E-LEARNING

 After we submitted e-learning materials to Mr. Hartono via e-mail. We are supposed to do summary about e-learning. 

      E-learning (also called electronic learning) is any type of learning that takes place through or with a computer. E-learning is primarily facilitated through the Internet but can also be accomplished with CD-ROMs and DVDs, 

Streaming audio or video and other media. 

   

 The purpose of e-learning is to allow people to learn for personal accomplishment or to learn a professional degree, without physically attending a traditional university or academic setting. E-learning can be applied for all levels of schooling from grade school to graduate degrees, and is versatile enough to accommodate all learning styles

According to Onno W. Purbo (1998) at least, there are three things a positive impact in the educational use of the Internet are:

a) Learners can easily take courses anywhere in the world without borders or boundaries of institutions.

b) Learners can easily sit on the experts in the field of interest.

c) Lectures / study can easily be taken in various parts of the world without relying on the university / school where the students learn. In addition, the current library also present a more dynamic Internet and can be used in the entire universe.

There are also some disadvantages about e-learning:

Lack of Control– Learners with low motivation tend to fall behind when using eLearning as there are no set times to be doing it and they are responsible for the organization themselves. A lack of routine or fixed schedule can mean eLearning becomes complicated with various deadlines often given to different people at different stages of their learning.

Learning Approach – It doesn’t appeal to all learning styles so some learners will not enjoy the experience – especially strong activists and pragmatists.  It is still a challenge to make 

E-Learning appeal fully to these groups as different people learn better or worse using different styles. Some may prefer images, some prefer just reading words and some prefer to talk about or actually do a task in order to learn.

Isolated – A lot of questions are a lot easily answered when face to face with someone when you can guarantee an instant answer. ELearning often doesn’t allow that with trainers often having to answer numerous questions all of the time and only doing it within working hours – where a lot of learners may prefer to do their learning out of working hours. This feeling of isolation can often demotivate individuals as they feel they don’t have the support and reassurance that the physical presence of a trainer provides.

Technology Issues – With heavy reliance on computers that eLearning brings, comes the potential risks that comes with it. Firstly, you need to ensure that all learners have a device that is able to support the training modules. Some eLearning tools require software such as Flash that devices like iPads don’t support. So all requirements need to be set out at the beginning. Poor internet connection and unavoidable general random faults also can interrupt learning and so need to be planned around.  This is especially true if it is a global roll out as Internet connections and power reliability changes dramatically between countries.

Computer Competency – Some employees might not be too comfortable using computers, especially if their jobs don’t require them to. Therefore even if the software is user friendly, the very idea of using the software can be daunting and demotivating for some. Therefore these employees are likely to learn a lot less than they would from a physical course

One thing that should be emphasized and understood is that learning cannot completely replace conventional learning activities in class. However, e-learning can be a partner or complementary with conventional learning in the classroom. E- learning is an independent "basic thrust" electronic learning activities, but this type of learning activities still require adequate interaction in an effort to maintain its quality.

Sources:

1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140715064821-11282346-indonesia-higher-education-e-learning-management-strategy