Transforming+education+through+e-learning



Education is a life-long process that starts when a person is born and only ends when a person dies. Frequently education is associated with schooling, which is partially correct but is not the full spectrum. Learning is not confined to the premises of the school, but on the other hand it can happen anywhere and anytime. Normally we associate academic learning that happens inside school as being the formal learning, since it follows a certain syllabus, where as informal learning is associated to all the learning happening outside of school. As stated by Sir Ken Robinson, education should not be regarded as a fast food concept where one size fits all. Education should never be a standard, mass produced product. Albert Einstein once stated that "Every body is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid". On the other hand Sir Ken Robinson refers to education as being an organic process because it is living as well as dynamic. Like wise, intelligence is diverse, dynamic as well as interactive. Unfortunately every educative system in the World has the same hierarchy namely because education was firstly created for industrial purposes.

There exist cognitive tools that help learners by providing them with constructivist learning environments (Conole, 2011) Such tools include e-learning tools that help us make education a personalised process. This in turn helps in empowering learners where they feel as sense of ownership in their learning (Conole, 2011). Computers provide learners with the ability to think reflectively. More specifically, it is not a question of the effects of technology on learning but rather the effects with computer technology. Learning with computers refers to the students having a partnership with the computer, in such a way that helps the learner be mindfully engages in the tasks he is doing (Jonassen, 1994). The present World Wide Web has made this concept ever more possible. Whereas before it was considered as being a search engine where the user simply types and passively waits for results to be fetched, it has now become interactive. This transformation occurred due to the frequently used buzz word of social media. Social media has transformed the world in which we live in, where nowadays everyone is connected, anywhere, anytime. Social media is increasing becoming the main tool for teaching and learning (Conole, 2011). Despite the latter, there are also some challenges related to using e-learning systems in the process of learning. The greatest challenge of all in making use of e-learning in formal learning environments is time. Educators will need to re-model the whole process and move away from traditional learning which is a very time consuming task. Moreover, learners my also find it hard to learn when isolated. Self motivation plays a major role here since support may not be immediately at hand. Tanveer, groups the challenges associated with e-learning into 3 groups:

1) Technical

The educator may lack basic technical skills that prohibit them from making use of e-learning. These difficulties may also be encountered by the students, even though the majority of students nowadays are technology oriented. Technical difficulties also refers to difficulties encountered whilst making use of technologies like system crashes, slow internet, file corruption and other failures. Technology illiterate individuals may find it difficult to overcome these obstacles and thus might end up dismissing the idea of making use of e-learning.

2) Administrative

These include having lack of staff to monitor the systems. Moreover it also encompasses lack of resources at hand to be able to implement e-learning systems.

3) Pedagogical

The educator may lack skills in designing an appropriate e-learning plan and in worse cases may be an alien to technology which makes it even harder to implement e-learning practices. Monitoring students progress is also an issue and strategies need to be planned ahead to keep track of it. Another important issue is the development and creation of effective e-learning content which is not an easy process. Apart from developing content that abides to a certain syllabi, students must also benefit from it and progress in their learning, else the main objective behind using e-learning in education wouldn't be reached.

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Conole, G. (2011). New Cognitive Learning Tools for Professional Practice Using Social and Participatory Media. In S. De Freitas & J. Jameson (Ed.), //The e-learning reader// (pp. 257-260). London, United Kingdom: Continuum International Publishing Group

Jonassen, D. H. (1994). Technology as Cognitive Tools: Learners as Designers: IT Forum Paper #1. In S. De Freitas & J. Jameson (Ed.), //The e-learning reader// (pp. 227-233). London, United Kingdom: Continuum International Publishing Group

Tanveer, M. (n.d.). Integrating E-learning in Classroom-based Language Teaching: Perceptions, Challenges and Strategies. //ICT for Language Learning: 4th Edition.// Retrieved October 12, 2013