2 e-Learning

Transcript

Hello friends. I am sure now you must be looking at your mobile telephone in a different way. With the exposure that we had to the mobile learning aspects. As you are already aware, I am sure many of you must already be using the agMOOCs App through your mobile only. So wherein you are ensuring the educational content through a mobile. Similarly we have number of such applications that we can make use of with the help of mobile learning.

In the similar way, so now we will be discussing about the concept of e-Learning. So if you look into the global population, so there is about 7.50 billion people are there in our globe, of which more than 53% of them having mobile connectivity. So this is the scenario at global level. In Indian context also the figure is not less than 50%. So we will be coming to that in a short while from now. If you look into the amount of time, that is being spent on the social media, across the country we have considerable amount of time, so people are spending.

So if we divide these countries, the so called developed nations are spending comparatively lesser time on the social media compared to the so called developing as well as the underdeveloped nations. So that’s what is the biggest gap that we observe in case of use of this social medium. So if we look into the gender balancing of the use of the social media, specially the Facebook, so the difference is not much in case of developed nations. But in case of the underdeveloped nations or so called Islamic countries. So that we observe the gender gap. So from the point of view connectivity. So the developed nations are comparatively having the higher speed compared to the underdeveloped nations as far as the mobile connectivity is considered.

Now coming to the Indian scenario. So there are about more than 500 million of people or more than 50 crores of people are having Internet connectivity. So if you look  into the gender as well as the urban rural divide. So this is what is the general perception we have. The rural areas are not having better connectivity. But the figures that are mentioned here does not show that. So there is an equal opportunity for the people living in the rural areas also. And another interesting point is, the gender is also getting neutralized here. So means, male as well as female are also having equal opportunities as far as the Internet connectivity is considered. So this is what the figure says.

Then if you look into the Internet penetration in India. In the days to come it is going to increase and by 2020, we will be having about 730 to 750 million people are going to be the Internet subscribers in India. So which under such circumstances, what is the preparedness of the education sector as well as the agricultural sector for providing the necessary services for the end-users of this Internet is the main issue, that we will be taking up in these discussions.

Concept of e-Learning

Then coming to the concept of e-Learning. “The automation of the process of learning and training through the use of information technology is nothing but the e Learning.” So wherein we are now learning with the help of the machines, the content that is being provided by these machines. So there are a number of terminologies that we use for the concept of e-Learning synonymously. So some of them include.

• The multimedia learning
• Technology enhanced learning
• Computer based instruction
• Computer based training
• Computer assisted training.

There are number of such synonyms that we attach to the term e-Learning. So this shows the popularity of e-Learning.

Traditional and e-Learning Approach

Then coming to the comparison between the traditional learning as well as the e-Mediated learning or the electronic learning. So if you look into the concept from the classroom point of view.

• Access and Synchronicity
  There is a limited access as well as it has to be synchronous in nature. But if you look into eLearning, so the access is unlimited. Any number of people or any number of students can be enrolled in to these courses. Here both synchronous and asynchronous interactions are possible in case of m-Learning.
• Content Delivery
  If you look into the content delivery. In case of traditional we generally go for chalk and talk, then the power-point as well as transparency. Then we make use of the textbooks, libraries, videos as well as some collaborative mechanisms for delivering the contents in case of traditional classroom system. But in case of e-Learning we go for multimedia simulation. We go for digital libraries. We go for on demand content. And both synchronous as well as asynchronous communication is possible in case of e-Learning. So this is what is an additional advantage over the traditional classroom system.
• Personalization
  So if you look into the personalization of this, the learning path is solitary here, because there is the relationship between the teacher and the taught. And accordingly so when they are coming together, then only the learning can takes place otherwise the learning cannot take place. But in case of e-Learning it is having an edge over that. The learning part and pace are being decided by the learner. So because now the contents are available online or offline. So he, the learner takes the decision when he wants to learn, and accordingly he is going to set it. If he want to relisten to the same content, he have an access. But in case of traditional method it is not possible.

History:

Then coming to the history of this e-Learning, which goes back to the 1960’s

• Where the University of Illinois developed a system of accessing informational resources, while listening to the lectures that were recorded. The pre-recorded lectures were used for the purpose of learning.
• In Stanford University, they experimented with using the computers to teach the mathematics. Way back in those days, so some such experiments were made.
• In 1963 they developed the computer assisted instructional methodologies. So that how can we use these computers for the purpose of teaching. So that was the main idea.
• In 1976 Bernard Luskin launched the concept known as “college without walls” using the television stations. Because they used to broadcast these lectures through television, so that many people have an access to the educational content.
• In mid-eighties accessing course content became possible at the college libraries with the development of the Internet medium
• Then the Open University and the University of British Columbia used Internet to deliver the distance learning and online discussion between the students. So way back in the 1980’s Universities started providing the content with the help of Internet to the interested learners. But the challenge was the learner have an access to the Internet. Those who were having, yes they were really the beneficiaries (7:27).
• So with the launch of the advent of this world wide web in the 1990’s, so everybody started working on these models. So now the results of which are visible to us.

According to the KPMG survey, which says that the Indian online education industry will grow from 1.6 million users as on date to 9.6 millions by 2021. So almost 5 to 6 times increase is going to be there, specially this online or the e-Learning methodology.

Looking into the pace of technological change. So now it is being said that the content provider or a teacher has to update himself in every 3-4 years, because otherwise he is going to be an obsolete man, because no takers will be there for your teachings, because the technology is moving so fast.

Key e-Learning Service Providers.

So the key e-Learning service providers include.

The Coursera: this organization has collaborated with the universities, museums and other educational institutions and provide free educational content on a range of subject matter areas. Just you name it, they are trying providing the content matter.

Similarly another organization W3schools,which provides free learning website for educating learners about various aspects of web design. So designing the mechanisms like maybe using HTML, PHP, SQL etc. So they are making use of.

Then TED eD. Is another organization which is into the general educational videos of less than 10 minutes on various topics are provided to the learners free of cost.

So these are some of the institutions which are providing the e-Learning services. So there are a number of various other institutions are also there. Then e-Learning service providers include.

• The Open Culture
• Open Yale courses of Yale University
• Academic earth
• Traditional tuitions
• Online tuitions
• Extra marks
• WizIQ
• Exam Bazar
• EdX
• Udemy.
• Then Akash Digital

So like that number of such institutions are there which are providing online educational contents. If you look into the agricultural sector.

• agMOOCs is one of the pioneer in providing the agricultural education. And the e-Learning platform for the students of Agriculture and Allied sciences.
• And in a similar way the Indian Council of Agricultural Research is developing e-resources like Krishikosh wherein you will find all the thesis as well as the publications of the agricultural scientists.
• Then Consortium of Education and Research in Agriculture, wherein all the publications of the scientists are coming on a common platform. So that each one is having an access to the educational contents.
• And Agridaksha is an expert system that is being provided for learning opportunity for the farmers.

So this we will be discussing in another discussion at length.

Synchronous and Asynchronous e-Learning

Now coming to the concept of synchronous and asynchronous e-Learning.

• The synchronous e-learning occurs in real time, with all participants interacting at the same time. It means the physical presence is very very essential. In case of asynchronous it is self-paced and allows participants to engage in exchange of ideas or information without the dependency of other participant’s involvement at the same time. Means, in your free time so that you can make use of these things. So you need not be physically present at that point of time to be part of that particular system.
• It involves the face to face discussion models. But in case of asynchronous e-Learning, so you can use the technologies such as e-mails, blogs, discussion boards, as well as web supported text books, hypertext documents, audio and video courses etc. So that you have that freedom or leverage of making use of your free time.

Advantages of e-Learning

Then coming to some of the advantages of e-Learning

• So it is open access to education and including the degree program. You can get the degree programs also through this, and the basic thing is open access that you have for purpose of education.
• Then integration of non-full time students. So if you are engaged in some activities for which you are not able to spare time. So for such students e-Learning is one of the excellent opportunity for continuing their education.
• Then improved interaction between the students as well as instructors, because of the platforms that are available for interaction. And students making use of those platforms, so it is an excellent opportunity.
• It enables the students to independently solve the problem. Because you are not having your maybe the course instructor or the so called teacher at your disposal. So that is how you are making lot of efforts. So that with that process you will be becoming an independent man.
• Then development of technological skills through practice and in extension we say that learning by doing, this is what happening largely in case of e-Learning.
• Then there is as we have already said, these technologies are age neutral also. So age is no bar in acquiring the education.

Disadvantages of e-Learning

Some disadvantages of e-Learning include.

• Ease of cheating is one of the issue. Because there is no monitoring of maybe the course instructor or a teacher, as we have in case of traditional system. So because of that you may involve in the process like cheating.
• Then bias towards the technology savvy students. Those who are more technology oriented. Only those students are getting the benefits, but in case of traditional methods we have an opportunity to motivate them to be part of this part, but that is missing here.
• Then teacher’s lack of knowledge and experience is another issue in managing the e-Learning platforms or the virtual teacher-student interactions. So even then it is going to hamper the process of e-Learning.
• There is danger of lack of social interaction between the teacher and students, as we find in case of formal education, where teachers and students have a healthy discussion. So that we will be missing through this e-Learning.
• Then lack of direct and immediate feedback from the teachers as well as vice versa from students also. It is missing in case of e-Learning.
• Then asynchronic communication hinders the fast exchange of the questions as well as clarifications.
• And there is a danger of procrastination, because we are going to defer the action for longer time. Because we are going to set our pace, but when we are setting our pace and how we are setting our pace. That itself is under question mark. And that is how there is a danger of procrastination.

Conclusion

To conclude we can say that

• e-Learning is an opportunity for a disadvantaged section of the society, who are not able to come on the formal educational platform. Yes for them this is really a better opportunity.
• Farmers can exploit the potentials of e-Learning. Because that is another disadvantaged section in the country, and it is covering the huge population, wherein they can make use of such platforms.
• Then learning for understanding obviously leads to the adoption of a technology. And that is what is the ultimate goal of extension education process.

So with this we will be concluding this discussion. And in the next interaction we will be learning about the differences between the websites and web portals.

Thank You.