Elearning Emerging And Best Practices

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

This paper deals with the changing trends in education sector with the emergence of technology. We can also be able to read out starting from slate and chalk which is used as a learning instrument how the scenario has changed to video conferencing arena.

.E-Learning is an important tool for delivery, interaction, and facilitation of both teaching and learning processes. "Compared to the more traditional educational paradigm – the broadcast model, where knowledge is delivered from professor to student from on-high – e-learning turns teaching and learning into a shared endeavor," Faculty members are also being encouraged to become involved in e-learning activities. Results indicate that faculty generally perceive e-learning as a positive force in helping students’ achieve their learning objectives.

INTRODUCTION

E-Learning is the use of technology to enable people to learn anytime and anywhere. E-Learning can include training, the delivery of just-in-time information and guidance from experts. E-learning can involve a greater variety of equipment than online training or education, for as the name implies, "online" involves using the Internet or an Intranet. CD-ROM and DVD can be used to provide learning materials. It is no longer a question of whether or not we will implement e-learning in our schools, but whether we will do it well. This paper is set in the context of Indian schools and their rapidly developing use of information technology . Its key focus and emphasis is on the changing environment an student has to face from traditional teaching tools to the class rooms with e-learning updated technologies. Understanding the impact of e- teaching, e-learning and e- education is seen as fundamental to moving us forward so we can make greater use of the opportunities provided by the Web.

Virtual education refers to instructions in a learning environment where teachers and students are separated by time or space or both. and the teacher provide course content through course management application, multimedia resources , the internet, videoconferencing etc

Two key areas will be addressed in this paper:

An impact of e-learning on students.

A changing role of faculty and the classroom environment with the emergence of e-learning.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Training

A critical design decision is when and where you want your learners to learn. Will they participate at the same time in a virtual classroom or meeting room? Do you want to let people participate on their own schedule, in their own time zone? These decisions impact your E-Learning choices.

Synchronous training is real-time training. It resembles a meeting or face-to-face classroom training in that all learners go through the course at the same time. Through the Web, an instructor and students can be logged into the same place at the same time and interact more or less simultaneously.

Examples include web seminars, on-line chat like AOL Instant Messenger, video-, satellite-, or teleconferencing, Microsoft NetMeeting, and similar tools

The major benefit of synchronous training is that everyone is together in a classroom-type environment.

The biggest drawback is that everyone has to be together at the same time, which may be a problem across time zones, jobs shifts, and personal schedules.

Asynchronous training is training that is not dependent on time or location (real or virtual). This type of training may be self-study or instructor-led.

Examples include this course, a typing skills course, an on-line C++ programming course, and many of the on-line courses offered by colleges and universities

The self-study method has the learner working largely on their own. This requires a great deal of learner self-motivation, since the instructor is not a regular part of the picture. This method is very effective when teaching skills that do not require a high degree of interaction between the learner and the instructor and/or other learners.

A correspondence course is also a self-study asynchronous course, although not interactive in the e-Learning sense

Instructor-led asynchronous training includes regular interaction with the instructor and possibly other students, using e-mail, bulletin boards, and similar tools. The distinction is that while all learners interact with each other, they do it on their own time and schedule.

Synchronous e-Learning lets teachers conduct classes over the Internet. The synchronous technologies also allow people to interact with peers and experts.

TOOLS FOR E-LEARNING

Virtual Classroom

A virtual classroom duplicates the capabilities found in a real classroom. A virtual classroom provides:

A place to meet: Students and teachers use their computers to go to a virtual meeting place instead of a classroom.

Take attendance: A list of students is recorded.

Lecture: Teachers can choose from a variety of synchronous technologies including:

Slide presentation

Audio conferencing can be implemented in two ways:

Computers connected to the Internet. Common names for this kind of implementation are IP Audio Conferencing or Voice-over-IP.

Phone conferences. People dial the same number to participate in an audio conference.

Video conferencing can also be implemented in two ways:

Computers connected to the Internet. The computers need digital cameras.

Special video conferencing devices that connect over the Internet or over phone lines.

Chat

Chat allows several people to communicate with each other. Each participant uses a computer to type their comments. The other participants can see the name of the person and their comments.

Shared Whiteboard

A shared whiteboard lets a group of people communicate by typing comments, drawing, highlighting and pointing. A shared whiteboard is a common feature within virtual classroom software packages.

Application Sharing

You can demonstrate how to use software applications to remote learners with application sharing. A teacher can also let the learner take control of the application to practice performing tasks.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging is similar to chat. One person communicates to another through typing. Instant messaging also provides some additional features. With instant messaging, you can keep a list of list of people that you might like to chat with. The list will indicate if they are online, offline, available for chat or busy. These features make instant messaging an excellent tool for learning from peers.

E-LEARNING COMPARED WITH TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM

The brief answer is that e-Learning is different than a face-to-face instructor-led class.

Time-to-market is generally longer and course development costs are generally higher than for instructor-led courses, although comparable to other forms of self-paced instruction (such as video courses, computer-based training, etc.). This aspect of e-Learning usually limits topic choices to those that will last for some time. A one-time class is usually not cost-justifiable for e-Learning delivery.

Delivery costs are generally lower for e-Learning, since you save student travel costs and less time is lost at the students' workplace while they take an e-Learning course

Motivated students usually overcome the differences inherent in a new, on-line teaching medium

Well-designed e-Learning courses are as effective as instructor-led courses in helping learners to learn

ADVANTAGES OF E-LEARNING

E-learning has an advantage over traditional classroom training. While the most obvious are the flexibility and the cost savings from not having to travel or spend excess time away from work, there are also others that might not be so obvious. For example:

Flexibility, Accessibility, Convenience

Learners can proceed through a training program "at their own pace and at their own place." They can also access the e-Learning course at any time, and only as much as they need. This is also known as "Just in time and just enough."

Cross-platform Support

E-Learning courses are accessible by Web browsers on any platform: Windows, Mac, UNIX, OS/2, Amiga, etc. You can deliver your training program to any machine over the Internet or intranet without having to author a program specifically for each platform.

Browsers and Internet Connections are Widely Available

Most computer users have access to a browser, such as Netscape or Internet Explorer, and are connected to a company's intranet and/or have access to the Internet.

Inexpensive Worldwide Distribution

No separate distribution mechanism is needed. E-Learning courses are accessible from any computer anywhere in the world, which keeps delivery costs low.

Ease of Updates

After the e-Learning course is released, any changes can be made on the server hosting the program and everyone worldwide can instantly access the update. Courses can be designed to access designated current information, such as the latest new product specifications, from any other server worldwide for an on-the-fly update whenever the e-Learning course is run.

Savings in Travel Cost and Time

There are no travel costs for bringing remote employees to a centralized workshop because the Web is available from all desktops. According to some analysts, the actual time required for training by computer averages about 50% to that of instructor-led training, further saving money.

CONCLUSION

It is hoped that this study will contribute to a better understanding of faculty opinions towards introducing e-learning .Overall, the results indicate that faculty members tend to view e-learning positively as well as negatively.

Technology can enrich the student learning experience providing opportunities for active learning and assessment, both online and in informal and formal physical learning environments.

E-Learning opens the prospects for a form of learning that can be customized to students. Using IT tools such as multi-media, e-mail, presentation, handouts, commercials, computer simulation, computer labs, teaching can be organized so that the students can themselves control the learning process.

The technology available today has made a wealth of knowledge available to students, which offers great potential for the speed and style of learning.

E-learning is helpful only if student along with faculty member are equipped with the latest technological product and quite familiar with its usage. It also indicates that training is necessary before students and teachers are exposed to e-learning. A clear strategy is therefore required prior to implementing e-learning.

It has also been found out that e-learning leads to the decrease in team work and collaboration among students. It has also been analyzed the students becoming more dependent on devices for their work rather than doing much of the efforts.

Although increasing numbers of students own laptops, Smartphone and tablets, it cannot be assumed that all students possess these devices, or are willing to bring them to the classroom. Students who do not have these devices should be a disadvantage.

We cannot assume all our students will be able to take immediate advantage of the growing and complex range of online services, resources and portable devices now available to them to support and organize their studies and professional development. Students may need orientation and skills development to optimize their use of the online environment.

The teacher should leave the students alone and help them when they need him... because through the computer and with experiences students learn more than just being taught by the teacher.

It has been found that it was the active role the teacher played in creating a learning environment which enabled participants to collaboratively generate discipline knowledge

The teacher was a co-constructor of the learning community and discipline knowledge, the role was as a facilitator of learning, not as the centre of the learning process. In order to develop a learning-centered approach, there are several design and facilitation activities the teacher can implement.