Topic Current

2 Trends in
Educational
Technology
(Post-Internet)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Describe the impact of the Internet on education in general;
2. Explain some of the uses of Internet resources in schools;
3. Suggest some of the uses of Internet resources in higher education;
4. Define E-Learning;
5. Explain what a Learning Management System (LMS) is for;
6. Describe the stages of E-Learning;
7. Discuss the benefits of online discussions and collaborative learning;
and
8. Describe some E-Learning myths.

Many of our schools are good schools if only this were 1965.
(Louise Stoll and Dean Fink)

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INTRODUCTION
Since the widespread use of the Internet, educational technology has gone
beyond anyones expectations. After the invention of microcomputers, the
Internet became the most exciting breakthrough in technology. It has changed
lives all over the world. The Internet is spectacular. It has and will continue to
make a huge impact on the way students learn today. I cannot imagine what life
would be like without the Internet.

My first microcomputer class was in 1980. It was so

exciting then even with green monochrome
monitors, 16MB RAM and huge 5.25 inch floppies.
We used Bank Street Writer for word processing
and experimented with BASIC and LOGO for
teaching mathematical concepts. There was some
primitive courseware to teach numbers and the
alphabet but that was all then. Again, nothing I
experienced with microcomputers for more than a decade had prepared me for
my experience on the Internet.

In 1993, I started learning how to use the Internet; e-mailing and getting into FTP
servers, Gophers, Archies and Veronicas. These were a groups of applications
that have since been replaced by the World Wide Web. It opened up a completely
new world to me. I was eager to learn more and to discover how this exciting tool
could help make learning more fun. Initially, to learn more about the Internet or
computer-mediated communication, I joined newsgroups and listservers.

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I also downloaded Internet guides that were made available free. Everyone was
so helpful on the Internet, no matter who they were. We learnt a lot from each
other. The more experienced surfers were very helpful to the newbies. However,
netiquette had to be observed or you would get a friendly warning (at first) from
another user. There were only about 10 million Internet users then, not quite the
more than two billions we have today.

The Internet is, indeed, astounding. E-mailing, discovering websites, access to

online newspapers, magazine articles and journal articles is just the tip of the
iceberg. As more and more teachers got onto the Internet, more and more
Internet-based activities were created. Primarily e-mail based, it grew to web-
based projects for schools around the world. In addition, there were tools on the
Internet for teachers to use such as puzzle-makers to create crosswords or word
search puzzles, colouring books and personalised books for children.

It offers so many benefits that to remain unconnected would be a loss. So, the
Internet has, in fact, made more people computer literate. Young or old, male or
female, able-bodied or physically challenged, the Internet has changed how
people communicate, make friends and get information.

Access to the internet has become fast, easy and more affordable.. When I first
started using the Internet, I used a dial-up connection to connect to the Internet,
using a normal telephone line. It was slow and interrupted by dropped lines.
Today, I have a wireless high-speed Internet set up at home and having three
computers connected to the Internet at the same time is not unusual. All these
cost me only RM88 per month. I am on the Internet more often than I watch
television. I am sure it is the same with some of you. Today, I carry wireless
devices; a notebook computer and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). I can work
in many places, connecting to the Internet as long as there is WiFi. I can
imagine going one or two days without connecting to the Internet but not longer
than that. I get restless.

2.1 THE INTERNET AND ITS IMPACT ON

EDUCATION
The Internet is not new but it has been only in the last decade that it caught the
interest of many. In 1993, there were only 10 million Internet users. This quickly
grew to more than 300 million in 2000 and more than two billions! Such a
staggering growth for such a simple concept of building an international network
of networks which is what the Internet is all about. Millions of networks make up
the Internet. Each network is linked to one another using high-speed connections.

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The Internet has made such a huge impact on the way we do things, the way we
live, our lifestyle and the way we learn. Internet users are constantly exchanging
information and ideas, communicating with family and friends from around the
world, as well as sharing photographs and documents.

Being on the Internet means a person is able to access millions of resources on

topics ranging from A to Z. Type in a topic of your interest and you will see
dozens if not thousands of listings of resources related to the topic. Incredible! I
envy how students today are able to click their mouse for journal articles, connect
to experts half way around the world and download journal articles to their
computers. In the past, students had to visit the library to look for what they
needed, borrow them and if the journals were in another library, request for an
inter-library loan. It usually took a week or two unlike today with just a few
seconds on the Internet you have more choices than ever imagined.

Also, experts were not easily accessible then. The student would have to write a
letter to them and wait for their replies. Today, a quick e-mail will typically bring
a response within minutes or at most, a day or two. Similarly, before the Internet,
one had to borrow books from the library before being able to benefit from the
contents. Today, it is a matter of downloading the pages from a digital book that
is accessible with just a few mouse clicks. How exciting! In this topic, let us
discover how the Internet has changed the way we learn and educate students. I
believe the Internet has made learning more fun and interesting. Dont you?

Malaysian higher education institutions have also leveraged technology, in

particular, the Internet. UNITAR and Open University Malaysia (OUM) for
example have widely adopted the use of the Internet as part of their hybrid and
blended modes of learning, respectively.

In some ways, the Internet has benefited learners even though they are at a risk
of information overload. The Internet also offers more people, irrespective of
who they are, the opportunity to learn. Knowledge used to be for the privileged
few who could afford it whether in the form of books or access to the library. Not
anymore. Imagine the housewife. She can pursue an interest by finding the
information she needs online. She can learn how to manage money better,
become a better parent or a try out new recipes. The list is endless.

2.1.1 Internet Resources for Schools

Teachers, more so in the more developed countries, are constantly exchanging
lesson plans, chatting with other teachers and setting up virtual learning
environments. For students, the Internet is a very useful tool in finding
information on almost anything. How fortunate for students today. Information
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is accessible with a few mouse clicks. Even without knowing the exact location of
the information needed, students can quickly search for information that would
not have been easily accessible before the Internet age. Imagine finding
information on diseases, personalities, issues, etc. that would normally take a
week or two of library search. All this can be done within a few minutes or a few
hours on the Internet. Web-based learning is sheer delight!

If you were to surf the Internet, you would discover that the Internet is a treasure
trove of educational resources (see Table 2.1 and Figures 2.1 through 2.3). There
are online activities for pre-schoolers and older school children. Imagine finding
colouring pages, games, poems, e-books, puzzles and so on. You can download
them, print and keep the young ones busy. Many of them are available free of
charge.

Table 2.1: Examples and Resources on the Internet for Schools

Title of Web Site URL

Internet for Classrooms
Super Teacher Worksheets
Kathy Schrocks Guide for
Educators
Cyber Bee
Click a Map
History Timelines
Cornell Theory Center
Math & Science Gateway
Chem4Kids
Bartleby Library
Puzzlemaker
T.H.E. Journal
International Society for
Technology in Education
Biology for Kids
http://www.internet4classrooms.com
http://www.superteacherworkssheets.com/
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide
http://www.cyberbee.com
http://www.atlapedia.com/online/map_index.htm
http://www.searchbeat.com/history.htm
http:.//www.tc.cornell.edu/Edu/mathscigateway
http://www.chem4kids.com/
http://www.bartleby.com/
http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/
http://www.thejournal.com/
http://www.iste.org
http://www.biologyforkids.com

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Figure 2.1: Crossword puzzles can be easily created using the Puzzlemaker tool at
http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/

Figure 2.2: Biology4Kids provides information on a variety of topics for secondary school
children
Source: http://www.biology4kids.com/

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Figure 2.3: Sesame Street on the World Wide Web

Source: http://www.sesameplace.com/

Educators have also encouraged the use of the Internet not only as a resource but
also as a collaborative tool to work on school-based projects or to collaborate
with other schools within or outside the country on common projects. It is
amazing how the Internet enables and encourages such collaborations. Visit Judi
Harris website at http://virtual-architecture.wm.edu/ to view the possibilities
of how the Internet can be integrated into learning in schools.

2.1.2 Internet Resources for Higher Education

At the college or university level, you will be equally overwhelmed by the
amount of learning resources available online. This includes multimedia
materials for both teaching and learning on a variety of topics from anthropology
to zoology. If you are a lecturer and wish to compare course outlines or to see
how others are teaching similar courses to yours, these are easily available as
well.

Students today are communicating with course mates using e-mail or have quick
online chats to discuss group assignments, tests and projects. There is no need to
physically meet and waste an hour or two just getting to and from a place.
Today, the Internet is an information, communication and instructional tool used
in distance learning.

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Examples of some very useful websites for educators and students at the higher
education level are in Table 2.2. Two of the websites are as shown in Figures 2.4
and 2.5. Perhaps you can find more to add to the list.

Table 2.2: Examples and Resources on the Internet for Higher Education

Title of Website URL

Academic Earth
Virtual Learning Resources
Centre
The Higher Education Academy
Resource Centre
OER Commons
World Lecture Hall
Education Resources
Information Center
MathWorld
The Visible Human Project
The eSkeletons Project
Transforming Education
through Information
Technologies
Instructional Technology Online
The Learning Domain
Multimedia Educational
Resource for Learning and
Online Teaching (MERLOT)
Study Finance.com
http://academicearth.org
http://www.virtuallrc.com/
http://www.heacacademy.a.uk/resource
http://www.oercommons.org/
http://web.austin.utexas.edu/wlh/
http://www.eric.ed.gov/
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visib
le_human.html
http://www.eskeletons.org/
http://www.educause.edu/content.asp?PAGE_I
D=720&bhcp=1
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwitr/
http://www.homestead.com/peoplelearn/
http://www.merlot.org/Home.po
http://www.studyfinance.com/lessons/finstmt
/index.mv

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Figure 2.4: Simulated Learning of Physics Principles Online

Source: http://webphysics.ph.msstate.edu/jc/library/

Figure 2.5: Discovering Mathematics on the World Wide Web

Source: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/

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ACTIVITY 2.1

There is a wealth of educational resources on the Internet. Search the

web for a resource that would help you either as a student or an
educator. Bookmark or note down the resource. Share this resource
with the rest of the class. Describe how it is useful to you.

2.2 E-LEARNING
E-learning is the current trend, particularly in higher education. At the K-12 level
in the United States, the e-Learning market is valued at USD1.8 billion and at the
higher education level the e-learning market is expected to be valued at USD23
billion in 2006.

A local group of Malaysian educators who researched the status of e-learning

readiness in Malaysia in 2004 defined e-learning as the use of network and
multimedia technologies to improve the quality of learning by enabling access to
knowledge and remote resources for the development of a K-society (Abas,
Kuldip & Hairudin, 2004). Findings of the study will be highlighted in Topic 8.

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E-learning is, simply put, the use of the Web to support teaching and learning
as well as to manage courses whether for full-time on campus or part-time
off campus programmes. Many distance learning programmes are offered via
e-learning.

Also referred to as online learning, it is any learning that uses the Internet to
deliver some form of instruction to a learner or learners separated by time,
distance or both (Reiser & Dempsey, 2002). It includes web-based learning and
may incorporate online threaded discussions or forums as well as audio and
video streaming technologies. The strength of e-learning lies in the fact that it
enables collective, independent as well as collaborative learning.

Reiser and Dempsey elaborate:

Online learning may occur among people scattered across the globe or among
coworkers at a single facility via corporate intranets and local area networks
(LANs). What defines online learning is the use of network communication
systems as the delivery medium. This may take the form of a course, training
module or seminar, reference site, or even a listserv or performance support
system the learning may be asynchronous (meaning that the delivery of
instruction and the processing of that instruction by a learner or learners do
not take place in real time), synchronous (meaning that they do take place in
real time), or a mixture of the two. However, there are many forms of
synchronous or asynchronous learning that are not what we would call online
learning; correspondence courses and computer-based training using CD-Rom
without a web component are two such examples (p. 283).

It is believed that e-learning is a pre-requisite to the development of a K-based

economy. It is also believed that e-learning will help democratise education. It
can be used to provide formal, informal or non-formal learning. As far as
educational institutions go, e-learning seems attractive, particularly to those who
are technology savvy. There is usually a small group of academics who will
champion e-learning. In contrast, there are those who are disinterested and who
will try to avoid being part of the e-learning plans of the institution. Having been
accustomed to conventional ways of delivering instruction, such academics may
put their institutions at the risk of becoming obsolete in the current ICT age or
knowledge society.

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SELF-CHECK 2.1

1. How is e-learning best defined?

2. What example from Open University Malaysia can you provide?

2.2.1 The Learning Management System

One of the more sought after tools to help implement e-learning is the Learning
Management System (LMS). There are many available out there, some costlier
than others. What is a LMS? It typically provides the platform for the organisations
online learning environment by enabling the management, delivery and tracking
of learning activities.

If you are an OUM student, you would have been using myVLE, the exact tool
that is being referred to here. myVLE has several features. These are listed in the
menu on the left-hand side of the screen (see Figure 2.6). Some of the features
in myVLE include: announcements, e-mail, assignment, digital drop box and
e-forums. If you have not thoroughly explored myVLE, perhaps it is time for you
to do so now.

Figure 2.6: Sample screen from Open University Malaysias myVLE

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However, an LMS does not necessarily lead to the success of e-learning or

blended learning. As George Siemens in elearnspace (22 November 2004) said:

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are often viewed as being the

starting point (or critical component) of any elearning or blended learning
program. This perspective is valid from a management and control
standpoint, but antithetical to the way in which most people learn today.
(http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/lms.htm)
.

SELF-CHECK 2.2

1. What is an LMS?
2. What are some of the features in an LMS?

ACTIVITY 2.1
It would be interesting for you to explore further and find out more
about Learning Management Systems and how they support teaching
and learning. Surf the Internet to find out the various systems available.
Discuss how they have been used in some institutions and compare
with how OUM has used it. What do you like about myVLE or what
would you like to see improved? Do you think a LMS will be useful in
your organisation? Why? How would you evaluate and select a suitable
LMS for your needs? Discuss your findings and thoughts in class.

2.2.2 Stages of E-Learning

E-learning usually occurs over a few stages. The first stage is the foundation
stage, followed by integration and finally, the innovation stage (see
Figure 2.7). At the foundation stage, which many educational institutions have
incorporated, most of the academic resources are made available on the
institutions website. Examples of these resources are administrative information,
announcements to students, course outlines, course schedules, reading lists,
sample examination questions, quizzes and links to useful resources.

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Figure 2.7: Stages of Implementation in E-Learning

It is interesting to note that if the institution is not ready to host such resources,
some of the faculty members will actually create such resources and upload them
to a website other than the institutions website. Most of the time, this action is
not only reflective of the changing times but because it is relatively easy to do so
and quite practical.

Imagine students visiting the website of their college or university to download

the course outline, lecturers notes or presentation slides or assignments. It may
seem like a lot of work at first but lecturers will find this to be most efficient. For
example, with over a hundred students enrolled per group and with a few
groups to handle in the same week, the lecturer has actually saved the time and
cost of photocopying for the hundreds of students in his courses. You will agree
that his time is better spent on creating resources to help students understand the
subject matter.

In addition, some lecturers are beginning to create online discussion groups for
their students to participate in. The lecturer is present in the discussion rooms
from time to time to help guide the students and to perhaps point to additional
resources on the Web. This describes the second stage of e-learning in an
educational institution where the e elements are integrated into the various
course components. Referred to as the integration stage, many educational
institutions are already at this stage.

The integration stage also includes the provision of online exercises or self-
assessment quizzes or online tutorials for difficult concepts. In addition, the
online discussions help complement the conventional face-to-face learning
activities.

Almost 70 per-cent of students actually go online for the academic discussions.

The time spent in mass lectures three hours a week provides little opportunity for
extensive discussions like those that take place on the Web.

Due to individual differences such as having different learning styles, some

students thrive and enjoy being part of the discussions online. They may prefer
online discussions as they find them less threatening than the face-to-face
environment.

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The ultimate stage in e-learning is the innovation stage. At this stage, the
presence of an online learning community is very much felt. The use of the e
elements in innovative and collaborative ways such as virtual laboratories to
conduct science experiments and virtual reality to simulate situations are just
some examples. Prominent experts from other parts of the world, who interact
with students online, may also be part of this exciting stage of e-learning.

SELF-CHECK 2.3
What are the three stages of e-learning? Briefly describe how this may
or may not be similar in your own organisation. Discuss with your
course mates.

2.3 ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

Being on the Internet also means being able to reach out to millions of other
Internet users. Among the users are experts, professionals, colleagues, friends,
acquaintances and of course, strangers. Imagine being in discussions with other
Internet users on topics of common interest. It should lead to some very
interesting learning experiences for everyone.

In addition, lecturers are also beginning to use computer-mediated communication

or online forums or discussions to encourage free flow discussions among
students in-between classes. This appears to be convenient as not everyone can
meet each other most of the time even if they live on the same campus.

However, interestingly, more and more lecturers are trying out online forums as
a means of having serious academic discussions. This could be in the form of
discussion of cases, scenarios, assignments and other learning tasks where the
benefit of contributing and sharing ideas and resources are mutually beneficial.

Online forums or sometimes called e-discussions are catching on very fast in

local higher education institutions. It is about the use of computer networks for
asynchronous discussions between learners or between learners and instructors.

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Online forums are not new. They have been around for many years. Locally
however, it is relatively new. In 1999, online forums were made part of the
Online Learning Interactive System at the International Medical University. Even
after three years of implementation, only 20 per cent of the academics were
willing to be a part of it. The other 80 per cent were reluctant because they
believed/felt it would require too much of whatever little precious time they had
left. Unfortunately, this caused students who were initially active in posting to
the online forums to gradually disappear when they realised that few lecturers
were present online. Only about 20 per cent continued to actively post messages
or respond to their peers online.

However, we are seeing some positive changes today. Based on conversations

with fellow academics and the number of academic papers on the topic in local
conferences, there are efforts to make online discussions a part of the campus
curriculum. It is normally popular among distance courses as a means to support
distance learners or to provide additional communication avenues. But it can be
successfully applied in full-time on-campus programmes as well.

I am sure you have, at one point or another, had a class where the teacher or
lecturer invited discussions on a certain issue or topic. Discussions of topics or
issues in physical classrooms are not new. Notice however that not everyone
enjoys discussions that take place in the classroom. Some students are afraid of
being called on to contribute an idea or express an opinion for fear that they may
be ridiculed. Nevertheless, there are some students who dislike discussions
in class but enjoy contributing to discussions online. In fact, they are very

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comfortable and thrive during online discussions. It has been observed that those
who prefer to keep quiet in the classroom will be the ones to express their
opinions and convey their ideas actively in the online classroom. Have you ever
wondered why or do you know the reason? This is largely due to personality
differences and preferred learning style.

Millions of adults around the world are actively discussing a variety of topics
online. Thousands of discussion forums exist on the Internet. To search for one
that you may be keen to join, Google Groups at http://groups.google.com/
should be able to assist with your search. An endless variety of topics exist. When
I typed in a search for discussions on distance learning, over 300,000 discussion
groups were found! Try searching for a topic that you would enjoy discussing.
Please note that every online participant is expected to observe netiquette, that is,
acceptable behaviour on the Internet. If you need to learn about netiquette, visit
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.

On the other hand, online discussions on a variety of educational topics are easily
found. Whether it is a discussion among pre-school teachers online or a group of
experts on adult learning or testing and evaluation or on innovative teaching,
there is plenty to choose from and participate in.

Today, online discussions among students on the same campus or enrolled

in the same course are becoming common. Also called computer-mediated
communication, in distance learning, discussion groups exist to provide a social
platform for students where, instead of meeting face-to-face, which they are
unable to do most of the time, they meet online to socialise and hang out. This
can be a very effective socialising and support tool for distance learners who are
isolated and feel more alone than the traditional full-time learner. Today, online
forums are attractive in the sense that they support the learning needs of mature
learners, especially distance learners. It is believed that when planned and
implemented correctly, the learners will enjoy and benefit from the discussions
tremendously.

2.4 COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Online discussion groups are also perfect for collaborative learning among
distance learners. What is collaborative learning? According to Gerlach (1994),
collaborative learning is based on the idea that learning is a naturally social act in
which the participants talk among themselves. It is through the talk that learning
occurs.

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Again, collaborative learning is not new. It existed before the emergence of the
Internet. Collaborative learning is more practical on the Internet as not everyone
has to be available or present online at the same time. It is an active versus a
passive way of learning, where if done correctly, will lead to engaged learning. It
also makes more sense for adult learners to be part of a collaborative learning
community where everyone is able to contribute to a rich set of discussions based
on their experiences. Distance learners like you should be enjoying it.

At Open University Malaysia (OUM), collaborative online learning was

conceptualised in 2004 to ensure that learners in the myVLE discussion forums
have an issue worth discussing and one that they will find practical and useful as
well as, meaningful and interesting to be part of.

Many distance learning institutions are adopting online discussions as one of

their approaches for learning. Some institutions provide marks for online
participation. An example of how marks may be awarded are as in Table 2.4.

Table 2.4: Award of Marks for Online Participation

Category Description Points

Frequency of Contributions have been regular and varied without
2
Contributions long lapses between postings
Learner has been present online but postings have
been few and far between; student has been a lurker 1
more than an active contributor
Learner is rarely or never present online 0
Category Description Points
Quality of High-quality contributions focused on task; strong
Contributions evidence of learner having generated discussion,
3
analysed information, drawn conclusions and
helped create a lively debate
Contributions have been focused on the task; some
2
evidence of analysis, sharing and teamwork
Contributions have been minimal with little
1
evidence of sharing and teamwork
Little or no contributions have been made towards
0
the discussion or task

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2.5 MYTHS OF E-LEARNING

ACTIVITY 2.2

Perhaps we could next encourage you to take a self-test on your

readiness for e-learning (see Appendix). It should take you about
10 minutes to complete the test. If you score less than three in any of the
six areas (technology access, technology relationship skills, motivation,
online video/audio, Internet discussions, success factors), you should
read the recommendations following the score table. It may be
interesting for the class to discuss the groups e-learning readiness.

It is now time to look at some of the real issues related to the success of
e-learning. Deep in your heart, do you think e-learning is the way to go? Does it
or will it work? If it does not, why not? If it does, why? There are no easy
answers to any of these questions.

If you have been reading or attended some of the recent conferences on

e-learning, you would have learnt that the success of e-learning depends on
several factors. The technology is there to be harnessed. It is the implementation
that is key to any successful implementation of innovations in learning. If you
were to surf the Internet, you will find several writings on e-learning myths.
What are these myths? They sound so mysterious. The e-learning Developers
Journal published on June 16, 2003 listed the following nine e-learning myths:
(a) Everyone knows what you mean when you talk about e-learning;
(b) E-learning is really no big deal;
(c) The hard stuff the technology is whats really difficult;
(d) Its the learners who really count;
(e) Learners know what to expect from e-learning;
(f) Communication enables us to tell our story;
(g) Success is getting it to work;
(h) Once is enough; and
(i) Its magic.

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What do you think each of these nine myths mean? Perhaps, rather than
presenting all the myths of e-learning, it is better for you to do the research
yourself. Start with the four documents below, explore further if you must and
discuss the related issues surrounding the myths in class.

(a) Damaging E-Learning Myths

http://www.elearningpost.com/features/archives/001749.asp

(b) If You Only Look Under the Street Lamps or Nine E-Learning Myths
http://www.elearningguild.com/pdf/2/061603MAN.pdf

(c) E-Learning Myths and Realities for the Professional

http://www.traininghott.com/E-Learning-Myths-and-Realities-for-IT-
Professional.pdf

Please take some time to deliberate on this most important topic. I personally
believe in the potential of technology in education in general and e-learning in
particular. However, implementation of any sort is never straight forward. There
are challenges to overcome and there are obstacles to be avoided. One needs to
be pro-active and plan to avoid the hurdles, yet it is not always possible to
predict what may or may not happen. It is indeed a challenge!

Educational technology evolved rapidly after the emergence of the Internet

The Internet is full of resources that can be used by teachers with their
students

E-learning is also called online learning.

E-learning is defined as the use of the Internet to deliver some form of

instruction to learners separated by time, distance or both.

The Learning Management System is used widely in educational institutions

OUMs LMS is called myVLE

Care must be taken when adopting an LMS

There are three stages of e-learning: foundation, integration and innovation

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46 TOPIC 2 CURRENT TRENDS IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (POST-INTERNET)

Thousands of online discussions exist to support discussions on a variety of

topics

Collaborative learning is not new but takes a whole new meaning online

There are e-learning myths and careful consideration is needed when

implementing e-learning

Collaborative Learning Learning Management System (LMS)

Computer-Mediated Communication Online Discussions
Discussion Groups Online Forums
E-Discussions Online Learning
E-Learning Web-based Learning
Internet

If you were asked to implement e-learning in your organisation,

what would you advise in terms of how best to implement e-learning?
Your advice should be based on the issues surrounding the myths of
e-learning.

OUM Digital Library

Roberts, T. S. (2003). Online collaborative learning: Theory and practice. New
York: Idea Group Publishing.
Chapter III: Moderating learner-centered e-learning: Problem and
solutions, benefits and implications.
Chapter IV: Computer-mediated learning groups: Benefits and
challenges to using groupwork in online learning
environments. [available at eBrary].

Copyright Open University Malaysia (OUM)

 TOPIC 2 CURRENT TRENDS IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (POST-INTERNET) 47

Roberts, T. S. (2004). Computer-supported collaborative learning in higher

education. New York: Idea Group Publishing.
Chapter I: Computer-supported collaborative learning in higher
education: An introduction.
Chapter IV: The collective building of knowledge in collaborative
learning environments. [available at eBrary] .

Books
Littlejohn, A. (Ed.) (2003). Reusing online resources: A sustainable approach to
e-learning. London: KoganPage.

Rossett, A. (2002). The ASTD e-learning handbook. New York: McGraw Hill.

Internet Resources
Pittinsky, M. (October 2004). The networked learning environment: stepping
beyond courses to a more expansive online learning experience. Overview
White Paper October 2004. Retrieved December 20, 2005 from
http://www.blackboard.com/docs/AS/Bb_Whitepaper_NLE.pdf#search=
Networked%20Learning
Woodward, M. K. (April 21, 2005). Exploring e-Learning Myths. Retrieved on
December 20, 2005, from Learning and Training Innovations Newsline at:
http://www.ltimagazine.com/ltimagazine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=9622
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Copyright Open University Malaysia (OUM)