e-Learning
About this area
This area comprises information relating to e-learning and some of the staff development requirements related to e-learning.
What is e-Learning?
E-learning is supported through the use of technology and can cover a range of activities from learning online, to blended learning (combining traditional and e-learning).
A key benefit of e-learning is the opportunity to individualise learning and provide extra activities and learning content that suits a wide range of abilities and gives access to learning materials at any time.
We are in danger, though, of concentrating on the ‘e' and forgetting the all important ‘learning', because whatever the technology learning is the vital element of e-learning. Therefore, the learners have to undertake activities which actively engage them and they require feedback on the activities they undertake. Learners can reinforce their understanding, practise skills, demonstrate concepts, change their learning styles and go at their own pace, but it has to be measured and has to be relevant. Ideally, it should, at least in part, involve group-work and verbal and online social interaction. E-Learning, like any learning, requires a clear purpose, measurable activities and defined outcomes.
E-learning requires that staff understand the many aspects of e-learning and the skills required to make e-learning effective. This is where college strategies, implementation plans and clear process, ICT skills, eCPD self-assessment and the ePD framework can help.
Young people, in particular, might expect that they will be able to use computers in their learning; they do expect to socialise and network using sites such as Facebook and MySpace. In particular, the computer games industry has raised the level of expectation and set the standard of how learners might interact with computers from a very early age.
Learners right to engage with technology is a two-way process (Web 2.0), not just looking up facts and references on a website. Quizzes, forums, interactive modules in a virtual learning environment (VLE) and social networking sites – blogs and wikis – all help to engage and interact with the learner. In other words, they can contribute as well as receive information.
E-learning development is not just about Virtual Learning environments, interactive websites, resources and communication technology. It is also about 'supporting the learner journey' and should enable the learner to help him or her self. This requires development of online systems to support individual learrning programmes (ILP) (including SMART targets, tutorial records, personal aims and objectives), e-assessment and e-portfolio.
These activities do not replace the classroom environment but they significantly add to it. They need to be planned into schemes and work, lesson plans and assignments in just the same way that students are required to write an essay or undertake a written test to assess learning or undertake book research. It is worth repeating – these activities require clear purpose, measurable activities and defined outcomes.
Author: SB
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