E-learning hybrid 'can meet university education challenges'

A hybrid of e-learning and traditional education is an effective solution to the challenges of providing academic services in university.
Robert Sternberg, senior vice-president, provost and professor of psychology at Oklahoma State University, wrote in an article for the Oklahoman: "Online learning can and does play an important role in higher education."
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E-learning MOOCs 'can have separate goals'

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) come in three differing formats, a specialist has remarked.
Lisa Lane, history teacher at California's MiraCosta College and director of the institute's Program for Online Learning, wrote on Lisa's Online Teaching Blog that each of these MOOCs has a certain dominant goal.
Virtual learning environments that encourage conversation, exposure to information and the distribution or dissemination of ideas between learners were described as "network-based MOOCs" by the e-learning specialist.
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Middle East education 'is being transformed through online learning'

E-learning is having a transformative effect on education systems throughout the world.
Brocade Communications Systems' Middle East and North Africa regional manager Sufian Dweik suggested that the continuing proliferation of mobile devices is leaving academic centres open for change.
He suggested the "one size fits all" model of education, which traditionally involves a teacher delivering instruction to a classroom of students, will no longer be able to compete with digital education revolutions.
Previously, the representative suggested that organisations in the Middle East are being constrained by a lack of campus technology investment and innovation among vendors, despite the fact that they have spent significant sums of money on hosted services, hardware upgrades and applications.
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E-learning can impact maritime training

Online training could have an important role in the future of the maritime industry, it has been said.
In a blog for Maritime Professional, e-learning specialist Murray Goldberg said sea-related sectors could take advantage of distance learning online.
While studying in this manner would not be comparable to real-world business experience, he noted that it could "do wonders" for the sector by providing open and free instruction to everyone who is interested in it.
He highlighted a study from the US Department of Education, which took place in 2010, as evidence of the efficacy of virtual learning environments.
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E-learning 'creating exciting possibilities for universities'

Online learning is one of the hottest topics in the university sector at the moment.
This is according to Steven Knepper and Robert Whyllie, who wrote in an article for culture, arts, critical theory, philosophy and politics journal Telos Press that the move towards virtual learning environments ran over the internet "raises exciting possibilities for universities".
E-learning courses can democratise access to academia and could eventually result in classrooms being broadened "infinitely", they suggested.
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Dakota Collegiate investing in virtual learning environments

E-learning is set to become a permanent feature in Dakota Collegiate.
The Winnipeg Free Press reports that every grade nine and ten class in Dakota will be provided with a laptop or a similar online learning-enabled device, with this set to continue until every student is affected.
Other institutions in the region are expected to follow this pathway and invest in digital learning in the future.
Schools will be able to control the websites that students can access and will prohibit inappropriate content, as well as social media sites such as Facebook, Louis Riel School Division superintendent Terry Borys told the publication.
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Some e-learning courses 'can be limited'

There are still limitations to online learning, a specialist has stated.
AJC's education reporter and Get Schooled blogger Maureen Downey wrote for the publication that some students and teachers have very little digital literacy, which could impact their ability to succeed.
Some US educators are not allowed to instruct pupils in a different state to them, sheclaimed.
However, she noted classroom education is still moving towards blending student management systems and virtual learning environments with traditional teacher-led instruction.
Ms Downey forecast that there will be an "explosion" in the use of e-learning technologies in the immediate future, predicting that textbooks will be replaced with digital counterparts within the nextfive to ten years.
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E-learning 'continues growth in Korea'

South Korea is continuing to innovate and expand in online learning, providing free classes for students to participate in.
The Korea Herald reports that Seoul National University (SNU) has created a virtual learning environment so students can participate in economics professor Lee Jun-Koo's Human Life and Economy series.
This examines asymmetric information and the principals of supply and demand, as well as the relationship between the state and the market.
It will form part of the Seouldae Open Course Ware platform, which started on June 28th at SNU and contains e-learning courses in 33 popular subjects, including management, law, liberal arts and science.
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Olympic Games 'to result in e-learning legacy'

Special London 2012 Olympic laptops are to be provided to schools across boroughs in the south-east through a scheme to promote e-learning.
Acer - a hardware and electronics company that is a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement - will be providing the devices as part of the commitment to the event having a positive legacy on the country.
The laptops would have previously been used by personnel in the Olympics to support operations such as athletes' itineraries, media centres, competition scores, games management, reception, broadcaster support and information queries.
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IEDP: E-learning an effective tool for executive training

IEDP: E-learning an effective tool for executive training:
There is a place for both classroom and online learning when senior staff members are taking part in training courses, as well as blends between the two.
This is according to International Executive Development Programs (IEDP), which suggested that e-learning solutions for executives have dramatically moved on in recent years.
Currently, there are a number of "world-class executive education providers" using virtual learning environments to provide senior workers with "real value", the organisation remarked.
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Louisiana's Tangipahoa parish to use e-learning tools

Louisiana's Tangipahoa parish to use e-learning tools:
Virtual learning environments are to be set up in a number of schools in Louisiana's Tangipahoa parish.
Writing for the Advocate, Heidi Kinchen explained the e-learning course will not involve sending students home with a laptop and forgetting about them.
Instead, officials of the educational authority are to allow students from the sixth to the 12th grade to engage in online learning, while either attending classes during evening or regular hours and participating in face-to-face meetings with teachers on a weekly basis.
Assistant superintendent Lionel Jackson was quoted by the publication as explaining that e-learning courses are more interactive than other forms of education and can be better at encouraging students to pay attention.
Furthermore, homebound, expelled or homeschooled students will also be able to utilise the online learning courses, he added.
The innovative digital learning project will focus on the Crystal Street School, which was originally set up as a type of boot camp for youngsters with disciplinary problems.
A meeting was held on August 8th between the school board's Hammond Delegation and community members or parents at the Tangipahoa African-American Heritage Museum, which enabled people to have any questions or issues they had about the e-learning movement to be resolved.
Chief academic officer Theresa Hamilton noted that five years of figures show the Crystal Street School is not managing to improve the attainment of struggling students or improve graduation rates, with Mr Jackson arguing that the virtual learning environments should have a better chance of success.
Chief academic officer for the Tangipahoa Parish Melissa Stilley had previously suggested in the Advocate that online learning courses could create a larger number of opportunities for academia while helping to address some of the region's requirements, including the need for the system to save money.
Superintendent Mark Kolwe argued: "This isn't cutting edge, but it's close."

Online learning 'democratising' education in Korea

Online learning 'democratising' education in Korea:
E-learning technologies are resulting in a revolution to education in Korea.
This is according to executive managing director of the Korea Times Lee Chang-sup, who wrote in the publication that "new types of democratisation" are occurring three decades after the pro-democracy movement revolutionised the politics of the nation.
Previously, "posh southern Seoul" had a thriving base of private learning facilities, but online learning tools are putting these in jeopardy, he remarked.
The columnist suggested the continuing expansion of online learning resources is beginning to marginalise traditional classroom education.
Tablets, mobile phones, e-readers and other electronic tools are "revolutionising" education in the country, the columnist noted, pointing out that virtual learning environments enabling the use of digital technologies are now becoming commonplace.
Other sectors are also being impacted by these new devices, including journalism, the economy and corporations', he stated.
Mr Lee declared that this has opened up education so it is no longer the preserve of the "privileged" but can be accessed to anyone who is interested in personally enriching themselves.
"A consequence of the democratisation of learning is the democratisation of knowledge," the representative added, noting that "collaborative web-based encyclopaedias" such as Wikipedia also have an important role to play in this.
People who know more than one language have added advantages as they can access even more educational resources than others, he pointed out.
"This is the age of the internet and mobile phones. Anyone can learn English almost freely through the internet and digital devices," he had previously said.
Students are practicing their courses through web-based simulations, using social media to access advice and information in real time and are gathering knowledge through e-learning software and apps, the expert stated.
Furthermore, it is also resulting in the growth of 'reverse-mentoring', Mr Lee said, explaining that this involves younger members of staff teaching senior executives about innovations in social media and technologies, as well as other movements that could be effective in the workplace.

Distance learning online 'widens provision of education'

Distance learning online 'widens provision of education':
Online learning courses provide an "accessible and exciting" pathway to education for people who want to improve their academic progress or acquire knowledge.
This is according to the Telegraph's education expert Jessica Moore, who wrote in the publication that open e-learning courses are an "innovative addition to the education landscape".
She pointed out that millions of people across the world could enter academia and receive quality instruction through distance learning online.
Some of the most prestigious universities in the world are beginning to experiment with virtual learning environments, such as Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
These academic centres are also using their e-learning platforms to research how people learn and how this can be progressed or transformed through technologies and communications.
People of all ages, budgets and nations can access these courses and take part in web-based interactive study.
A campus-based education in these universities could cost upwards of $60,000 (£38,400) every year, while the cost of attending a university in the UK has been capped at £9,000, Ms Moore noted.
Therefore, e-learning is also more affordable and accessible to students than using other sources of knowledge, enabling people from anywhere on earth to cut the cost of education, she continued.
Participants can study at their own paces and evaluate the work of other students, enabling anyone with access to the internet and the required educational materials to improve their education.
This could have a significant impact on on-campus learning, affecting people throughout the globe and widening participation in education, the specialist continued.
Ms Moore suggested that revenue streams could be set up for online learning course providers by the organisations giving employers details about their students, who can then hire the individual.
Furthermore, additional charges could be incurred through private tuition, while advertising could make an appearance on online learning courses, the expert added.
While this could all support the e-learning business model, she admitted this is "speculation".

Distance learning online 'is set to transform education'

Distance learning online 'is set to transform education':
Virtual learning environments will cause significant disruption to higher education in the immediate future.
This is according to Parneet Gosal, writer, strategist and founder of digital strategy consultancy Seedwalker, who wrote in a blog for the firm that universities across the world are implementing e-learning programmes and looking into the possibilities provided by distance learning online.
Wide-spread public demand for improved access to education is driving this change, she continued, highlighting the fact that there are many "ordinary people" who wish to study a particular subject at their own pace and without a teacher "looking over [their] shoulder".
"There is every indication that online learning works," the expert stated, pointing to research that appears to indicate students on e-learning courses learn content faster than people participating in face-to-face instruction.
Many people are pursuing academia in later life through online learning programmes because of "sheer curiosity", the specialist remarked.
Ms Gosal forecast that hybrid learning environments will play a key role in the education of the future.
Some colleges and universities will utilise a combination of offline and online tuition, while others will consist almost entirely of virtual learning environments and will provide very little in terms of real-world instruction, she predicted.
Certification will begin to make a larger appearance in e-learning courses, as educators will seek to enable employers to specify the competencies of their alumni, the representative added.
This will occur due to the "sheer volume of students" that will take part in online learning programs, she noted.
Other predictions made by the expert include peer assessment methods and honour codes, which will aim to curtail any cheating or exploitation that could occur in mainstream online training, Ms Gosal argued.
Presently, these developments would be largely unnecessary, as the majority of students taking online learning courses are doing so "because they want to", she pointed out, noting these individuals are "not as interested in taking shortcuts" as others might be.
A recent poll by Pew Internet and Elon University found 60 per cent of people believe the education sector will be substantially different to how it is now by 2020, with e-learning driving these changes.

E-learning in India helping visually-impaired students

E-learning in India helping visually-impaired students:
An e-learning course is helping to deliver education to blind and visually-impaired learners.
DNA India reports that Satish Navale, a research student, conceptualised the virtual learning environment.
The scheme will commence in Kolhapur this year and was recently inaugurated at the University of Pune's physics department by scientist Vijay Bhatkar.
It is hoped the e-learning project will help students with vision problems to become more self-reliant in their education and bring them up to the levels of learners without disabilities.
So far, eight boys and ten girls have enrolled on the course, which will focus on fundamental subjects such as maths, computing, science and English.
It will also involve home science lessons, such as those analysing how to grow vegetables, enabling people to become self-reliant.
Mr Navale explained the e-learning development should help people who cannot see very well to attain better exam results.
He told the publication that visually-challenged children must currently depend upon a writer to fill in their test papers and a reader to tell them what questions they must answer.
"They miss out on scoring good marks," the e-learning course developer remarked.
Mr Navale also pointed out that the curriculum these individuals participate in is different to that undertaken by those students in normal classroom education.
E-learning should improve their attainment and "give them a chance to be part of the mainstream society", he declared.
The digital learning course specialist asked for donors to "step forward and contribute to this project", noting the e-learning project costs Rs two lakh (£2,300) every year.
Pune is not the only area of India to be benefiting from the emergence of innovative educational movements, with Bangalore recently highlighted by Express News Service as a key region for the growth of online learning courses.
It explained that many teenagers use digital technologies to communicate with each other and study.

Creative England launch online learning support fund

Creative England launch online learning support fund:
E-learning courses should be developed through a £1 million Business Investment Fund launched by Creative England.
The initiative is providing finance to small and medium-sized enterprises developing content, applications and software in a range of areas, including healthcare, cross-platform television, government services, business-to-business, interactive entertainment and online learning.
It opened for Registrations of Interest on July 31st and is available across all regions of England in order to support the digital and creative industries.
Interest-free loans of between £50,000 and £100,000 will be provided for every successful application and this money should cover 50 per cent of the development costs.
The company creating the innovation will provide the other half of the required finance.
All applications must be submitted by August 31st and the scheme follows the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills' £5 million grant to Creative England through the Regional Growth Fund.
This should result in the organisation becoming the first dedicated and joined-up support agency for the creative and digital industries outside of London.
Director of business development for Creative England Jim Farmery said he hopes the scheme will "stimulate the development of some really interesting content and applications".
He told the Yorkshire Post: "E-learning and the gaming industry are changing all the time."
There are therefore plenty of opportunities for companies to make money by taking advantage of alterations in the sector, the specialist declared.
It should support initiatives that would have found it difficult to "get off the ground", he added.
Enterprise minister Mark Prisk said the scheme should encourage people to "discover their entrepreneurial spirit and exploit new opportunities".
The finance should result in the creation of "exciting content" and could "boost local economic growth and rebalance the economy", he added.
Applicants' proposals will be shown to an investment panel, which will look for commercially-viable projects led by financially-astute and strong organisations.
Successful bids must have clear business plans, the potential to create jobs and growth and a "defined route to market", Creative England declared.

Move to e-learning 'is bound to happen'

Move to e-learning 'is bound to happen':
Online learning will inevitably have a role to play in the academia of the future, an education correspondent has said.
Writing in the National Journal, Fawn Johnson said dismissing e-learning "ignores the potential of technology to improve education".
She said the organisations that create virtual learning environments "speak eloquently" about how this innovation could improve educational outcomes, assisting teachers by allowing them to enhance their performance without children losing "valuable classroom experience".
There is an "intangible quality" to learning in traditional lessons, the expert said, noting people who are concerned about the rise online learning courses can often be worried that this could be lost.
Furthermore, "naysayers" are "understandably" worried that e-learning programmes will emerge that are "built my computer whizzes who have no educational background" and will therefore worsen educational outcomes, the specialist declared.
However, she explained there are a wide range of e-learning courses, some of which are designed to revolutionise education in classrooms rather than supplant it.
Live tutoring can be performed with webcams and diagnostic tests can determine the skills, talents and requirements of particularly students, Ms Johnson continued.
Learners can then use these tools to prepare for college entrance examinations or advanced placement tests, she added.
There are some questions about e-learning that may need to be answered, the specialist said.
Ms Johnson questioned which subjects would be most appropriate for distance learning online and whether any would not be.
She also wondered whether people at colleges and further educational institutions would be better served with e-learning than those in tertiary education and whether a teacher who is communicating to the class through a webcam is as effective as one who is standing at the front of the room.
The expert asked: "Where can technology make the most difference in boosting student achievement?"
Online courses offer students the ability to add courses when those at desired times are closed or to accommodate work schedules.
"Learning online is - of course - not the same as learning face to face," instructional designer for Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Sara Hill was recently quoted as saying by the New York Times.
"That is likely good news for anyone who can recall an hour lost listening to an interminable lecture in an overheated classroom," she added.