Web-Based Presentation of Individual Research on Current Issue - Report Example

Running head: Web-based presentation of individual research on current issue (E- Learning) Name: Course: Tutor: October 4th, 2010 E-LEARNING IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM TODAY Abstract There are several interpretations of the term Web 2.0; it can be described broadly as a second generation, or more personalized, communicative form of the World Wide Web that emphasizes active participation, connectivity, collaboration and sharing of knowledge and ideas among users. Web 2.0 can also be referred to as the “Read-Write Web” (Barsky & Purdon, 2006), as it goes beyond the provision of viewable/downloadable content to enabling members of the general public to actively contribute and shape the content. Web technologies have a significant impact on education today. Tools such as blogs, and other social soft wares have created the ability for teachers and students to enjoy more learning opportunities (Edelson, Gordin, 1999). E-learning has become a key word in technology in the field of education in the current world. It is one of the major developments that technology has brought in education and is presence has been given different perspectives by different individuals. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the current utilization of e-learning, and to propose the best practices that should be adopted in teaching and learning using e-learning to ensure that the potential benefits related to the technology are realized. We provide the tools used in e-learning, the current demand for the technology and the benefits and challenges associated with the use of e-learning. We also highlight general ideas in allowing e-learning in the education system. E-learning E-learning is a powerful technology which enables learning to take place in location and time of choice, without the need to have a classroom. Initially, e-learning was computer-based training (CBT) playing on end-user computers, standalone training stations and sometimes across servers. E-learning is Internet-based, CD-ROM-based, Network-based, or Intranet-based. It may include video, text, audio, animation or virtual environments. E-learning can be categorized into four classes. Knowledge databases, online support, asynchronous training and synchronous training (Edelson & Gordin, 1999). Knowledge databases are the basic type of e-learning. They give guidance and explanations or instructions on how to go about certain software questions or tasks. They offer an interactive environment whereby the user can enter the key words for the search or select the search from a given list. On-line support is quite similar in functions to knowledge database with the only difference being on the usage. On-line support allows the user to use chat rooms, e-mails and online bulletin boards thus it has a greater interaction environment than the knowledge database. Asynchronous training on the other hand involves a self-paced learning; it also allows access to instructors by online discussions groups, e-mails, or online bulletin boards while synchronous training involves a live instructor giving the training and the user can communicate instantly with the instructor. The training is done on a specified time limit which can be a single session, a week, months or years. The training makes use of audio or video conferences, internet web sites or internet telephony (Edelson, & Gordin, 1999). With the upcoming developments in technology, e-learning has been made more accessible for personal use; this is by use of the new web services. The use of this technology is far ranging whereby it can provide for institutional or individual needs. E-learning course site can be in a way that the course is totally online or it can be that it is used as a supplementary when there is a face –face contact with the instructor. For a typical course site, the student accesses the course syllabus, notes, presentations, announcements, and any other learning materials. The students may also use the site submit assignments where they also receive feedbacks from the instructor. Some instructors also use the site to give tests or quizzes and to keep an online grade book (O’Hear, 2006). For a course which is totally offered online, e-learning requires total implementation of the available technology. This is because the student and the instructor rely totally on the site to interact and in understanding what the instructor is expecting from the student as well as what the student should expect from the instructor. It is thus important to have thoughtful policies on topics such as electronic discussions, e-mails, and intellectual property rights in order to have a smooth running of an e-learning course. The current demand for e-learning The increasing demand for e-learning has been aided by the increased access levels to computers and the Internet. Many people are up-to-date with the new technologies introduced in the ICT industry and are making use of them. In Australia for instance, the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2001 produced the statistics showing access to computer and internet by the country’s population. It was reported that 66% of adults have used a computer and 50% of the adults had access to Internet in the last twelve months (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001b). In another report, a private research firm reported that by February 2001, 67% of Australian population had accessed the Internet often for about two years and 83% of the population had used Internet the week before the survey was conducted(Red, 2001; Centeno, 2001). Access levels to technology by students was found to be higher than that of the general population, over 95% of the university students was reported to frequently use information and communications technology (ICT) (Oliver and Towers, 2000). With the increased use of computer and internet, a change in profile of students’ activities in the universities was reported. In the year1994 to 1999, the number of students in full time study and yet in paid employment increased by 9% (McInnes, 2000). Similar changes were also noted in some other parts of the developed world such as the United States. Cunningham et al (2000) referred this type of study as the learner-earner meaning full time student who also earn from paid jobs. Cunningham further identified an increased growth in numbers of individuals with a full time job who undertakes study that is, earner-learners. These changes in the student profile shows that students trying to manage both work and study are naturally concerned with improved flexibility – like reducing the amount of time spent on campus and the capability to fast track studies needs. These are the major factors that are causing the increased demand for a flexible form of education like e-learning. McCann et al (1998) identified several reasons that may be causing the increasing demand for e-learning, these include: the rapid growth of online economy and the resultant shift from the old to a new economy the increasing growing need for skills and unending education the increasing global market of education; and, The developing recognition by teachers of the significance of e-learning as a new teaching method. Supply of e-learning Most universities in the world are now offering some forms of flexible education (distance learning) involving e-learning, with several of the universities at the top edge offering full online programs, which award certificates to masters degrees in various disciplines such nursing and accounting. Distance (flexible or external) education has passed through several generations ever since the first correspondence students; these developments in modes of education have been taking advantage of the new technologies that have been coming to hand. Taylor 2001, explains the changes by identifying five generations of distance education using a model which illustrates the developments in teaching mode, in the model, two of the generations, the last two, can be explained as levels of e-learning. These levels include: 1. The correspondence model, where learning materials are print-based; 2. The multimedia model, where there is a variety of ways of presenting the learning materials, whether by print, audiotape, video tape or computer based learning; 3. The tele-learning model, in which modes of presentation of learning material include audio or video-conferencing and broadcast TV or radio; 4. The flexible learning model, where students have access to interactive multimedia online, computer mediated communication and Internet-based resources; and, 5. The intelligent flexible learning model, which builds on the fourth generation but will also allow “campus portal access to institutional processes and resources”, allowing the institution to reduce its variable costs to close to zero. To explain the current status of e-learning using the model, an increasing number of universities are offering different courses by e-learning and are working to take advantage of the fifth generation model. These include education offered directly through universities with longstanding experience and expertise in distance education; there are several universities in Australia that are in this category of universities for instance, University of Southern Queensland Charles Sturt University, and Deakin University. The growing needs in e-learning are coming with a growing realization of the need to seek out global markets for education and training. Universities have recognized this challenge and also the opportunities presented by globalization thus they have formed several international consortia to assist them to build up a brand recognition and participate in the large global market. Examples of such consortia include: • The International Network of Universities which works to let students to take on e-learning with partnering universities; • Universitas 21 which is known to have a preliminary accord with Thompson Learning to extend and offer its e-learning. • The Global University Alliance which provides online courses in a network of universities with an agreement with NextEd. With numerous universities restructuring in order to offer new e-learning alternatives for students, it is argued that the changes are mostly driven by the wish of universities to exploit the new opportunities presented by the new technology, and not as a result of demand by the students. This demand is mostly restricted to students who are earner-learners, who require continuing with studies while still working full time (Ryan, 2001). Certainly, the targets of the university supply-driven market are mostly the students who are outside the quite small market or the earner learners, getting support from their employers or those who are confident with investing in learning to assist them in boosting their careers in order to increase their future earnings. Issues to be resolved Ryan 2001 identifies several issues that still need to be looked at in the discussion surrounding e-learning, these include: • The benefits that students enjoy from e-learning, this is because it is vital to be focused on the importance to communicate contents in a useful and meaningful way to the students. This is because some students may not have the ability and drive for independent learning important in e-learning; this has lead to increased reports of raise in drop out rates in many universities worldwide. • The organization and the value of the offered education. E-learning is commonly provided using the catchphrase of “any time in any place”, this risk the value that should be placed in teaching and learning. It also place temptation in discussions on the opportunities that e-learning provide for developing tailored “just in time” courses for corporate client, it may end up giving educational credit to almost any type of learning. • The cost required in setting up e-learning, with estimation for the materials of the quality and type desired by firms being about US$25,000 per instructional hour; and the cost of e-learning in comparison with other modes of education. Ryan 2001 suggests that these issues and other more need to be addressed for a successful for e-learning in the long term. Involvement of commonwealth in e-learning education system The Commonwealth plays a major role in the quality assurance framework worldwide. First, it provides the main source of financial support for higher education in many nations; secondly it serves as a main source of information on higher education. A condition that all universities must fulfill before receiving financial support from the Commonwealth is that they must prepare an educational profile each year, the educational profile should have detailed strategies on the plans that they have to achieve the planned outcomes; it should also include a detailed student and financial data. The money received by the university from the Commonwealth is only for spending as specified by the educational profile document. The Commonwealth issues a variety of performance statistics, composed from the universities (Ryan, 2001) during yearly profiles discussions or through other sources, and it then offers the incentives and the tools to support universities to develop the quality of outcomes. Through these plans many universities are now able to provide e-learning in spite of the high costs related to it. To ensure that such programs are maintained, commonwealth looks to better transparency and accountability through issuing of publications such as: • The Characteristics and Performance of Higher Education Institutions • A website that compares university courses in ten broad subject areas to assist potential students to make well-versed choices on courses and universities. • Quality Assurance and Improvement Plans; • Indigenous Education and Equity Plans; • Research and Research Training Management Plans • A range of statistics on universities, staff and students The Commonwealth also offers financial support to: • The Higher Education Innovation Program, aimed to support the quality of higher education through inventive projects. • The Course Experience Questionnaire; • The publication of the Graduate Destination Survey, which measures the employment success of graduates; • The Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire; • The Graduate Skills Assessment test; and, • The Universities Teaching Committee, to encourage the quality and excellence in teaching and learning. This indicates the major contribution that commonwealth has on the higher education system, it has a major role in ensuring that programs offered and the modes of teaching and learning used are of high quality. It is through such activities that it has improved the quality of e-learning in many universities. Benefits and challenges of using e-learning in education technology Technology has brought significant positive changes in the field of education. These positive changes however are experienced only when the technology is properly utilized, otherwise misuse or under utilisation of technology in education present diverse challenges. The major benefits associated with the incorporation of technology in learning are associated with accessibility to education, cost and time. Introduction of e-learning has enabled many people who previously could not access education due to factors such as geographical location or work to access it. This is because this technology enables learning to take place at the location of the user’s choice. Also, when properly utilized, use of e-learning can save some of the costs related with education. In addition, online learning is preferred by many students due to the personalized environment which allows better communication than that which is experienced in a traditional classroom. Where the technology is difficult to manage or use, e-learning presents a great challenge to an educational institution or to the users (the student and the instructor). First, for e-learning to be effective, training is essential in order to acquire proficiency. Further, the self-paced WBT courses needs time to create and they are cost effective for a large learning audience. Critical perspectives on using e-learning in higher education The alliance of the teaching-learning process and technology though has brought progress, it has posed a series of issues that if not considered with urgency, this development may have serious effect in education. The introduction of technology in education needs to be well supervised and should not be random. For instance, it is important to ensure that the students are well equipped with knowledge of the tool used by the instructor in the teach-learning process. It is also means that the instructor needs to have a wide knowledge of the available mass of technologies in order to choose the ones that can effectively and efficiently meet the increasing needs in education. Implications of e-learning for higher education Introduction of technology in the education system has lead to the shifting of learning from a teacher-student locus, this is through the ability of the student to personalize the learning environment, and this has really led to the shifting of the teaching and learning paradigms. General ideas about e-learning (Sivapalan and Cregan 2005) It offers efficient methods that support professional, organizational and personal improvement. For E-learning to be successful, it calls for self-motivation, time-management, and organizational skills from the student and the instructor. Meaningful and efficient communication by the online learners relies basically on respect among the online learners, active listening, knowledge of subject, and a deep understanding of the learning styles. To increase motivation and active engagement by the users, creation of a shared sense of community is crucial in the online environment. Online performance improvement based on instructor feedback works best in a non-judgmental atmosphere which critically assesses participants against well-defined criteria. Web 2.0 tools require new literacy and create new ways to interact online in learner-centric collaborative environments that can access an overwhelming amount of information Conclusion E-learning is one of the most recent and significant developments in teaching and learning, as it uses the very powerful technology of the Internet to enhance the flexibility of study and the quality of communication between teacher and learner. The Internet shows great promise for promoting student choice, flexible access to education and the quality of teaching, but in the end the Internet is just the latest mode for delivering teaching and learning to students. It is important that the hype surrounding the technology used does not obscure the importance of the pedagogy behind the teaching and the primary aim of the course of education, which is a better educated student. It is important to acknowledge that active learning in a technology based environment requires the setting of a theoretical framework in the learning process (Barsky, & Purdon, 2006). This realization will imply that the use of technology is about enhancement and extension of learning and not about replacing learner process. This is most essential if we are not to simply copy content, which may have worked in the lecture theatre, in virtual and technology based learning environments (Klamma,et al, 2007). E-Learning provides learning institutions all the benefits of a global consumer base. For the users to enjoy the benefits, the institutions should carefully analyze the implications of the e-Learning. They should ensure that the programs are of high quality and that they meet the needs of the diverse student population. Consequently, this would ensure e-learning is successful even in the future, thus giving the institutions a good competitive edge. Personal reflection 1 (E-learning in the education system today) This reflection focuses on the use and the impact that e-learning has in education today. The focus will be mostly in regard to two countries that I have quite enough knowledge on the system of higher education that is, Australia and Saudi Arabia. E-learning has provided great learning opportunities to people who could not have accessed it previously. For instance, Saudi Arabia is expanding the university system at a very rapid rate. These universities are faced with a shortage of well qualified staff in the faculties and thus the government is forced to hire faculties from countries like Pakistan and Egypt. To supplement this, the Saudi Arabia government has introduced a well-funded national centre to provide e-learning. However, these efforts by the government are not fully welcomed by some groups of people. This is mostly due to the concern of the quality from the program. The national accreditation agency for example is against the full online distance education arguing that this kind of education system provides low quality education compared to that offered in the traditional classrooms. Another good example of the status of online learning education Saudi Arabia is the lack of official recognition of qualifications from Arab Open University; this is a clear indication that despite the acceptance by many nations that e-learning is an excellent learning system there are countries where this is not appreciated (McCann et al, 1998). The major challenge in the e-learning system is getting teachers who are interested in utilizing this form of learning in their own delivery strategies. Several training organizations have tried to do this with different degrees of achievement. Several Institutions have also come up with ways to encourage students to implement e-learning options. For instance, the Business Online team in one Australian VET institution (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE 2002) was given the task of implementing the e-Business subjects. The task was to ensure that students were able to ‘get online and stay online’. In developing a marketing plan for their subjects, the team used a list of online learning target groups developed by Farrell (2002), and divided according to their characteristics and motivations to engage e-learning. This can help to improve our understanding of why certain students take up e-learning and the identification of their special needs. E-learning indeed has brought about benefits that heavily outwit the related challenges of using this system of learning. Learning Institutions are working towards maximizing technology in their operations, many of the institutions are in fact encouraging students to opt for the learning system while they offer training to the teachers on how to use the technologies in their delivery. E-learning needs changes in the work patterns of the teachers, Choy, McNickle and Clayton (2002) suggest that there is an important need for teachers to be aware of the diverse resources, capacities and expectations of the students who choose to make use of online learning programs. Due to the one-to-one interaction and feedback needed in online learning, there is a significant change in the work of the teachers involved in this form of delivery (Palmieri & Cashion 2002; Brennan 2003; Kilpatrick & Bound 2004). This work involve spending a lot of time at computers in order to monitor and respond to the feedback from the students, and the need to give feedback to the students at most of hours, this causes isolation from other teachers. In his report, Brennan 2003 states that online learning has introduced variety of demands on the teachers’ work and out-of-work time which has contributed to their sense of loss of autonomy. These studies have been conducted in VET institutions in Australia. An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (2002) points out that in the USA, university teachers are faced similar issues. Personal reflection 2 (E-learning in the higher education) E-learning has become a popular phrase in the developed countries and as we have discussed in our paper, the development in the technology has offered several benefits to the users. In the developed countries, the delivery strategies of most of the courses in higher education system have evolved. There is increased implementation of the ever improving technology inside and outside the classroom to improve student learning. In some countries however, technology is not fully implemented in education sector, for instance, in Kuwait e-learning is used in the private higher education sector but has not officially been used in the public higher education sector. Information and communication Technology (ICT) has become as a vital component in today’s society. Most of the private higher education institutions in the world are making use of e-learning in the education programs in competing with others and to survive financially. Others are shifting to the new technology in education to improve experiences of the students in learning and to generate better learning result and competencies. Singh, O'Donoghue, and Worton 2003, Laurillard 2004, suggests that it is important for traditional universities to have a flexible organizational structure that incorporates technology in learning such as e-learning to increase students’ learning experiences. A successful implementation of e-learning in the higher education institutions requires consideration of several factors. Poor planning and management of the program can have a major impact on the use of e-learning services. For example, lack of awareness by instructors or inadequate training in utilizing e-learning services results to poor outcomes. Other situations that may lead to failure to enjoy the benefits of e-learning is the unavailability of connections to e-learning websites and slow downloads put offs students from using e-learning (Rogers, at el, 2007). The increasing growth of e-learning and the new facilities introduced in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are now used by students in many education institutions and are important tools in learning in higher education used to counteract the challenge in using this technology. The growth in technology has enabled access to online learning resources thus removing the barriers related to learning such as geographical barriers (Sivapalan and Cregan 2005, Concannon and Campbell 2005). E-learning is being used effectively by the developed in university teaching to enhance the traditional forms of teaching and in administration. Students taking different courses the universities find web access to their lecture notes and they can also use selected digital resources in of their study, it is also now possible to personalised web environments where they join in discussion forums in groups or with their class, this new sort of access provides them with a great flexibility in their study. For the part time students, they find easy access to their courses and this supports the ability to have wider participation thus eliminating the traditional barriers to higher education studies. Growth of e-Learning is getting rapid as institutions compete in the increasing and changing demand for higher education. However, implementation of this technology brings forth a few implications for all stakeholders in education, which poses several risks which can not be overlooked. E-Learning has a significant impact especially on the structure of higher education, whilst the growing demand can be hold by its implementation, the diversity of the new student population requires that institutions carefully develop programs that satisfy a broad range of learning requirements (Siemens, 2005). This challenge is intensified by changes to the competitive environment where, in the wake of lifelong learning, traditional institutions are competing with corporate and virtual universities particularly for the mature student population. Works cited: 1. Centeno, C. 2001. Aussie Internet usage advances, eStatNews, eMarketer. 2. http://www.emarketer.com/estatnews/estats/easia/20010509_red_aussie.html?ref=wn accessed on 4th October 2010. 3. Red S. 2001. Australian Internet market is broadening to new audiences. 4. http://www.redsheriff.com.au/cgi/news.cgi/Show?_id=6889&sort=TIME&searchaccessed on 4th October 2010 5. Oliver, R & Towers, S. 2000. 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Journal of Educational Technology and Society, 10(3), 72-83. http://www.ifets.info/journals/10_3/6.pdf accessed on 3rd October 2010 10. McLoughlin, C. & Lee, M. J. W. 2007. Social software and participatory learning: Pedagogical choices with technology affordances in the Web 2.0 era. In ICT: Providing choices for learners and learning. Proceedings ascilite Singapore 2007. retrived on 2nd 0ctober 2010 from: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/mcloughlin.pdf 11. O’Hear, S. 2006. E-learning 2.0 - how Web technologies are shaping education. Read/Write Web. Retrieved on October 4th 2010 from the World Wide Web:http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/e-learning_20.php 12. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001b), Use of the Internet by Householders, Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra. Catalogue number 8147.0 13. Taylor, C .2001. Fifth Generation Distance Education. 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Value of online resources for learning by distance education. CAL-laborate, November 2005. 19. Siemens, G. 2005. Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3–10. Retrieved 3rd October 2010, from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm 20. Rogers, P.C., Liddle, S.W., Chan, P., Doxey, A. & Isom, B. 2007. Web 2.0 learning platform: Harnessing collective intelligence. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 8(3), 16-33.http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde27/pdf/article_1.pdf accessed on 3rd October 2010. 21. Sivapalan S. and Cregan P. (2005). Value of online resources for learning by distance education. CAL-laborate, Read More