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Chapter 4: E-Learning

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CONTENTS
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Chapter

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2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
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Introduction
Instructional Theories
Designing Instruction
E-Learning
Web Tools and Learning
Self-Instructional Materials
Distance Education
Technology Integration in Schools

Upon completion of this module, you should be able to:

Define what is e-Learning

Compare the different approaches in delivering e-learning
Explain the benefits of e-learning
Suggest different ways of structuring e-learning content
Apply the different techniques for making e-learning active
Discuss ways to enhance collaborative learning
List the attributes of an effective online tutor

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

Preamble
What is e-learning?
Benefits of e-learning
Approaches in e-learning
Structuring e-learning
content
Techniques for promoting
active e-learning

Promoting collaboration in
e-learning
Online tutoring and
interaction

Key Terms
Summary
References

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Chapter 4: E-Learning
PREAMBLE
This chapter introduces the concept of e-learning and how it has been variously
defined and its benefits. Emphasis is on the different ways in which e-learning content
may be structured and the techniques that may be adopted to make the e-learning
experience more active. Also discussed in this chapter are the different ways of
promoting online collaboration among learners and the role of the online tutor in
facilitating collaboration and learning.
WHAT IS E-LEARNING?

The word has been written in many different ways: e-Learning, eLearning,
ELearning, E-Learning. Besides that, other terms have been used interchangeably
with e-learning and they include:

online learning
online education
technology-based learning/ training
web-based learning /training
computer-based training (generally thought of as learning from a CD-ROM)

To add to the confusion there are also many definitions on what it means and the
following are some examples:

E-Learning is instruction delivered on a computer by way of CD-ROM,

internet or intranet with the following features: includes content relevant to the
learning objective, uses instructional methods such as examples and practice
to help learning, uses media elements such as words and pictures to deliver the
content and methods, builds a new knowledge and skills linked to individual
learning goals or to improved organisational performance.
[R.C. Clark and R.E.Mayer, 2003]

E-Learning is the use of internet technologies to deliver a broad array of

solutions that enhance knowledge and performance. It is networked, delivered
to the end-user via a computer using standard internet technology and focuses
on the broadest view of learning [Marc Rosenburg, 2001]

The convergence of the Internet and learning, or Internet-enabled learning.

The use of network technologies to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate
learning, anytime and anywhere [CISCO Systems, 2007].

E-Learning covers a wide set of applications and processes, such as web-based

learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration. It includes the delivery of content via internet, intranet/extranet

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

(LAN/WAN), audio- and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV, and

CD-ROM [ASTD Learning Circuits, 2004].

E-Learning is the confluence of three social and technical developments:

distance learning, computer-conveyed education, and internet technologies. ELearning does not change how humans learn, but is does change how we teach
them [Horton, 2000].]

Nick can Dam (2004) argues that e-Learning is no longer a new phenomenon,
but has not ceased to be a hot topic. Now that the first wave of e-Learning
implementation has been employed, companies are starting to uncover the reality of
what works and what doesn't work in the brave new world of e-learning. e-Learning is
a broad term used to describe learning done at a computer. The use of network
technologies has enabled developers to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate learning,
anytime and anywhere. It has made learning accessible to more people and to to keep
ahead of the rapidly changing global economy.
E-Learning is to classroom learning as cell phones are to pay phone at the bus
station. At least it is in some ways. For instance, e-learning allows one to learn
anywhere and usually at any time, as long as you have a properly configured
computer. E-learning can be CD-ROM based, network-based, intranet-based or
internet-based. It can include text, video, audio, animation and virtual environments.
It can be a very rich learning experience that can even surpass the level of training
you might experience in a crowded classroom. It is self-paced, hands-on learning.
BENEFITS OF E-LEARNING
Why e-Learning? E-learning has certain benefits compared to traditional classroom
teaching. The most obvious being flexibility with learners not having to leave their
place of work or having to travel long distances. The other benefits are as follows:

Self-Paced Good e-Learning courses are self-instructional in that they allow

the learners to learn at his or her own pace accommodating the different
learning styles of learners through a variety of activities. It allows learners to
skip what they already know and understand and focus on parts that they need
to learn.
Consistency E-Learning provides a consistent message and eliminates
problems associated with different instructors teaching different things on the
same subject which can be critical for some disciplines.
Easy to Update Content E-Learning permit content developers to update
content using resources from the web. Content developers an package and
repackage essential information for learners to access by simply uploading to a
server.
Provision of Content With most learning materials made available to
learners, instructors can then concentrate on high-level activities.
Increased Understanding E-Learning may lead to a stronger grasp of the
subject because content is organised based on principles and elements that are
combined to reinforce the message, such as video, audio, quizzes, interaction,

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

feedback and so forth. There is also the ability to revisit or replay sections of
the lesson that might not have been clear the first time around. Try that in a
crowded auditorium!
Increased Participation It is possible that learners who would not normally
talk in class may be encouraged to participate in online discussion because of
the anonymity. Records of discussion allow for later reference through the use
of threaded discussion on online forums.
Encourages Independent Learning e-Leaning encourage learners to take
responsibility for their learning and succeeding builds self-knowledge and
self-confidence. It also encourages students to browse information through
hyperlinks to sites on the worldwide Web and there by find information
relevant to their personal situations. It allows students to select learning
materials, or to be directed to content that meets their level of knowledge,
interest and what they need to know to perform more effectively in their

APPROACHES IN E-LEARNING
There are several approaches in delivering e-Learning depending on the role
(or lack of a role) of an instructor. These approaches may be described as a
continuum with the Instructor-Centred approach on the one end of the continuum
and Learner-Centred approach on the other end of the continuum (see Figure 4.1).
The approach depends on whether the instructor or learner leads. The choice is
not between a lecture method (instructor led) or online method (learner led), but rather
a range of possibilities between these two extremes.
The Instructor-centred approach is when all content is provided by the
instructor in face-to-face sessions with learners. He or she interacts with
students in the class, answering questions, demonstrating and solving
problems. Content is unstructured in that it is not presented in a selfinstructional format. This approach is common in conventional colleges and
universities. The instructor-centred approach has also been described as
instructivist in which the instructor is in charge and learner are passive
recipients of information.
On the other hand, for the Learner-centred approach the learner has access
to all learning materials which is presented in the form of a self-instructional
module on the web. There is no face-to-face interaction and the learner is left
all alone and independently goes through the content. However, the learner
interacts with the tutor and other students through the online forum and chat
room or even through video and audio conferencing. The learner-centred
approach has been described as constructivist in which the learner is
encouraged to construct knowledge and to be an active learner.
In between these extremes, are several variations of e-learning and this has
termed as the Blended approach. It depends on the design of the e-learning
approach adopted.
o See blended approach X in which the instructor-centred approach is
maintained but the content presented is more structured following the
self-instructional format. Computer-mediate communication in the
form of discussion forum, chat room, audio and video conferencing are

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available in which learner interact with the instructor and other

learners. There is still face-to-face interaction but the contact time has
been reduced.
o See blended approach Y in which the role of the instructor fades to that
of a facilitator. The instructor meets learners at specific intervals (such
as once every 4 week over a 14 week semester). All learning materials
presented in the form of a self-instructional module and are made
available on the web which learners can download. Learners are given
freedom to purse topics which they want to and schedule their own
time between face-to-face sessions.

BlendedApproach
X

Instructor
centred

Learner
centred

Unstructured
content

Highly
structured
content

No computermediated
communication

Computer
mediated
communication

Face-to-face
sessions

No face-to-face
sessions

INSTRUCTIVIST

CONSTRUCTIVIST

Figure 4.1 Approaches in e-learning

Some e-Learning courses deliberately shift between the instructor-centred to
learner-centred approach during the progress of the course. The course may start with
the instructor firmly in charge, setting the pace, giving assignments, presenting
information and grading results. As the course progresses, the instructors role fades,
with the instructors responsibilities being taken up by learners discussing among

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themselves. By the end of the course, learners are prepared to apply their learning
alone.
Bjrke, Ask and Heck (2003) a slightly different way of examining e-learning
as comprising of three pedagogical approaches (see Figure 4.2). Instructional
teaching may be used where the task is to establish a common language, give a quick
overview, introductory courses or give personal inspiration and motivation. When a
deeper understanding, making sense of things is needed, a constructivist approach
may be useful.

Figure 4.2 Three approaches to e-learning

[source: ke Bjrke, Bodil Ask & Debbie Heck. Global cooperation on e-learning
Background and pedagogical strategy. United Nations University/Global Virtual
University. 2003]
Research has shown that most people enjoy and learn better through social
interaction, and that there is a basic truth in the statement that learning is a social
activity. As technical and infrastructural issues associated with the Internet and

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computing become less of a constraint it may be possibly for learning to migrate more
toward Social Constructivism and collaborative learning.

INSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH
This approach is the traditional, teacher and content-focused approach, described
above as mainly surface teaching. This approach tends to see learners as rather
passive receptors absorbing and regurgitating what the teacher tells them. The learners
are dependent on their instructor, who selects the sources, decides pace and judges the
students performance. Basically, the instructivist approach sees knowledge as
fairly static and objective. From the learners perspective this can be described as she
taught me. The approach is an effective tool for the teacher to set the pace, cover
the syllabus and be in control. It does not usually call for deeper understanding, and
encourages performers. However, in a complex or a super complex world, the
instructivist approach might not always be sufficient, nor the most efficient way to
learn.
CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH
This approach argues that people have to be active learners and construct knowledge
themselves. The knowledge is seen as more subjective, dynamic and expanding rather
than objective and static. The main tasks here are processing and understanding of
information, making sense of the surrounding world. The learner has a clear
responsibility for his own learning. This approach can be summed up as I made
sense of. Constructivism demands participation at all levels and moves
responsibility and empowerment down the hierarchy, thereby flattening it. The
teacher, the instructivist "Sage on the Stage" will increasingly become a "Guide on
the Side" in this setting.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST
Social constructivism means that the student joins a knowledge-generating
community and in collaboration with others solve real problems as part of their study.
In a social constructivist environment, the instructor will himself be a learner together
with his students, as the generic skills of collaboration, problem solving and creating
new knowledge are important goals by themselves. The time and pacing will be seen
as less relevant compared to instructional studies. The tasks will be processing and
assessing knowledge and generating and co-constructing new knowledge.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) Based on the several definitions of e-learning identify

the key words that are common in these definitions.
b) What is blended learning? Suggest some variations of elearning that may be adopted in your educational institution.
c) What the main differences between the instructivist and
constructivist approach in e-learning?
d) How has computer-mediated communication (forums, chat
rooms, social networking tools) made social constructivism a
viable approach in e-learning?

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Chapter 4: E-Learning
STRUCTURING E-LEARNING CONTENT
Content is King. While there are many state-of-the-art technological tools
that have made e-learning possible, the issue of making available good and high
quality content is uppermost in the minds of e-learning providers and in any instances
may be an impeding factor in the expansion of e-learning. Content refers to the
concepts, principles, theories and ideas that needs to be presented, understood and
applied by learners. Basically, content is developed a collection of web pages which
are combined and to form lessons. Each topic or chapter consists of several lessons
and these topics are packaged into a course (see Figure 4.3).
Topic

Lesson 1

Web page

Lesson

Course

Figure 4.3 Components of an e-learning course

There are several ways of structuring e-Learning content to enable learners to
achieve their learning goals. How a lesson is structured influences the extent to which
learners understand the information. Horton (2000) proposed several types of
structuring e-learning content but we will discuss three common methods of
structuring e-learning lessons: Classic tutorials, Activity-centred lessons and
Knowledge-paced tutorials.
1) CLASSIC TUTORIAL STRUCTURE
The classic tutorials and its many variants is the most common method of
sequencing e-Learning content (see diagram 4.4). In the classic tutorial, the learner
start with an introduction to the lesson and then proceed through a series of pages
teaching progressively more advanced skills or concepts. At the end of the sequence,
learners encounter a summary or review of the concepts and a test or other activity to
measure whether they accomplished the objectives of the lesson. For each skill or
concept taught, the learner has the opportunity to see an example of it in action or to
practice applying it.
The classic tutorial structure is the safe, reliable choice when you cannot think
of something better. It is familiar to learners, especially to those who have taken
conventional computer-based instruction lessons. Learner seldom get lost in such a
simple structure. It is flexible enough to adapt to many purposed yet simple enough
to create largely from templates. It fit in well with many of the currently popular
structured design methodologies and instructional design fomulas (Horton, 2000. p.

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

137). Also, with this structure, novice instructional designers may make less mistakes
compared to the other more sophisticated structures.

Introduction

Example

Example

Example

Example

Example

Example

Basic skill
or concept

Intermediate
skill or
concept

Test

Advanced skill
or concept

Summary

Figure 4.4 Structure of the classic tutorial

However, there are several variations of the classic tutorial structure and it
depends on the content or discipline and the goals of the instructional designer. For
example, for learner who want to jump straight into the test to find out if they
already know the contents of the lesson, a button might be provided for learners to
take the test. For those learners who want to revise the lesson and prepare for a test, a
button is provided for them to go jump straight to the summary.
2) ACTIVITY-CENTRED STRUCTURE
The activity-centred structure is built on a single
activity (see Figure 4.5). After a brief introduction, in
the preparation page, the learner is briefed on what he
or she is required to do. Instructions should be clear as
many learners are not familiar with such as approach
and they have to be assured that they can continue
even without being lectured on the basic concepts and
principles. The preparation page should state the
goals of the activity, how the activity fits in the lesson
and the topic, what learners must know before
beginning the activity, rules of behaviour in the activity
and links to needed information and resources.

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

Introduction

ACTIVITY

Preparation

Summary

Test

Figure 4.5 Structure of the activity-centred lesson

Then, the activity is presented and after the activity, the learner encounters
the summary page, which recaps and articulates what the learner should have got out
of the activity. Finally, the learners takes a test to verify whether he or she has
mastered the concepts and principles of the lesson by doing the activity.
Just like the classic tutorial, there are several variations of the activity-centred
lesson. For example, you could other learning and reference materials on the subject
of the lesson. Alternatively, you can introduce a practice page to give learners a
chance to practice what they have learned before taking the test. You could also
replace the test with another activity which requires them to apply their
understanding of the lesson to show that they have mastered the contents of the lesson
(Horton, 2000).
3) KNOWLEDGE-PACED TUTORIAL STRUCTURE
In the knowledge-paced tutorial, learners skip as much of the lessons as they
already know. See Figure 4.5 which is a topic consisting of three lessons. After an
introduction, learners dive into the tutorial topic and take the tests for each lesson.
For example, a learner who jumps in and take Test 1 and achieves the desired score
may choose to skip learning Lesson 1 and continue to Lesson 2 or take Test 2
and decide whether he or she knows enough to skip Lesson 2.

Introduction

Test 1

Lesson 1

Test 2

Lesson 2

Test 3

Lesson 2

Summary

Final
Test

Figure 4.5 Structure of the knowledge-paced tutorial

Each test assesses more advanced levels of knowledge or skills than those
before. Learners continue down the test series until they fail to pass a test. At that
point, they are directed into a parallel sequence of lessons. Thus, each learner enters
the sequence at the upper limit of his or her abilities. At the end of the three lessons,
learners encounter a brief summary and a final test on the entire content of the
three lessons.

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The knowledge-paced structure is used to adapt e-learning content to learners

of different initial levels of knowledge or skill. Often, learners become frustrated
when encountering material they already have mastered. This structure allows
advanced learners to skip the parts that are too basic for them. However, keep in mind
that this structure works well only if the subject has a definite progression in levels of
knowledge or skill. The knowledge-paced tutorial can be easily adapted to the
needs of learners. For example, you could allow learners to quit as soon as they meet
their learning objectives; i.e. they can exit when they feel they have mastered all they
need.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) What is meant by Content is King?

b) Why is the classic tutorial structure widely employed in
presenting content in e-learning?
c) In ways is this chapter you are reading meets the criteria of a
classic tutorial structure?
d) State the differences between an activity-centred lesson and a
knowledge-paced lesson.
e) Which of the structures suggested are most appropriate for
you subject area or discipline?

TECHNIQUES FOR PROMOTING ACTIVE E-LEARNING

E-learning content can end up as a page turner, just like reading a book on
the web where the learner is passive. Hence, the need for techniques that will elevate
learners from passively reading and watching to active seeking, selecting and most
importantly, creating knowledge (Horton, 2000). Interactivity enhances learning and
individuals have shown to have a positive attitude when learners actively engage in
the teaching-learning sessions. Also, learners are more able to grasp the concepts and
principles when they encouraged to relate concepts, solve problems and apply
knowledge learned to real-world settings.
Techniques that promote active learning are those that encourage learners to
consider, research, analyse, evaluate, organise, synthesise, discuss, test, decide and
apply concepts, principles, theories and skills. The general consensus that most of the
techniques that you use in a traditional classroom can be done in an e-learning course.
Of course, you may have to make adjustment to accommodate the limitations of elearning technology, mainly the restricted bandwidth and lack of face-to-face
interaction. Some of these techniques are performed by the class as a whole while
other techniques require just one learner to perform the activity and one tutor or
instructor to provide feedback. Let us examine some of the techniques that you can

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employ in the delivery of your e-learning course. Many of these techniques can be
adapted to work with any subject matter, Many can used with the class as a whole, by
small groups and by learners working alone.
1) WEBCASTS
The most common format of
a webcast is a lecture or speech
transmitted to learners through the
web followed by questions from
learners (see Figure 4.6). The
lecturer or presenter receives
question through chat room, audio or
conferencing system.
Webcasts should be used to
teach any kind of material that
requires
extensive
interaction
Figure 4.6 A webcast
between the instructor and learners.
It is technique that is best suited
when you do not know learners know and what they need to know, and thus unable to
predict what questions they will ask. The procedure for a webcast is as follows:
1. The instructor announces when the webcast will be conducted so that learners
can fit it into their schedules.
2. Instructor welcomes learners and introduces the presenter.
3. The presenter (who may be the instructor) presents the material.
4. Learner ask questions through the chat room or audio conferencing tool until
time runs out.
5. The instructor summarises, thanks the presenter and assigns follow-up actions
which may be to answer some questions, solve a problem or research an issue.
6. Learners perform the follow-up actions.
Although the most common form of a webcast is the lecture there are several
interesting variations. For example, the webcast could be a demonstration on how to
perform a task, a debate between two opposing sites arguing an issue, an interview
with an expert or recognised authority, a panel discussion of three to four experts, a
team of learners specially selected to research a topic and make a presentation. The
possibilities of using the webcast many and you have to select techniques that meet
your requirements.
2) DRILL AND PRACTICE
The drill and practice technique is used to repeatedly exercise a simple or
small area of knowledge. While there is strong objection from some educational
theorists on drill and practice, this technique is useful in helping learners memorise
facts that they must be able to recall reliably without hesitation. Some examples
include, spelling, grammar rules, symbols and emblems, sign language and so forth.
The drill and practice procedure is as follows:
1. Start with an introduction welcoming learners and explaining what the activity
requires and what the learner will gain.

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2. A simple problem that requires the learner to apply the knowledge or skill
being taught.
3. Opportunity for learner to solve the problem.
4. Instructor provides feedback on the learners attempt.
5. The process is repeated and learners receive feedback on their solutions.
6. At the end, learners review what they have learned and try to apply it in realworld situations.
3) SCAVENGER HUNT
The scavenger hunt is a techniques
that challenges learners to find their own
sources of information from the web. They
gather scattered bits of information from
various internet sources by citing the source
and the URL where it was found.
The scavenger hunt technique is
used to teach learners to find reliable
sources of information and especially
valuable in subject areas where the best,
most up-to-date and most accurate
information can be found on the web. In
such fields, knowing where to find information is an essential job skill in its own right
(Horton, 2000). Scavenger hunts teach learners to find, evaluate, and select sources of
information. In addition to learning how to find sources, as a bonus, learner acquire
sources they can rely on in the future. The following is the procedure for the
scavenger hunt:
1. The instructor specifies the task and the questions that need to be answered
and may suggest possible sources of information.
2. Learners identify sources of information from the web.
3. Learners answer the questions using the sources of information they have
identified.
4. Learner submit their answers to the instructor.
5. Instructor grades their submissions.
Scavenger hunts do not have to be complex and they can as simple as a list of
10-15 short questions that learners can answer by consulting web resources. To make
it more game-like, you could add a countdown timer that imposes a time limit on
searches. Emphasise that merely answering the question is not enough, learners need
to identify reliable sources of information (to judge for their accuracy) for use in the
future
4) GUIDED RESEARCH
In the guided-research activity, learners consult various sources of information
on a topic and then assemble a report or a web scrapbook summarising the topic. This
technique works well with individuals, groups and entire classes. The locating of
information is not the primary focus, but rather more important is learners having to
evaluate, select and organise information. The following are the steps for the guided
research technique:

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1. The instructor assigns the research topic (or several sub-questions) which
learners have to collect data.
2. The learners individually or in groups gather the information necessary to
answer the research question or research questions.
3. Learners evaluate the information they
have gathered, select relevant facts, and
organise them.
4. Learners each prepare a report
summarising their findings and there is a
deadline for submission.
5. The instructor grades the reports based on
the extensiveness of the research,
accuracy of facts and its organisation.
A variant of guided research is when
learners gather and organise information on a
subject in the form of a scrapbook by cutting
and pasting (not linking) resources. The material put together in the scrapbook could
be text, pictures, statistics, small bits of multimedia, quotations and so forth. The
information is annotated with brief explanations of what they mean and why learner
selected them. Learners can later post their scrapbooks to forum for others to
comment on.
5. CASE STUDY
Case studies give relevant, meaningful
experiences from which learners can abstract
useful concepts and principles. The case can be a
real-world event, process or system. Learners are
also given materials that describe or perhaps even
simulate the case. After working with the case
study, learners attempt to answer questions about
the case or to generalise the principles revealed by
the case. Web based case studies may be different
from classroom case studies because they can
include multimedia elements or simulations. The
following are the procedures for using case
studies:
1. The instructor provides learners access to
the case and assigns a list of questions to
answer.
2. Learner study the case materials.
3. Learners answer the questions and post
their answers to t discussion group who Case study from the web
review and critique each others answers.
Learner review their answers until the deadline.
4. Learners generalise the principle, trends, heuristics and guidelines they infer
from the case studied. They specify how this knowledge can be applied to
future cases in the real world.

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5. The instructor grades the learners work based on whether they identified the
correct principles.
Case studies are good for teaching complex knowledge that cannot be reduced
to a simple formula; and are especially good for teaching judgement skills necessary
to deal with complex and contradictory situations common in real life. Case studies
can take many forms such as virtual field trips which take learners to the real world,
blueprints & drawings, spreadsheets of numerical data, video clips, audio clips,
multimedia simulations and others.
6. GROUP CRITIQUE
Often people learn more from the comments of their classmates than from
their instructors. Group critiques have learners help other learners to refine their work
through online discussion. A learner prepares an answer to a question, posts it for
others to critique, and then revises if before submitting the final version. The
procedures for conducting the group critique is as follows:
1. The instructor assigns a question for learners to answer or some other task for
them to perform.
2. Individual learners post their preliminary answers to a discussion group.
3. Learner ask questions, criticise and suggest changes until the deadline.
4. The instructor evaluates learners based on the quality of the final answers and
on the helpfulness of their comments to others.
7. LEARNING GAMES
Learning games let people learn by playing. Learning games are computer
simulations that allow learners to practice a highly interactive task. The provide a
model of the real world system and by repeatedly playing the game, learners spot and
infer principles.

Stock market game

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The following are the procedures for using learning games:

1. The instructor explains the objective and the basic rules of the game.
2. The learner perceives the situation in the game and conducts. The learner may
conduct research to decide how to interpret the situation.
3. The learner reacts and plays the game to solve the problem, or to achieve a
local goal. e.g. to make money in the stock market.
4. Learners summarise what they have learned by playing the game.
5. The instructor grades learners on what they learned from the game [Not how
much money they made in the stock market!].
You could vary the use of learning games by introducing competition in the
game so players compete against one another. However, you should avoid excessive
competitiveness as it can get in the way of effective learning. If learners are highly
competitive, the game may not produce the desired outcome. To make the game more
realistic and exciting, you could incorporate objects from the real world such as
business reports, memos, technical manuals, minutes of meetings and so forth. Upload
these exhibits on the web for learners to download and use in their deliberations.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Assume that you intend to introduce e-learning for the course

you teach:
a. Explain which of the above techniques would you use to
activate learning in your course. Why?
b. Do an internet search of learning games in your subject
area? How would you incorporate them?
c. Other the techniques discussed, what other techniques
can you use to activate learning in your e-learning
course?

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PROMOTING COLLABROATION IN E-LEARNING

Learning as summarised by Savery & Duffy (1995); Boud & Feletti 1991)
and Jonassen, Davidson, Collins, Campbell, & Haag (1995) is:
1. an active and engaged process. Rather than being told what to do or how to
solve a problem, learners should be able to generate their own learning issues.
Therefore, learning is situated in a context meaningful to the learner which
leads to greater ability to transfer to other situations or settings.
2. a process of constructing knowledge. Consistent with the philosophical
principles of constructivism, problem-based learning purports that learners
construct their own knowledge.
3. being able to function at a metacognitive level. Learning is focused on
thinking skills rather than working on the "right answer the teacher wants".
Students generate their own strategies for defining the problem and working
out a solution. The instructor's role is that of a facilitator, a guide or coach,
probing students' thinking, monitoring their thinking and generally keeping the
process moving.
4. involves social negotiation. Problem-based learning requires group
collaboration. Students are able to challenge their thoughts, beliefs,
perceptions and existing knowledge by collaborating with other students thus
assisting their cognitive development process.
How does one ensure that in the in the e-learning environment, opportunities
are available to ensure that learners are active and engaged, construct knowledge,
function at a metacognitive level and are involved in social negotiation. The key word
is collaboration and in recent years several computer-mediated communication
(CMC) tools (many of which are free) have been introduced that has facilitated
collaboration in the cyber environment. These tools promote full and spontaneous
communication among learners, instructors/tutors and others and with collaboration
learners feel more empowered, daring and confrontational regarding the expression of
ideas (Kubala, 1998). The following are popular collaboration tools: [We will discuss
in more detail about these tools in Chapter 5: Web Tools and Technologies].
Email The earliest collaborative is simple and perhaps the most widely used to
communicate across the web.
Wiki - A collaborative Web site. Anyone with access to the wiki can directly edit its
content using a simplified language. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia for which
people from around the world collaborate to create and update entries.
Blogs - An online journal with chronological postings. Blogs can be authored by
individuals, but often are the collaborative efforts of multiple authors.

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Social networking sites - Sites providing closed Web pages for posting information
on personal interests and for connecting with "friends." Two popular sites are
Facebook, MySpace and more recently Twitter.
Discussion Boards - Like email, but localized so that all participants can see all
messages and who replied to whom (threads). Conversation happens asynchronously,
or over time. Many sites offer discussion boards to instructors for their classes.
Chat or Instant Messaging - With these synchronous technologies, online
conversation happens in real time. Chat or IM is usually quick and informal, and short
phrases and typos are the norm.
Teleconferencing and Videoconferencing - Real-time communication where
participants can hear and see each other. Skype is another popular conferencing
solution.

ONLINE TUTORING AND INTERACTION

As a tutor, you play a significant role in determining the extent to which
online interaction can be beneficial to learners. For this to occur, there are a number
of points that must be considered, as describe below.
Continuity:
It is important to be aware that the primary purposes of online tutoring are to provide
consultation for and to encourage discussion about course content within the forum.
As time for face-to-face sessions is limited, online tutoring in the virtual classroom
takes over from the point where face-to-face tutorials end. This means that
discussions and conversations begun in a face-to-face session do not end there; they
may be continued in the virtual classroom. The role of online tutoring and learning
within an online system may therefore be seen as complementary to and not
secondary to face-to-face sessions.
Discussion:
Online interaction provides an opportunity for collaboration, discussion and debate
among learners. As opposed to e-mail and other unidirectional forms of online
communication, online tutoring is not intended to function primarily on a one-to-one
basis. Instead, tutors must encourage learners to present multiple views and multiple
perspectives on a given subject, and to collectively seek ways of solving problems,
addressing issues and helping one another with course content. Thus, while the tutor
is an expert on a given subject and is an informed practitioner in the field, s/he is
expected to provide space for peer sharing and peer coaching. As the adage goes,
tutors are encouraged to play the role of a guide on the side rather than being a sage
on the stage.

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Frequency and Asynchronicity:

The success of online tutoring is not based on a specific number of interactions
between a tutor and his/her learners. Rather, it is based on consistent and timely
feedback given to students queries, and on the quality of the interaction that takes
place within a group. Online tutoring and learning is expected to occur at all times,
without the constraints of time and space that characterises face-to-face tutorials.
Therefore, asynchronous online discussions are used instead of synchronous or sametime discussions to allow for anytime-anywhere access both the tutor and the learner.
As part of your responsibilities as a tutor, you are encouraged to participate in online
discussions at least three times a week during the course of a semester.
Learning Support:
The success of online discussions and tutoring depends in large part on two aspects of
distance learning: (a) the consultative needs of learners and (b) the motivational
bearing of your tutelage. Needless to say, one aspect influences the other. As
distance learners are required to carry out self-regulated learning, it is incumbent upon
them to seek consultation when required. However, learners may not be forthcoming
to forward queries, ideas, understandings and interpretations at will. Thus, while
learners need consultation for course content, they may be reticent about participation
in the forum. Hence there is a need for tutors to employ various motivational
strategies to inculcate a participative culture in the online forum.
EFFECTIVE ONLINE TUTORING SKILLS
Online tutoring is conducted through a web-based facility called the forum.
The forum may be viewed as a virtual classroom or a virtual space for interaction
among tutors and learners to discuss course content, to contribute ideas related to a
task and to deliberate on issues raised in the print module. Often the forum functions
as an extension of the face-to-face tutorial and the discussion may be student-led or
tutor-led. Pedagogically speaking, the forum is a place for engaging in meaningful
academic discourse encompasses elements of collaborative learning, peer coaching
and peer support.
The forum is organised according to tutorial groups and each group has one
virtual room for discussion with the group tutor as a discussion moderator. While
learners and tutors have access to the discussions in all the other groups in the course,
contributions to the discussion are limited to ones own tutorial group.
Let us now look at the many interactive skills you will need for the discussion
forum. Although there are many strategies that may be used for effective online
interaction and communication with your learners, we will deal with three essential
categories, as follows:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

Initiating contact and establishing guidelines

Promoting interactive learning
Focusing the discussion

Each of these aspects of online communication is covered in greater detail below,

with relevant examples to help you understand its role and function in online
discourse.

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

Online Forum

a) Initiating Contact and Establishing Guidelines

At the beginning of the course, you can start online discussions by drawing
learners attention to the broad goals of the course. One place to begin would be the
contents of the print module; another would be to outline your expectations of the
students. This is also an opportunity for you to introduce yourself to the group
members, and/or to suggest an activity that can serve as a springboard for the first
face-to-face tutorial. Needless to say, you would first have to read the print module,
draw up a course outline and a teaching plan for the semester, as well as consider the
use of an appropriate teaching approach before you begin online discussions with
your group.
Essentially, you will have to use some or all of the following strategies for online
participation at the beginning of the course.
(i)

Introduce yourself as the group tutor, e. g. I am Lee Kong Beng, your tutor for
EIT 634 Fundamentals of Instructional Technology

(ii)

Encourage communication by way of invitation, e. g.

Please use this forum to raise your concerns about the course.

(iii) Give a sense of structure for online activity, e. g.

We will discuss a new topic each week.

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

(iv) Communicate your decisions on topics that should be discussed online, e. g. All
discussion related to the assignment will be carried out in the forum.
(v)

Establish a connection between online and face-to-face activity, e. g. Please

answer the following questions before the first tutorial. We will discuss the
answers in class. As a reference, read Chapters 1-3 in your module.

An important consideration with regards to your own involvement in the

forum is the nature of the course you are teaching. Courses which are offered to first
semester or first year students would undoubtedly be different from final year courses.
Often, learning support provided for new students would not only entail pointers on
assessment structure as well as content, but also online or technological aspects of the
use of the Learning Management System (LMS). The dependency on the tutor for
technology support is often less after the first year, leaving tutors to concentrate on
content-related matters thereafter.
b) Promoting Group Learning
As opposed to individual learning, group learning refers to students working
interactively to achieve a common academic goal. Learning in groups requires active
participation between two or more people to achieve learning outcomes, and may
involve pairs or groups of learners, or single learners interacting with a peer or tutor.
As a tutor, you would also fare well to provide the space learners to help each other
where possible with course-related activities such as the assignment and the tutorial
questions found in the print module. Further, instead of treating students
contributions on an individual basis, it would be better to link ideas from several
postings and deal to them all at once.
You could use some or all of the following strategies for encourage group learning for
students in your class.
(i)

Set up learning groups in the face-to-face class and assign a topic/activity

which they will discuss in the online forum. For this purpose, you may wish
to use folders (in the forum) labelled according to group or task.

(ii)

Read all the postings for a particular day/week and deal with the issues or
topics that are central to all or most of the postings.

(iii)

Encourage participation between two or more learners by inviting them to

respond to each others postings. This is sometimes referred to as peer
coaching or peer teaching.

(iv)

Make an example of peer responses that are or which are well thought-out or
which reflect critical thinking. Use words of encouragement or praise from
time to time to motivate students to respond to each other.

(v)

Use controversial issues in the print module to provoke debate and

conversation on course content. Sometimes you would have to wait for a few

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

days to get groups of learners to respond to your question(s). At other times

you may have to ask follow-up or probing questions to encourage learners to
work together on these issues or topics.
c) Moderating Online Participation
One of the most important aspects of online discussion is moderation of
the deliberations that are carried out among students. The quality of a tutors
moderation often can promote online discourse that is helpful in learning about
difficult course content. It can also help learners focus on topics of significance,
and can draw attention to ambiguity or erroneous comments by learners. Most
importantly, the manner in which a tutor manages class discussions can
determine the atmosphere in which learners participate, and can motivate learners
to engage in open communication in the online discussion forum.
Here are some strategies for moderating online discourse that you can use for
your tutorial group.
(i)

Provide guidance on how students can do an assignment or an activity in

the module. Use the students question or words to guide your response
to the query.

(ii)

In responding to questions, elaborate on a concept or idea. Use a

conversational style so that a learner is not intimidated when faced with
new knowledge.

(iii)

Provide a closure for a discussion that is lengthy, or one that where

students just cannot arrive at an answer. For a situation like this, your
professional judgment on a matter would be called for to settle an
argument or difference of opinion.

(iv)

Sometimes learners repeat questions that have been asked by their

classmates. To attend to this, draw attention to your responses to earlier
questions, or discuss this during the face-to-face tutorial.
LEARNING ACTIVITY

a. How can you encourage collaboration among learners

and the tutor to bring about the kind of learning listed
on page 17?
b. What is the role of the online tutor in an e-learning
course?
c. Discuss the skills required of an effective online tutor
when moderating communication with and between
learners.

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Chapter 4: E-Learning
KEY WORDS

E-learning
Learner-centred approach
Instructor-centred approach
Instructivist
Constructivist
Social constructivist
Blended approach

Classic tutorial
Activity-centred lesson
Knowledge-centred lesson
Webcast
Scavenger hunt
Online tutoring
Collaboration

SUMMARY

E-Learning is instruction delivered on a computer by way of CD-ROM,

internet or intranet.

E-Learning covers a wide set of applications and processes, such as web-based

learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.

E-learning has certain benefits compared to traditional classroom teaching:

self-paced, early updates, consistency, encourage independent learning,
increased participation & provision of content.

There are several approaches in delivering e-Learning depending on the role

(or lack of a role) of an instructor.

The Instructor-centred approach is when all content is provided by the

instructor in face-to-face sessions with learners while for the Learner-centred
approach the learner has access to all learning materials which is presented in
the form of a self-instructional module on the web.

The Blended approach has several variations depending on the combination of

both the instructor-centred and learner-centred approaches.

Research has shown that most people enjoy and learn better through social
interaction, and that there is a basic truth in the statement that learning is a
social activity.

This instructivist approach is described above as mainly surface teaching in

which learners are rather passive receptors absorbing and regurgitating what
the instructor tells them.

The constructivist approach argues that people have to be active learners and
construct knowledge themselves.

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Chapter 4: E-Learning

The social constructivist approach means that the student joins a knowledgegenerating community and in collaboration with others solve real problems as
part of their study.

In the classic tutorial, the learner start with an introduction to the lesson and
then proceed through a series of pages teaching progressively more advanced
skills or concepts.

The activity-centred structure is built on a single activity in which learners

determine whether they have mastered the concepts after having done the
activity.

In the knowledge-paced tutorial, learners skip as much of the lessons as they

already know.

Techniques that promote active learning are those that encourage learners to
consider, research, analyse, evaluate, organise, synthesise, discuss, test, decide
and apply concepts, principles, theories and skills.

In the e-learning environment, opportunities should be are available to ensure

that learners are active and engaged, construct knowledge, function at a
metacognitive level and are involved in social negotiation.

The online tutor plays a significant role in determining the extent to which
online interaction can be beneficial to learners.

REFERENCES
Bjrke, A, Ask, B. & Heck, D. (2003). Global cooperation on e-learning background
and pedagogical strategy. United Nations University/Global Virtual University
Clark, R. Mayer, R. (2003). e-Learning and the Science of Instruction. San Francisco:
Pfeiffer A Wiley Imprint
Horton, W. (2000). Designing web-based training. New York: Wiley.
Kubala, T, (1998). Addressing student needs: Teaching on the internet. T.H.E.
Journal. 25(8). 71-74.
Nick van Dam, 2004, The e-Learning Fieldbook, New York: McGraw-Hill