The spatial and temporal properties of eLearning: an

exploratory study regarding the students' perspective

TUHASU ANA MARIA-IULIANA

IMSA 2018
1. Introduction: Cognitive factors in eLearning vs. traditional learning

e-Learning represents the activity of learning using electronic methods in favor of the
traditional approaches based on physical materials.

There are many advantages in learning by using electronic devices. For example, if a student
missed a class, he already has gaps in understanding the subject because in traditional learning,
everything is explained and written only once. Going to e-Learning, an absence might not be an
issue, the lecture can be compensated by online study. There are many teachers/students who
consider that removing the explanations from the classroom and getting out of the conform
zone will damage the learning activity. However, the most optimal choice would be a hybrid
learning, by combining the traditional learning in which the students must be physically present
in the classroom with the e-Learning in which all the courses are available on the Internet and
the homework involves the study with unlimited biography. [6]

The cognitive factors refer to people’s way of learning when we are dealing with new things.
Being accustomed to traditional learning, the transition to e-learning may be uncomfortable at
first stage.

 The amount of information [1]

Traditional learning involves studying old books with many pages and enormous
information. The human brain can hold different and new information up to a point
when it may lead to mental overload. Using an electronic device to learn new things, for
example articles on different websites, the information is much more synthesized, the
text may contain bullets/visible headers, or there would be images that clearly reflect
 the definition you’re looking for. This eLearning context helps the individual to
accumulate knowledge in an easier way than using traditional approaches.

 Attention span [1]

People are enhancing their capacity for attention as they are getting older. However, it
is very important to keep the e-learning very structured, images to be related to the text
and so on.

2. Spatial thinking & spatial learning 

The spatial and temporal areas might have a lot of conditions or effects in common. However,
when it comes to learning, the spatial learning presumes that an animal could be able to
identify distances between points and moreover, to correlate between them. For instance, an
animal can learn the distance from Palace to Mall and from Palace to Central Park, being able to
know also the distance from Mall to Central Park. This is different than the classical way of
learning, being based on spatial concepts. [3]

I’m taking as sample Tolman’s experiment in which a rat should solve a T-maze issue. In one of
the two GB+ boxes there is food and the rat should choose between the two arms at the choice
point. This is called spatial discrimination because the rat learns that in GB+ is food and this is
how it associates the box, having in mind also that GB- represents the absence of food, avoiding
it. In this case, the result of Tolman’s experiment is that the rat is conditioned, learning to
differentiate between rewards and physical places. However, Hull affirms that the rat is
conditioned by the response, learning to distinct between rewards and responses. [3]

Everything depends on the strategy used by the rats and this can be identified by rotating the
maze at 180 degrees. If the rat learns how to get of the starting point SB-1, then the test is
performed from starting box SB-2 and the performance is calculated when a goal-arm has been
chosen. By learning the place, the rat would be led through the maze and directly to the correct
box GB+, no matter the learned turn. On the other hand, by learning the response, the rat will
perform the learned turn, and this would lead it to the incorrect box GB-. [3]

Fig 1. T-maze problem [3]

3. Time models & learning process

The perception of time is made differently from the entity to the entity, and it impacts when
used in opposition to behavioral actions. In order to see where and how time is perceived by
the human brain have been implemented a large amount of neurocomputational models,
mainly focused on the duration of perception. [7]

 Centralized approach – The included models use special mechanisms to represent the
duration, following an establish way of processing the information, in which the emitted
pulses by a pacemaker are temporarily stored in a storage device(accumulator). As a
 disadvantage, these intrinsic models are considered to be limited in terms of processing
capacity, not being so suitable to achieve duration processing in day to day activities. [7]

 Distributed approach – The time is described as a general property of neural dynamics,

it is intrinsically encoded in the activity of neural networks. Instead of using a dedicated
circuit, the time is present together with the representation and processing of other
factors. However, the internal ‘clock’ is not affected by external processes because the
cognitive capacities are not yet related to the intrinsic timing models. [7]

 A combination of centralized and distributed approaches – Is based on Striatal Beat

Frequency model which implies that time is realized through the unexpected activation
of basal neurons by the cortical neural oscillators. It has a synchronization mechanism in
the basal ganglia which is responsible for monitoring the neural activities distributed in
the cortex. [7]

The learning process varies from person to person, but with a structured learning we will gain
much more information. According to Kolb’s way of learning, there are four steps that occur in
learning cycle. [5]

 The step in which you are doing something

 The reflection about what you did
 The research that you perform afterwards
 The moment in which you are doing the same thing using your own way
Fig 2. Adapted from Kolb’s and Honey and Mumford

4. Associative processes in spatial-temporal cognition 

The spatial-temporal structures support a large amount of cognitively features and they are
underlying human reasoning. They are almost the first cognitive concepts and starting from
them, we can discover new concepts. [2]

There might be a lot of samples and day to day activities (for example driving) in which we are
relying on spatial-temporal coherence in order to control our motions. Basically, this is how we
are solving the uncertainties. When we are using spatial-temporal representations, we are
getting automatically information about the surroundings, and this info clarifies the perceptual
uncertainty. [2]
The time and the distance are two related concepts. However, there are a lot of scenarios in
which time passes, even though the distance hasn’t been traveled. The difference being very
fine, I would say that it has to do with the perception. Physical distance can be measured with a
meter, but the experience of passing time leaves behind memories, actions, thoughts. This
difference between physical distance and time may lead to a new definition called duration. For
example, we can define that the duration means the needed time to go through a certain
distance. [2]

5. The spatial and temporal properties of eLearning: a student's perspective to

enhance the acquisition of skills

An e-Learning study has been performed, in which the majority of participants are female with
55.6% and 44.4% are 17 years old. Almost 40% of people accessed the computer from home
and 32.88% used as e-learning method the Internet. [4]

The final result obtained by the students’ answers is that using e-Learning everyone can learn at
any time (19.05%), at any place (23.81%), developing the students independence (21.69%) and
improving the study skills (11.64%). [4]

Based on this study, students affirm that electronic learning is more efficient than the
traditional one, due to the flexibility that it provides. For example, it satisfies many ways of
learning and thus fits any student’s preference. Usually, one of the main electronic choice is the
Internet, followed by CD-ROM. [4]

Liam and Huang (2002) admitted that due to the nice aspects of the websites which contain a
lot of videos, photos and forums they had the opportunity of searching for knowledge. [4]
6. Conclusions

In conclusion, learning using electronic devices facilitates the development of the individual,
offering a wide range of learning possibilities. Compared to traditional learning, e-learning is
much more advanced and preferred by many students.

The space-time landmarks are the basis of our learning and reasoning, measuring actions in a
certain time, travelling a certain distance or just simply letting time pass and see actions.
7. References

1. https://elearningindustry.com/cognitive-limitations-adult-learners-elearning-6-factors-
consider
2. Spatial Cognition – An AI Perspective by Christian Freska
3. Spatial Learning: Coditions and Basic Effects by V.D Chamizo, Universitat de Barcelona
4. A study on the student’s perspective on the effectiveness of using e-learning by Johan
@Eddy Luaran*, Nur Nazleen Samsuri, Fazyudi Ahmad Nadzri, Kamarol Baharen
Mohamad Rom, Faculty of Eduation, Universiti Teknologi MARA
5. https://learningcommons.ubc.ca/tutoring-studying/selfassessment/the-learning-
process/
6. An Empirical Study on E-Learning versus Traditional Learning among Electronics
Engineering Students by Wai Kit Wong and Poh Kiat Hg, Faculty of Engineering and
Technology, Multimedia University
7. Time models and cognitive processes: a review by Michail Maniadakis and Panos
Trahanias