In today's world, everyone of us is all familiar with classroom-based learning (cLearning) right?
Its the face-to-face group learning led by an instructor or subject matter expert. E-Learning environments involve learners to interact with learning materials, instructors/teachers and other learners from various locations and often at various times using network technologies.
So by its nature, e-learning offers convenient flexibility on when and how the learning process occurs. E-Learning can include independent, facilitated, or collaborative approaches to learning.
E-Learning can be asynchronous (learners experiencing the learning process at different times) or synchronous (learners experiencing the learning process at same times). Independent learning is, by definition, asynchronous. Facilitated and collaborative can be either asynchronous or synchronous too.
The Amazing History of E-Learning
Readers! E-learning have been programmed since 1960s yawww!
In the early 1960s, Stanford University psychology professors Patrick Suppes and Richard C. Atkinson experimented with using computers to teach math and reading to young children in elementary schools in East Palo Alto, California. Stanford's Education Program for Gifted Youth is descended from those early experiments. Early e-learning systems is based on Computer-Based Learning/Training often attempted to replicate autocratic teaching styles whereby the role of the e-learning system was assumed to be for transferring knowledge, as opposed to systems developed later based on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), which encouraged the shared development of knowledge.
As early as 1993, William D. Graziadei described an online computer-delivered lecture, tutorial and assessment project using electronic mail.
In 1997 Graziadei, W.D., et al. published an article entitled "Building Asynchronous and Synchronous Teaching-Learning Environments: Exploring a Course/Classroom Management System Solution". They described a process at the State University of New York (SUNY) of evaluating products and developing an overall strategy for technology-based course development and management in teaching-learning. The product(s) had to be easy to use and maintain, portable, replicable, scalable, and immediately affordable, and they had to have a high probability of success with long-term cost-effectiveness.
credit to Wikipedia.
Therefore, today, as for we diversify with technologies, E-learning become more familiar.
E-learning started from blogs to collaborative software, ePortfolios, and virtual classrooms. Most of the E-learning situations used the combinations of these techniques used in past.
Parts of E-Learning
The digital nature of E-Learning can be cost and time-effectively customized to individuals or small groups. The same content can be offered in a multitude of formats: self-paced, facilitated, in the classroom, blended. Moreover, the flexibility provided by intranets and the internet, travel costs are greatly reduced or eliminated since learners do not have to congregate in one spot for a learning event.
Two ways of Communication technologies used
Learning management system (LMS) VS Learning content management system (LCMS)
Learning management system (LMS)
- delivering, tracking and managing training/education. LMSs made for managing training/educational records to software for distributing courses over the Internet and offering features for online collaboration.
A learning content management system (LCMS)
- authenticate (courses, reusable content objects)
- only dedicated to producing and publishing content that is hosted on an LMS, or host the content itself.
A LMS allows teachers and administrators to:
- track attendance
- task duration
- student progress.
LMS also allows Parents to:
- log on to the LMS to track grades.
LMS also allows Students to:
- log on to the LMS to submit homework
- to access the course syllabus and lessons.
Benefits & Drawbacks
Advantages of e-Learning
- scheduled class work around personal and professional work, resulting in flexible learning.
- Reduce travel cost and time to and from school
- Learners are provided the option to select learning materials that meets their level of knowledge and interest
- Available to study wherever they have access to a computer and Internet
- Self-paced learning modules allow learners to work at their own pace
- Flexibility to join discussions in the bulletin board threaded discussion areas at any hour, or visit with classmates and instructors remotely in chat rooms
- Different learning styles are addressed and facilitation of learning occurs through varied activities
- Development of computer and Internet skills that are transferable to other facets of learner's lives
- Successfully completing online or computer-based courses builds self-knowledge and self-confidence and encourages students to take responsibility for their learning
Disadvantages of e-Learning
- Unmotivated learners or those with poor study habits may fall behind
- Lack of familiar structure and routine may take getting used to
- Students may feel isolated or miss social interaction thus the need to understanding different learning styles and individual learner needs.
- Instructor may not always be available on demand
- Slow or unreliable Internet connections can be frustrating
- Managing learning software can involve a learning curve
- Some courses such as traditional hands-on courses can be difficult to simulate
E-Learning in Malaysia
LMS of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Moodle of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
