Discussion about Online Education - Essay Example

Online Education Over the years it has been seen that education has taken up several forms. With the advent of technology education has also been integrated with technology. Previously it was seen that education was achieved through written forms of pen and pencil. The use of pen and pencil can be dated back to the Roman Empire. However with the developing pace the traditional means of attaining education are changing. The introduction of information technology has brought forward a new way of learning through the internet. E-learning is the new form of education introduced by IT which helps people to attain knowledge through the use of their computers. A portal is introduced by the use of information technology which the students are able to access and give their tests. However this new technology also brings with it other ethical issues of plagiarism and social contact. Online education is an inadequate alternative for traditional, classroom-based teaching for several reasons: there is no interactive communication between the student and the instructor, potential employer do not value online course work, class offering are limited, instructor feedback to the student might be delayed for days, and group projects are nonexistent. Discussion With the advent of modern technology, a forceful impact of this technology has been observed in nearly all walks of modern day life. With the increasing access to these facilities, the lives of modern day human beings have changed so dramatically that in many cases a reversal towards the old ways of life seems apparently impossible. Similar is the case with the process of our education. The concept of e-learning has modified our learning modes and behaviors to a much greater extent. It has been seen that the use of pen and pencils has been prevalent in our society since the early days but this concept is gradually being changed with the introduction of e-learning. E-Learning is a type of education which helps the students to learn with the help of internet and computer. Individuals can access internet and enrol into courses through which they can gain knowledge. The ease of access to educational resources has improved the overall learning environment, while at the same time, there are a number of ethical, social and professional issues that have emerged in parallel with the emerging e-learning facilities as we shall discuss in the following lines (Alan 2007; Rosenberg 2001). The e-learning approach draws the burden on both students and teachers to create a learning environment where diversified student population feel comfortable and relaxed. The language, cultural and social differences should not pose as a hurdle in the learning process of the diversified students’ list. Since e-learning environment provides a virtual classroom environment, it becomes difficult to judge the confidence level, practical working abilities and enhancing practical knowledge of the students. It, thus, becomes an important factor to be analyzed while opting for this kind of education. E-learning affects the learning pace of students as it provides virtual classroom environment which is less effective for a number of educational areas. The areas that require face-to-face interaction and on-campus practical demonstrations involve nursing, psychology etc. Hence such professional issues involving those related to the reliability of the infrastructure of the e-learning environment, access to the e-learning tools and the learning curve which is essential to be achieved by proper coordination between teachers and students must be considered while choosing e-learning software or education system (Billings, 2002 p 5). The importance and effectiveness of social interactions, virtual conduct and social support using e-learning courses have been discussed by a number of researchers in great depth (Gunawardena, 1995). Of these researches, mostly were determined to check the credibility of social learning theory on web based learning environment. The emphasis under this theory lies on the importance that social aspects carry in the course of an individual’s life. The three main components of social learning theory, as defined by Rourke, Anderson, Garrison & Archer (1999), are social, cognitive and teaching presence. The social presence refers to the projection of one’s identity and use personal traits in developing meaningful personal involvement to facilitate the learning environment (Gunawardena, 1995). Cognitive presence refers to the intellectual and logical soundness of a person. Cognitive presence involves the active learning, information absorption, critical thing, idea conveyance and active participation of individuals in the learning environment. The teaching presence involves issues that people face while learning or teaching concepts that require integration, justification and exposing ideas in e-learning environment. The issues that must be considered according to this theoretical school of thought involve the inability, idle mindedness, lack of interest, withdrawal from communication, absence from discussions and lack of participation in activities. Moreover, the inability of providing proper practical examples or demonstration from practical models, tools and samples also provide a hurdle in e-learning processes. The loss of cognitive abilities and learning skills are highly probable in an e-learning environment. Students are provided with e-books and online software that are capable of automatic detection of spelling and grammar errors, like MS word, which provide students with an easy way out of educational troubles. They are no more motivated to learn those spellings (Stamatellos, 2007) and grammar rules. This ‘technophobia’ calls for a change and a shift towards on-campus educational systems. Online course works are also being discouraged by the employers these days. The employers are less familiar with the new technology and prefer traditional school methods over these new course works. Marc Scheer a career counselor puts the situation in these words "Traditional programs have been around for hundreds of years, but online programs are relatively new [and] employers tend to be less familiar with them". It is this because of this reason that many employers do not go for applicants who have undertaken an online course. Hence it can be said that the traditional methods of school are preferred worldwide over the newer methods (Zupek 2010). Online course works have a great disadvantage when the question about interaction between the teacher and student arises. In some cases the student has to wait for a response from the teacher for days and this can delay the work and cause problems for the student. Two way interactions are the key to success in traditional forms of learning. Teacher and students can interact easily and the work would not be affected in anyway. Leadership skills cannot be improved in the online course works because groups are not existent in e-learning. Conclusion Although e-learning is a process to learn it has been disproved by many all over the world. It is not better than traditional methods of learning because of the factors laid down above. Many researches are being conducted all over the world on students who have completed courses through e-learning and on students who have completed through traditional methods of learning. Face to face interaction is necessary in some instances so that the students can learn skills which they cannot otherwise. Virtual learning has to be improved in many ways so that it can match up to the level of traditional learning. The website designers and e-learning application developers must be informed of these issues so that they may prevent the legal, ethical and social issues from affecting the learning process. Moreover, Training and education of e-learning teaching staff is also an important factor to be considered. The e-learning teaching tools differ greatly from the on-campus tools. Hence, software, options and Medias that are required by the teachers should be integrated in the developing stage of the website. Moreover, the requirements of teachers and students must be researched to include within the e-learning application if possible (Nemati, 2008). Over the years many improvements have been made in the process of e-learning and video calls have been made possible so that the teacher can interact with the students. However it still needs more improvement so that it can match up to the traditional forms. References BILLINGS, D. M. (2002). Conversations in e-learning. Pensacola, FL, Pohl Pub. Clarke, Alan. "The Future of E-Learning." Adults Learning. 18.7 (2007): 14-15. Print. Employers on online education. Rachel Zupek. CNN Living. < http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/03/29/cb.employers.online.education/index.html> GUNAWARDENA, C. N. (1995). Social Presence Theory and Implications for Interaction and Collaborative Learning in Computer Conferences. NEMATI, H. R. (2008). Information security and ethics concepts, methodologies, tools and applications. Contemporary research in information science and technology. Hershey PA, Information Science Reference. ROURKE, L., ANDERSON, T., GARRISON, D. R., & ARCHER, W. (1999). Assessing Social Presence in Asynchronous Text-based Computer Conferencing. Journal of Distance Education. 14, 50-71. Top of Form Top of Form Rosenberg, Marc J. E-learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print. STAMATELLOS, G. (2007). Computer ethics: a global perspective. Sudbury, Mass, Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Read More