Week 1 Lecture on "What is E-Learning?"

Having attended the first lecture on E-Learning and after reading the assigned readings, I think I have a rough idea of what E-Learning is about.

There are many technical definitions already provided in the lecture notes and readings so I shall not regurgitate them here. Instead, I would like to share what E-Learning means to me:

"E-Learning is a computer-based and online form of instruction that revolves around a virtual community."

There are 3 important perspectives to E-Learning:

1. E-Learning as a basic concept of educational delivery or interaction via technology
2. E-Learning as a computer-based and online method of educational delivery
3. E-Learning as an educational technique (pedagogy)

E-Learning is good because....

1. it lowers cost in a sense that it is often the most cost-effective way to deliver instruction
2. messages are consistent (in that everyone gets the same content) or can be customized
3. content is more timely and dependable because information can be updated
4. learning becomes 24/7
5. scalability depending on organizational needs

However, E-Learning has its challenges:

1. It can be bound by the bandwidth of home Internet users
2. Training needs of educators, students and instituitional staff
3. Barriers to involvement by educational staff e.g. lack of confidence in IT skills and apprehension of radical changes to working practices.

I'm looking forward to revisiting these themes as we progress along the class! =:oD