E-Learning and Virtual Education

Today In developing countries, less than 1 in every 1,000 people has access to a computer compared to nearly 600 in every 1,000 in the developed countries.

 Thus, C NET Networks International Media has partnered with UK charity Computer Aid International, to undertake the effort of bridging the digital divide between the developed and the developing parts of the world.

Learning starts with real-world problems. Students should be able to relate to problems and tasks they can handle. Students are given opportunities to see tangible benefits from having these problems solved.

Effective e Learning  or learning itself, is a process. It’s made of stages and a set of interrelated principles, all of which completes the learning process. 

Here are the four stages involved in the process of effective e Learning:

1) Activation

E-learning courses should be able to activate students’ prior or existing knowledge, so as to learn and understand the new knowledge acquired.

2) Demonstration

• Specific portrayal of an object
• Experimentation or demonstration for procedures
• Presentation of situations or cases
• Examples and non-examples for concepts
• Visualizations for processes

3) Application

Creates opportunities for students to apply what they have learned, to allow them to measure their own progress and correct their mistakes. 

4) Integration

Learning can only be effective if it’s made personal. When learners are genuinely motivated to learn, they are able integrate instruction into their lives. All those lessons they learned becomes part of them. Because of this, they are able to improve and demonstrate their skills, acquire new knowledge, and defend or modify such knowledge so that it becomes essential to daily life .

 Virtual learning is a social space where students and teacher can interact through threaded discussions or chat. It typically uses Web 2.0 tools for 2-way interaction, and includes a content management system.

 This can take place synchronously or asynchronously, in synchronous systems, participants meet in “real time” and teachers conduct live classes in virtual classrooms. Students can communicate through a microphone, chat rights, or by writing on the board. The teacher is able to present lessons through video, PowerPoint, or chatting. The students are able to talk with other students and the teacher, as well as collaborate with each other, answer questions, or pose questions. They can use the tools available through the application to virtually raise their hand, send messages, or answer questions on the screen given by the teacher or student presenter.

 In asynchronous learning, which is sometimes called “self-paced” learning, students are expected to complete lessons and assignments independently through the system. Asynchronous courses have deadlines just as synchronous courses do, but each student is learning at his own pace.

A virtual learning environment can also include students’ Content management – creation, storage, access to and use of learning resources;

• Curriculum mapping and planning – lesson planning, assessment and personalization of the learning experience
• Learner engagement and administration – managed access to learner information and resources and tracking of progress and achievement
• Communication and collaboration - emails, notices, chat, wikis, blogs

The term "collaborative learning" refers to an instruction method in which students at various performance levels work together in small groups toward a common goal. Students are responsible for one another's learning as well as their own. 

In spite of these advantages, most of the research studies on collaborative learning have been done at the primary and secondary levels. As yet, there is little empirical evidence on its effectiveness at the college level.

However, the need for noncompetitive, collaborative group work is emphasized in much of the higher education literature. Also, majority of the research in collaborative learning has been done in non-technical disciplines.

The advance in technology, changes in the organizational infrastructure are emphasizing more on teamwork within the workforce. Creative thinking, solving problems, and making decisions as a team are essential qualities.

 

Therefore, the development and enhancement of critical-thinking skills through collaborative learning is one of the primary goals of technology education. In addition, ongoing development of technology is important to keep up with the evolution of technology as books are becoming replaced by computers and within that the online community.