OVER the last few decades there has been a rapid growth in the number of online distance education institutions. A major concern has centred on the quality and effectiveness of the learning, ie, whether this mode of education was as effective as classroom-based learning. With the exception of degrees and other qualifications granted by a few well-established distance education institutions, such as for example, the University of London and the Open University in the UK, and a handful of similar institutions around the world, many employers in the U.S., but mostly in developing countries, have been reluctant to hire graduates of online degrees. This concern has spawned a number of studies on the effectiveness of this mode of learning and the positive findings have begun to change this employer-posture. There is now strong evidence that suggests online learning is generally at least as effective as the traditional format. For example, one systematic analysis has found that students’ learning outcomes for online learners were as good as, or better than those of traditional learners regardless of background characteristics, and that the students were greatly satisfied with online learning.
Another study that examined the relationship of sense of community between traditional classroom and the blended format or combination of online, electronic and face-to-face learning, found that compared with the traditional format, students in blended formats had a stronger sense of community.
Further, in a study that compares learning outcomes for students who self-selected into the online format for a macroeconomics course, researchers found that after correcting for sample selection bias, students’ test scores in the online format were higher than in the traditional format by four points.
Furthermore, these learning improvement and cost-saving gains are expected to increase as new tools and software for online learning are developed and tested continually. Finally, a team of researchers at Stanford Research Institute International conducted a systematic search of the literature from 1996 to 2008, and identified more than 1000 empirical studies of online learning and found that students in an online format performed modestly better than those in the traditional format.
E-learning requires less time to learn than in a traditional classroom setting, because students can learn at their own pace, going back and re-reading, skipping, or accelerating through concepts as they choose.
The availability of broadband, high-speed Internet and modern communication technologies such as smart phones, smart television and other similar devices/gadgets, has allowed an increasing number of people around the world to work and study from their homes. Students in online programmes come from all over the world, thus, class discussions feature a broader range of perspectives, helping learners to enhance their academic as well as own cross-cultural understanding. Online education inculcates or improves virtual communication and collaboration skills and offers a broader global perspective. Students also have the opportunity to network with people from around the globe, and also broaden their perspectives on world-socioeconomic and political affairs. Finally, by successfully earning a degree online, the learner has demonstrated time management, self-motivation, the ability to tackle multiple tasks, set priorities, and adapt to changing work conditions.
A salient feature of online education is the type of pedagogical approach used. Different online pedagogical approaches promote different learning experiences through varying the source of the learning content and the nature of the learner’s activity. In traditional didactic or expository approach, content is instructor- or computer directed and typically presented in the form of text, lecture, or instructor-directed discussion. Another approach stresses collaborative or interactive learning activity, in which the nature of the learning content is emergent as learners interact with one another and with an instructor or other knowledge sources. The emergence of newer technologies brought a pedagogical shift in online learning from merely transmission of knowledge to active and interactive learning. A third characteristic was commonly used to categorise online learning activities is hinged on whether the activity is synchronous, ie, with instruction occurring in real time.
A synchronous activity offers greater spontaneity, making learners feel connected with others, which theoretically promotes collaboration. However, students may feel pushed or pressured to respond or hampered by technology breakdowns. Therefore, asynchronous activity offers greater flexibility to learners, because it allows them to respond at their convenience. Further, the time lag offered in an asynchronous activity allows for more thoughtful and reflective learner participation.
Some of the most important benefits of online learning include its effectiveness in educating students, its use as professional development, its cost-effectiveness to combat the rising cost of post-secondary education, credit equivalency at the post-secondary level, and the possibility of providing a world-class education to anyone with a broadband connection. However, the main positive attribute of online learning was the flexibility of the approach, both in terms of time and geographic location.
This flexibility was also linked with a positive perception of self-reliance. However, the factors that significantly predicted completion rate included start date, course length and assessment type. Note, however, that the effectiveness of online learning varies amongst age groups. The general consensus on children, especially younger ones, is that a structured environment is required, because children are more easily distracted. To get the full benefit of online learning, there needs to be a concerted effort to provide this structure and go beyond make-shift presentations, which merely replicate a physical class/lecture through video capabilities. It requires using a range of collaboration tools and engagement methods that promote inclusion, personalisation and intelligence.
