The Report of the E-Learning Advisory Group March 2002

Pedagogy and E-Learning

Substantial developments in e-learning are inevitable. Good educators are already embracing the opportunities it offers to enhance their teaching and students will increasingly put pressure on teachers to be able to support learning in this way. Employers want employees who can work effectively in an information age and businesses are promoting partnerships with institutions to implement ICT. There are increasing demands from school leavers who have been raised in a digital age and have an increasing number of elearning opportunities open to them, both here and abroad.

E-learning offers the potential for an interactive environment facilitated by an e-educator who is able to use a range of learning environments to best meet the needs of students. The Internet is also a highly-flexible tool for learning in the workplace. It is therefore not a question of whether we implement e-learning, but how well we do it.

The “e” terms in education

Who are e-educators, and what do they do?
E-educators are the new generation of academic staff who will work in an Internet environment in both regular and virtual learning situations. They will build new concepts of working in time and space with more and more “blended” options including a range of teaching modes. E-educators collaborate, build and discover new learning communities and explore resources as they interact with information, materials and ideas with their students and colleagues. E-educators are sensitive to strategies that work in the web environment; they do not expect to use classroom techniques in this medium.

What is e-learning?
E-learning is learning which takes place as a result of experiences and interaction in an Internet environment. It is not restricted to times when the teacher is available and can take place in a variety of locations including home, school and community locations, e.g. libraries and cafes.

What is e-education?
E-education involves e-teaching and e-learning along with the various administrative and strategic measures needed to support teaching and learning in an Internet environment. It will incorporate a local, regional, national and international view of education.

Some distinctive features of e-learning

• The speed with which the teaching / learning process can take place enables students to study at their own pace. It also facilitates rapid feedback, a critical factor in motivation for learning.
• Discussion can be asynchronous and offer time for reflection and the opportunity to return.
• Opportunities to access a wide range of resources via the Internet.
• Opportunities to be able to share aspects of learning with other class members in different locations.
• Content can be presented in a digital format with links to information at greater depth when and if required. Material can be made available for further reflection and study – the lecture is not lost.
• Students are able to publish their work for easy access by other students.

Building a broad vision of e-education

An effective e-learning strategy must be more than technology itself and web content. It also relies on critical factors such as building a learning culture, supportive leadership, utilising an appropriate business model and integrating the e-learning strategy throughout an organisation.

So it is essential that we encourage New Zealand educators to view e-learning in the widest possible context and broaden their horizons.

The impact of e-learning on teaching and learning

It is only natural therefore that fear of e-teaching among educators may become a barrier to realising the possibilities of e-learning. Key concerns among teachers may include a lack of knowledge about ICT, a perceived lack of adequate support and an unwillingness to experiment with innovation. These issues must be acknowledged and addressed before real progress can be made. They highlight the need for ongoing training and support for educators and administrators at all levels.

The table below highlights some of the day-to-day features of e-learning that might impact on educators depending on how an institution chooses to offer e-education and the choices learners make.

A comparison of conventional learning and e-learning

Conventional learning

E-learning

Students attend an institution in their local community. Classes are scheduled according to an institution’s hours and timetables. Students are directed to work individually or in groups. Classes are synchronous. And teachers and students interact in real time. Students are generally enrolled with one institution. Learning objectives are set by the teacher and institution. Students follow a linear pattern influenced by the needs of other class members and the teacher’s planning. Teachers work in one institution. Dealing with different learning styles is difficult, particularly if the class size is large.

Students participate from a variety of locations and may “attend” multiple learning institutions. Students may determine the times when they access e-learning opportunities. Students can choose to work individually or collaboratively with people who may or may not be in their regular class. Classes may be synchronous or asynchronous. Students may take classes from more than one institution. Students may set their own objectives and explore their own learning needs and agendas. Students can follow a non-linear path at a pace that meets their individual needs at that time, i.e. just-in-time learning. The teacher is facilitating the activity. E-teachers can work in more than one institution. Differing learning styles can be catered for, allowing a greater breadth and depth of learning, better tailored to individual student needs. Similarly, differing teaching styles can easily be adopted and adapted to suit different communities of learners.

Staff training for on-line learning at Massey University

Initially, TDU developed and offered a three-hour module “An Introduction to Flexible Learning and Teaching” within its Introduction to Teaching Skills Certificate. However, the demand for more intensive training led to a new programme, “The Certificate in Flexible Learning and Teaching”, being developed by TDU, in association with Massey’s extramural Instructional Design Consultants. This programme was launched in 2000 and consisted of nine three-hour modules with attendance at six qualifying the participant for the Certificate. The uptake was immediate and considerable. In 2000, there were 24 offerings of the modules attended by 456 participants across Massey’s three campuses, with 15 staff qualifying for certificates by the end of the year. In 2001 the TDU again delivered 24 modules in the FLT programme. These were attended by more than 300 participants with a further 30 gaining Certificates.

A second staff development strand supporting On-line Learning is the programme to develop pedagogical and technical expertise with Web-CT (Massey’s On-line Delivery platform). The Flexible Learning and Teaching module introducing Web-CT is complemented by a series of eleven different one-hour ‘hands-on’ workshops. This year the consultants supporting online teaching have scheduled and run 44 of these workshops attended by more than 250 participants. In addition, 14 departments have requested training in the use and application of Web-CT and this has involved 600 staff participating in a further 75 of the one-hour workshops.

As a third major initiative, TDU has just organised and run Vice-Chancellor’s Symposia on On-line Learning on all three of Massey’s Campuses. More than 250 participants attended these symposia. Information about the Symposia, together with University policies and strategies and presentations from the workshops may be found on the symposium website at: http://vcsymposium.massey.ac.nz

The changing roles of academic staff in a new classroom environment

This transition to an e-learning environment will not be accomplished simply by institutions investing in technology. It is not the tools that will make the difference; it is the communities of educators and students who understand how they can use them.

Perhaps the greatest catalyst for change will lie in the next generation of students. Students’ familiarity with technology and their openness to adventurous ways of learning will undoubtedly be a major driver of change in the e-learning area.

In this new environment students will face new challenges. They will have to learn to read and write effectively, with well-developed listening and speaking skills. They must be able to find information, understand and evaluate it, and be able to apply it to take advantage of opportunities. They must have the communication skills to be able to share their ideas with diverse groups.

In a recent report, the OECD identified low literacy and inadequate language skills among students as barriers to Internet use. As much of the content and interaction on the Internet relies heavily on written communication, students will need strong digital and information literacy skills to make the most of web-based learning.

The challenges for educators in meeting these diverse needs of students is formidable. Both-eeducators and e-learners are now part of a much wider and complicated learning community that may demand more of educators than they have been prepared for.