What is your opinion about e-learning?

What is your opinion about e-learning? What are the tools that you are aware of? And do you think physical attendance is necessary for e-learning modules?

 

Well, since I have selected the administration of e-learning as my career, I have a rather high opinion of it Seriously, e-learning, the use of technology to mitigate distance between the instructor and learner, is a viable educational option for many learners, some of whom would not otherwise be able to acheive their educational goals. Research conducted since 1928 comparing technology-delivered instruction to traditional classroom-based instruction has demonstrated that people can learn from well-designed and taught instruction, regardless of whether is is delivered in a live classroom or through some kind of technology.

There are hundreds of tools, including learning/course management systems (Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Moodle, Sakai, eCollege, SumTotal, etc.); synchronous virtual classrooms (iLinc, Elluminate, Wimba, DimDim, WebEx, etc.); lecture capture (Tegrity, Panopto, Mediasite, etc.) and many. many instructional/multimedia development tools.

Many students benefit from physical attendance (sometimes for social, rather than educational needs). Many other students can learn just as well without physical classroom attendance. Still others would like to attend physical classrooms, but their work, health, life situations make it not possible, so they receive their education via e-learning.

 

I think that e-learning offers great opportunities to people who might otherwise miss out on the benefits of more education or be unable to fulfill their dreams. Here in Australia, a large number of univesities offer courses online and this can only increase. E-learning also means that it is possible to "attend" courses from many countries.

For me, actually turning up a tthe university I am currently studying at would be a major problem. With the technology that is available (podcasts, Skype, e-mail, live streaming) I don't think it is essential. Put it this way, for the subjects I have studied so far, I have been assessed entirely on the assignments I have submitted (electronically) so really that is all I have time to concentrate on.

 

E-learning (I prefer to use DL-distance learning) is a very appealing and convenient way for professionals to continue their education with very minimal disruption to career/life circumstances. In terms of e-learning tools, Dr. Pina is an authority in the area and his insights and knowledge based on "real-time" experience is more valuable, so I will not comment on that.

Physical attendance, in my opinion, is best when it is an optional requirement, rather than mandatory. However, based on my experience as a graduate of a DL program, communication between the school/professor and each student diminishes that "overly independent feel" that many complain about, and which I assume is somewhat of a problem that is often realized by students once they've enrolled or after graduation (retrospectively).

What do I mean by "overly independent feel"? I completed my program with very limited email communication, and without any voice communication (phone). The only time I actually spoke with someone at the school was when I registered initially, and when I was very close to completing my final/capstone course. The terminal communication from the school was meant to pressure me into enrolling in their doctoral program (which, in my opinion, is weak in course work and pricey - but those are issues irrelevant to this discussion).

Calling a student at the end of their program only to pressure them to enroll in another program shows that the school is really only after money, without much concern to other issues that make DL students feel as though the school they attend is a community of learners, rather than places where students enroll to pay tuition, type papers, and then graduate - that's it. In short, I didn't feel my education was worth it, the experience felt empty, and I would discourage anyone interested in attending this particular school from enrolling.

While I refuse to believe that all DL programs/schools operate this withdrawn from their students, a good experience at a DL school would include periodic phone calls (for U.S based students or other locations with ease of calling) from either course professors or academic advisors. This calls would basically check-in with each student to see how they are doing in the program; a very good way to make students feel the connection with the school and to know that the professors or school is interested in their experience with the program/school).

I think that programs that use some form of synchronous session where students participate in voice-enabled sessions takes care of this "isolated or overly independent feel" that many students at asynchronous DL schools feel. Creating an avenue for students to talk to someone at the school on a regular basis is one factor that is very important to me as a DL student.