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E-learning
Posted by Unknown
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07.22
E-learning
E-learning refers to the use of electronic media and information
and communication technologies (ICT) in education. E-learning is broadly inclusive of all forms of educational technology
in learning and teaching. E-learning is inclusive of, and is
broadly synonymous with multimedia learning, technology-enhanced
learning (TEL), computer-based instruction (CBI), computer-based
training (CBT), computer-assisted instruction or computer-aided
instruction (CAI), internet-based training (IBT), web-based
training (WBT), online education, virtual education, virtual learning
environments (VLE) (which are also called learning platforms),
m-learning, and digital educational collaboration.
These alternative names emphasize a particular aspect, component or delivery
method.
E-learning includes numerous types
of media that deliver text, audio, images, animation, and streaming video, and
includes technology applications and processes such as audio or video tape,
satellite TV, CD-ROM, and computer-based learning, as well as local
intranet/extranet and web-based
learning. Information
and communication systems,
whether free-standing or based on either local networks or the Internet in networked learning,
underly many e-learning processes.
E-learning can occur in or out of
the classroom. It can be self-paced, asynchronous learning
or may be instructor-led, synchronous learning.
E-learning is suited to distance learning and flexible learning, but it
can also be used in conjunction with face-to-face teaching, in which case the
term blended learning
is commonly used.
It is commonly thought that new
technologies make a big difference in education. Many proponents
of e-learning believe that everyone must be equipped with basic knowledge of
technology, as well as use it as a vehicle for reaching educational goals.
History
In 1960, the University
of Illinois initiated a classroom system based in linked computer terminals where students could access
informational resources on a particular course while listening to the lectures
that were recorded via some form of remotely device like television or audio
device.
In the early 1960s, Stanford University
psychology professors Patrick Suppes
and Richard C. Atkinson
experimented with using computers to teach math and reading to young children
in elementary schools
in East Palo Alto, California.
Stanford's Education
Program for Gifted Youth is descended from those early experiments.
In 1963, Bernard Luskin installed the first computer in a community college for
instruction, working with Stanford and others, developed computer assisted
instruction. Luskin completed his landmark UCLA dissertation working with the
Rand Corporation in analyzing obstacles to computer assisted instruction in
1970.
Educational institutions began to
take advantage of the new medium by offering distance learning courses using
computer networking for information.
Early e-learning systems, based on
Computer-Based Learning/Training often attempted to replicate autocratic
teaching styles whereby the role of the e-learning system was assumed to be for
transferring knowledge, as opposed to systems developed later based on Computer
Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), which encouraged the shared
development of knowledge.
Computer-based learning made up
many early e-learning courses such as those developed by Murray Turoff and Starr Roxanne Hiltz
in the 1970s and 80s at the New
Jersey Institute of Technology, and the ones developed at the University of Guelph
in Canada.
By mid 1980’s, accessing course content become possible at many college
libraries.
Cassandra B. Whyte
researched about the ever increasing role that computers would play in higher
education. This evolution, to include computer-supported collaborative
learning, in addition to data management, has been realized. The type of
computers has changed over the years from cumbersome, slow devices taking up
much space in the classroom, home, and office to laptops and handheld devices
that are more portable in form and size and this minimalization of technology
devices will continue.
The Open University in Britain and the University of
British Columbia (where Web CT, now incorporated into Blackboard Inc. was first
developed) began a revolution of using the Internet to deliver learning, making
heavy use of web-based training and online distance learning and online
discussion between students. Practitioners such as Harasim (1995) put heavy
emphasis on the use of learning networks.
With the advent of World Wide Web in the 1990s, teachers embarked on
the method using emerging technologies to employ multi-object oriented sites,
which are text-based online virtual reality system, to create course websites
along with simple sets instructions for its students. As the Internet becomes popularized, correspondence
schools like University of Phoenix
became highly interested with the virtual education, setting up a name for
itself in 1980.
In 1993, Graziadei described an
online computer-delivered lecture, tutorial and assessment project using electronic
mail. By 1994, the first online high school
had been founded. In 1997, Graziadei described criteria for evaluating products
and developing technology-based courses include being portable, replicable,
scalable, and affordable, and having a high probability of long-term
cost-effectiveness.
By 1994, CALCampus presented its
first online curriculum as Internet becoming more accessible through major
telecommunications networks. CALCampus is where concepts of online-based school
first originated, this allowed to progress real-time classroom instructions and
Quantum Link classrooms. With the drastic shift of Internetfunctionality, multimedia began
introducing new schemes of communication; through the invention of webcams,
educators can simply record lessons live and upload them on the website page.
Now, there are currently wide varieties of online education that are reachable
for colleges, universities and K-12 students. In fact, the National
Center for Education Statistics estimate the number of K-12 students
enrolled in online distance learning programs increased by 65 percent from 2002
to 2005. This form of high learning allowed for greater flexibility by easing
the communication between teacher and student, now teachers received quick
lecture feedbacks from their students. The idea of Virtual Education soon
became popular and many institutions began following the new norm in the
education history.
The emergence of e-learning is
arguably one of the most powerful tools available to the growing
need for education. The need to improve access to education opportunities
allowed students who desire to pursue their education but are constricted due
to the distance of the institution to achieve education through "virtual
connection" newly available to them. Online education is rapidly
increasing and becoming as a viable alternative for traditional classrooms.
According to a 2008 study conducted by the U.S
Department of Education, back in 2006-2007 academic year, about 66%
of postsecondary public and private schools began participating in student
financial aid programs offered some distance learning courses, record shows
only 77% of enrollment in for-credit courses being for those with an online
component. In 2008, the Council of Europe passed a statement endorsing
e-learning's potential to drive equality and education improvements across the
EU.
Recent studies show that the
effectiveness of online instruction is considered equal to that of face-to-face
classroom instructions but not as effective as the combination of face-to-face
and online methods.
Technology
Various technologies are used to
facilitate e-learning. Most e-learning uses combinations of these techniques,
including blogs, collaborative software,
ePortfolios, and virtual classrooms.
Audio
The radio has been around for a
long time and has been used in educational classrooms. Recent technologies have
allowed classroom teachers to stream audio over the internet. There are also
webcasts and podcasts available over the internet for students and teachers to
download. For example, iTunes has various podcasts available on a variety of
subjects that can be downloaded for free.
Video
Videos allow teachers to reach
students who are visual learners and tend to learn best by seeing the material
rather than hearing or reading about it. Teachers can access video clips
through the internet instead of relying on DVDs or VHS tapes. Websites like
YouTube are used by many teachers. Teachers can use messaging programs such as
Skype, Adobe Connect, or webcams, to interact with guest speakers and other
experts. Interactive video games are being integrated in the curriculum at both
K-12 and higher education institutions.
Research on the use of video in
lessons is preliminary, but early results show an increased retention and
better results when video is used in a lesson. Creating a systematic video development
method holds promise for creating video models that positively impact student
learning.
Computers, tablets and mobile devices
Computers and tablets allow
students and teachers access to websites and other programs, such as Microsoft
Word, PowerPoint, PDF files, and images. Many mobile devices support m-learning.
Blogging
Blogs
allow students and teachers to post their thoughts, ideas, and comments on a
website. Blogging allows students and instructors to share their thoughts and
comments on the thoughts of others which could create an interactive learning
environment.
Webcams
The development of webcams
and webcasting has facilitated the creation of virtual classrooms
and virtual learning environments. Virtual classrooms
supported by such technology are becoming more and more popular, especially
since they are contributing as a main solution to solving problems with travel
expenses. Virtual classrooms with such technology also provide the benefits of
being easy to set up.
Whiteboards
Interactive whiteboards
("smartboards") allow teachers and students to write on the touch
screen, so learning becomes interactive and engaging.
Screencasting
Screencasting is a recent trend in e-learning.
There are many screencasting tools available that allow users to share their
screens directly from their browser and make the video available online so that
the viewers can stream the video directly. The advantage of such tools is that
it gives the presenter the ability to show his ideas and flow of thoughts
rather than simply explain them, which may be more confusing when delivered via
simple text instructions. With the combination of video and audio, the expert
can mimic the one-on-one experience of the classroom and deliver clear,
complete instructions. From the learner's point of view this provides the
ability to pause and rewind and gives the learners the advantage of moving at
their own pace, something a classroom cannot always offer.
Combining technology
Along with the terms learning
technology, instructional technology, the term educational technology
refers to the use of technology in learning in a much broader sense than the computer-based training
or Computer Aided Instruction of the 1980s. It is also broader than the
terms Online Learning or Online Education which generally refer
to purely web-based learning. In cases where mobile technologies are used, the
term M-learning has become more common. E-learning,
however, also has implications beyond just the technology and refers to the
actual learning that takes place using these systems.
In higher education especially, the increasing
tendency is to create a virtual learning
environment (VLE) (which is sometimes combined with a Management
Information System (MIS) to create a Managed Learning Environment)
in which all aspects of a course are handled through a consistent user
interface standard throughout the institution. A growing number of physical
universities, as well as newer online-only colleges, have begun to offer a
select set of academic degree
and certificate programs via the Internet at a wide range of levels and in a
wide range of disciplines. While some programs require students to attend some campus
classes or orientations, many are delivered completely online. In addition,
several universities offer online student support services, such as online
advising and registration, e-counseling, online textbook purchases, student
governments and student newspapers.
E-learning can also refer to
educational websites such as those offering learning scenarios, worksheets and
interactive exercises for children. The term is also used extensively in the
business sector where it generally refers to cost-effective online training.
Virtual classroom
Virtual Learning
Environments (VLE), also known as learning platforms, utilize
virtual classrooms and meetings which often use a mix of communication
technologies. One example of web conferencing software that enables students
and instructors to communicate with each other via webcam, microphone, and
real-time chatting in a group setting, is Adobe Connect, which is sometimes
used for meetings and presentations. Participants in a virtual classroom can
also use icons called emoticons to communicate feelings and responses to
questions or statements. Students are able to 'write on the board' and even
share their desktop, when given rights by the teacher. Other communication
technologies available in a virtual classroom include text notes, microphone
rights, and breakout sessions. Breakout sessions allow the participants to work
collaboratively in a small group setting to accomplish a task as well as allow
the teacher to have private conversations with his or her students.
The virtual classroom also provides
the opportunity for students to receive direct instruction from a qualified
teacher in an interactive environment. Students have direct and immediate
access to their instructor for instant feedback and direction. The virtual
classroom also provides a structured schedule of classes, which can be helpful
for students who may find the freedom of asynchronous learning to be
overwhelming. In addition, the virtual classroom provides a social learning
environment that replicates the traditional "brick and mortar"
classroom. Most virtual classroom applications provide a recording feature.
Each class is recorded and stored on a server, which allows for instant
playback of any class over the course of the school year. This can be extremely
useful for students to review material and concepts for an upcoming exam. This
also provides students with the opportunity to watch any class that they may
have missed, so that they do not fall behind. It also gives parents the ability
to monitor any classroom to ensure that they are satisfied with the education
their child is receiving.
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