The challenges and opportunities of e-learning
Introduction
E-learning
refers to the use of computer, social media, and information/communication
technology (ICT) based learning and teaching (Sangara et al., 2012). Distance
education, also called e-learning, enables learners to study independently at a
distance. This dynamic method of education started at the beginning of the 21st
century allows students to learn whenever they have time and internet access.
The result is that many students from developing countries earn their degrees
from advanced industrial countries without leaving their home countries. I will
discuss this relatively new opportunity later in this paper.
E-learning
education is relatively new, and was adopted by Canadian educators as soon as the
internet became widely accessible to learners. I took my first distance
education course in sociology in 1999, and my only method of communication with
the course instructor was through phone and email since webcams, Skype, Facebook
and other forms of social media did not exist then. Although I mainly worked on
my own and felt isolated most of the time, I benefited greatly from the course
in terms of saving travel time. In addition the course gave me the opportunity
to acquire more computer skills. In this paper, I explore the challenges and
benefits of e-learning courses from the perspective of both instructor and
learner.
The instructor based challenges of e-learning
Similar
to other learning methods, e-learning poses challenges. One of the main instructor based
challenges of e-learning is the expectation that the instructor should be continually
available to provide assistance. For example, students having low levels of
computer skills expect on-going support from the course instructor, particularly
at the beginning of their course. This happens despite even after e-learning
course instructors clearly state their availability in the course syllabus.
In some cases, even when e-learning
course instructors create boundaries for the time spent with learners, they can
automatically be drawn into dealing with students’ discussions and course
related issues. As argued by Boettcher and Conrad (201), no matter how
expectations are communicated regarding faculty availability, “…the default
mode is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.” (37)
What
can instructors do to manage some of the challenges of e-learning?
While as argued by Boettcher (2011),
setting clear expectations is a good strategy for supporting e-learners and helps
to prevent faculty burnout while creating a balanced set of dialogues between
faculty and learners. This also helps faculty build a high quality community of
learners. Furthermore, instructors should empower learners to be independent by
designing courses that are more self-directed. For example, they should
encourage learners to raise their problems in a discussion forum and work with
peers prior to asking the instructor privately. This method can encourage
active engagement of peers while increasing cooperation among them.
Learner based challenges and
solutions
For learners, time management can be
the most challenging aspect of an e-learning course, as every course requires a
time commitment and e-learning courses are no exception. Since e-learning
courses do not require that learners meet in a traditional classroom setting,
some students may wait until close to the end of the course to complete its
requirements (due to employment commitment) instead of regularly working on it
throughout the course. This may cause stress, burnout and a poor learning
outcome.
Another learner based challenge relates to the learner’s technical
skills. Some students lack the technical skills to benefit from e-learning. They
for example may not be familiar with Word and Excel or do not know how to solve
technical problems. The result may be an overwhelming experience when they struggle
to learn computer skills while taking an e-learning course. To overcome this
challenge, as suggested by Carpenter (2010), it is essential for learners to
take an introductory computer course prior to taking an e-learning course.
The learners usually work in isolation
while taking any e-learning course due to the lack of face-to-face interaction
with other learners and faculty. To avoid isolation, one alternative is to interact
with peers and the instructor through forum discussion or social media, and to
be present online whenever possible.
The advantages of e-learning over face to face learning
E-learning
offers learners many advantages. As mentioned, one of the main advantages is
that it gives them the flexibility to learn at times convenient to them. For
example, they can fit the learning time into their schedules while working full
time or part time. Another advantage is that learners do not need to travel to
school and can use time they would have spent travelling learning.
Furthermore,
e-learning courses are borderless and courses are accessible to learners worldwide
who gain access to distant experts. This allows knowledge and information on
specialized subjects to be accessible to people anywhere on the globe. For
example, a few years ago, I took an on-line course which allowed me to interact
with peers from all over the world. The course instructor was living in
Switzerland, and learners lived as far away as Africa, South/East Asia and
South/Central America.
I
think we are the luckiest generation to participate in this global interaction
without having to put a foot in other countries. The near-global accessibility
of computers and the high speed internet has allowed teachers/instructors to be
borderless and to teach remotely without being physically present in a country.
Best practices for instructors and learners to gain the most
benefit from e-learning
Teachers engaged in online teaching need to be
familiar and up to date with the broad selection of communications technology
available to them. This method of education allows everyone to use e-communication
tools such as email, Skype, Twitter and Facebook as effective communication
tools without limitations. Best
practices for e-learning instructors focus on course planning and management to
help ensure learners meet course objectives. Course objectives should clearly
state course expectations such as learners’ performance, behavior and
understanding, and also how to achieve the learning objectives stated in the
course syllabus. Course delivery should be smooth to create a learning
community among learners without creating stress and frustration. This means
that cooperative and peer learning should be encouraged and valued by the
instructor at every level of the course.
Finally, the best way for learners
to gain the most benefit from e-learning is to interact with peers and the
instructor through forum discussion, email, Facebook, Skype and other social
media tools.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In
conclusion, e-learning is an ideal model of learning and achieving a degree for
those who want or need flexible hours while learning from the convenience of
their homes. Learners save money and time on travel expenses, making this type
of education more cost effective by enabling learners to use multimedia to
engage with a large, global audience while gaining access to subject matter experts
communicating with them across borders. Furthermore, e-learning is accessible
to learners who follow their own schedule rather than their instructor’s
schedule. Finally, the other major benefit to e-learning course learners is
that they can follow and repeat course work while learning at their own
pace.
The
fast growing technological revolution in the 21st century has
provided an excellent opportunity for educational institutions to access and
engage students globally. Some of the benefits of e-learning for instructors
include being able to accommodate the needs of far away students while offering
them better opportunities for collaborative work among peers and between
learners/instructors, and meaningful professional development. However, the most
significant benefit that teaching becomes more learner-centered and based on
the learner’s pace.
Work cited
Boettcher,
J. and Conrad, R. M. (2010). The Online
Teaching Survival Guide: Simple
and
Practical Pedagogical Tips. Jossey-Bass:
San Francisco
Boettcher,
J. (2011). Designing for Learning: Ten Best Practices for teaching Online.
last visited on Nov 28, 2013
Carpenter,
G. (2010). E-learning in the Canadian Post-Secondary Education System.
Ontario Undergraduate Student
Alliance.
last visited on Nov 28, 2013
Sangara,
A. & Vlachopoulos, D. and Cabrera, N. (2012). Building an Inclusive
Definition of E-learning: An Approach to the
Conceptual Framework. The International
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