E-Learning and the Future in Education - Literature review Example

E-Learning and the Future in Education Introduction E-Learning is the modest epitome of the applicability of modern advancements in Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the learning environment. ICT has created virtual classrooms where learners can effectively interact with lecturers and teachers without necessarily sitting down on a one to one configure with them. In nature of comprising of many forms of electronic media makes it easier to disseminate information to learners at a greater magnitude than in real classrooms. This has effectively boosted this new form of learning to much significant levels. Most of e-learning has been integrated with networking terminals and this makes it virtually available to anyone interested. A basal e-learning is characterized by processes and applications including computer-based applications, digital imaging and web-based application. The information delivered is electronic thorough such media extensions as intranet/extranet. Satellite, television, radio or recorded information in video or audio tape and CD-ROM. The information delivered is essentially in varying forms including text, animation, video or audio. This paper will underpin the various aspect of e-learning. The focus will be endeavored in three e-learning tools including PowerPoint presentations, Web 2.0 as an e-learning tool and the Interactive whiteboard. Despite the efficacious applicability of e-learning in vast learning environment, there are various defects and difficulties that shackle e-learning as a learning technique. This paper will try to associate e-learning from all diverse perspective in as far as the three pinpointed tools as concerned. By looking at the theories that have become as a result of the dynamism of the learning process, it will try to identify the breakthrough that has been achieved as a result of e-learning in relevancy to these tools. Web 2.0 As Allen (2009) identifies those children familiar with new media technology tend to be less impatient with listening to lectures and filling out worksheets. This phenomenon has been greatly influenced by the electronic world that technology has virtually created. Almost all aspect of our lives today has been defined by an electronic gadget. Classrooms today have been enhanced by such applications as Web 2.0 courtesy of O’Reily (O’Reily, 2005). This application allows teachers to engage learners in more or less participatory and well defined interactive forums at almost global platforms. Through Web 2.0, learners are able to experience and identify themselves with better feedbacks from the area of concern contrary to traditional classroom where learners were not subjected to dynamic reasoning and broader levels of interactions. Web 2.0 therefore enhances sharing of more ideas more effectively among learners. To a significant degree, technologies such as Web 2.0 have proved to learners that education is an evolving entity (Breakenridge, 2008) As Allen postulates, the aspect of self-publishing and the speed at which work is available for use makes allows the teachers to give students the control over their learning. This control is very important as it prepares the students to be successful as the learning expands beyond classroom (Allen, 2009). There is a notion that this form of technology will hinder learners’ interactions among themselves. This is because social networking has always been associated with negative results. Many parents think that social networking results t wasted time, unsavory, bad behaviors and other social evils. On the contrary, research has prompted that social networking promotes personal interactions, sharing ideas, builds up personal integrity and courage and has actually been advocated for by educators as healthy in the learning environment. Web 2.0 allows students to share ideas and acquire more ideas and perspectives regarding the subject topic. This diversified information is actually more beneficial to the learners and as well the tool makes work easier in one way or another to the educator. Allen (2009) observes that the underlying assumption that social networking is more of a vice is not true. They argue that allowing the use of tools such as Web 2.0 help in the changing from the delimiting teacher-dominated class environment to a more learner-centered approach that has far-reaching positive results than the former. This phenomenon gives the learners an opportunity to learn for themselves rather than listening to lectures in medieval class platforms. Learners are able to input their efforts into reaching on relevant matters through interactive forums and they are able to develop better understanding to matters of objectives. As it has been observed, education should not be taken as a social interaction but rather it should allow interactive quislingism among the learners. In this regard, Web 2.0 gives an open platform for the learners engage and work in discussions where they can actively argue out facts and share their perspectives that allow them to come up with the most correct ideas about the discussion topic. Intrinsically, Web 2.0 has enhanced the learning process and the educators can find more than one way of applying it in the classrooms (Breakenridge, 2008). Its important to consider here that Web 2.0 contrary to the ordinary books which will take decades before updating, Web 2.0 comprising of blogs is updated with the most current finding on nearly daily bases (O’Reily, 2005). This enables the learners to experience and get versed with the most current findings and they can actually share the information with their peers. The learning theory that this tool can be categorized is under learning styles. The tool essentially diversifies the modes of getting information and straightening ideas as per the learning objectives. In am modal classroom environment, an educator may pose a discussion question and learners can participate in the discussion and later present their findings in a discursive form to the educator. In conclusion, we cannot fail to acknowledge the effectiveness and the benefit that Web 2.0 has had in as far as e-learning is concerned. PowerPoint PowerPoint presents an excellent E-learning tool in the virtual and even real classrooms today. It depicts a more or less attractive learning tool that eliminates the boring monotony of listening to a lecture in audio means. It is incorporation of audio and visual messaging has accorded it inevitable acceptance as an e-learning tool. Many educators have found expansive applicability of PowerPoint as a learning tool and have embedded the same in many of their class presentation. Experts of brain working argue that ideas are essentially quickly and better stored in the brain when presented in both visual and audio means. Educators therefore are very keen when designing presentation slides so that they can attract the attention of the learner and at the same time ensure that the idea is presented in its natural form without distortion (Lowenthal & White, 2009). Ideally, PowerPoint as an e-learning tool identifies itself under information processing theory. As explained in this theory, instructions by an educator should comprise of 9 events for effectual learning. The instruction must 1) attract the attention of the learner, 2) explain the objectives, 3) enable the learner to remember past instructions and ideas discussed, 4) stimulate thinking of the learner, 5) present guided instruction on what the learner ought to know, 6) enhance and trigger performance of the learner, 7) access learner performance, 8) trigger feedback response by the leaner and provide guidance to the learner on the research materials that may be required (Savoy, 2009). A modal example where PowerPoint finds its applicability in an e-learning classroom is presentation of findings. For instance, the educator may pose a problem to the learners where the presentation of the findings is to be made either to an examination panel or the rest of the members of the classroom. This will require the responses from individual or grouped learners to get their findings and their results and neatly arrange them in PowerPoint slides that can then be projected to a screen and explained. Essentially, PowerPoint produced a vivid explanation of findings and allows learners to enjoy the entire learning process (Lowenthal & White, 2009). Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) IWB like other e-learning tool has found expansive acceptability in many learning environments. Intrinsically, the virtual of its usage have replaced the medieval chalkboards and flipcharts. In addition, the application can be supplemented with these traditional whiteboards where they can be connected through the school’s network of video distribution. In other cases, interconnectivity through internet systems allows worldwide distribution of information through graphical websites. This has essentially enhanced shared ideas and techniques in the learning environment. Despite their visual coverage of ideas, interactive whiteboards allows the educator to record teachings in video formats that can then be distributed to other learners who do not necessarily attend the class. This allows the same ideas to be offered to many people outside the classroom environment and may be helpful to students who require repetition to grasp the ideas (Beauchamp & Parkinson, 2005). The effectiveness of the styles that interactive whiteboards produces is in line with the learning styles theory. They allow the application of the four learning aids i.e. sound, animation, text and video. In this regard, educators can pass ideas through conceptualized and experiential perspectives that incorporate all these elements. As underpinned earlier, the effectiveness of incorporating different learning aids including audio and visual formats helps the learner to understand ideas more vividly. It has been documented that this tool allows learners to stay within bounds in as far as the prescribed tasks are concerned (Glover & Miller, 2001). Apart, the learning theory of interactive whiteboards can be identified with constructiveness and multiple intelligences. Constructiveness as a learning theory puts into consideration the learners who are more or less experimental oriented and they therefore achieve ideas through experiments and practical applicability of the ideas they have learned. Multiple intelligence theory centers its focus on the applicability of all the seven aspects of intelligence. A practical applicability of interactive whiteboards in a modal classroom is during a mathematics class in geometry. Students may use the whiteboards to demonstrate their understanding and solve mathematical problems in geometry using this tool. The instructors can as well demonstrate step-by-step constructions in geometry using the tool. This would be the most effective teaching aid through combination of the four teaching aids including audio, visual, animation and text (Moss et al, 2007). Conclusion The evolving world in terms of technological advancement in ICT has necessitated the replacement of the delimited gothic learning perspectives with more dynamic and accommodating e-learning tools. In this regard, learning tools such as PowerPoint, interactive whiteboards and Web 2.0 has been borne. These tools have effectively been incorporated in virtual classroom that define e-learning. The success and the vantages that have been tied to these tools cannot be overemphasized. They have enabled a greater number of learners to participate more effectively and cheaply in the learning process. These tools have also as has been shown augmented in the existing theories of learning with more or less significant degree. References Breakenridge, D., (2008). PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences. London: FT Press. Beauchamp, G & Parkinson, J. (2005). Beyond the wow factor: developing interactivity with the interactive whiteboard. School Science Review (86) 316: 97–103. Collins, A. (2009). Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Glover, D. & Miller, D. (2001). Running with technology: the pedagogic impact of the large- scale introduction of interactive whiteboards in one secondary school. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 10(3), 257–278 Lowenthal, P. R., & White, J. W. (2008). Review of the book the cognitive style of PowerPoint: Pitching out corrupts within. Education Review. Retrieved from http://edrev.asu.edu/brief/jan08.html#7. Moss et al. (2007). The Interactive Whiteboards, Pedagogy and Pupil Performance Evaluation: An Evaluation of the Schools Whiteboard Expansion (SWE) Project: London Challenge. Retrieved from http://www.pgce.soton.ac.uk/ict/NewPGCE/pdfs%20IWBs/The%20interactive%20whiteboard,%20pedagogy%20and%20pupil%20performance%20evaluation.pdf O’Reilly, T. (2005). What is Web 2.0. Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software. Retrieved from http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html Savoy, A. (2009). Information retention from PowerPoint; and traditional lectures. Computers & Education. Retrieved from http://www.citeulike.org/user/yoel/article/3987866 Read More