Contemporary educational institutions, including conventional distance education providers, often pride themselves in being able to meet the learning needs of their students and staff at a time, place and pace that is most convenient to them. They have been able to do this with the help of information and communications technologies which afford learners access to up-to-date information as and when they need them, and also the opportunity to discuss this information with their peers and teachers at their convenience. This is becoming increasingly affordable and palatable with a wide range of software applications and computer conferencing technologies for collaborative inquiry among students and asynchronous discussion (Edelson et al. 1999). These applications enable learners and teachers to engage in synchronous as well as asynchronous interaction across space, time, and pace (Gordin et al. 1994; Gomez et al. 1995).
(b) Electronic access to hypermedia and multimedia based resources:
Information and communications technology also enables the capture and storage of information of various types including print, audio, and video. Networked information and communications technologies enable access to this content in a manner that is not possible within the spatial and temporal constraints of conventional educational settings such as the classroom or the print mode (Dede, 2000). In the context of this distributed setting, users have access to a wide variety of educational resources in a format that is amenable to individual approaches to learning (Spiro et al, 1991), and accessible at a time, place and pace that is convenient to them (Pea, 1994). Typically, these educational resources could include hyper-linked material, incorporating text, pictures, graphics, animation, multimedia elements such as videos and simulations and also links to electronic databases, search engines, and online libraries.
2.7 TYPES OF NETWORK LEARNING
E-learning is mostly associated with activities involving computer and interactive network concurrently. The computer does not need to be the central element of the activity or provide learning content. However, the computer and the network must hold a significant involvement in the learning such as; Web based learning: it’s is associated with learning materials delivered in a Web browsers, including the materials are packaged on CD-ROM or other media. Web based learning is a wonderful opportunity if it is done for the right reasons, under the right circumstances and with the right students. A computer does not and never will take the place of a real classroom and all the interaction that goes along with it. If we do all our learning through the web our social skills will soon have to vanish and we will be helpless when faced with a situation where we actually have to deal with real live people instead of machine. At the same time, web based learning opens up an entire new world for those whose situation does not allow for the traditional way of learning. The web has given access to learning to those who live in remote areas, far away from colleges or even libraries; those who have to work long hours in order to support their families, those who cannot afford to finance their education in the traditional way.
Blended learning: Blended learning has been a hot topic at both academic and corporate online learning conferences lately. As with all coined terms, blended learning seems to mean different things to different people. Blended learning is often used to indicate the communication of asynchronous self study with traditional classroom, face to face activity. We can easily validate this type of blend since traditional colleges and universities have used it for 200years; faculty teach in live; instructor-led events and then assign homework (an asynchronous activity) as follow up. Broader uses of the term blended learning suggest an even more sophisticated and useful approach; that of considering a wide range of traditional and e-learning delivery modes to educate learner/learners. In blended learning it’s broadly interpreted as a great opportunity for learner-centric curricular design, especially for long duration, suitable for framing outcomes such as certificates and degrees. We know of different ways to achieve each context in both traditional and e-learning formats. Blended learning would therefore seek the optimum blend of self study, instructor led events, and group collaboration each potentially deployed in a blend of asynchronous or synchronous modes appropriate for a learning outcome. Web based delivery is attempting to address all three learning format, with varying degrees of maturity and success. Successful distance education programs seek to combine or “blend†all three formats of learning (self study, instructor led events and group collaboration) delivered in both delivery departments (asynchronous and synchronous) within programs of study.
Distance Learning: is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom. It has been described as "a process to create and provide access to learning when the source of information and the learners are separated by time and distance, or both" Distance education courses that require a physical on-site presence for any reason (including taking examinations) have been referred to as hybrid or blended courses of study. E-learning is naturally suited to distance learning and flexible learning, but can also be used in conjunction with face to face teaching, in which case the term blended learning is commonly used.
2.8 ADVANTAGES OF E-LEARNING
The major advantages are the flexibility, reduce time and cost. A detailed list of these advantages is described as follows:
i. Flexibility, Convenience and Accessibility:
- Easy and Quick accessibility any time anywhere.
- Option to select learning materials from increased quantity of courses offered online which the learner need and interest.
- Easier distribution of the courses materials via E-learning.
- Easy accessing various resources.
- Self-pacing, the asynchronous way, allows each student (slow or quick) to study at his own pace and speed so it increases satisfaction and reduces stress.
ii. Time
- Save the time, because E-learning reduces travel time.
- Any time, so the learner can schedule his classes and learning activities around his family and his work.
- It moves faster - because the students can skip activities or materials they already understand and jump to new issues.
iii. Money: Reduced overall cost – it reduces:
- Production and distribution the course materials, guides…etc.
- The waste of employee work time.
iv. Communication and Interactivity
- Possibility of communication and interactivity between students and supervisors in online courses.
- Students can study in any place where they have access to a computer and Internet connection.
- The interaction among instructors and students is better in e-learning than in courses in large lecture.
- The interactivity engages students by pushing them rather than pulling them through training.
