Communication Technologies: Education And Virtual Learning

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Introduction
With new communication technologies, life in western cultures now seems anachronistic. Even though the technological infrastructures have been adopted, its usage varies across several cultures. Virtual learning brought about the rich environment to learn English language, making meaning within contextually informed communication that is not available in a regular language classroom (Giovanelli and Clayton, 2016, p 103). On the other hand, many people have condemned the emergence of new technology, arguing that computer-based communication has eroded the traditional forms of communication characteristics. Nonverbal communicative features that help in the accurate interpretation of the speakers' intent, these are some of the important features in communication that no longer exist. New technologies are considered more of fantasy with unrealistic aspects that deter the purposeful communicative intent. New technology is associated with negative effects like the invasion of personal spaces and compromises individual safety (Geesin & Gilroy, 2010, p 247).
The virtual environment is more of hybrid forms of communication that require specific skills for learners to realize its benefits. Accordingly, the tools and skills learners use in a specific situation are important factors that will determine the learner's practice. Factors like location and physical structures influence how learners interact with others. Learning is also about social context or culture, learning with a social practice focus on how individual learners relate to people (Goddard, 2011, p 184).
Within a community, a group of people shares concerns, set of problem and passion about a topic and have the need to interact on an ongoing basis when interacting with other members using certain tools. Within community’s settings, learning process involves acquiring your identity as a member. Accordingly, adult education is more of an experience-oriented learning, therefore learning is not an individual activity, learning occurs naturally out of natural experiences within a particular situation. Such situation occurs not only based on the background the influence learning, but the situation forms part of learning. We normally interact with others using different tools which can be in physical form or virtual process. However, certain factors can influence the interaction process like physical infrastructure and cultural norms of society (Higgs, Miller, and Pearson, 2013, p 239).
Learning within a community work in three dimensions, that is, mutual engagement, joint activity, and shared collection. Learning cannot be significant if those involved are not fully engaged, interaction is the key process of learning. Learning is mutually engaging learners where learners agree and share common processes like routine, tools, concepts and stories mutual engagement will foster learning (Kim & Merriam, 2010, p 439).
This means that older adults within long-term care facilities can greatly benefit from computer instruction even with physical limitation and different identities as compared to older adults living in their homes. Since older adult’s computer learning process takes place wit...