Rationale for using eLearning

[Adapted from LTSN Generic Centre E-learning Series No 3: A guide for teachers]

Why should I use e-learning?

Generally e-learning is seen as offering solutions to several challenges currently facing HE. These include the move towards lifelong learning, with its ongoing demand for continuous professional development, and the drive to widen participation. These challenges come at a time of increasing pressure on resources, and the increasing diversity in the student population and their modes of attendance, including learning that is part-time, at a distance, open or flexible, and work based E-learning can improve the flexibility and quality of learning by:

• providing access to a range of resources and materials which may not otherwise be available or accessible, for example graphics, sound, animation, multimedia;
• giving control to students over when and where they study;
• allowing students to study at their own pace;
• providing a student centred learning environment which can be tailored to meet the learning needs of individual students;
• creating an environment that promotes an active approach to learning;
• supporting increased communications between staff and students, and amongst students;
• providing frequent and timely individual feedback, for example through computer assisted assessment, and positive reinforcement;
• motivating students through appropriate use of interactive courseware;
• supporting and encouraging collaborative learning;
• supporting economic reuse of high quality, expensive resources;
• encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Is e-learning worth my time?

E-learning requires investment of time and effort in developing new skills, new approaches, and new resources: perhaps time and effort that would otherwise be spent on research. However, you can save time and effort in the long term. For example, you may create banks of flexible resources that can be reused, you may design learning activities that can be redeployed, or you may produce computer assisted assessment (CAA) that will allow you to cope with increasing student numbers with no increase in marking time. The key to improving the effectiveness and quality of student learning and making it worthwhile is to replace existing traditional modes of teaching with more active and engaging learning opportunities, delivered where appropriate by e-learning.

What will students expect?

With most 16 year old students using the Internet regularly for support with homework and 67% of 16 year olds authoring web pages, , students themselves will increasingly expect technology to play a part in their learning (DfES 2002, Becta 2002). Students also expect to be able to work and learn at the same time and, therefore expect flexible access: something which e-learning can provide. However, care must be taken to ensure that particularly mature students are catered for prior to any elearning taking place, in that they have ample opportunity to acquire these skills.

What are the benefits for the educator?

E-learning could benefit you by:

• reducing the administrative load by making routine information available online. This will release more time for other activities;
• making communication easier with individual students and groups of students;
• making it possible to use a wider range of resources that may otherwise be too difficult or expensive to use;
• reducing assessment and marking loads through the use of CAA and computer mediated communication (CMC);
• motivating and supporting students to take responsibility for their own learning;
• supporting an increasingly large and diverse student population with little increase in teaching time;
• releasing time for more active, engaging and interactive forms of teaching;
• making it easier to amend and update materials;
• contributing to Quality Assurance Agency institutional audits.

E-learning offers practical ways of dealing with some of these challenges and can help shift your role from that of teacher to a guide and facilitator of students' learning.

What are the costs and benefits?

The costs and benefits of e-learning are difficult to quantify due to the large number of variables involved. Each institution will have to decide whether the benefits outweigh the costs in its particular context. A JISC funded project at Sheffield Hallam the Costs of Networked Learning, has developed an activity based costing model for school/faculty implementation of elearning, which allows the analysis of the costs and benefits in a more detailed and systematic way. A key challenge in making this decision is that while many of the costs are specific and measurable, for example the cost of technology, and the cost of your time and the effort involved, many of the benefits are not. Perceived benefits include greater flexibility, improved access, widening participation, and increased student involvement in, and ownership of, their own learning. Therefore, while we cannot claim that teaching with technology reduces costs, it can increase the quality of learning. However, these benefits only come if e-learning innovations are carefully designed and used appropriately.

How do I get the students involved?

It must not be assumed that students who are familiar with computers are already skilled in e-learning. Even though students may routinely use computers to access the Web or for social purposes, they will not necessarily view it as a tool for learning. According to Chickering & Ehrmann (1996) there are seven key issues in encouraging student involvement in learning. They state that good practice in learning and teaching:

• Encourages contact between students and lecturers.
• Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students.
• Encourages active learning.
• Gives prompt feedback.
• Emphasises time on task.
• Communicates high expectations.
• Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.