Trials and Tribulation of E-Learning - Essay Example

August 27, 2005 Trials and Tribulation of e-learning and distance learning within higher education Knowledge is dynamic in a developing, evolving and changing world. Traditional methods of imparting education are not able to keep pace with the fast shrinking half-life of knowledge which is defined as the time span from when knowledge is gained to when knowledge becomes obsolete. This half-life of knowledge is best illustrated by Kapp & McKeague (2002) thus: half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is said to be doubling every 18 months. This means that half of what you know today will be obsolete in 18 months and half of what you need to know in 18 months, you don’t know today. Fortunately enough, there have been radical developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Computer technology has scaled new heights in terms of processing speed, storage and display; the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) has made it possible for content to be made available at any time, anywhere in the world. The requirement for faster knowledge acquisition and dissemination and the rapid developments in ICT have converged to lead to the development of what is known as e-Learning and Distance Education. e-Learning refers to application of electronic technology for the delivery of instructional content or knowledge domains. Beamish et al.(2002), defines e-Learning as: “. . . a wide set of applications and processes allied to training and learning that includes computer-based learning, online learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration. These services can be delivered by a variety of electronic media, including the intranet, internet, interactive TV and satellite.” Distance Learning lays more emphasis on the geographical distance or separation between the knowledge disseminating agency and the student. The concept of distance education is not new. Imparting education by despatch of course material through the postal service or snail mail, was the earlier form of distance education which has now metamorphosed with the application of electronic technology. Desmond Keegan (1995) defines Distance Learning as resulting from the technological separation of teacher and learner which frees the student from the necessity of travelling to “a fixed place, at a fixed time, to meet a fixed person, in order to be trained.” As far as dissemination of educational content through electronic technology is concerned, e-Learning and Distance Learning can therefore be considered to be the same. For the purpose of this paper, e-Learning and Distance Learning are used interchangeably. Forms of e-Learning e-Learning delivery can be synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous delivery implies an online or live process based on real-time videoconferencing or audio conferencing with presentation material, and online chat. Synchronous delivery incorporates the concept of virtual classroom. Asynchronous delivery implies a system with ‘anywhere’, ‘anytime’ deliverables, with built-in interactivity that enables the student to set his or her own pace. Asynchronous delivery could be based on recorded audio-visual presentations and multimedia presentations disseminated through portable media such as compact disks or over the Internet and the Web. The form of e-Learning could also vary, depending on the physical interaction between instructor and student. In on-line e-Learning, there is no physical interaction between instructor and student; in systems where asynchronous e-Learning supplements traditional classroom education, there is interaction between instructor and student; and finally, there are hybrid courses which are a mix of the traditional classroom and online synchronous delivery of e-Learning content. This paper seeks to identify the complicacies, technological or otherwise, involved in implementing, operating and maintaining e-Learning systems. In doing so, this paper will attempt to look at e-Learning and Distance Learning from the perspectives of all those who are involved in the process: student, teacher or instructor, course designer, educational institution, technician and developer of Learning Management Systems (LMSs). The study area will be largely confined to higher education. Literature Review In spite of the great flexibility and varied range of tools that e-Learning can provide to imparting education, implementing any e-Learning system can be a complicated and complex endeavour. E-Learning is not the simple clubbing together of courseware and technology as many deem it to be. Implementing an e-Learning system calls for almost the same level of effort as building up a conventional education system. In fact, in the case of e-Learning, the setting up of added technological infrastructure has to be taken into consideration. The need for very meticulous planning is driven home by Naidu, S. (2006): “Any efforts to embark on e-learning must be preceded by very careful planning. This would necessarily comprise, strategic and operational planning that are consistent with the values, mission and goals of an organization.” The prohibitive cost of implementing an e-Learning system is another trail by which institutions has to pass. The cost advantages of e-Learning in terms of increased automation and eradication of travel and accommodation expenditures have been offset by the higher investments required in building up the technology infrastructure and developing and maintaining higher resource utilizing multimedia-based software. Institutional sponsorship, right from the top of the hierarchy to the bottom, is very essential for e-Learning initiatives. This is important not only because adequate funds have to be garnered and allocated for e-Learning, but also because everybody associated with the project has to be convinced of its utility and has to believe in the advantages that e-Learning will eventually be able to provide. “Staff need to needs to buy into the initiative and be committed to its success.” (Hawkridge, 1979) The approach also and the main objective behind the implementation of e-Learning systems also matter a lot. Theoretically, any successful e-Learning endeavour is supposed to accomplish the following: i. Provide increased access to education. ii. Enable adult learners to acquire education. iii. Apply state-of-the-art technology to facilitate the imparting of education. iv. Support education networks across political boundaries, and v. Meet the real education needs of people. Few institutions, however, adopt e-Learning systems to actually meet these objectives. Instead, e-Learning systems are viewed more as a way of making money off the campus to meet ‘on campus’ requirements. The result is that the e-Learning initiative is relegated to a secondary role of supporting the primary on-campus programs, and everything related to e-Learning loses focus. The e-Learning programs are kept running just for the sake of it with no real commitment. Work done for e-Learning programs are not taken into consideration in matters of tenure or promotion. Off campus instructors are more often than not demoralized and isolated. This is very clearly stated by Sherritt, C. (1996): “… some institutions are getting into distance programming (education) for the wrong reasons, primarily to solve budget problems, without fundamentally changing the way they do business. There is no evidence that distance programs tacked into traditional two and four year colleges and universities are a panacea for ubiquitous money problems. There is nonetheless pervasive belief among education decision makers that distant programs are a cash cow and, if they don’t get their share, some other institution will.” Adapting to the e-Learning environment Adapting to the e-Learning environment has to be a very gradual process. But it has to culminate in a complete changeover. It begins with the incorporation of a simple Course Management System (CMS) and posting relevant documents on it. The next step concerns pedagogical considerations. “Adaptation requires commonsense judgments as to how to take standard classroom practices and plug them into the established structure of the software,” (Arabasz, 2003, pp.39) e-Learning requires fundamental restructuring and reengineering of the course material to fit into the CMS. Technical and instructional aspects have to be considered together and not in isolation. It is only after considerable experience has been gained that innovative approaches can be tried. The problem is that a very small technical fault in adaptation can disrupt the finely tuned teaching and learning process leading to breaks in the flow of thoughts. It is not only the course material and the instructions; the very organizational structure of the University undergoes fundamental changes. A growing number of Higher Education institutions now exist only in cyberspace (Brewer, 1998). The concept of the virtual university is fast gaining ground, even though many skeptics believe that such a concept is a practical impossibility. However, universities and educational institutions need to tread with caution as they make the transition from a lecture-based, classroom mode of delivery to cyber-based technology supported learning. Trials and Tribulations for the Faculty Time is perhaps the biggest investment that the instructor has to make. The amount of time required to develop and maintain an e-Learning course is usually not anticipated by the people involved. The instructor has to spend a lot of time on restructuring and reengineering the course for e-Learning delivery. A complete over hauling is required. Instructors also need to give time for technical and pedagogical training as instructions in e-Learning differ radically from conventional approaches. Last but not the least, the instructor has to spend considerable time corresponding or communicating with students. A very important aspect of e-Learning is the views or approach of the instructor. The instructor could be trying to make the e-Learning experience as good and fruitful as the conventional classroom’s. It is a case of trying to replicate the conventional classroom in e-Learning. The second approach could be the instructor’s effort to improve the instructions through the medium of e-Learning. The instructor will have to decide on which approach to adopt, a decision that could profoundly influence the very character and quality of the e-Learning content. Technical issues can hamper an instructor’s efficiency or performance. The instructor is often not familiar with the technologies that are utilized. Development in multimedia would require knowledge of Flash, Shockwave and similar tools. It is difficult to find persons skilled in both the application technology and the field of education. The problem of technology extends to the teacher who may not be proficient in the software. The dependency on technology also tends to undermine the faculty’s confidence at times. “Are things going to work when I’m in the classroom? Will the Internet be up? Do I need to bring back-up materials on a disk? Will the last instructor have left things in good shape? These [issues] may be more basic than you’d expect, but dependability is still a major issue.” (Arabasz, 2003, pp.41) Student Constraints The technology available with students also determines the nature of the course content to a large extent. Students may simply not have the required bandwidth to access high-end multimedia content. The course designer has to tailor the contents to suit the technology availability of the students. This is especially true of e-Learning courses catering to international community scattered all over the world. In such cases severe constraints may have to be imposed on the utilization of technology resources available at the end of the imparting institution. The design would then have to optimized for dial-up users with at the most 800x600 pixel monitor screen resolutions. In fact, many universities take special care to ensure prior to registration that their respective e-Learning course content is accessible to the students. “Technical infrastructure deficiencies on the student side can impede course activities, especially in an online distance-learning environment.” (Arabasz, 2003, pp.42) The proficiency level of the student in using ICT tools would enhance or undermine his e-Learning experience to a great extent. In the international context it would be unwise to expect uniform familiarity with ICT usage. A student, previously not exposed to ICT, will therefore not only have to handle the course requirements, but will also have to acquire the requisite skills in ICT to pursue the course effectively. The factor that students have to study in isolation in an e-Learning system has triggered off many debates. Many perceive this isolation as a crippling obstacle to the development of e-Learning systems for higher education. Brouner and Flowers (1997) even suggested that the lack of human interactions in the incorporation of technology into higher education would have to be effectively made up by increased human contact. Others, however, pooh-pooh this suggestion pointing out that “to suggest that people can’t learn without human interaction would suggest that people can’t learn anything by reading a book in the quiet of a library” (“Observations,” 2001) The e-Learning environment lacks the discipline and time regulations imposed on students in conventional education. This requires students to be more motivated, better time managers and more attentive during e-Learning sessions. The lack of the proximity and personal touch of the instructor as in a traditional classroom can create a communication chasm that both the instructor and the student may find difficult to surmount. In a situation where eye contact and proximity are limited, students cannot be disciplined nor affirmed by eye contact and body language (McKnight, 2000). Infrastructure Reliability  The degree of reliability of the infrastructure being used in an e-Learning session has an overwhelming effect on the efficiency of the system. Frequent connectivity problems, camera failures in an interactive videoconferencing session and any other technical failures that disrupt the session can be very frustrating for both the faculty and the students. A program studied by Teaster and Bliesner (1999) found that unanticipated technical problems with the system not only shortened the class time and discussion but also negatively affected the overall quality of the presentation. There have been very rapid developments in e-Learning technology also. Growing storage requirements and the need for 24x7 availability have resulted in the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies and more sophisticated CMSs. Standards such as the Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) and Instructional Management System (IMS) Global Learning Consortium have evolved to provide cross-platform usability of content.   Quality Assurance As the number of non-accredited institutions offering degrees grow in number rapidly, quality control and assurance has become a major issue in e-Learning systems. The fact that a number of virtual programs has thrown quality concerns to the winds (Copeland, 2001), will force the quality conscious to fight harder to establish their credibility. The quality of e-qualifications or the credibility or job-obtaining potential of e-Learning degrees have also been a matter of discussion. A study of 269 HR professions in September 2000 found that 61% believed that online degrees were not as credible as traditional qualifications. (University of Houston, 2001) Conclusions It is evident that the implementation of an e-Learning or Distant Learning system calls for a proper and planned approach in view of the long maturity period of such systems. All those who are associated with the e-Learning system will have to adapt to their respective phases of trial and tribulations. Familiarity with Information Communication Technology serves to overcome many of the problems that were faced by the pioneers e-Learning. The growing availability of ICT infrastructure all over the world will increase the range and scope of e-Learning. Many of the constraints that were faced by the first generation of students of e-Learning will disappear as successive generations will be comparatively more ICT savvy. The virtual university is looming large on the horizon. As more and more reputed universities have their own e-Learning degrees, the credibility and job potential of online degrees will also increase. Implementation of effective e-Learning systems is the answer to the increasing difficulty that the traditional educational institutions and universities are facing in accommodating the spiralling demand for education. ICT has the potential of turning the world into a global village. The global virtual university would meet the educational requirements of the global village adequately. References 1. Arabasz, P., Pirani, J.A., Fawcett, D. (2003), Supporting e-Learning in Higher Education, Research Study from the Educase Centre of Applied Research. 2. Brewer, S. (1998). Online connections. Home PC, 5 (4), 117. 3. Beamish, N., Armistead, C., Watkinson, M. and Armfiled, G. (2002), The development of e-learning in UK/European corporate organizations, European Business Journal, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 105-15, In Homan, G., Macpherson, A. (2005), “E-learning in the corporate university”, Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 75-90. 4. Copeland, R. (2001, May 18). The usual rules apply online. Times Higher Education Supplement. 5. Hawkridge, D. (1979). Persuading the dons? British Journal of Educational Technology, 3(10), 164-174. 6. Kapp, K.M., McKeague, C., 2002, Blending Learning for Compliance Training Success, Eduengineering at the intersection of technology and learning, pp. 2. 7. Keegan, D. (1995). Distance education technology for the new millennium: compressed video teaching.  ZIFF Papiere. Hagen, Germany: Institute for Research into Distance Education. (Eric Document Reproduction Service No. ED 389 931). 8. McKnight, M. (2000). Distance education: Expressing emotions in video-based classes. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Conference on College Composition And Communication, Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Eric Document Reproduction Service No. ED 441 270). 9. Naidu, S. (2006), E-Learning, A Guidebook of Principles, Procedures, and Practices, 2nd Revised Edition, CEMCA, 2006. pp. 75 10. Observations of a Telecommuter; Ethics and the Bottom Line; Customer Service That Teaches; Whats a Learning Executive? New Column! Scoping the E-Learning Market. (2001). Training and Develop-ment Journal, 55 (7), 6. 11. Sherritt, C. (1996), A Fundamental Problem with Distance Programs in Higher Education, pp. 7 12. Teaster, P., & Blieszner, R. (1999). Promises and pitfalls of the interactive television approach to teaching adult development and aging. Educational Gerontology, 25 (8), 741-754. 13. University of Houston. (2000). Societal Views of Online Degrees. Topics on Distance Education. Retrieved August 27, 2007 from www.atlantis.coe.uh.edu/detopics/society.htm Read More