The Advantages and Disadvantages of e-Education in Student Learning - Research Paper Example

The Advantages and Disadvantages of e-Education in Student Learning Introduction E-learning is the mode of acquiring knowledge for a specific purpose from the medium of Internet, computer or a way which is accessible in the form of internet. The E-learning usability has been prevailing all over where the essential knowledge meant success. E-learning can also be accessed by iPhone which is capable to provide more comfort than electronic machines in which Internet is also easily accessible. E-learning significance has been contributing greatly in making students capable by providing useful information as the teachers are becoming more competent than before (Cheung, 2011). E-learning is a great platform especially for those students who seek to obtain prior knowledge of their ancestors to evaluate the contemporary philosophies. As the contemporary wisdom is the result of our ancestor’s wisdom. Virtual faculties of education have been working out for around ten years to bring traditional knowledge and philosophy that occurred in the past. Despite consuming a long period in the task but not a great deal of authenticity of past knowledge has been acquired that could consolidate student’s desire (industry, 2012). Currently, there are few who are still not enlightened of the purpose of e-learning and therefore could not exploit its elementary functions in order to gain authentic information on the intended topic. This paper will certainly help those people and will remove the irregularities and doubts regarding e-learning and will also discuss what contribution has been made by e-learning in the past years. Additionally this paper will also highlight iPhone introduction into universities and colleges for teaching purposes. The Role of Training, Administrative Leadership and Teacher Commitment in the Application of the iPad Technology The introduction of iPad technology in classrooms and universities has radically changed the learning environment and teaching habits. IPad is a creative and inspirational educational tool which has the ability to engage students with its content in an interactive manner. This change has influenced all parts of the world and students have replaced their pens, laptops and notebooks with iPads. Some institutes are also offering free iPads to their students and faculty with the aim of helping them to flow with the same flow of learning. Education has always embraced new technological advancements which can easily be transformed into a utility beneficial of students and teachers. IPads are relatively cheaper as compared to laptops and desktop systems and above all they are easy to handle and manage. Taking all this into consideration it is evident that social knowledge is embraced and enhanced through collaboration. More students can take part in such system of education through virtual online presence which will lead the way for improved learning patterns. Moreover it allows complex problems to be addressed and solved in real time scenarios. However it is evident that e-learning combined with iPad technology will challenge the limitation of traditional institutional pedagogy, but at this point the role of a teacher is crucial who must also be trained and equipped with latest technology. Initially teachers and instructors will feel complications in shifting from a stable environment of the lecture hall to an interactive, digital and e-learning environment. It is necessary to have a cross check on students and create stability across various platforms in order to execute a smooth learning procedure (Kruse, 2012). The applications supported by iPad must be enhanced and upgraded to support a full range of synchronous and asynchronous communication. In this manner students will be able to connect, formulate, edit or share with other students both in a physical or e-learning environment. Moreover students can attach different peripherals for having an online interactive learning community experience. This all is possible only with the help of strong support from government and institutions which can collaborate with technological companies in designing relevant mobile applications and functions which can easily be incorporated in an e-learning environment. Colleges and universities will also be required to have proper technical support available to handle various queries from students and instructors (Kybartaite, Nousiainen, & Malmivuo, 2013). Along with all these teachers and students are required to work in harmony in order to make sure that individual learning pathways are based on actual student requirements. Evidence based decision making in a key element here and certain operations must be centralized for making technology accessible at affordable rates to every student. Taking a case of a classroom in which user will be required to login into a specific platform which can present difficulties in collaboration. Moreover, at some point in time the university or institute’s security classroom management will also be at stake if proper security measures are not ensured (Staff, 2012). Advantages of e-Education in Student Learning Convenience The major advantage of e-learning combined with iPad technology is the convenience which allows students to work hard and learn at their own pace. It allows students to work and learn without any difficulty. In e-learning environment there are no time restrictions as compared to traditional learning methods. e-Education also offers access to learning materials at any time without any restrictions, as faced by students in a library. This flexible environment allows students to manage time accordingly with their families, friends, job and other activities (Radović, 2010). Accessibility The other noteworthy advantage associated with e-learning technology is accessibility which is provided by internet and iPads. Students are now able to learn from any part of the world without any time, boundary or language restrictions. The accessibility of technology allows students to study easily in a foreign country too. Whether e-learning experience is classroom based or home based it is full of new dimension. For home based e-learning students they have less clothing, driving and eating expense as compared with traditional learning methods (Hinkle, 2012). Portability iPad is a technological device which has an elegant interface which allows students and teachers to review content easily such as books, newspapers, journals, articles and associated audio and video content. iPads are fully equipped with community platforms and social networking sites which allows interactive electronic learning. E-learning has gradually increased its boundaries and has reached towards application like Facebook and Twitter too (K. & G., 2010). Durability It has been observed that students and teachers both find these devices interactive, easy going and durable. Students can easily handle lightweight iPad cases along with iPads without any difficulty in every condition. This benefit of iPads has greatly reduced paper and stationary costs (Hinkle, 2012). Just-in-time Learning Opportunities Teachers and students both find e-learning environment as a platform in which they can collaborate and centralize on a single platform. Every individual can share his/her experiences and ideas from various parts of the world which also enhances the students and teacher's scope of learning. Everything in this environment can be considered as a cloud based computing development in which various learning experience are shared (Marmarelli & Ringle, 2011). Self paced synchronous learning The major advantage of e-learning along with iPad technology allows students to self-pace themselves automatically and bypass instruction which they think are redundant. Whereas novice students can spend substantial time on understanding the basics of the content, this eliminated the frustration of their fellow students (Lopez, 2012). Disadvantages of e-Education in Student Learning Self Discipline The major drawback associated with e-learning is that it requires self-discipline from students end. Although it may seem beneficial to work at own pace but it can lead to delays of assignments and submissions. This can easily be applied to students who have difficulty in time management and procrastination and such students are required to follow the traditional learning structure (Staff, 2012). Lack of Interaction Teacher and student interaction will become less in an e-Education scenario, which can only be obtained when teacher and student interacts physically. Various collaborative learning theories state that human interaction is a necessary element of learning. Whereas in an e - learning environment students are isolated and are not able to ask questions which arise in their minds. However the introduction of iPads has greatly reduced this concern by introducing message boards, emails, chats and teleconferencing[Lin122]. Flash Incompatibility This seems to be a disadvantage initially but it can be handled easily in the coming years by iPad developers. The flash content is not supported by Apple products and most of the data available online are greatly dependant of Flash. This can be considered as a drawback to the implementation in the world of e-Education learning experiences (Lopez, 2012). Lack of Multitasking Capability Students in e-learning environment are required to multitask and switch between various applications or review online courses and session while taking online lectures. The iPad is currently not supporting multitasking capability which has made it a problematic experience for their users (Marmarelli & Ringle, 2011). Conclusion The Internet combined with iPad has contributed chiefly to the rapid advancement of modern technologies which brings dramatic changes in the field of management, communication and other fundamental work being performed in enterprises. With the help of internet, many dynamics of technologies have been explored which have lead to a greater importance. Students are now able to grasp their studies and its dimensions more firmly by the use of the Internet while entertainment industries have transformed and are able to exhibit real life in a more realistic manner. And most importantly the field of businesses is equipped with modern technological advancements. Talking particularly about education students are exploring their subject-matter with various modes of guidance which can be presented in the form of documentary, ocular or any form that comforts student’s learning. It is evident that a single device cannot be termed completely as a technological advancement in e-Education. It still lacks some significant capabilities before finalizing and totally relying on iPads for learning. However it still can be termed as a powerful and influential device which can be customized in coming years according to student teacher learning environment. References Cheung, S. (2011). A study on the readiness of mobile learning in open education. IT in Medicine and Education (ITME) , 133 - 136 . Hinkle, L. (2012). Advantages & Disadvantages of e-Learning. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/about_4743220_advantages-disadvantages-elearning.html industry, e. (2012). eLearning Industry. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from elearningindustry.com: http://elearningindustry.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-online-learning K., M., & G., F. (2010). Looking to the future: M-learning with the iPad. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from Computers in New Zealand Schools: Learning, Leading, Technology: http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/5050/Looking%20to%20the%20future.pdf Kruse, K. (2012). The Benefits and Drawbacks of e-Learning. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from e-learningguru.com: e-learningguru.com Kybartaite, A., Nousiainen, J., & Malmivuo, J. (2013). Technologies and methods in virtual campus for improving learning process. Computer Applications in Engineering Education , 185–192. Lopez, M. (2012). Advantages and Disadvantages of the iPad for Elearning Online. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from PubArticles: http://articles.pubarticles.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-ipad-for-elearning-online-1273829025,20126.html Marmarelli, T., & Ringle, M. (2011). The Reed College iPad Study. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from The Reed Institute: http://www.reed.edu/cis/about/ipad_pilot/Reed_ipad_report.pdf Radović, M. (2010). Advantages And Disadvantages Of E-Learning In Comparison To Traditional Forms Of Learning. Retrieved April 29, 2013, From Annals of the University of Petroşani: http://upet.ro/annals/pdf/20100227.pdf Staff, T. T. (2012). 9 Ways Universities Are Using The iPad In & Out Of The Classroom. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from teachthought.com: http://www.teachthought.com/ipad-2/9-ways-universities-are-using-the-ipad/ Read More