E-Learning in Higher Education
E-Learning in Higher Education
Abstract
Teaching and learning are no longer confined to class room or
school or college today. There are many technologies that can offer a
great deal of flexibility in, when, where and how education is distributed.
The e-Learning technologies are indented in implementing e-Learning
concepts. This study argued Why is e-learning important for Higher
Education, Technological Change and the Learning Experience and E-
Learning through Stakeholders. It is concluded that Stakeholder group
has an important role to play while working together towards the
common goal of enhancing the overall learning experience. Students and
Instructors should participate as proactively as possible; provide feedback
to improve future experiences, and communicate the learning
possibilities that e-learning creates. Institutions should provide the
technical infrastructure and support needed to enable comprehensive
solutions. Content and Technology Providers should provide high quality,
interoperable solutions that consider learning principles. Accreditation
Bodies should provide and enforce clear guidelines for this new form of
learning delivery. Employers need to recognize the validity of this form of
education and work with other stakeholders to ensure that graduates
meet the needs of the job market. Institutions of higher education could
utilize the stakeholders’ responsibility matrix presented in this paper as a
starting point when undertaking a new e-learning initiative. The
stakeholders involved and their associated responsibilities could then be
adapted to the nature of the particular initiative at hand.
Introduction
Teaching and learning are no longer confined to class room or
school or college today. There are many technologies that can
offer a great deal of flexibility in, when, where and how education is
distributed. The e-Learning technologies are indented in
implementing e-Learning concepts. The first general purposes e-
Learning system was the PLATO system, developed at the
University of Illinois, USA. The PLATO system involves control data,
1
General Manager, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Definition of e-Learning
Any learning that utilizes a network (LAN, WAN or INTERNET)
for delivering interaction or facilitation is called e-Learning. This
would include distributed Learning, e-Learning (Other than pure
correspondence), computer based training, delivered over network,
and web based training synchronous, asynchronous instructor lead,
or computer based or a combination. Distance education,
distributed learning or remote education are the synonymous,
conveying the same meaning as e-Learning and defined by the
following criteria:
1. The teacher and students are separated by distance (this
distance could make different class rooms in the same school
or different locations, thousands of miles apart).
2. The instruction is delivered by print, voice, video or computer
technologies.
3. The communication is interactive. In that the teacher
receives some feedback from students. The feedback may
be immediate or delayed.
1:
2) Video
Broadcast
Audio Audio conferencing 1) Audiotape
2) Radio
Data 1) Internet Chat 1) E-mail
2) Desktop 2) CD-ROM
3) Video
conferencing
much more on the access than on the processing it offers. And the
technology developments so far have reflected that. The focus has
been on the presentation of information to the user, not on tools for
the user to manipulate information.
The sequence of technological change in interactive
technologies has been a historical accident, driven by curiosity, the
market, luck, politics – never by the needs of learners. Learning
technologies have been developing haphazardly, and a little too
rapidly for those of us who wish to turn them to advantage in
learning. This becomes apparent if we compare these technological
developments with the historical development of other key
technologies for education. Table 1 shows some of the main
developments in information, communication, and delivery
technologies over the last three decades, and against each one
proposes a functional equivalent from the historic media and
delivery technologies. The story begins with interactive computers
because the move away from batch processing brought computing
to non-programmers. The user had access to a new medium which
responded immediately to the information they put in. As a medium
for information processing, it was radically different from the much
more attenuated relationship between reading and writing, thus
creating a new kind of medium for engaging with ideas.
There is one very striking point about Table 2. The
development in information and communication technologies over
the last three decades is comparable with the development in
information and communication technologies over the last three
millennia. No doubt there are alternative ways of drafting such a
table, but that point at least is likely to be common to any analysis
of ICT.
Attempting to construct these equivalences is instructive in
itself. It is difficult to represent the importance of computer-
Instructors
Educational Institutions
Educational institutions, in the context of higher education,
include colleges and universities. In addition to the traditional list of
postsecondary institutions, the rise in popularity of e-learning has
lead to the creation of new, online only educational institutions.
Educational institutions integrate technology into classrooms to
facilitate lecture delivery and create new technology mediated
learning opportunities for students. They provide distance learning,
including e-learning, to create access to a larger pool of students.
As e-learning becomes more widely accepted and more courses are
Content Providers
In the higher education context, online course content may
be created by instructors or acquired from external sources. The
growth in e-learning has created a market for commercialized
educational content creators, particularly for more introductory
courses that are offered consistently at multiple institutions.
Whether the content provider is the instructor or an external
source, their motivation is to provide content modules that will
result in effective learning. Commercial content providers are
motivated by profit to develop content modules that are flexible
enough to be readily utilized across institutions with minimal
adaptation efforts. The main concern for content providers in e-
learning tends to be intellectual capital rights. Independent content
Technology Providers
Technology providers develop the technology that enables e-
learning delivery. This category consists of a broad range of
services, from the facilitation of individual distance learning
courses, to complete Learning Management Systems (LMS)
provided by companies such as Blackboard. Similar to content
providers, technology providers are motivated to provide learning
environments that will result in effective learning for students.
Technology standards are an important consideration for this
stakeholder group as well. Since educational institutions often have
different solutions implemented by various departments,
adherence to common standards facilitates interoperability.
Constant evolution in hardware and consumer expectations creates
pressure for technology providers to rush to market with new
product offerings. In order for these businesses to be sustainable,
the cost of pursuing this constant innovation must be controlled.
Accreditation Bodies
Accreditation bodies are organizations that assess the quality
of education institutions offerings. Those institutions meeting the
minimum requirements will be accredited, providing them a level of
credibility that non-accredited institutions will not possess. As the
proportion of education delivered by electronic means grows, it is
increasingly important for accreditation bodies to encompass e-
learning in their standards. Neglecting to do so will limit the
relevance of their accreditation since it will only be relevant to the
traditional education component of educational institutions’
offerings. The growth of e-learning presents new challenges for
Employers
Employers, in this context, are those organizations that will
potentially hire graduates of higher education institutions. Often,
there is a tendency for employers to view online education from
reputable traditional institutions in a more positive light; however
the acceptance of online degrees in general is increasing (Chaney,
2002). This is a positive trend for e-learning in general and for
completely online educational institutions in particular. Employers
are increasingly motivated to consider e-learning as a higher
education alternative. Denying the value of e-learning will restrict
their pool of potential hires. It will also limit the availability of
courses and professional development activities that their
employees may participate in. Since many students pursue higher
education for the purpose of beginning or advancing their careers,
a lack of support for e-learning by employers could deter
employees from pursuing their coursework through electronic
means, thereby restricting their opportunities. One issue that
employers have with e-learning is the decreased interpersonal
interaction inherent in many of these courses. Employers typically
Conclusion
E-learning is a large and growing market with great potential
in higher education. In order to maximize this potential, e-learning
implementations should endeavor to satisfy the needs and
concerns of all stakeholder groups as much as possible. The
Stakeholders’ analysis undertaken in this paper and culminating in
the Stakeholders’ Responsibility Matrix is a step in that direction.
Stakeholder group has an important role to play while
working together towards the common goal of enhancing the
overall learning experience. Students and Instructors should
participate as proactively as possible; provide feedback to improve
future experiences, and communicate the learning possibilities that
e-learning creates. Institutions should provide the technical
infrastructure and support needed to enable comprehensive
solutions. Content and Technology Providers should provide high
quality, interoperable solutions that consider learning principles.
Accreditation Bodies should provide and enforce clear guidelines
for this new form of learning delivery. Employers need to recognize
the validity of this form of education and work with other
stakeholders to ensure that graduates meet the needs of the job
market.
Institutions of higher education could utilize the stakeholders’
responsibility matrix presented in this paper as a starting point
when undertaking a new e-learning initiative. The stakeholders
involved and their associated responsibilities could then be adapted
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