Contemporary trends & practices
e-learning has grown from:
- within educational institutions - open and distance learning programs either in a single, dual, or mixed mode.
- conventional educational institutions that have never been involved in open and distance learning.
- the corporate sector - favoring e-learning over residential workshop-based approaches to staff training and development
Factors driving growth:
- better and cheaper technologies
- capacity of technology to support and enrich conventional educational practices
- need for flexible access to learning opportunities from distributed venues
- demand for access from isolated and independent learners
- belief that technology can increase market share in a competitive educational market
- "keeping up with the times" to attract the attention of parents, students and donors.
- belief and the expectation that online learning will reduce costs, and increase productivity and institutional efficiency.
Changes:
- ... the changing role of the classroom teacher from one of being a "sage on the stage" to a "guide on the side".
- ... the changing nature of student learning from one of being "teacher directed" to being "student-directed" or "student-centered"
- ... information and communications technology plays a significant role in supporting teaching and learning.
Major challenges:
- teacher hesitence
- implications of adequate user support
- financial planning for technology applications
e-learning?
online learning, virtual learning, distributed learning, networked learning, web-based learning, open learning,
Technology can:
- Augment teaching
web, email, communication, discussion, collaboration, conferencing - Enable virtual learning
new opportunities for self-directed and flexible learning - Be learned progressively
"just in time" works just fine
"Wrap around" course model
Relies on study materials (study guides, activities and discussion) "wrapped" around existing previously published resources such as textbooks or CD-ROMs.
Often, small amounts of collaborative activity amongst students, peer commenting, and online assessments is supported by computer conferencing, or mailing lists.
"Integrated" course model
Often offered via a learning management system.
Availability of much of the subject matter in electronic format, opportunities for computer conferencing, and small group-based collaborative online learning activities.
The learning and teaching in these courses takes place in the computer conferences, in which the prescribed readings and the assigned tasks are discussed.
Much of this learning and teaching activity is fairly fluid and dynamic as it is largely determined by individual and group activities in the course.
Strives towards the creation of an online learning community.