35 E-Learning & Web-Based Learning

T. Radha

epgp books

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Learning is an art. It should be cultivated from the beginning. A man cannot learn in his fiftees what he can in his five years. The art of learning should be promoted. One should understand the proper and appropriate meaning for the word, learning. It is not only the lessons that are given in the subject books are to be learnt but the life lessons are also to be learnt in order to lead a fruitful life..

 

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian nation has said that “The the art of learning is better than art of teaching”. The above quote tells the readers the importance of learning. Life is narrow and the human beings can learn many a things from this world. For instance, one can learn cooking. Learning helps to lead an independent life.

 

It is indeed true that in the ancient days, one had to go to the schools or any other concerned centres to learn a particular subject. For instance, if a girl wants to learn spoken English, she has to go to a spoken English centre to learn spoken English. It is not the case in the present world. There are many E-learning and web based learning facilities available.

 

E-learning is nothing but learning through the CDs, DVDs and other multi-media from the comfort zone. This helps the modern learners in many a ways. It is true that the modern learners are positive about the E-learning methodology.

 

E-Learning applications and processes include computer based, web based, technology based learning and virtual education opportunities. Content delivery is with the help of Internet, intranet, extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV. and CD-ROM and it includes media in the form of text, image, /7animation, streaming video and audio. It allows us to lead at our own way i.e. on our own time with a flexible, Interactive and engaging online experience. In this process, educational activities can be accomplished by using networking and communications technology in online or offline, synchronous as well as asynchronous, networked or standalone teaching and learning. As popularity of Internet is growing day by day, E-Learning is also in growing interest. People have started using Internet for accessing information via Internet. The corporate sector which was providing distance education has also started using online learning as an added activity in their distance education because E-Learning is a way of improving the accessibility of the study material, moreover, the cost of accessing information online is decreasing by the advancement in the field of information and communication technology. Students and teachers are increasingly using accessing information online to support their learning and teaching. Now a days, the trend is of blended learning 2 that is learning is a combination of traditional learning as well as E-Learning. Today single teaching learning method is not effective. As traditional method has an advantage of how to teach or learn though E-learning provides us the latest methods and statistics.

 

Features of E-learning

 

Following are the features identified of E-Learning:

 

Learning is centered around the interests of the learner. Learning is immersive. learning by doing takes place not in a school but in an appropriate environmental. Therefore, blended learning provides us an interest and an appropriate environment to teaching learning process.

 

The main attribute of E-Learning is the flexibility of accessing information and resources. It refers to the access the use of information and resources at time, place or pace according to one’s own convenience. Learner is not bound with the constraints of attending the lectures on fixed time or fixed location which may be far off from the residence. Another attribute is access of multimedia based resources. It means that different type of media like text, audio, video, animation, graphics, picture is supported by the network and communication technology, which makes possible the accessing of information by not only text or pictures but it also supports animations, videos, presentations, audio etc. which makes learning more interesting and effective. Moreover the information and communication technology provides us an opportunity to capture, store, and distribute information in the form of text, pictures and illustrations which includes multimedia based simulations of simple and complex processes which are cheaply accessible.tant features of E-Learning.

 

*  E-Learning is dynamic.

*  E-learning operates in real time.

*  E-learning is collaocfborative.

*  E-learning is individual.

*  E-learning is comprehensive.

 

E-learning has definite benefits over traditional classroom training. While the most obvious are the flexibility and the cost savings from not having to travel or spend excess time away from work, there are also others that might not be so obvious.

 

This module focuses on the need and development of the E-learning and web based learning in the contemporary societies. It also aims at giving the significance of E-learning and web based learning in the rural areas.

 

Definition of E-Learning

 

E-Learning is referred to as teaching and learning by using electronic media. This methodology supports the use of networking and communications technology in teaching and learning. E-Learning is generally meant for remote learning or distance learning, but can also be used in face-to-face mode. The art of teaching a mass of population through webcite’slinks,videos, audios, powerpoint presentations over online is called E-learning. The the special feature of the E-Learning is that the providers are chosen from a variety of disciplines. It helps them to design a well-constructed contents. The standard in the contents enhance the knowledge of the E-learners. Most significantly, the foreign study materials are available for the rural people at a nominal cost. It is true that the advent of E-learning tries to bridge the gap between the urban and rural population.

 

Advantages of E-learning

 

The following are the chief advantages of E-learning.

 

Quick Access

 

As we all know, E-learning is done mostly through online. One can quickly access to the materials they need. They shall not wait for the books which they ordered. Being a member of the web-based school, they can get the relevant materials pertaining to their subjects at a single click. All the people have to do is that they have to enroll in the web-based learning school. They will be given a password. With which they can get E-resources may it be in the pdf format, or power point presentations or audio or video files, or they will give all the above formats and the learners can choose their convenient format. The significant feature of the E-learning is that it is easily and quickly accessible by almost everyone.

 

Well designed content

 

It is indeed true that content plays a significant role. It is very crucial to learn a subject. Therefore, it is important to provide a well designed content for the learners. It is the chief duty of the organizers of the web-based learning.

 

E-learning gives much importance to the content. The faculty who designs the materials for the E-learners are chosen from a variety of arena. They are carefully chosen to match the expectations of the learners. Since they are from different disciplines, their syllabus and content and materials that are used for the study contain varied subjects. This provides the E-learners to be acquainted to many thrust areas. This provides more scope to an individual’s life.

 

Web classes on agriculture are conducted. These classes provides many new informations to the farmers. The contents are designed in a way that is suitable for the farmers. For instance, videos which show new technologies, new seeds and fertilizers, videos about milking machines, audios on the importance of the dung gas etc are done in the web-based learning. This helps the farmers to learn many a things in their own place. For example, if a farmer wants to plant food grains in his land, he can use the materials in the form of videos about it. They can use it. Similarly, if a milk man wants to know the methods of preserving the milk, there are audios and videos about it. Therefore, it is true that the E-learning provides a variety of subjects at the palms of human hands. This benefits the rural population to a great extent.

 

Global education

 

Indian economy has reached many stages which connect itself to the global economy. Some of the stages include:Globalization, Liberalization and industrialization.

 

Like the field of Economics and Civics, the field of education has made possible for the global education through the E-learning and web based learning. It is not possible for the Indians to go to the Cambridge and Oxford universities to study. But it is the ambition of many people. Due to high cost spent on travel, many people hesitate especially the rural population scare to persue their ambition. In this case, the E-learning and web based learning come to rescue. The people can become the member of the course offered by the Oxford and Cambridge universities. This allows them the same syllabus which they study in the Oxford and Cambridge universities. The significant advantage of this type of course study is that it completely cuts off the travelling cost which is comparatively high. Therefore, the E-learning and web based learning allows the learners to obtain the standard education at a nominal cost. The foreign universities provide the same certificate to the E-learners as their regular students. This provides scope for theemployment opportunities as well. They also cuts off the risk of travelling. The people can do their respective duties apart from their learning times. This gives them more exposure. These E-learning courses are very beneficial to the rural population. After their time in lands, the willing children, women and men can spend their time in learning new things and update themselves. This may provide them many contacts.

 

Therefore, E-learning is a gift to the people especially rural population who wants to learn new and exciting things. It provides education without travel cost and home sickness. On the whole, E-learning promotes global education at a contented and comfortable zone.

 

E-Journals

 

The journals which are web based and available online are known as e-journals. These e-journals have been considered to be one of the significant applications of computer in the field of education. Journals tend to come from two sources. Commercial publishers and titles published by associations and societies. There are varieties of access levels, title availability and pricing mechanisms.

The advantages of E-journals are given below.

*  Inexpensive when compared to printed version.

*  Available for download with or without paying fees.

*  Available around the world

*  Readily available for reference from any part of the world. Steganography

 

The word Steganography means covered writing. Steganography, from the Greek language, to write protectively, and to write under cover. Steganography is the art and science of hiding information. Modern computer technology offers completely new and efficient possibilities of cryptography and steganography. Various tools are available for concealing and sending messages using steganography. One such tool is Steganos Security. Steganos applies two completely different methods for hiding data inside files. Both methods alter neither the files’ attributes nor their time stamps. Plenty of freeware Steganography software is available on the net. Educational applications of Steganography are listed below.

 

Many passwords and keys to some important files and documents may be sent or kept confidential by using Steganography.

 

Marks obtained of the final examinations may be transferred electronically from one place to another in a confidential manner by using this same technique.

 

The reports of a Ph.D thesis can be sent as an email attachment by using S-tools, which can be read only by the person who knows the password and the encryption algorithm.

 

The question paper setters can send the question papers as an e-mail attachment through Steganos tool in a very safe manner.

 

Rural E-learning service providers

 

E-learning service providers play a crucial in the design and execution of E-learning projects. The structure of the E-learning service providers from the city and rural are not significantly different. The structure is almost the same. But the rural E-learning service providers take clients from the micro and rural areas. They make their content in a very simplistic manner which enable the rural people to understand. The rural E-learning service providers design the package which are essential for the rural population.

 

Original information

 

E-learning and web based forums have many security policies. The informations which are given as materials are original. They can only be visited in the home page of the concerned forum. Therefore, the accuracy can be found in the E-learning materials. Moreover, The E-learner can feel confident about the information since they are original.

 

Reference Sources

 

Human memory has a limited space. It is not possible for a human being to remember everything that he / she comes around. He may forget after sometime. It is human nature. That is why people take notes while they listen or read lectures or books.

 

E-learning encompasses CDs,DVDs and other audio-visual facilities. These are used for further references. They can be used later for refreshing what they studied during the course time.

    E-learning forums

The following are some of the E-learning and web based learning forums.

 E-mail

 

The short form for electronic mail is e-mail (or email). One of the significant applications of Internet is electronic mailing. It is believed that the first e-mail message was sent in 1971 by an engineer named Ray Tomlinson. Prior to this, you could only send messages to users on a single machine. Tomlinson’s breakthrough was the ability to send messages to other machines on the Internet, using the @ sign to designate the receiving machine. An e-mail message is nothing more than a simple text message — a piece of text sent to a recipient. In the beginning and even today, e-mail messages tend to be short pieces of text, although the ability to add attachments now makes many e-mail messages quite long. Even with attachments, however, e-mail messages continue to be text messages. E-mail has become one of the important E-learning forum because it can send the attachments like materials easily.

 

World Wide Web

 

A web is a collection of web sites and the Internet is a network of networks. World Wide Web is nothing but the collection of Web sites on the Internet and the sites are all linked together somewhat like the strands of a spider Web. The Internet is a world wide network of computers. Although they have distinctive meanings, the two words “Web” and “Internet” are often casually used interchangeably. The World Wide Web consists of files, called pages or Web pages, containing information and links to resources throughout the Internet. The collection of web pages is known as a web site. The World Wide Web is often abbreviated as the Web or WWW.

 

It is a system of Internet servers that supports hypertext to access several Internet protocols on a single interface.

 

The World Wide Web was developed in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee of the European Particle Physics Lab, CERN in Switzerland. The initial purpose of the Web was to use networked hypertext to facilitate communication among its members, who were located in several countries. In addition to hypertext, the Web began to incorporate graphics, video, and sound. The use of the Web has now reached global proportions.

 

Computers for teaching and learning

 

Computers in Education refers to educational computing. It means the applications of computers in Education. The computer has created a revolution in the content of education and in the nature of the learning process. They have the capability of multiplying the human intellect beyond past conceptions and have tremendous implications for education. There are many computer applications. Some of them are:

 

They are

 

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)

 

E-learning or online learning

 

E-Journals and

 

Steganograpy

 

Disadvantages of E-learning

 

As We have many advantages of E-learning. There are problems in making these facilities possible for the rural population. Therefore, many people from the rural areas are not aware of the E-learning method. Has become a big threatThe following are some of the disadvantages of E-learning and web based learning.

 

Lack of infrastructure in the rural areas

 

Technologies need an important element to be fixed. That element is the infrastructure. It needs a special concern regarding space. Most of the rural areas do not have a proper infrastructure. Therefore, the lack of proper infrastructure in the rural areas has become a big threat to make E-learning and web based learning to the fullest use.

 

Lack of Internet facilities in the rural areas

 

As we all know, Internet has become a great challenge in the nooks of the rural areas due to the lack of tower. It is not possible to use E-learning and web based learning applications without the proper internet connection. Therefore, these facilities are not used by the rural population to the maximum level.

 

Lack of awareness and illiteracy

 

Most of the population in the rural areas are not aware of the facilities of the E-learning and web based learning applications. Moreover, some of them are illiterate. It is very difficult to use the applications of E-Learning and web based learning without literacy. These two factors join together affect the utilization of E-Learning and web based learning in the rural areas.

 

Lack of Training

 

Training is very crucial to conduct E-learning and web based learning classes. They requireeasy and simple presentations. Due to the lack of proper training, some E-Learning classes become dragging and boring. This sometimes spoils the interest towards E-Learning and web based learning.

 

Conclusion

 

E-learning and web based learning are the best gifts that the computers can render. It is essential to use them to obtain required information. It would be much effective if the proper infrastructure and awareness of E-learning is given to the rural population.

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