What is E-Learning?
-
an Overview
If you are new to e-learning
use this page to find out more about it.
Before you decide to give e-learning a try you will want to know more about it. This page is currently under development, and will soon provide a comprehensive overview about various aspects of e-learning.
What is e-learning?
In the absence of a universally accepted definition of e-learning it is useful to make reference to the definition used by the CIPD in their training surveys:
'Learning that is delivered, enabled or mediated using electronic technology for the explicit purpose of training in organisations'.
In essence, eLearning is a kind of distance learning. It is important to emphasise that technology is not the key factor in the equation. Rather 'e-Learning is fundamentally about learning and not about technology. Strategic development of e-learning should be based on the needs and demands of learners and the quality of their educational experience', Joint SFEFC/SHEFC e-Learning Group: Final Report 2003.
Are e-learning and Computer Based Training (CBT) the same?
Many people actually think of CBT when they think about e-learning. This is a limiting perspective and often creates misunderstandings about the potential benefits of e-learning. CBT is training or instruction where a computer program takes the place of a traditional trainer and the information he provides. CBT can be delivered via CD-ROM, internal networks or the Internet, and usually the learner then studies the content in a self-paced, solitary manner. These ‘courses’ are usually very graphical and often include multi-media elements. Their design requires a great deal of technical expertise, as well as content knowledge, and development costs are often high.
CBT is great for some subjects and works well for some learners. The downside is that it is a form of training that lacks a ‘human’ side, which is often frustrating for learners. CBT is also weak in responding to individual needs – courses are usually designed and sold as off-the-shelf-products, leaving it to the learner to accommodate their needs to the course and not vice-versa.
What does a typical e-learning course look like?
An e-learning or online course is usually managed via a Virtual Learning Environment - which is a website where learners will find all the significant course content and where all the important activities and discussions take place. This space is password protected and only accessible for those registered for a course.
In the 'e-classroom' learners will usually find a course syllabus and schedule, an overview of the course subject, list of topics covered, learning objectives, assignments, evaluation and assessment methods. There is also reading material, presentations, links, assignments, journals, etc. Learners and tutors communicate through e-mail, discussion boards, and sometimes other methods (like online chat, or even traditional forms of communication like phone calls).
Most courses have a set start-date and duration, and a clear timeline and list of required work. Courses are designed for learners who have a busy work schedule in mind, therefore activities can usually be completed within certain pre-defined time frames. The 'recommended' time learners are supposed to allocate for the course also includes the average time required to interact and communicate with tutors and fellow learners. Learners receive help in effectively managing and progressing through the course from the tutor. Have a look at how an online course can work by checking out this webpage.
How people communicate, interact and learn in e-learning courses
Much of what happens in a traditional training room or course is also part of an e-learning course. Learners get information and instructions from a trainer/tutor (often the information will be on a website, or can be downloaded); they ask questions and engage with the instructor, and they communicate with other learners.
What differ are the methods people use to interact and communicate. The major differences are:
• written communication is more prevalent
• only a small part of the communication and interaction happens ‘in real time’. Instead, access to information, communication and learning itself takes places in an asynchronous style. What this means in practice is that a learner may pose a question to the tutor or other learners at 10 am, and replies come in over the next 24 hours, or a discussion on a web-based forum may take place over a week.
As elearners.com, a leading resource site on e-learning, confirms: ‘If done well, asynchronous class discussions can be as effective as traditional class discussions. For some learners, that either take longer to formulate their thoughts, or are too shy to express their thoughts verbally, online discussions can be more effective.’
In a typical course participants will be asked to take part in a discussion about the core subjects of the course, or written material, case-studies, or practical work-experiences. The role of the tutor is to initiate the discussion, encourage participation, and respond where appropriate. Specialist tutors or expert ‘guests’ will join in the discussion and make their knowledge available and provide feedback. There could be one core-discussion every week, or a range of conversations taking place at the same time.
This asynchronous style of conversation is often complemented with synchronous methods of communication and interaction. Those can be ‘virtual’ too – like meetings in a chatroom at pre-arrnanged times; or web-conferences where everybody is online at the same time to share applications, develop ideas on a whiteboard, or go on a ‘virtual trip’ together. Often the virtual side is accompanied by more traditional forms of communication, like teleconferences (either using a traditional phone line, or ‘voice over’ technology) or even videoconferences.
Such synchronous ‘meetings’ are often set up for the whole course, or they are an efficient way for smaller teams and groups of learners to communicate and work together on an assignment.
What media and technologies are used in e-learning?
A wide range of technologies and media are part of e-learning. Some of the technologies in use focus on the delivery of information and knowledge, others are interactive tools.
Delivery media in the context of e-learning include: print (texts, files, articles …), audio (instructions or information delivered as audio messages, radio programmes, …), video and data (web pages, downloadable files, online tests, interactive tools).
Interactive tools include: Asynchronous tools like email (for questions and discussions between learners, and tutor and learners), listservs (email groups), Web forums or discussion boards, blogs and wikis, simulations and games. And Synchronous tools like online chat (in chatrooms – either moderated or unmoderated to allow instant communication between learners), Instant Messaging/IM, shared whiteboard on the Web, application sharing (i.e. looking at a Powerpoint presentation together), teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and simulations and games.
At the user end the key technologies used are desktop, laptop and handheld computers with Internet access, and other communication tools like (mobile) telephones.
Is e-learning of the same quality as other courses? Or better? Or worse?
That depends very much on the quality of the ‘other’ training you want to use for comparison – there are good and bad traditional courses, and there are good and bad e-learning options. The quality of an e-learning course depends on many factors, most of all it depends on the quality of the e-learning provider, the course-developers and tutors. As with any other form of training, the quality of content and the quality of delivery are the two crucial factors.
We can compare some of the general educational characteristics of ‘traditional courses’ and ‘e-learning courses’ to establish some of the potential pros & cons of the two approaches:
Traditional courses are often:
- Focused on the trainer who ‘delivers’ knowledge
- Various media may be used to present information, but the spoken word dominates
- Best for outgoing and verbal learners who find it easy to join in discussions and ask questions
- Encourages ‘passive learning’
The potential disadvantages of this approach are that learners don’t really take any information on board and never bother with the content after they leave the training venue. Often the trainer has insufficient time and resources to help the learner 'learn' or apply the new knowledge. This is not the role she or he is supposed to play anyway, as the trainer is rather the ‘expert’ who has more knowledge than the participants and whose primary aim is therefore to transfer this knowledge to the learners, to absorb through some kind of osmosis.
E-learning courses are often:
- Focused on the learner
- Trainers are facilitators and enablers of learning through guiding the learner
- Enable ‘active’, situated and collaborative learning
- More learners get involved in discussions (including more reflective learners)
- A variety of teaching and learning methods can be used and tailored to subjects, learning objectives and students needs
The potential disadvantages of this approach are that learners may miss the face-to-face social element of traditional training, that they may not be able to motivate themselves to participate or learn while at their workplace or home, or they may find it difficult to deal with the written form of communication.
Good training providers will always be able to find ways around these disadvantages, whether they offer traditional or e-learning courses. For further information about how LearnHousing approaches the challenges of e-learning go to E-learning FAQ.
Until we can provide you with more information on all relevant aspects of e-learning you may benefit from visiting eLearners.com where you will find a good basic overview.
To find out more about the practicalities of e-learning and especially the practical side of LearnHousing courses please visit our E-Learning FAQ.
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