THE ACADEMY OF ECONOMIC STUDIES OF MOLDOVA

THE CHAIR OF APPLIED MODERN LANGUAGES

SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM OF YOUNG RESEARCHERS

XV edition

E-LEARNING:
Bringing Learning to People

AUTHOR: Morari Cristina, gr. CON-164

COORDINATOR: Bacimanova Nadejda, univ. lecturer

Chisinu, 2017
 CONTENTS

Introduction

1. What Is E-Learning?
2. The Advantages of Online Learning
3. The Disadvantages of Online Learning
4. Availability of E-learning Technologies in Moldova

Conclusion

References
Introduction

Elliot Masie, an engaging and entertaining futurist, analyst and speaker, stated: "We need to bring learning to
people instead of people to learning.. Briefly, I would define it is the contemporary era, the world of nowadays
people who take the challenge of innovations and tend to adapt their modernized mentality and technologies to
newly appearing concepts of development, here includes education, too.

The development, at present, offers us new and interesting opportunities for learning, I would say, and e-
learning is one of them. The evolution encourages more people to use technologies in the 21st century to
provoke a new change in education through an exciting, interactive and newly choice-offering method of study.

Andrea Kuszewski, an American researcher in neuroscience and psychology, mentioned: The time has never
been more ready for systemic change than right now, and weve never had better tools to achieve this level of
creative disobedience, to successfully prepare our children for the big challenges that lie ahead. It might be
uncomfortable and take a bit of work, but our future depends on this radical change in order to survive.

From here we can confidently admit that contemporary technology has transformed greatly every aspect of our
lives and contributed enough in changing our ways of thinking, and higher education has not been an exception.
People are flexible and tend to adapt to the new changes brought by the technology era and education is
persistent in replacing the old methods of studying with better ones, those offered by information innovations.
An example is E-learning or online learning, that is rapidly growing in popularity.

Online learning is the newest and most popular form of distance education today, as well it represents the new
opportunities available for students, especially ones who look for a possibility to combine work and study.
Within the past decade it has had a major impact on postsecondary education and got an increasing number of
interest from youth.
 1. What Is E-Learning?
Online learning, referred to as e-learning, is defined as courses where at least 80 percent of the material is
delivered through online technology, at a distance, instead of traditional classroom. These courses usually have
no face-to-face interaction between students and the professor.

This method includes the using of special programs that form so called virtual classroom in which learning
process is being processed. Some of low-cost and open source Course Management System software that are
widely used nowadays are ETUDES-NG, Moodle, Angel. Moodle server is more usable and known in
Moldova.

The main functions of such software are the following: easy ability of teachers to send needed material to
students through internet, at the right time, using just a cell phone or computer, enabling of communication and
student evaluation.

Usually these programs include the following learning tools:

schedule and announcements for offering the right information about some events, exams or deadlines for
tests;
modules for publishing recorded lectures or necessary material in divided sections;
assignments for grading the work of learners;
a board of discussion or forums for group discussing and work;
private messages or live on-camera chats for communication among students themselves or between
students and teachers, that allow you to send any question you want;
exams, short tests and quizzes for appreciating the knowledge formation of learners;
the book of grades for posting students grades or ratings and checking them.

So, this form of learning is suitable for some work-occupied students, disabled students, full-time employees, as
it allows them to sit at a computer (instead of coming on-campus daily) to gain some knowledge and start a
lecture processing through video, chat, or email anywhere and anytime.
 2. The Advantages of Online Learning

Due to rapid and continuing innovating process, todays diversity in each domain of life makes us wondering
and daily questioning ourselves what, when and why to choose when trying to apply for study an exhausting
and long-period problem. But its easier than we think, because technology resolves it for us in an automatic
way and online distance learning is the solution.

Online Learning has the following advantages:

It meets the needs of non-traditional students, who cannot or prefer not to attend traditional study classes,
or are unable to find the particular class at their institution, live abroad or far away, work full-time and can
only study at or after work, and those who prefer to learn by themselves.
It offers a lower-cost form of education, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, retention of extra expenses on
transportation or book payments.
Everything students need to participate in an online course is having access to a computer, the Internet, and
having the right motivation to succeed in a non-traditional classroom.
It provides an instant feedback and evaluation on students success and highlights the areas they need to
work on additionally.
The involvement of technology in online study can be both a challenge and an opportunity.
Internet makes people smarter consumers of information and sharpens their critical thinking skills by
evaluating Internet sources for credibility and usefulness.
Internet activities can make these subjects easier to understand. Students can clear up confusion of
misunderstood content by reviewing video or listening again and pausing it.
Learners can choose to take part in the environments in which they feel comfortable and relaxed, but not
stressed out, bored or tired of.
It develops the sense of hearing and attention, memory, etc.
It includes not only secondary and postsecondary youth, but older students and companies who tend to
extend and train better professionals.
 3. The Disadvantages of Online Learning

While there are certainly many advantages of Online Learning classes, there are disadvantages to be wary of as
well:
Students are unable to ask specific questions and receive answers immediately.
There is less contact of teachers with students.
Participants can feel isolated from mates.
Teachers cannot always evaluate correctly the works of students due to cheating and personal connection.
There is less real group interaction.
Students who struggle with technology may obtain a poorer level of knowledge.
Students with visual or physical impairments may be disadvantaged.
E-learning requires a high-level of self-discipline and personal time management.
Some tools designed for one particular system will not function properly on another one.
Learning approach may not appeal to all learning styles and many students would not be able to enjoy it.
There may appear some technology issues or errors in the system.
E-learning is knowledge-based but not practically-based.
The students authenticity of work may be corrupted and be prepared not by the user.

4. Availability of E-learning in Moldova

As we know, Moldova is a country in the process of economic and social development and people tend to adapt
rapidly to the new trends appearing in other countries and they succeed in it, considering that most of them
havent got enough resources due to inflation and political instability within the country. There are a lot who
receive transfers from abroad and others who choose to engage in the national education as part-time students
and get a job with a salary, or simply emigrate in order to obtain one in a developed country, but they still
understand it is not the perfect solution for them, because they want to gain a university diploma and a good
workplace in their home country. Online Learning may be a good option here.

E-learning is already partially implemented in Moldova as a contemporary contribution tool of traditional

education, but not as another method of studying for youth. In Chisinau, there are projects that base on such a
topic, and there are universities that use such platforms, but nothing more, because Moldova is too poor for e-
learning reforms.
Internationally there are institutions that actively promote Online Learning policy and in Romania, too. As an
example, there is The Department for Distant Learning of the University of Bucharest, has opened a Center for
Resources, Documentation, Information and Service (CREDIS) for distance learning, which functions as an
internet-based academy and includes its own network of learning centers and a virtual campus.

In my micro research I found some universities that use actually Moodle Server as a part of E-learning, they are
the following: A.S.E.M. (Academy of Economic Studies in Moldova), U.S.M. (State University of Moldova),
U.S.C.H. (Bogdan Petricescu Hasdeu State University from Cahul), K.D.U. (Comrat State University),
U.A.S.M.(State Agrarian University of Moldova).

There are some web-sites that provide online courses and trainings. For example: e-learning.cicde.md that
offers online training in election process provided by Central Election Commission in Moldova, iic.md that
represents a training institute offering online webinars short-term and long-term courses for different domains
(e.g. Modern Languages) and got an admission procedure, prices ranges from 3500 to 9900 MDL, and
learning.md that also gives us the chance to study online and take different courses at prices varying from 300
to 1200 . An example may be the video Make-Up Course for Beginners with a 10-day duration and a price of
320 MDL, or Techniques of trading on FOREX markets with a duration of 260 minutes and for free.

Interested in the viewpoints of our students about this non-traditional study method, I made a micro research
and interviewed some and asked about their opinion of E-learning and if it is a good idea to be implemented in
our country. From some of all the students, I received the following answers from:

Adriana Istrati (full-time student) : My cousin practiced Distant Learning, but in France. And
I dont think it is a good idea, students can just get confused about material and nothing will be
learned then.
Iana Rusu (part-time student at USPEE - The University of Political and Economic European
Studies) and full-time worker) : Well, yes! Students feel the need to study and a diploma, and
money at the same time. So, they can easily combine e-learning and work, by going abroad to
work and have it.
Adrian Plamadeala (full-time student at A.S.E.M., part-time worker) :Yes, first of all it is
interesting, but I dont think that personally, I would like to study using this method, because, in
my opinion, by going to the university you socialize more with your peers instead of sit in front
of computer and do nothing, and secondly, I think it affects our health, our sight and you limit
yourself in walking and generally, in active life. Finally, if improving and structuring individual
classes better it may be a solution for us, students.
 Alina Cojocari (full-time student at the Cooperative-Commercial University of Moldova
(UCCM)): It sounds really interesting, but not effective at all. For me, it is better traditional
one, definitely! You should give it a try for our Moldovan students, as we know our situation
here..
Alexandru Railean (full-time student at State University of Moldova in Chisinau): I dont
think it is useful entirely, but somehow effective. And I dont believe that E-learning has a future
in Moldova, because it needs time and money to implement this, and our politicians wont have
that desire to lose money they steal from us..
Conclusion

Along with the development of technology, education has diversified the types of learning in recent years.
While distant learning is considered convenient enough, there are many people who support studying at a
traditional school. They consider (and I share this opinion) that traditional education is more useful and
trustworthy, because it is based on the traditional well-practiced methods that form a better background. Of
course, e-learning got many benefits so drawbacks as every innovation. Main benefits are linked to the ways of
study it includes that tend to be really amazing, exciting and modern as well, like gamification or quizzes that
make students enjoy their course, rather than assist with boredom and be absent-minded at classes at a real
institution. Beside this students may entertain themselves with the new RV (Real Virtuality). On the other side
there are many disadvantages that make it clear that real professionalism is created and achieved through
traditional education.

Frankly speaking, I believe that traditional learning is still the best way to acquire knowledge and skills since it
contributes to better students motivation and well-balanced development.

In conclusion, online learning has both positive and negative sides. There are different students who are ready
to give up motivation, competition among peers and miss some opportunities in return for free time in order to
earn money. We need a continuing development and should try everything for performing in the future. Yet, it
might not the the perfect method of learning, we should give it a try, in order to adapt to new concepts and find
new better solutions for further education or life moments.
References

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Education
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