Education is a broad domain that has not been explained properly, and if it has, many people have not understood it fully. People have not focused on many other benefits of education due to their mediocre reasoning and understanding of the meaning of education. This has led to the introduction of new methods of acquiring education. This type of education is a unique one that has been accepted globally. (Dede, 1989)
However, on the sight of James Barzcz’s position, this distance learning cannot fulfill the true purpose of education. Education is the process of acquiring knowledge and change of moral character.
Distance learning mode of education, which is a kind of education that takes place when the teachers and the students are separated by space and time, does not entirely serve the purpose of education. There is mostly a gap between the two which is bridged through the use of modern technologies. Such technologies include audiotapes, video conferences, satellite broadcasting, and other online technologies.
The utilization of these technologies has disrupted the core importance of traditional education where there was the closeness of the teachers and the students.
The purpose of education is not the mechanistic acquisition of information, which is being deployed by the recent education systems. It is clear to many people that education should nurture character and moral development. Education of information from new technologies does not support this. It only encourages the literal acquisition of information which may enhance knowledge rather than character. Many people claim to be educated, yet their behavior and moral character do not support their claims. They have to acquire the information and become equipped with the proper instruments of exploitation. This is evidenced by the current and recent rampant uprisings in many states. People are now eager to explore information only to trample on the masses and the unprivileged. The dangerous criminals have emerged as people with information knowledge but no morals. (Dede, 1989)
Education is focused on training one to have critical, quick, resolute, and effective thinking. While distance learning applies the retrieval of information from the internet, the training of critical thinking is made to fade away. Access to information makes students get whatever they require. This makes them not nurture their brain thinking capacities. Thus, their thinking ability grows feeble day by day. Distance learning is ameliorating the lack of logical and scientific thinking in the majority of the students.
In summary, distance learning has distorted the purpose of education. It just exposes the students to information. Moreover, the environment in which some of these distance learning led to the acquisition of some of the information is dangerous to the community and societies. Therefore, it is wise to incline into education materials that give the full meaning of education of intelligence and character, which form the true education goal.
Reference
Dede, C. (1989): The evolution of distance learning, technology-mediated interactive learning.
Education is regarded as an important aspect of society since it is through education that people are socialized and turned into productive members of the society. Policy makers and educators are therefore constantly looking for ways to make education systems more effective since quality education results in increased national productivity. Education institutes have through the years experimented with innovative methods of learning in a bid to get the best results from students.
In the recent years, advances in information technology have made it possible for online learning to take place. This paper will argue that online learning is a superior form of education since it helps students and learning institutes to overcome limitations imposed by the traditional learning environment. The paper will also look at some arguments raised against online learning and offer counterarguments to the same.
Arguments in Support of Online Learning
A significant merit of online learning is that it enables education institutes to overcome the restriction of limited resources. Over the years, the student population in many countries has increased at a higher rate than the physical educational resources. Many institutes have therefore had to cope with overcrowded classrooms while others have been forced to schedule classes at odd hours so as to deal with the high number of students.
This resource strain has led to a decrease in the quality of education offered to the students. Online education gives schools an opportunity to expand their capacity since it is not constrained by things such as classroom space (Haythornthwaite 4). In addition to this, online education enables the school to make optimal use of their teaching staff. One teacher can offer lessons to hundreds of students at the same time using the online environment.
Another major advantage of online learning is that it enables student to overcome the barriers of time and distance. Under the traditional system a person has to attend educational institutes physically. This system makes it impossible for people who want to study but have time limitations for example because of their work schedules. In addition to this, students who live far away from the educational institute and lack the means to move nearer so as to be able to attend school were locked out of the traditional system.
Online learning helps to overcome these barriers by enabling the student to learn in a more dynamic environment (Bennett, Marsh and Killen 321). Students can choose to have the virtual classes at the time which is most convenient to them. Students who live far form the educational institute can also enroll and take lessons from their current locations.
Online learning has significantly reduced the cost of acquiring education for many people. As it currently stands, education is significantly expensive and people are required to part with significant amounts of money so as to finance it. This is especially the case with higher education where in addition to the tuition fee paid to the school, there are other costs such as: accommodation costs, foregone income as one has to give up fulltime employment, and travelling expenses.
Bourne asserts that online learning is cheaper since the school will not incur huge costs as would be the case if it had to build the physical resources for the students (23). Students are not required to incur additional costs to the tuition fee as would be the case with the traditional system of learning.
Arguments against Online Learning
Opponents of online learning claim that it results in poor quality of education since the students lack the level of supervision and support from teachers that traditional learners enjoy. This is not an idle claim since as Bramble and Panda reveal, some educational institutes which offer online learning are keen to reduce on costs and therefore offer little support to students (135).
This translates to poor quality education being attained by the students through online learning. While this is true for some schools, most educational institutes are working on improving the quality of education they offer so as to attract more students. Students are being afforded greater chances to interact with their teachers which will lead in an increased quality of learning.
Another argument raised against online learning is that it denies the students community involvement as is the case with traditional learning. This assertion is based on the premise that schools serve a greater role than mere distribution of educational information; they are a socialization tool for the society.
Bourne reports that many students report feeling isolated as a result of online learning (74). While it is true that online learning might lead to isolation since there is limited interaction among the students, this can be overcome through interactive communication. Synchronous chat rooms and phone calls can ensure that the isolation resulting from online learning is dispelled.
Conclusion
This paper has argued that online learning is the best form of education. The paper had demonstrated that online learning assists schools to overcome resource limitation and it offers dynamism and flexibility for the student. It also reduces the cost of education therefore making it affordable to more people.
The paper has taken care to point to some disadvantages attributed to online learning such as isolation and a perceived reduction in education quality. It has been shown that this demerits can be addressed thereby ensuring that online learning remains beneficial.
Works Cited
Bennett Shirley, Marsh Debra and Killen Clare. Handbook of online education. NY: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2007. Print.
Bourne, John. Elements of quality online education: into the mainstream. Texas: Sloan-C, 2004. Print.
Bramble, William and Panda Kumar. Economics of distance and online learning: theory, practice, and research. Boston: Taylor & Francis, 2008. Print.
Haythornthwaite, Caroline. Learning, culture, and community in online education: research and practice. NY: Peter Lang, 2004. Print.
Even though discussion boards are used increasingly as a tool to foster students’ critical thinking skills, recent findings based on literature review indicate that the levels of critical thinking exhibited during discussions remain low (Schindler & Burkholder, 2014). The reasons for low levels of critical thinking demonstrated by students were poor pre-planning and lack of prompts. This was validated in the study conducted by Alexander, Commander, Greenberg, and Ward (2010).
When the prompts were included in the form of a four-question technique, similar discussion boards yielded better results and demonstrated higher levels of critical thinking exhibited by students. With this in mind, for the discussion boards to be effective in terms of promoting critical thinking skills, instructors need to engage in meaningful preplanning, designing prompts and using four-question techniques, and scaffolding to help students navigate through instructions (Schindler & Burkholder, 2014).
The levels of instructors’ participation also need to be taken into account, as allowing students to lead the discussion boards on their own may result in them straying off-topic, whereas increased instructor participation may prevent students from sharing their ideas, leaving them with a feeling that they have nothing to contribute (Schindler & Burkholder, 2014). Feedback from the faculty is also essential in online discussion boards so that students feel that their input and contribution are analyzed by the faculty members (Schindler & Burkholder, 2014).
Cognitive constructs that reflect the development of critical thinking from low levels, such as merely recalling facts, presenting an opinion, or stating a problem, are to be enhanced with the use of discussion models (Schindler & Burkholder, 2014). The use of discussion boards leads promotes critical thinking and raises its level of being able to apply new knowledge, make a judgment, and test the new ideas (Schindler & Burkholder, 2014).
Use of Various Technological Means
The technological advance that was fostered by the use of the Internet offered new ways of interaction and offered students involved in distance learning an opportunity of two-way communication. Various technological means which may enhance learners’ experience include internet-video conferencing where participants may see each other and engage in meaningful discussion and exchange of arguments. The instructor may demonstrate a power-point presentation that will be visible to all the students engaged in online learning. Other types of technological prompts that may facilitate distance learning include various computer software and programs which may test and foster students’ knowledge through a series of questions and interactive lectures. (D’Agustino, 2011).
Based on a recent literature review, it may be suggested that students using various technologies in distance learning produce a similar outcome as demonstrated by students engaged in the traditional classroom learning environment (D’Agustino, 2011). Distance educational practices, coupled with media and technological advancements, add to the improvement of education efficiency in general (D’Agustino, 2011).
The studies conducted with the use of media and technical means in education demonstrated increased student satisfaction in online learning, D’Agustino directly linked course success and enhanced students’ performance with the use of advanced technologies (D’Agustino, 2011). The studies demonstrate that the use of technologies in online learning enhances instructor-student interactivity, it has also been found that interactivity is becoming the major focus in online learning, whereas the course content becomes secondary (D’Agustino, 2011).
With this in mind, there is no doubt that online learning programs with the use of technological prompts, if organized effectively, result in the similar outcomes achieved by students in traditional classrooms.
Case-Based Approach
Case-based approaches have been used in a range of different disciplines to promote the students’ application of theory to practice, foster their collaboration, and develop their critical thinking skills (Schindler & Burkholder, 2014). The study with the use of a case-based learning system undertaken by Cifuentes, Mercer, Alverez, and Bettati in 2010 demonstrated that students could remotely participate in the learning process without the need to be physically present in the classroom.
The studies demonstrated that the use of the case-based approach allowed students to put the acquired theoretical skills into practice, more so, students who underwent the case-based approach were found to be better in job performance and developed better practical skills (Cifuentes et al., 2010). The studies also revealed that students who did not use the case-based approach demonstrated a lack of practical skills (Cifuentes et al., 2010). The case-based learning environment has been proved to be capable of addressing social problems that are relevant and pressing (Cifuentes et al., 2010).
Preliminary findings demonstrate that the use of a case-based approach allows students to engage in a meaningful learning experience that prepares and equips them for future work. Another study undertaken in Korea demonstrated that the students who had undertaken the case-based approach reported higher satisfaction with the learning course, and more importantly, enhanced their decision-making skills. The study revealed that students who were taught on the basis of the traditional approach reported lower satisfaction scores and did not enhance their decision-making skills (Park & Park, 2015).
Balance between Course Work and Discussions
Discussions, although a critical component of learning, may easily consume half of the students’ course load if not balanced properly (Goldman, 2011). With this in mind, discussion sessions need to be implemented with care so that the overall students’ workload is not compromised. It is difficult for instructors to properly balance the discussion and course load as demanding discussions are likely to discourage students whereas lack of discussion practice will result in a failure to deliver the course objectives (Goldman, 2011).
To achieve a win-win balance between discussion and workload, Goldman (2011) devised and proposed a Discussion Guideline document which provided guidance in arranging and managing discussions, Goldman maintains that the document contains the synthesis of the previously suggested discussion rules as well as a set of suggested best practices which aid instructors in achieving the right amount of balance in discussion sessions (Goldman, 2011).
Aside from achieving the optimal balance, the Discussion Guideline document addresses issues such as achieving course program consistency, meaning that the instructions and the guidelines need to be uniformly employed by all of the teaching staff and students to avoid disparities (Goldman, 2011).
Achieving the right balance between course work and instruction has been found to encourage better learner attitude and expression style, students have also demonstrated increased tolerance and respect of all ideas with the depersonalization of debates (Goldman, 2011). The practice of balancing course work and discussions led to students’ encouragement in sharing their experience, conducting research and responding to each other’s questions. Goldman (2011) found that balance between discussion and course-work stimulated students’ critical thinking with the use of collaboration exercises. Furthermore, properly balanced instructions develop social strategies, facilitate and control the level of instructor engagement (Goldman, 2011).
Reference List
Alexander, M. E., Commander, N., Greenberg, D., & Ward, T. (2010). Using the four- questions technique to enhance critical thinking in online discussions. Journal of online learning and teaching, 6(2), 409-415. Web.
Cifuentes, L., Mercer, R., Alverez, O., & Bettati, R. (2010). An Architecture for Case- based Learning. TechTrends, 54(6), 44-50. Web.
D’Agustino, S. (2012). Toward a course conversion model for distance learning: a review of best practices. Journal of international education in business, 5(2), 145-162. Web.
Park, E. J., & Park, M. (2015). Effectiveness of a Case-Based Computer Program on Students’ Ethical Decision Making. Journal of nursing education, 54(11), 633-640. Web.
Schindler, L. A., & Burkholder, G. J. (2014). Instructional Design and Facilitation Approaches that Promote Critical Thinking in Asynchronous Online Discussions: A Review of the Literature. Higher learning research communications, 4(4), 11-29. Web.
Earning a degree through distance education is better than through a traditional institution because, distance education offer degrees that provide high quality skills and knowledge than traditional institutions. The institutions have great financial and personnel ability to develop and implement good programs. Furthermore, distance education offers a wide range of degree courses compared to the fewer courses offered in traditional institutions. The quality of learning through social interaction in distance learning institutions is greater than that in traditional institutions.
However, traditional institutions are able to offer high quality degree courses (high skills and knowledge) if the courses are flexible and dynamic to changes. The institutions’ have the ability to develop good degree courses if they get assistance to develop the programs. Traditional institutions may offer a wide range of degree courses if they have a well organized management to coordinate many degree courses effectively. In addition, the quality of education emanating from social interaction may be improved by developing programs and teaching method s that encourage diversified way of thinking in students.
Experiences
My sister Anne earned an undergraduate degree through both the distance education and traditional institution. She was able to improve her grades when she pulled out of a traditional institution and instead enrolled in distance education. In addition, my uncle who is a professor and a university professor undertake two postgraduate degrees from through distance education because traditional institutions could not offer the courses. My friend Sarah, who is a school teacher, acquired better problem solving and teaching skills due to her learning in a distance learning institution in comparison to a traditional institution.
Earning a degree through distance education is better than through a traditional institution. Distance education is better because it offer degrees that provide high quality skills and knowledge than traditional institutions. Distance education is also very instrumental in offering a wide range of degree courses compared to the fewer courses offered in traditional institutions. Finally, distance learning institutions provide quality learning through great social interaction than that in traditional institutions. Education that is offered in various institutions of learning is very vital, and it would be a better alternative to learn through distance education than in traditional institutions to ensure students get quality education.
Final Draft
Earning a degree through distance education is better than through a traditional institution. Education refers to the process of imparting knowledge, positive judgment and wisdom to students usually done in education institutions. Education systems have been developed and established to provide knowledge and training to both children and adults. Primary and secondary education systems usually provide knowledge to the young people (children and teenagers), while higher education institutions provide knowledge to post-secondary students or those who are already working. Universities all over the world provide both undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses to their students, with a high number of people enrolling in higher education institutions. Higher education degree programs provide knowledge, skills and training to people who are responsible for any country economic growth. Though both foreign and traditional education institutions provide knowledge and skills to students in order to enable them become competent in their profession, the institutions vary in the quality of degree courses they provide to the students. This has made earning a degree through distance education better than in a traditional institution. The university management is responsible for organizing and coordinating all degree courses that are offered to the students in their institutions. This paper will discuss whether earning a degree through distance education is better than through a traditional institution. Although both institutions offer degree courses to the students, degree courses earned from distance institutions are better than those from traditional institutions. Students who earn degrees through distance education have a great advantage over those who earn degrees from traditional institutions.
One major advantage of earning a degree from a through distance learning rather than from traditional institutions is that, students undertake courses that provide better knowledge and skills. Though both institutions may offer similar degree courses, degree courses from distance learning institutions have the ability to provide students with the high quality knowledge and skills. This is very vital in equipping the students with the necessary qualifications to enable them become competent professionals, which in turn maximizes productivity in their work. Distance education institutions are very flexible and dynamic in developing degree courses to match the technological advancements and the changing needs in various professions. For instance, modern technological advancements have demanded development of degree courses to accommodate these changes. While traditional institutions are not able to accommodate effectively such changes in courses that they offer, courses through distance learning have been able to adapt to these changes over a very short time. Technology enables students to undertake their class and field work using effective education tools which in turn promote high quality learning. A good example is the use of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) in biological courses and equips students with better methods of carrying out their research accurately (data collection). While distance learning institutions have adopted this kind of technology to provide biological students with quality research education, traditional institutions have not been able to do so effectively.
My sister’s Anne experience in the university has made me understand how distance learning degrees are better than traditional institutions’ degrees. After her secondary education, she enrolled in a traditional institution for her degree (A Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science).My sister was bright but after her first year in campus, she didn’t perform according to our expectations. She complained that her classes were very boring, with lecturers using very old methods of teaching. After her second year, she enrolled in a distance learning institutions in search of an exciting and enjoyable way of learning. In her third year, she performed excellently and everyone congratulated her. According to her, the lecturers taught using computer-integrated learning methods.In addition, the class conducted research work using modern equipment and analysis done using computer technology. She has been employed in the Department of Environmental Research as a research scientist which has developed great skills and experience in her. Her desire to become better and learn has made her make plans to undertake her Masters degree in GIS application in environmental studies. This indicates clearly how distance learning can do wonders in providing skills and knowledge necessary in a given profession. However, some people are of the view that traditional institutions are equally excellent in providing quality degree courses just like the distance learning institutions. Like earlier stated, what determines the quality of the degree courses offered by an institution is its ability to be flexible and dynamic with technological advancements. Traditional institutions that develop degree courses to match modern changes have a good opportunity to provide high quality courses just like the distance learning institutions. I would like to refute this claim by stating clearly that though traditional institutions have attempted to compete with distance institutions in providing courses that integrate technological advancements, they do not provide better degrees than distance institutions. Though some traditional institutions may match distance institutions in providing high quality degree courses, only a very small number falls under this class. This experience has proved to me that earning a degree from a distance learning institution is better than from traditional institutions.
I strongly support learning from foreign institutions than in traditional institutions because distance learning institutions provide a great range of degree courses to students than traditional institutions. In the modern world, we have very many professions which demand proper knowledge and skills necessary to make graduates competent. A high number of professional fields demand that learning institutions develop degree courses that cater for all these professions. The aim of education is to ensure that students finish their courses when they are fully qualified and competent in their profession. In the world over, people who work in various professional fields are usually trained to become qualified for productive performance in their work In most cases, the ability of the students coupled with their desire to work in a certain profession determines the student’s choice on the course he or she would like to undertake. The students’ interest enhances the student’s commitment to learn both their class and field work.
Different students’ talents interest and desire and to undertake certain degree courses play a vital role determining their future career. In order to build the student’s interest and talent, education institutions offer quite a great range of courses to the students.
In order to ensure that all student’s needs and interests are catered for, higher education institutions try to accommodate as many degree courses as possible. The distance learning institutions are very good in providing a great range of courses to satisfy the student’s needs.On the other hand, traditional institutions provide a narrow range of degree courses because they experience some limitations their facilities, staff and finances. Due to this reason, distance institutions have attracted and continue to attract a huge number of students from various regions who enroll in the institutions because their courses are not available to them in the traditional institutions.
My uncle is a Bio-technology university professor who teaches wildlife management bio-technology students. Though he had undertaken his undergraduate degree in a university within our home district, he earned his Masters and Doctorate degree in Sweden. Bio-technology is a modern science concept which is not offered in most traditional institutions. Other degree courses that are closely related to this concept include, Wildlife management, Environmental studies, Agricultural Economics and Animal Husbandry. Though my uncle took an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Management without the bio-technology concept, bio-technology has been integrated in modern wildlife management. This has created the need to have professional in this field, which encouraged my uncle to undertake his post-graduate degrees based on the bio-technology concept. The traditional institutions did not offer the courses at the time when my uncle enrolled in a distance learning institution. Apart from the wildlife management course that my uncle wanted to pursue, other courses (Animal husbandry) with the bio-technology concept were not available in traditional institutions. This supports the notion that distance learning institutions are better in providing a wide range of courses than the traditional institutions.However; traditional institutions may also provide wide range of degree courses. The institutions’ management is responsible for organizing and coordinating degree programs offered in the university based on the institution’s financial ability and capability. If the traditional institutions have the ability to provide a wide range of degree courses, they are able to provide the courses. For instance, some traditional institutions are able to hire qualified lecturers, provide various courses’ facilities, and even develop courses that match with modern technology changes. The institutions can equally provide a wide range of degree courses just like the distance learning institutions. However, even if the traditional institutions also offer a wide range of degree courses they do not match the distance learning institutions great range of courses. Though some traditional institutions have made a great step in providing many courses, distance learning have managed to out compete the traditional institutions. This is attributed to the distance learning institution’s higher financial ability and highly qualified lecturers than the traditional institutions. While the distance institutions are able to offer a wide range of courses more easily with minimal difficulties, while traditional institutions experience some difficulties. Students learning will be better in distance learning institutions due a wide range of courses to choose from.
Another advantage of distance learning is that students enjoy better learning by sharing of ideas and knowledge from a heterogeneous population of students and lecturers, whereby a myriad of ideas emerge from this kind o institution.. In a traditional institution the students’ population is usually homogenous, with students sharing similar ideas and beliefs. A traditional institution enrolls a large number of students who come from within who are in most cases similar in their thoughts and how they look at things. Distance learning institutions enroll students who come from varying society set up which results to different lifestyles, behavior and beliefs. During learning, education institutions allow students to interact with each other which in turn encourage learning from their different experiences. Education through shared ideas and knowledge is very vital in assisting students to learn new things and exchange ideas. Learning occurs through the students’ presented views and their experiences.
Where students come from different cultures and beliefs, a rich sharing of knowledge and ideas is very likely. In distance learning, the students’ population is made up of students with different abilities, talents, beliefs and ideologies. In a traditional institution a high percentage of students share similar ideas and experiences. It would be therefore correct to state that, learning through social interaction is best in distance learning institutions than in traditional institutions. Distance learning allows students to interact with new people and hence sharing of new ideas and knowledge. An experience by my friend Sarah who earned her undergraduate degree through a distant education system made me realize how advantageous it is to earn a degree through distance education. Sarah is a high school teacher, who earned her diploma through distance learning. After teaching for two years, Sarah decided to further her education by undertaking an undergraduate course. After much evaluation, Sarah decided that she would enroll in a traditional institution near her place of work. Sarah began her learning in the institution which proved very convenient for her. However, her daughter was diagnosed with diabetes which came with a new financial challenge. It became so difficult for Sarah to pay her fees and take care of her daughter’s medical expenses that she decided to pull out. Fortunately, she won a scholarship which required her to move to a distance learning institution. This was a very great opportunity for Sarah, and she joined the institution as soon as possible. During her learning, she was able to interact with students from various regions of the country and other parts of the world (other countries). My interaction with Sarah has proved that learning in the new institution was better than in the traditional institution, the major reason being her sharing and interaction with students whom they do not share similar ideas, thoughts and beliefs. Different regions of origin of a huge number of students promote dissemination of a mixture of ideas in students. Through our discussions, I have realized that Sarah has learned of different and new ways of looking at things and reasoning, owing to her interaction with new people from the various regions. She has developed different ways of looking at issues which has assisted her understand her studies well. In addition, her interaction with the students has improved due to new learned skills to handle different personalities better.
On the other hand, traditional institutions offer opportunities for social interaction in students and teachers just like in distant learning education institutions. Though distant learning encourage interaction and sharing between students who differ in their ideas and beliefs, traditional institutions may be able to match this if they encourage students develop different ideas and knowledge for quality education. The type of education courses offered, and how they are offered moulds the student’s way of thinking or of looking at things. With flexible and dynamic methods of teaching, students can understand and interpret the same information in different ways. This gives room for different ideas and thoughts to be developed by students who earlier had similar ideas.
However, I would like to disregard this argument by stating that research that has been carried out to compare the two institutions has shown that, distance learning institutions provide the best environment for quality social interaction. Though traditional institutions may attempt to develop different ideas in students, the similarity in the environment where they grew up still hinders successful social learning. It is important to note that though traditional institutions are capable of providing students with skills that enable them look at issues in different ways, distant learning institutions provide the most favorable environment for students to share ideas and knowledge well
Conclusion
Education is a very important aspect in someone’s life.It imparts knowledge and equips students with skills that are required in becoming a competent worker. The quality of education offered by different institution differs. This is influenced by the type on management in an institution and the ability of the institution. This has made earning a degree through distance learning education better than through a traditional institution. Through distance learning, students can undertake courses that provide high skills and knowledge. In addition, students enjoy a wide range of degree courses in distance education than in traditional institutions. Furthermore, high quality education is encouraged by great social interaction of students and teachers as compared to the interaction in traditional institutions.
To contribute to creating and stimulating student engagement in online learning environments, it is important to focus on such factors as the increase of students’ motivation, focus on independent and inquiry-based learning, the active role of instructors, and the usage of contemporary learning management systems in order to organize online learning environments according to the set standards of learner-centered education.
Creating Student Engagement in Online Learning Environment
Modern learning environments provide students with a lot of opportunities to develop their potential and contribute to academic performance. Many students who are inclined to improve their education choose online learning courses or distance learning in order to use all the advantages of the online learner-centered education where instructors perform the role of guides.
In spite of the fact that distance learning is popular among students, it is important to pay attention to specific aspects of the student engagement in the online learning environment because distance learning based on online technologies is the rather new approach to the study process and students engagement is one of the most influential challenges.
To facilitate student engagement in the online learning environment and contribute to increasing students’ motivation and interest in learning, it is necessary to analyze such factors as students’ attitude to distance learning, management of online learning, and position of a teacher in the process.
If face-to-face learning is based on measuring student engagement with the help of focusing on class attendance, the engagement of students in online learning can be measured only with references to their academic performance and online activities while posting and participating in online discussions.
From this point, the concept of interaction should be also followed in online environments in order to contribute to the student engagement. Duffy and Kirkley state that online learning is the next step to the effective learner-centered education because distance learning provides resources for the inquiry-based learning focused on the students’ achievements and their independent efforts to learn new information and develop new skills (Duffy & Kirkley, 2004).
As a result, the idea of student engagement should be discussed in relation to students’ readiness to participate actively in online learning in order to improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities (Beffa-Negrini, Cohen, & Miller, 2002). Student engagement can be facilitated with the help of strategies focused on increasing students’ motivation and confidence.
Thus, changes in relation to student engagement in online learning can be influenced by instructors who develop online courses, choose and prepare the materials, and work out effective schedules. According to Sull, a teacher should provide students with all the opportunities to be active in online learning, and these activities include the focus on responsiveness, online discussions, effective online materials, and active use of electronic devices (Sull, 2013).
Teachers regulate student engagement within the classroom environments directly that is why any negative changes in students’ attitudes to the course or their academic performance caused by the decreased engagement can be overcome with the help of effective interaction.
Student engagement can be affected with instructors’ responsiveness and readiness to assist (Sull, 2013). Distance learning does not provide such opportunities, and teachers should concentrate more on developing successful strategies to evoke students’ interest in the course to stimulate engagement and prevent possible negative outcomes.
Academic performance and general success of those students learning online and their engagement in the process depend significantly on the materials used in education to stimulate their motivation, inquiry needs, and critical thinking. It is important to note that rather new learning tools and resources are used within the online learning environments, and instructors can exploit the challenging resources in order to develop effective assignments (Gilbert, 2000).
However, students’ confidence depends significantly not only on the approaches to manage online learning but also on students’ enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation. To engage students into online learning, it is necessary to appeal to their inner motives to study because distance learning provides a lot of opportunities for students to learn and do the necessary research independently, while developing critical thinking and other skills (Beffa-Negrini, Cohen, & Miller, 2002).
One more factor which influences the level of student engagement in distance learning is the management of the systems used to regulate the technical aspects of online learning. Today, there are many systems which regulate the online learning environments according to instructors’ objectives and expected outcomes.
Online learning depends on the effective administration of the associated documentation and materials necessary for courses. Different learning management systems are developed to improve the aspects of administration in order to provide students with the high-quality systems which are convenient to use.
Contributing to administration of online learning, these applications are also important to influence student engagement because different programs function as systems to control students’ online activities and engagement (Beffa-Negrini, Cohen, & Miller, 2002; Gilbert, 2000). Moreover, the developed learning management programs can contribute to the online discussions and interactions of instructors and students along with providing the standards to which it is important to orient.
Thus, the concept of student engagement is changed with references to the idea of online learning. To create the necessary student engagement, it is important to develop strategies effective for increasing and stimulating students’ motivation and to use contemporary learning management systems in order to organize the process appropriately in relation to the standards of learner-centered education the principles of which are followed in distance learning.
References
Beffa-Negrini, P. A., Cohen, N. L., & Miller, B. (2002). Strategies to motivate students in online learning environments. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, 34(6), 334-340.
Duffy, T. M., & Kirkley, J. R. (2004). Learner-centered theory and practice in distance education: Cases from higher education. USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Gilbert, S. D. (2000). How to be a successful online student. USA: McGraw Hill Professional.
In the past two decades, learning has evolved tremendously due to the introduction of new technologies that have made education more accessible. In olden days, students relied only on courses offered in colleges, universities, and other institutions of learning in order to obtain their education. However, the situation has changed. Students can now obtain their degrees through online learning.
Universities and colleges have been forced to change their learning modes in order to accommodate students who prefer online learning (Ward, 2012). This mode of learning has attracted many people because it is affordable and convenient. Institutions of learning have introduced online learning through improvement of infrastructure, incorporation of new technologies in learning, recruitment of professionals who are conversant with new technologies, and revision of curriculums in order to accommodate new models of learning.
Online learning caters for students who cannot enroll for traditional learning due to busy schedules and lack of financing. E- Learning has changed education tremendously and increased students’ motivation with regard to earning degrees and pursuing careers.
Changes in learning
With the advent of online learning, learning activities and discussions took a new form. Unlike in traditional learning, online learning does not involve face-to-face interactions between instructors and students. Students develop schedules based on their availability to attend classes (Ward, 2012).
On the other hand, learners have freedom to work through course material only when they are available. Online learning gives students an opportunity to learn at their own pace thus ensuring that they grasp the content fully (Siemens, 2013). In addition, students do not sit for long hours listening to lectures.
E-learning requires high levels of discipline and responsibility on the part of the student because instructors are not present to give directions. Without discipline, many students waste their time and end up performing poorly in examinations. There are no face-to-face discussions, students decide when to attend classes, absence from class is not punished, and exchange of ideas and opinions is encouraged (Ward, 2012).
Online learning eliminated the need to commute to school every day to attend classes (Michels, 2013). Students go online and take classes at any time and from any part of the world. Focus shifted from discussions and teamwork to individual study (Siemens, 2013).
However, students can opt to join online group discussions that enable them to share information and knowledge with other students. Online discussion forums are not very common because many students prefer to be autonomous (Michels, 2013). Elimination of face-to-face interactions between students and instructors changed how learning is conducted.
However, focus is mainly on interactive lessons, discussion boards, games, and chats (Siemens, 2013). These platforms offer students an opportunity to interact with instructors. Students ask questions, get clarification on unclear matters, and submit their homework. Education materials are provided in different forms that include videos, audio files, e-mails, word documents, and PDF documents.
Students with families and jobs, and people who did not complete their education opt for online education. In the United States, some states have developed programs that enable students to complete their degrees through online learning. States like Oregon and Wisconsin have programs that allow students to turn their job skills into college credits and thus reduce the number of units required to attain their degrees (Michels, 2013).
In addition, the programs also enable students to complete their degrees by offering free online courses and examinations from certified colleges. The internet has many distractions that affect the learning experiences and outcomes of students (Michels, 2013). Therefore, students need to be highly disciplined and focused in order to benefit fully from online learning.
Changes in motivation
Factors that motivate students to register for online learning include busy schedules, family responsibilities, unavailability of resources, and convenience (Cull, 2010). People who wish to advance their careers while working usually enroll for online learning because they attend classes when they are free. In today’s world, more job opportunities are available to people who have pursued higher education such as master’s and postgraduate degrees (Cull, 2010).
The cost of higher learning has nearly doubled in the past two decades. High cost of education has played a grandiose role in denying many students an opportunity to get their education (Cull, 2010). Competing for job opportunities then becomes difficult because many employers prefer applicants who have pursued higher education. Education is one of the most important factors that facilitate the shift to middle class. Therefore, online learning helps students who cannot afford higher education to pursue their careers cheaply.
Many universities and colleges have been criticized for increasing the cost of education, offering low quality education, and being unwilling to embrace technology in order to offer opportunities to more students (Koller, 2012).
The declining quality of education has emanated from unavailability of sufficient instructors to handle the high number of students (Cull, 2010). The introduction of online learning enabled colleges to manage the sizes of their classes because many students opted for the new system. Traditional learning is very expensive compared to online learning.
Differences in cost emanate from the need to pay tuition fees, purchase learning materials, and remunerate instructors (Koller, 2012). However, costs such as purchase of online materials and tuition fees are non-existent in online learning. Students only pay registration fees, examination fees, and a small amount of money to cater for learning materials and the remuneration of instructors.
Another factor that motivates students to study online is the availability of information and the broad reach of online learning (McKnight, 2011). Universities and colleges are able to offer their services to people who are unable to attend classes at campuses. This has led to the elimination of boundaries for recruitment because the quality of education offered is of high quality.
The internet is awash with information that can be used by students for learning purposes (Koller, 2012). The ease of retrieving information and the diversity of learning materials render online education beneficial and convenient. Students do not have to spend money buying books or printing learning material. In addition, there are different types of teaching aids such as videos and audio files that make learning more enjoyable.
Students have different learning capabilities that are sufficiently addressed and accommodated in online learning (McKnight, 2011). Students create their own learning schedules and explore methods that ensure proper comprehension of learning material (Koller, 2012). In traditional learning, instructors do not tailor their teaching methods to accommodate the different learning needs of students. They use methods that they deem appropriate for all students.
This results in poor performance and low quality degrees. For example, some students understand better using visual aids (McKnight, 2011). The availability of different learning methods has made online learning very popular. Students are motivated to pursue their education because they decide how, where, and what they learn (Koller, 2012). The independence created by online learning is a great motivating factor.
Finally, e-learning facilitates sharing of knowledge and information by students around the world. Students can share learning materials such as videos, electronic books, journals, and PDF documents for learning purposes (McKnight, 2011).
On the other hand, they can use discussion boards and chats to discuss pertinent issues with professionals from different parts of the world. The internet contains many platforms that students can use to retrieve information. For example, Khan Academy is a platform that is used by students to obtain information on different topics that include history, mathematics, physics, and chemistry (Koller, 2012).
Conclusion
New technologies have contributed largely to changes in ways through which different people get their degrees from institutions of learning. Many students have access to education because technology facilitates learning in many ways. Online learning has changed how people obtain degrees in many ways.
It has motivated more people to pursue education by increasing independence, autonomy, and improving decision making. In addition, it has offered an opportunity to people who have families and jobs to pursue higher education. Many people prefer online education to traditional education because t is more convenient and cheaper.
There are innumerable online sources of information that students can access freely. For example, search engines like Google and Yahoo provide a platform that students can use to retrieve information from the internet. The availability of visual aids such as videos, graphs, and pictures make the learning experience enjoyable.
Distance learning is defined as a program or course offered by a university or school that provides educational opportunities and is to be completed remotely.
Other terms defining distance learning include online learning, E-learning and distance education. In the modern world, majority of distant learning are conducted online by accessing a computer equipped with the internet services. In spite of this distance learning being a broad term, it also involves traditional correspondence courses that are completed through the mail (wiseGEEK, 2010).
Factors affecting distance learning
Accessibility: Technology is a vital element in distant learning. The accessibility of the distance learning courses mainly depend on the awareness of the instructor to the accessibility issues and how the instructor can best handle the course with consideration of accessibility (Cook and Harniss, 2007). Difficulties in accessibility arise when the distance learning concerns people with disabilities e.g. the blind. Moreover, physical accessibility is successfully tackled by distance learning where one does not need to go to class for a lecture (college guide, 2010).
Opportunities: Opportunities unveiled by the distance learning are numerous. Apart from completing 100% of the course via the internet, one can attain knowledge and skills for field choices from the distance learning due to constant updating of the programs (Lloyd, 2007). in addition, opportunities provided by distance learning are not equal after all mainly due to lack of consideration of the disabled people by the educational institutions while selecting features of courseware packages that will suit their instructors and students (Cook and Harniss, 2007).
Barriers: Tipton (2007) cites Language and time differences as the main barriers, which affect the distance learning. This is because the internet has made the world a global neighborhood.
Advantages of distance learning
There are a number of merits associated with distance learning. First, there is no commuting, which means that the distance learning saves time and resources that can otherwise be put into better use. Second, in distance learning majority of the classes are asynchronous; that means it is not compulsory for one to attend a lecture at a stipulated time (college guide, 2010). Third, there is self-paced learning whereby, fast and slow learners are both considered in distance learning, where one can study at a convenient pace (college guide, 2010).
Disadvantages of distance learning
Despite gaining popularity in modern times, distance learning is constrained the following factors among others. First, the program is relatively complex and costly whereby, the program is facilitated by modern technical facilities, which are usually costly (college guide, 2010).
Second, there is social isolation whereby, majority of the students undertake the distance learning individually, thus making them feel isolated from the rest of the society (college guide, 2010).
The gap between “Haves” and “have nots”
In one way or the other, distance learning has contributed to increasing the gap between the “haves” and “have nots”. The high cost involved in enrolling and undertaking the distance learning discriminates the “have nots” from enrolling in the distance learning courses. In addition to this, the modern equipments used in distance learning may not be affordable to all, thus increasing the gap.
Conclusion
Despite the barriers and the disadvantages associated with distance learning, the world has embraced distance learning as one of the major component in the modern education system. Advancement of technology has also aided in advancing distance learning globally.
The decision to study online is significant, and an increasing number of people are choosing this route. Why should you consider this mode of education? The answers are different for every student, but convenience and flexibility are major reasons. Online classes could remove obstacles that have kept from achieving your ambitions.
For some folks, geography is a key factor. Is there a fine institution of higher education within reach of your home? If not, and especially if your other regional options are a bit lacking in reputation, you may be better off with a more prestigious online institution.
Is there a college nearby that offers the particular program that you seek? Specialized training is available online almost anywhere around the world, including for professional or continuing education coursework that is often required for ongoing licensure or certification in your field.
For many folks, physical access issues can pose a barrier to on-campus classes. If you have any sort of physical or mental disability, you know that classroom learning can be a tremendous challenge. Online classes eliminate most physical barriers, of course.
Additionally, many problems that people encounter in the classroom, such as distraction, can be eliminated. At home, you can create the learning environment that fits your learning style: whether this includes absolute silence, or a companionable hubbub.
If you have a diagnosed learning difference, it may be less onerous to accommodate your needs in a virtual classroom. Although many online classes include timed tests, it is worth it to find out whether extensions in time for assessments are negotiable.
Alternatively, you may be faced with invisible barriers to classroom learning. Some families may be reluctant to allow their youngster to attend a college, and mix with other students, for cultural or religious reasons. Online courses remove many of these objections.
If you are trying to hold down a job while pursuing a degree or certification, you are a prime candidate for online learning. Most programs will allow you to fit your studying in around your work schedule. Be careful not to overload yourself, however. Reputable virtual college coursework is going to be just as intellectually demanding as bricks and mortar classes.
The advantage of online courses for full or part-time employed individuals is that you can plan how you take your courses. If you need to take only one course at a time, you can find a program that will permit this.
Folks who have responsibility for child care or elder care can also benefit from web-based classes. You can be listening to a lecture while your charges are sleeping peacefully.
Students who are very shy or lack confidence in themselves can overcome this obstacle through online classes. The virtual classroom offers opportunities to shine without having to speak in front of a crowd full of curious pairs of eyes. Some currently very successful professionals once cringed and panicked at contributing to a classroom full of strangers. With the confidence gained in an online course, a shy individual might prepare themselves to eventually enter a bricks and mortar classroom without terror.
Online classes also introduce students to a variety of web-based tools and techniques that will be very valuable later on. Many classes use features such as GoogleDocs to share and collaborate on projects.
The experience of online learning is also almost purely educational. While many students would argue that the time spent hanging out with schoolmates in the dorm, library, cafeteria, or lounging on a lawn, is what makes college awesome, parents paying the tuition might beg to differ. All that down time, whether spent knocking back Jell-O shots or solving the world’s problems over a latte, may be delightful, but it does detract from the hours available for study. Online classes remove at least one temptation to neglect the books.
There are some other efficiencies offered by this method of getting an education. Consider transportation. Even living at home and commuting to a local college consumes relatively significant amounts of time. On some campuses, dorms are so far from the classrooms that the daily commute really adds up. For many students living on campus, there are several days each semester eaten up by travelling home during vacations. All this is an expense in time and sometimes money that is avoided by online learning.
Additionally, students living on campus must take care of all the details of laundry and, sometimes, food shopping and housekeeping. This is an immense distraction and often a major time-waster. Online courses mean you can stay at home where these chores are already being taken care of.
The quality of online courses available is increasing each year. Just recently, a number of top-flight universities have begun offering courses online, some for free. This allows students to pit their brains against some of the best professorial minds in academia. Although most such programs are non-credit, there are plans to eventually make it possible to convert a non-credit course to a full-credit one, perhaps with the payment of a fee.
All these advantages of online coursework warrant a careful consideration!
The 21st century has been marked by major technological advancements due to improved technology. The education sector has not been left behind and has developed a major tool for learning commonly referred to as electronic learning (e-learning). According to Dublin (2003, p. 7), e-learning is a term not easily understood especially for those outside this industry and also within the diverse sectors where it has different meanings. E-learning has many benefits to the students using it. It produces improved performance in the coursework for higher education students in comparison with face-to-face courses (Means, 2009, para.4). It provides increased access in that knowledge can be shared across borders by many intellectuals thus allowing students to attend their courses without limitations of physical, economic, or political boundaries. It is also convenient and provides the learners with flexibility. This is because e-learning is available 24/7 thus learners can schedule themselves in the most convenient way. Finally, learners using this system of education are able to gain digital literacy skills that are important for their courses and professions. For the quality learning process, e-learning has been developed to use different approaches to ease the process of learning. The common approaches used include the following; Computer-Based Learning (CBL) which refers to the use of computers for teaching purposes, the second is Computer-Based Trainings (CBT) which are learning activities that are available through the use of computers or other handheld devices. The resources for learning are presented in a linear style. They are used just the same as reading an online book or journal. CBTs have more benefits than traditional classroom contexts since it incorporates visual aids in learning hence increasing understanding. The third approach to e-learning involves the use of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). This has greatly improved learning as modern ICT is applied and multiple users can be invited at the same time.
Jordan has a population of six million and is one of the small countries in the Arab world. It has limited natural resources in comparison to the other neighboring countries. Education has for long been acknowledged as a tool for national development leading to its development at all levels. The Jordanian government undertook major reforms to boost economic development by maximimizing utilisation of human capital through educating its citizens (Dirani, & Yoon,2009, para 5). This has led to development of ODL in its universities to cater for the growing demand for tertiary education.
E-learning is a novel idea in most of the Arab world and it has come with its benefits and challenges (Al-Jaghoub, 2009, p.2). Many universities in Jordan are situated in the metropolitan areas due to limitation of accessibility in the rural parts where access to higher education is often hindered. With this limitations of accessibility and the ever increasing demand for higher education in Jordan, e-learning has provided the answer for those keen on further pursuing their education. According to Knowles’ theory of adult learning, e-learning gives the learners a better control of their education through timing themselves and choosing the places where they think is most convinient to them as regards their other commitments in life (Knowles, 1984, p.20). Most universities in the Arab region set out their own policies, curriculum and different areas of specializations according to what each countries needs and not considering cross-national needs. As noted by Jamlan (1985, p.37), this has hindered the development of Open Distance Learning (ODL). The growth of e-learning has also been faced by major challenges in these countries. These challenges includes the following; in some universities there is limited technological infrastructure to support e-learning effectively, there are negative perceptions by the students and the society at large on online degrees and the learning process and also the problem of frequent unstability in our socio-political environments that hinder development. Studies carried out on the process of e-learning reveals that there is need for coordinated efforts between the different players. These are the learners, the university structure which must be strong and the e-learning instructors (Owen & Demb, 2004, p. 660). For an effective e-learning program that is in tandem with other nations, there is need for strong policies that are supportive to the process and strong institutional changes to encompass and harbour e-learning process (Bailey, 1999, p. 14).
Research proposal and research questions
The following research intends to assess the status of e-learning on the education system of Jordan. It will focus on effectiveness and the challenges or the obstruction e-learning faces during its day to day use in Jordan. The title of this research paper is Exploring Online Learning in Jordan Universities: Effectiveness and Obstruction. The research questions for the study will be as follows:
Is e-learning an effective system of learning in Jordanian Universities?
What challenges/obstruction has e-learning faced during its implentation in Jordan universities?.
What are the personal opinions of the students and the instructors on the best way to improve e-learning process so as to minimise the challenges faced?
Due to the rising number of distance learning students across Jordan, e-learning has become handy to fill the gap in higher education and to decongest the learning institutions. There is little literature existing that takles the issue of effectiveness and challenges met along the way in implementing e-learning. Therefore, to fill this knowledge gap this research will answer the questions needed and provide improvement strategies to e-learning. The research questions selected covers the main factors of the title of the research hence their selection.
Case setting and context
As previously mentioned, Jordan has limited natural resources, unlike other countries in the Arab world; this led to the country to rely much on its human resources to support economic growth. The government was encouraged to develop the ICT sector after the throne of King Abdullah ii in 1999. The people of Jordan have been encouraged to embrace education as a compensatory measure to the lack of natural resources. According to the UNDP report (2008, p. 10), Jordan is one of the countries in the world with the highest rates of adult literacy scoring a 91.1% adult literacy rate in the year 2007/2007. Many universities have been established both public and private to cater for the high number of students seeking higher education in Jordan and its environs. Many universities have embraced the use of ICT and e-learning to increase coverage and reduce competition.
Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) is one of the first and leading private universities in Jordan and is located in Amman. Professor Maher Salim is the president of this university which was founded in 1990. It is organised into seven faculties which helps it meet its overall objectives. These faculties are; faculty of engineering, nursing, pharmacy and medical sciences, information technology, arts and human sciences, law and finally faculty of finance and administrative sciences. It follows the credit-hour system where learning takes place in two semesters yearly and each semester is 16 weeks. E-learning project commenced its implementation in 2006 with its president being its champion. E-learning program at AAU aims at offering online degrees, accessing new markets across nations, offering academic certificates in the majors that the university is offering in its faculties, and make collaborations with other universities. It also aims at sharing of academic knowledge between various members of staff at the university and hence enriching the educational process by enriching both the staff and students with skills relevant to serve the community better. In laying out and implementation of e-learning at AAU, the university coordinated with experts whose role was to train its staff and offer technical advice until success is achieved. AAU is very active in provision of higher education in Jordan and its environs which include other countries like Saudi Arabia (Georgina, & Olson, 2007, p. 5).. Its population consists of both genders although men are slightly higher compared to the females. For this research to produce credible results, AAU provides the best settings. By the fact that it was the first private university in Jordan and also among the first to start implementation of e-learning adds up to the context of this study. Finally AAU is also a fully accredited university by the Council of Higher Education of Jordan and it enjoys wide recognition from both the arab world and internationally. It also enjoys the prestige of being a member of the renowned Association of Arab Universities (Kelly, Ponton, & Rovai,2007, p. 92). This attributes clearly places AAU as one of the best place to carry out this research since the data obtained will cover the views from an accredited institution, staff and students who are mixed in sexes and citizenly.
Study design and study population
A qualitative design approach will be utilised in this research. This is due to the ability of qualitative researches to have an in-depth understanding of various human attributes and analysing the various reasons that help in defining this attributes (Yin, 1994, p. 23). This method is also cheap in terms of resources used since smaller and focused samples are utilised for data collection to investigate the whys and how of choicing a certain decision. A case study of AAU staff and students’ perception on e-learning majoring on its effectiveness and the various obstructions it faces will be carried out. The data will be generalised to give the impression of the status of e-learning in Jordan Universities. The study population will consist of the university president, 5 staff members who are student instructors on e-learning program and a total of 112 students. The students will be selected randomly to ensure each has an equal opportunity of participating in the study but after meeting the following criteria; in each year of study four respondents will be selected, two from each gender. Then this will apply to all the seven faculties in the university. By so doing it ensures all interests are represented in the study and selection bias is minimised. The AAU president will give a background on the laying out of e-learning at the university and the various administrative challenges that may have been encountered during the implentation stages. The instructors are expected to be very resourceful for this study since they handle e-learning implementation at the university. They will give provide information on how effective e-learning has been since its enrollment and the major challenges it has faced. They will also give personal views of how best they think the program can be improved in order to minimise the challenges that they face. Finally, the students are instrumental in providing a personal judgement on how effective they think e-learning is in comparison to the traditional classroom learning. They will also provide information about the challenges they encounter on accessing information during the learning process using e-learning technology.
Method
The research will utilize qualitative data collection approaches on the respondents. The following data collection tools will be employed; interviews using structured questionnaires, focused group discussions and observation. The president will be interviewed to give background details about the laying out of e-learning at AAU, the challenges that might have been encountered and how they were able to cope with these challenges. He will give the effects e-learning has in boosting higher education learning and in meeting with the ever increasing demand for tertiary education. The president will also be interviewed to provide information on the future prospects of e-learning program outling the developments expected to be achieved. The second interview will involve the student instructors on e-learning. Since they are incharge in implementation they are a great resource and will be sought to give information on the effects e-learning has achieved since it was rolled at AAU. They are also in contact with the students and hence have direct contact with the students. This gives them a better position of understanding the difficulties that the students encounter on accessing learning materials online. Focused group discussions will be formed by the students each group being represented by each academic year and each faculty at the university. The groups will tackle questions on what they think are the effects that has come with e-learning and how best it has made the learning process easier. Personal views will be sought and recorded and the groups point of view. This will give information on the students’ perceptions of the program, their attitudes towards e-learning and their opinions about the learning process via e-learning. Finally, the researcher will have an opportunity to personally observe the e-learning process by visiting the various resources available at the university. This will be of importance in forming a personal informed opinion and will be used to recommend various ways of improving the program. All interviews will be conducted on one to one basis and this helps the researcher to judge the degree of truthfullness of the information given and thus increasuing the credibility of the research. The questionnaires will be filled by the researcher and will give a guide to the interview. Also the guidelines provided for interview questions and incoorporating data sources (triangulation) from different areas were also used (Merriam, 1998, p.20).
Data collection and analysis
The interviews conducted will provide the researcher with information on the adminisrative structure employed in e-learning, the whole process in steps by step flow hence bringing out the effects of the program on learning in Jordan. The focused groups discussion provides the personal opinions of the students and group opinions of the program. the researcher after observing the process will form an opinion about the program and this will be important as an analysis tool of qualitative data. The impression gained will be reported in quantitative form hence giving an impression of effectiveness of the program. The data collected through interviews and focused group discussions will be coded and analysed using quantitative methods. Frequency tables and graphs on respondents perceptions about the program will be employed (Berg, 1998,p.60). Finally, pie charts showing the various obstacles to e-learning will be utilised. This techniques of data analysis are simple and give a pictorial representation of data hence easily understood and interpreted. They are used in this research so as to quantify the data and give a clear picture on the effectiveness and the obstructions that are faced by e-learning in Jordan Universities.
Management of data
To collect data that is viable and credible, this research is expected to last for about three months. The first month will involve carrying out a pilot study in a different university with the same settings. This will enable test of the collection tools for their effectiness and relevance for this study. The second month will involve organising for the resources needed for the study and visiting AAU for orientation and to get familiarised with the various respondents to the study. The final month is data collection, analysis and presentation. Various limitations are expected to be encountered during the research period. These includes the following; lack of enough resources, language barriers and uncooperative respondents. To minimise these, sponsoring of the research will be sought from interested parties, use of interpretors in situations when language barrier is encountered and finally informing the respondents the expeced benefits from the research and using coercive language to increase their cooperation. Various measures will be taken to minimise the bias expected. For example, the respondents will be picked randomly to ensure equal chances for participation and therefore reducing selection bias. This increases the credibility of the data collected and ensures trustworthiness.
Reference
Al-Jaghoub, Saheer. E-learning Adoption in Higher Education in Jordan: Vision, Reality and Change. European and Mediterranean Conferaence on Information Systems 2009. Web.
Bailey, D. (1999). Mainstreaming equal opportunities policies in the Open University: Questions of discourse. Open Learning, 14(1): 9-16.
Berg,B. (1998). Qualitative research methods for the social scinces. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Dirani, Khalil & Yoon, Seung (2009). Exploring Open Distance Learning at a Jordanian University: A Case Study. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(2). Web.
Dublin, Lawrence (2003). If You Only Look Under the Street Lamps…Or Nine e-learning Myths. The e-learning Developers’ Journal, 5 (2): 1-7
Georgina, D. & Olson, M. (2007). Integration of technology in higher education: A review of faculty self-perceptions, Journal of Internet and Higher Education, 11(2): pp. 1-8.
Jamlan, M. (1995). Proposal for an Open University in the Arab world. The Journal, 22(6): 53-57.
Kelly, H., Ponton, M., & Rovai, A. (2007) A comparison of student evaluations of teaching between online and face-to-face courses, Journal of Internet and Higher Education,10(5): 89-101
Khwileh, Ahmad & Fanous, Zied (2008). E-Learning. Al-Ahliyya Amman University. Web.
Knowles, M. (1984). The adult learner: A neglected species (3rd ed.). Houston: Gulf Publishing.
Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R.,Bakia, M. & Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation of Evidence Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. Web.
Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Owen, P. & Demb, A. (2004). Change dynamics and leadership in technology implementation. Journal of Higher Education, 75(6): 636-666.
United Nations Development Program UNDP. Arab human development report 2003: Creating opportunities for future generations. New York, NY: United Nations Publications.
Yin, R. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing.
There are over 500, 000 students in high schools and other institutions of higher learning enroll for online classes either as full-time students in the online schools or as part-time students for specific tutorials. I wish to submit to you that the need for extra input in terms of study has caused many parents to enroll their children in online study classes to supplement the knowledge they get from class (Areskog, 1995).
It is also evidently clear that most people have had the opportunity to get degrees from credible universities oversees by simply enrolling through the online degree programs for such institutions of higher learning. However, in this speech, I intend to prove to you, as parents, that enrolling high school students to online class can help boost the performance of the child greatly.
First, I wish to submit to you that online classes are helpful in terms of inculcating a study mentality upon the children, thus boosting their overall performances in their respective schools. In the age of computing and technology, it is quite clear that most students generally fail their exams as a result of too much concentration on computerized games, movies and music. Quite frankly, it has proven difficult to keep the children away from handling computers. The result of this has been linked to poor performance of these students in class since they spend a lot of time in computer-related leisure activities and fail to study for their exams.
Allow me to inform you that introducing such children to online classes would be helpful in terms of giving them a chance to improve their performances (Wolfe & Wolfe, 2001). Since these children are so addicted to computer-related activities, it would be wise to initiate them into an activity within the computing world that would help them improve their studies. Studies have revealed that 60% of high school students who enroll for online classes as supplementary part-time programs improve their overall academic performances by over 50% ever year (Hiltz, 1990).
Secondly, online classes provide variety of the knowledge through internet searches that expose students to high volumes of information which can boost their studies. It is a reality that class work given by tutors is limited to the syllabus for the schools. This limits the capability of these students to gain adequate knowledge concerning the respective topics they cover in class. Online classes expose the children to internet searches through online libraries which contain variety of books and articles which can help boost and supplement information provided in the classroom.
With the increase in search engines in most browsers in computer programs, it has become easier to navigate through various online libraries to get supplementary information regarding certain subjects. Research reveals that over 40% of the information given to the students in physical classroom set-up is actually derived from the online sources (Lipsitz, & Reisner, 2000). The improvement of technology through internet provides the tutors with a chance to derive their teaching materials from online sources. It would, therefore, be helpful to the student to use the same methodology to improve in studies.
Lastly, I wish to indicate that I will enroll one of the students into online classes for tutorials in as a case analysis that online classes are rapidly becoming so significant in terms of helping students to pass their examinations every year.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that enrolling high schools students to online class can help boost the performance of the child greatly. This is through provision of help in terms of inculcating a study mentality upon the children, thus boosting their overall performances in their respective schools, as well as, provision of variety of the knowledge through internet searches that expose students to high volumes of information which can boost their studies.
References
Areskog, N. H. (1995). The Tutorial Process – the Roles of Student Teacher and Tutor in a Long Term Perspective. London: Prentice Hall Publishers.
Hiltz, S. (1990). ‘Evaluating the Virtual Classroom’, in Harasim, L. (ed.) Online Education: Perspectives on a New Environment. New York: Praeger.
Lipsitz, L., & Reisner, T. (2000). The Computer and Education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
Wolfe, C., & Wolfe, C. R. (2001). Learning and teaching on the World Wide Web. San Diego, Calif.; London: Academic.