The Undertones of E-learning: E-learning Strategies and Issues

It would always be the primary way of getting the education and it is always beneficial in numerous ways like physical and mental interaction, asking questions and get on-time responses, etc. But with all these advantages there are some disadvantages for students who are unable to reach the school physically because of many reasons like distance, transportation, or because of the weather condition on the day of class or examination. Because of the above, some reasons E-Learning comes into play providing online education from home without traveling to a faraway school or on a bad rainy day. With E-Learning, one can get an education at home.

E-Learning is based on a website that provides online lectures and notes under different courses provided by Universities or Professors. The website will provide a Log-in process where students can log-in and get enrolled in different courses and give examinations. A one-time authentication process will be followed by the website at the time of registration. The website will provide a User Id and Password on the successful verification of students. The website will also lay stress on its security so that the content does not get misused. The E-Learning website will tie-up with different Universities and qualified and verified only Professors to deliver the best of knowledge to the students under different courses. The registered students of the website will get access to the lectures, notes, and assignments. The website will also provide a platform to raise questions, ask queries, submit assignments, and progress reports. An Ai-integrated system will be developed to collect assignments and to keep a record of student progress. For complex queries, subject-related problems, and help, students can directly communicate with the Professor through the website. A strong mechanism will be designed to prevent any misuse of the facilities provided by the website.

Learning Areas and Internet Application of E-Learning Strategies

1. Arts: Online classes for art classes such as language, improving vocabulary, and writing skills.
2. Engineering: Engineering classes online, virtual laboratory, virtual design, team learning, and group projects.
3. Medicine Simulation of surgical operations and diagnosis.
4. Business: Business courses on the Internet, group projects, virtual company tours.
5. Law and Justice: The practice of law online, communication, and simulation games.
6. Agriculture Treatment of crops from time to time, training, and education using WWW E-mails, WWW for training, multimedia application.

Course Issues

The most frequently mentioned challenges concern issues relating to the course given. Concerns are raised about the content of the course, the activities were undertaken during the course, the support functions provided, and the delivery mode of the course. The first issue identified here is the curriculum which stipulates much of the course actions and content. There are discussions on the need to develop new curricula specifically designed for an e-learning setting; thereby showing awareness that e-learning is different from traditional classroom-based teaching. The subject content of the course also matters and refers to what is being taught or learned. The Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs) used during a course evidently affect e-learning and is widely discussed in the papers. Another course issue is the delivery mode of the course. One talks about different levels of flexibility and how much personalization is needed for the students to be able to pass a course. The factor concerns whether students should be allowed to learn at their own pace and take the examinations when they want and if they should be allowed to choose the medium of content delivery. This factor is often discussed in the context of the global mobility of learners where education is not nation-bound. Localization is also discussed. It is claimed that there is a need for the content to consider religious beliefs, use the local language, have relevance for a local setting, and match with local needs. Images and symbols used should be appropriate for the local culture in order to not be offensive or simply confusing.

Individual’s Characteristics

The characteristics of the individual student, and in some cases the teacher, are much researched in developed countries, less so in developing ones. Student motivation is a factor that is frequently discussed in surveys on what affects students' satisfaction and capacity. The relation between motivation and other e-learning factors is rarely elaborated; the reasons for success or failure in the studies are simply referred to as “personal motivation” or “lack of motivation”.Another factor is conflicting priorities, which have to do with the number of times students have to and want to, devote to the course. A third concern is the student’s economy and the economic prerequisites for studying. Financial difficulties and lack of student funding can be a predictor of student withdrawal. A further aspect not directly related to the student’s personal characteristics (but to individual circumstances),