Effectiveness of Web Distance Education - Essay Example

Effectiveness of Web-based Distance Education Effectiveness of Web-based Distance Education Is it enough to have web-based distance education to have effective, efficient and engaging- learning, or the combination between the face to face learning and technology learning can make the learning environment better? Introduction In the past, education was in a classroom using text and static graphical pictures. But now there is more than that; the education has been changed. Web-based distance education became the most popular kind of education in many universities and countries, especially in the USA.Web-based education provide hyperlinked text and multimedia elements.These material has been created by subject-matter experts in this field to make sure that the learners received the right information. That is why the web-based distance education has been the first choice to many learners. Definition of the problems As web based learning becomes more popular in the modern world, there are issues which must be able to be looked at in order to make sure that learners who use this system are able to learn just as effectively and efficiently as those using he traditional method (Roberts & McInnerney, 2007). Formal education has a very long history and a big part of this history is geared towards the traditional system of learning. In this regard, most of the theories and models of learning which have been developed have been developed around the traditional modes of learning and there is little theory to support the new and upcoming models such as web based learning. In this regard, it is necessary for there to be an understanding of how the web based and other virtual learning systems can be used to deliver knowledge to learners without compromising on the integrity of the education which the learners received. Without doing this, it will be hard to use such learning environments to able to help the students as well as the tutors to be able to use the system to deliver kind of education required of them. At the same time, it will be necessary to recognize that learning environments are changing and that there is a need to make sure that there are systems as well as theories and models to support the new modes of learning and teaching. Literature review The issue of web based learning, or learning as it is referred by some people, is one which has been a major debate. Debate about web based learning or eLearning start from issues as trivial as what can be said to constitute eLearning and how the term should be spelled. However, there are more serious issues which must be looked at. These issues revolve around the credibility and the effectiveness as well as sustainability of this mode of learning (Bonk et al, 2005). Studies show that learners are affected by the delivery mechanism the instructors use to deliver education and knowledge to them. That is why a combination between the face to face learning and technology learning can make the learning environment better, also will make the Learning effective, efficient and engaging. As web based and other virtual learning become more popular, there are concerns about the effectiveness of the teaching process. This is because teaching had always been physical and all learning theories were designed around this. As a result, learning has always been done in a face to face way and the new model of learning is not supported a lot. This has caused many arguments among professional on whether this can be useful as a learning tool. However, there are a number of solutions which need to be developed in order to make sure that those students who are taught using the web based learning are able to learn effectively. Mixing the web based learning and the traditional face to face learning. One of the main solutions which can be used to solve the negative aspects of web based learning is the use of a parallel system which would include both the traditional and the web-based instructional strategy (Moore et al, 2011). In this regard, students would be able to take advantage of both the benefits of the web based learning as well as the other traditional learning. However, the biggest issue with this would be the fact that it would go against the very purpose of having a web based learning system. One of the main reasons why web based learning is considered over the traditional method is due to the fact that it helps overcome the barriers which the traditional learning method has. For instance, web based learning is mainly used to overcome the barrier of geographical location. In this regard, for web based learning which is distributed over a large geographical area, it is difficult for the teacher to use the traditional face to face system for the students who are located in far areas. The second solution which could be used for the problem would be to create web content that tries to simulate the traditional face to face learning (Swan 2003). Modern technologies such as video conferencing can help the teacher to be able to have a face to face session with the student and help in delivering a web based learning solution which will include the Merrill’s E3 model. The Merrill’s E3 model looks at how the student is able to interact with the content, the peers and the instructors. Of these three aspects of the Merrill’s E3 model, what mostly lack in the web based learning model is the interaction between the peers (Lally, 2002). Modern web and networking capabilities such as online gaming is able to solve this issue in an easy way. In developing web based learning platforms, the developers can be able to develop a system which will help the students to interact with other (Constantinides, 2004). Studies have shown that well designed online gaming platforms can help players to interact with each other and have a social life. This can be used to help he students to achieve the third aspect of the Merrill’s E3 model which, interact between peers. In this case, system will help the interaction between two types of peers. First, it will be used to help he students to interact with each other. Secondly, it will help the instructors to interact with other and this also enhances the learning environment. Given the above issues, it is clear that using a hybrid system would not be the most useful way to deal with the challenges which the web based leaning is facing. This is because as pointed out, using traditional learning model along with the modern method is going against the very purpose of web based learning (Lopata, Wallace & Finn, 2005). In this regard, the only way is to look at how the new system can be built so that it is able to deliver learning in the same way, or in a better way than the traditional model. To be able to develop a web based system which will be able to deliver the three pillars of Merrill’s E3model, it will be necessary to make sure that the whole idea of education is reinvented. Developing a good system would mean that the developers would have to think in a very different way (Koller, Harvey & Magnotta, 2012). In the modern world, it has meant that the modes of learning have changed and the ways in which knowledge is delivered has also changed. This will mean that designing a learning environment has to mean that new ideas will have to be delivered. A web based system therefore may have to look at the following issues in order to achieve what the traditional system is designed to achieve. Looking at the Merrill’s E3 model and the pure web based learning system Interaction with peers The web based system must be able to aid interaction with peers. According to Kahn and O’Rourke (2005), learning is a social process and it is necessary for any learning model to be able to consider this as a way to guarantee that there will be effective leaning. When learners go to a traditional school, they meet with other students and social relations start taking root in an organic way. Any web based learning platform will have to seek who to implement this on a daily basis. One area in technology which can be used to make it possible for the learners to be able to interact with each other is online multiuser games which make it easy and possible for different people located at different locations to be able to play games together (Nagarajan, 2007). This kind of platform will be necessary in making sure that the learners can have good relations and that they can include this is the learning system. Interaction with the instructors As Lam and McNaught (2007), says for effective learning to be achieved, it is necessary for there to be a relationships between the teacher and the learner in a way that supports learning. According to Olson and Wisher (2002), while web based learning may be faced with a number of issues, it has its own advantages which cannot be achieved by the traditional face to face learning. For instance, the web makes it easier for the learning material and other resources to be available to the student at all times. At the same time, web based learning can be used to meet the needs of the student individually and make sure that every student is served according to his or her needs. This ability of the web based learning systems to be able to provide a ubiquitous accessibility to learning material is what make the system better than the traditional method and should therefore be looked at all times (Chatti et al, 2009). According to Merrill’s E3 model, interaction with the instructors is one of the main pillars of a good learning environment. This means that the students have to freely interact with the instructors in order to make sure that they can gain the knowledge from the instructors. In this area do the Merrill’s E3 model, it is necessary to reinvent the wheel in order to have a better use of the web based learning platform. There is a fundamental difference between the web based system and the traditional system of learning which makes this part of the Merrill’s E3 model not to be applicable to the web based learning system. To begin with, in a web based system, the role of the teacher is fundamentally changed (Klamma, 2011). In fact, according to Song and Hill (2007), in some cases the teacher is completely replaced by the system and this leaves the students exposed to not interaction between him and any human teacher. In this regard, the need for the student to interact with the teacher is either highly reduced or eliminated altogether (Gogoulou, et al 2006). In a web based learning environment, it is easy for the students to be able to learn purely from the system and it is also possible for the learners to be able to learn from actual human teachers. Depending on which model is necessary, the design of the system must allow the student to learn in an organic way (William, 2009). Incase actual human teachers will be involved in the system, there is a going to be a need to make sure that each student is able to interact with the teachers and that the students are able to relate in a human way with the instructors. According to Wilkens (2012) the teachers also must be able to interact with the learners and be able to keep follow-up on their performances. If a web based system which is will not involve humans will be developed, it will be necessary to make sure that the system can be made as intuitive as possible. In such a case, the system would have to be well designed so that it becomes the teacher and plays the role of the actual human teacher (Kehrwald, 2007). The system must therefore be able to track the learners’ progress record and be able to take appropriate action so that the learner does not end up not getting the knowledge that he or she needs to get. Learners’ interaction with content According to Merrill’s E3 model, a good learning model should be able to help the students to interact with the content of whatever it is they are learning. This, according to Gibson (2009) should be the center of any learning system, to help the student to be able to interact with the content. In a web based system, it becomes easier for the learners to interact with the content and to make sure that they can gain as much as possible. In fact, this is one of the greatest of a web based learning model because it helps the students to be as active as possible and to be able to access the content as much as possible. The networking capabilities of the web mean that the students are able to access the content any time they want and that they can access the same from any place in the world. This ubiquitous nature of the web based system can be utilized to the maximum in order to overcome any other shortcomings of the system and to make sure that the students benefit as much as possible. Unlike any other education platform, the web based system has capabilities which can be used learning not only easier, but also much more interesting. This is likely to be used as a way to increase ways in which the students interact with the content of the education syllabus. As a result, it is the best way to deliver the content in a holistic way. To increase the interaction between the students and the content, gaming platforms can be introduced in the systems, especially where the main target audience is the younger people. Conclusions The design of a learning system, regardless of whether it is amount web based or a traditional one will have to consider the many issues which affect the learning process. The web based system is however becoming more popular and more convenient for people who may not have the time to go to a physical school. In this regard, it is necessary for there t be a way to ensure that the web based system are suited to meet the needs of the students and if they support the need of the instructor. However, in doing so, it is necessary to understand that the design of a web based learning system many need a complete overhaul of the education theory and a rethinking of the teaching strategies. The web based learning systems provide unique opportunities but at the same time provide challenges which must be considered in order to guarantee that the system will not degrade the quality of education delivered to the student. It is for this reason that it is necessary that keen interest should be developed in this area to make sure that the system is good and well and efficiency to for delivering knowledge and education. References Bonk, C. et al. (2005). 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