learner’s world is by the fact that he feels that he must be on location to experience learning. The questions arise as to what his assumptions are about knowledge and learning that places him in that space and how can his learning space be opened up? My sense is that I am coming to the online table with very different assumptions about knowledge than this other learner. Also I have a certain amount of confidence in my ability to negotiate my way through this environment and accomplish the learning tasks at hand. This is something that this other learner may be lacking. Is it possible to make this learner more competent in his ability to engage in the online environment? How do we create online learning environments that support the conditions necessary for learner success and that enhance lifelong learning development