Whilst there are many benefits of E-Learning there are also quite a few barriers to effective learning with this education method. Some of these barriers include motivational factors, cost, access and time management.
The main barrier to E-Learning is the motivation of the student. A student needs to have self-discipline to be able to motivate themselves (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). The other factors include family, social, economic and health which can all affect both the motivation of the student to commit to learning as well as the effectiveness of the outcomes (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). By undertaking E-Learning students are required to possess the ability of self direction (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). This can be a challenge for students who may require the guidance of a lecturer/ tutor to be setting goals and monitoring the progress of the student during the course. Students require excellent time management skills to be able to allocate time for study around other factors in their life such as work commitments. In the case of the Author this is the greatest barrier faced which is to effectively manage time for study and also the family commitments of a baby.
Another barrier is that not all learning activities can be conducted on-line or virtually (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). Some activities such as workshops can only be effectively conducted face-to-face to allow for spontaneity and peer interaction in a group setting (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). Students may need these face-to-face exchanges (especially in the Education faculty) to allow for the refinement of communication skills particularly oral, that can not be practiced on-line. Students also lack the "teacher-learner" interactivity that can lead to better guidance, participation and clarification of points (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). Research has found that even graduate level students need guidance, security and structure as found in face-to-face classes (Muirhead, B 2004). Teachers are more able to keep students focused, keep discussions and studies relevant and encourage creativity (Muirhead, B 2004).
Costs to students can also be a significant disadvantage when studying with E-Learning. As students are required to have access to a computer, the Internet and some specific software programs, the cost of hardware, software, connectivity and support may not be an affordable or feasible option for some students (New South Wales: Department of Education and Training 2005). If students are not able to have the convenience of having this technology at home they may have to gain access from another location i.e a library. This can cause problems as it may require time and transport for the student to access equipment. This could be particularly hard for a student who works full-time and has limited time for study purposes or a student that lacks mobility.
Therefore there are quite a few barriers a student needs to consider before undertaking E-Learning. A student must ensure that they are able to overcome the obstacles of cost, time and motivation in order to be successful with their learning outcomes.
Reference List
Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S (2005). The impact of ICT on tertiary education: advances and promises. Retrieved on August 6th, 2008, from
http://www.advancingknowledge.com/drafts/Larsen-The%20impact%20of%20ICT%20on%20tertiary%20education%20-%20AKKE.doc
Muirhead, B (2004). Encouraging Creativity in Student Online Work. Retrieved on August 6th, 2008, from
http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Dec_04/article05.htm
New South Wales: Department of Education and Training (June 7th, 2005). Excellence and Innovation: 13. Information Communication Technologies (ICT). Retrieved on August 6th, 2008, from
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/reviews/futuresproject/issuespapers/ict.htm
The main barrier to E-Learning is the motivation of the student. A student needs to have self-discipline to be able to motivate themselves (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). The other factors include family, social, economic and health which can all affect both the motivation of the student to commit to learning as well as the effectiveness of the outcomes (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). By undertaking E-Learning students are required to possess the ability of self direction (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). This can be a challenge for students who may require the guidance of a lecturer/ tutor to be setting goals and monitoring the progress of the student during the course. Students require excellent time management skills to be able to allocate time for study around other factors in their life such as work commitments. In the case of the Author this is the greatest barrier faced which is to effectively manage time for study and also the family commitments of a baby.
Another barrier is that not all learning activities can be conducted on-line or virtually (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). Some activities such as workshops can only be effectively conducted face-to-face to allow for spontaneity and peer interaction in a group setting (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). Students may need these face-to-face exchanges (especially in the Education faculty) to allow for the refinement of communication skills particularly oral, that can not be practiced on-line. Students also lack the "teacher-learner" interactivity that can lead to better guidance, participation and clarification of points (Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S 2005). Research has found that even graduate level students need guidance, security and structure as found in face-to-face classes (Muirhead, B 2004). Teachers are more able to keep students focused, keep discussions and studies relevant and encourage creativity (Muirhead, B 2004).
Costs to students can also be a significant disadvantage when studying with E-Learning. As students are required to have access to a computer, the Internet and some specific software programs, the cost of hardware, software, connectivity and support may not be an affordable or feasible option for some students (New South Wales: Department of Education and Training 2005). If students are not able to have the convenience of having this technology at home they may have to gain access from another location i.e a library. This can cause problems as it may require time and transport for the student to access equipment. This could be particularly hard for a student who works full-time and has limited time for study purposes or a student that lacks mobility.
Therefore there are quite a few barriers a student needs to consider before undertaking E-Learning. A student must ensure that they are able to overcome the obstacles of cost, time and motivation in order to be successful with their learning outcomes.
Reference List
Larsen, K. & Vincent-Lancrin, S (2005). The impact of ICT on tertiary education: advances and promises. Retrieved on August 6th, 2008, from
http://www.advancingknowledge.com/drafts/Larsen-The%20impact%20of%20ICT%20on%20tertiary%20education%20-%20AKKE.doc
Muirhead, B (2004). Encouraging Creativity in Student Online Work. Retrieved on August 6th, 2008, from
http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Dec_04/article05.htm
New South Wales: Department of Education and Training (June 7th, 2005). Excellence and Innovation: 13. Information Communication Technologies (ICT). Retrieved on August 6th, 2008, from
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/reviews/futuresproject/issuespapers/ict.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment