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eLearning, TIC and the new teaching

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Pensee Journal Vol 76, No. 12;Dec 2014

Title: eLearning, TIC and the new teaching

Juan Carlos Fernández-Rodríguez (Corresponding author)
Universidad Antonio de Nebrija
Calle Pirineos nº 55. 28040-Madrid. Spain
Tel: 91 452 11 00 E-mail: jfernanr@nebrija.es

Fernando Miralles Muñoz

Universidad San Pablo CEU.
Crta. Boadilla del Monte Km. 5 Urb. Monte Príncipe. 28668-Boadilla del Monte. Spain
Tel: 91 7580 310 E-mail: f.miralles@ceu.es

José Javier Rainer

Universidad Internacional de La Rioja. UNIR
Paseo de La Castellana 163. 28043-Madrid. Spain
Tel: 91 567 43 91 E-mail: javier.rainer@unir.net

Abstract
Including the option of eLearning as another learning method has meant embracing a new teaching style for the
digital teacher. Keeping the traditional roles of educator and student, the eLearning teacher has become a knowledge
facilitator rather than a knowledge broadcaster. With the use of technology, the e-teacher functions have changed and
they had to acquire new digital competences, going through an adaptation to the pupils' new learning methods and
having new tools available for teaching innovation. All this has to be achieved not forgetting the communication
with the students and the human factor present in every educational process.
Keywords: eLearning, digital teacher, teaching innovation, communication.
1. Introduction
The teaching globalisation has caused a shock; due to distance learning systems and the use of technology,
nowadays we are presented with the results of the natural evolution in teaching. Because of the evolution occurred in
the field of distance education and after overcoming its effectiveness concerns (Fernández-Rodríguez, 2013), as well
as those regarding quality (Fernández-Rodríguez, Rainer and Miralles, 2014), we have been able to deal with
important questions, such as the personalised education, where the student can set and reach individual learning
goals (Hannafin , Hill, Land and Lee, 2014) and receive an open education (MOOC courses). Another factor to be
considered is the removal of geographical barriers. We can state that this already occurred and it can be applied to
multiple contexts (Dias, Diniz and Hadjileontiadis, 2014; Fernández-Rodríguez, Rainer and Miralles, 2013).
The new technologies are changing our reality. In the educational world, the changes have been really important and
significant. Maybe one of the most relevant changes has been the way teaching is delivered, and technology is
without a doubt the most relevant catalyst. As a consequence of the changes in teaching, there has been a student
adaptation as they, consequently, must use the new technologies not only to study, but also to collaborate,
communicate, socialise and learn. We can use, as an example, the inclusion of communication tools between
teachers and students, like chats, video conferences, electronic whiteboards, email and forums, where, according to
Amador (2014), the student role has changed to become more active and the teacher has become a knowledge
facilitator and a leader in the learning path. This is done without leaving aside the required knowledge for their area
and adding updated training on technology and teaching.
The chance to integrate the TIC (Technologies of Information and Communication) into the education, firmly set

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nowadays, not only offers a greater probability to bring knowledge closer to a larger number of people and places,
saving huge distances, but it also ensures that innovation is applied to learning, and therefore to teaching. With a
broader range of possibilities, learning has been somehow modified when compared with classroom teaching.
Educational practises and education itself have experienced changes, mainly because the use of TICs offers different
possibilities that we did not really find in what we call the traditional education (Rainer, Fernández-Rodríguez and
Lombardero, 2013).
2. eLearning and teaching
eLearning is a type of training and learning that requires its teachers to use a new approach and a new way of
working. The way of communicating with students is completely different, as is the way students receive the
different learning contents. Initially, and despite the eLearning special features, the e-teacher basic principles and
responsibilities do not substantially change with regards to the traditional or 'analogue' teacher. Mastering the subject
taught, motivating and being close to the students are matters shared by all teachers (Fernández-Rodríguez, Rainer
and Miralles, 2012). However, eLearning is developed within a specific framework that we can call liberating and
that can alter fundamentally the way these functions are developed. There is really a need for a tutor in the strict
sense of the term, fulfilling the role of a knowledge facilitator, rather than a knowledge broadcaster (Blázquez and
Alonso, 2009).
As Cabero (2006) mentioned, the tutor-teacher will be a learning 'facilitator' who will allow the information offered
to become real knowledge. The eLearning teacher has to fulfil evaluation-related functions, as well as those related
to the provision of information adapted to the students’ particularities. In addition, he/she has to be an expert in the
different contents and a learning facilitator. This will involve completing tasks such as designing learning
experiences o motivating students to do self-study (Lucero, Alonso and Blázquez, 2010).
Teachers’ and students’ activities are strongly linked, mainly when considering the work developed by the teacher
and his/her students’ actions (Rowley and O'Dea, 2014). More specifically, the eLearning teacher activity is directly
linked not only to the student’s tasks, but also to their performance and satisfaction (Shih Ma and Estrada, 2011).
The activities designed by the teacher-tutor play a very important role in the success of the course developed, mainly
due to the monitoring-mentoring, information and counselling functions performed on the students (Arranz, Aguado
and Lucía, 2008).
eLearning goes beyond integrating TIC. The fundamental key consists on the education and organizational
integration, as well as the use of the technologies. To consider the opportunities that those tools offer for education is
an effort and a commitment that must be investigated in order to implement them later on in the learning process.
Students and teachers together, working in collaboration and making the most of the possibilities offered by the
available technologies, can conform an educational community that always maintains the referent of society and the
people that request learning, as well as the educational model desired (Trujillo and Hinojo, 2010).
Thus, we can appreciate that the eLearning teacher has a particularly important role in this type of learning, 'the
digital teacher' has to adapt to this way of learning, developing roles different to those of the 'analogue teacher'
(Muñoz and González, 2012). A research based on 166 replies from university professors found a very low level of
computer graphics and multimedia training.
According to Blázquez and Alonso (2009), the teacher must seriously consider the type of training that he/she wants
to deliver in order to achieve a real interaction with the student. It may be necessary to reduce the amount of
contents offered to focus on the subject basics and let the students to actively develop themselves through the
interaction. To do this, it would be necessary to provide additional materials to any student wishing to gain a deeper
knowledge on the subject matter. The feedback provided by the teacher is a teaching activity in itself (Maldonado
and Eduardo, 2011).
With regards to the new functions that the new digital teacher must develop. García (2006) considers that the most
important for the distance tutors are the permanent availability of training, understanding and comprehending the
nature of learning through Internet and developing new training projects adapted to new technologies, as well as
having the knowledge necessary to adapt the teaching strategies to the specific needs of some students (Méndez and
Cataldi, 2012). The author also suggests four qualities that every distance learning tutor should have: the ability to
make the student feel respected and comfortable, the ability to accept the student, being honest and sincere and
knowing how to show real empathy to wear the students’ shoes.

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Other authors, like Pérez and Serrano (2005), suggest other functions, such as being educationally responsible so the
student can explore new resources, have a good work organisation, especially with regards to the course agenda, and
another social function promoting the relationship amongst students and teachers. There is an uplifting function
when checking the materials prepared by the students and it is important to provide feedback on the evaluated work
in the shortest time possible.
To perform these functions, Fainholc (2008) states that the tutor does not work in an isolated way, but he/she is
within a group of specialists that collaborate with each other to make the student learning process more effective.
According to this author, the two basic responsibilities of the teacher are: to act as a support so the student can be as
autonomous as possible, and to promote innovative educational practices for the students to include them in the
educational process.
The conclusion from the research completed by Blázquez and Alonso (2009) is that the e-teacher needs to have and
develop a series of teaching-related, orientation and technical functions that require them to have certain
competencies. The intensity in fulfilling these functions and competencies by the online training teacher can vary
depending on the training programme features.
Following the ideas of Fernández-Rodríguez, Rainer and Miralles (2012), in addition to the mentioned functions,
there is a general agreement, mainly educational, about the fact that one of the main e-teacher and e-tutor functions
consists on developing a dynamising role through any of the activities specifically designed for each objective and
content. Their attitude is really essential, conveying their enthusiasm, commitment and intellectual dedication to the
students. The eLearning teacher-tutor does not act independently, on the contrary, it is an integral part of a system
where his/her functions and roles are defined. In any distance learning course or activity, we can recognise a series
of participating components: human components (students, teachers and support staff) and non-human (technology
and contents). As in any learning process, there is a knowledge negotiation (contents) between the teacher and the
student, facilitated by the support staff needed in a structure with a strong technological character. It is important to
consider that we should not forget that these technological means are just tools, because the main objective in
training is always the student and his/her learning.
3.Including technology in eLearning teaching
Distance learning content is no exception to the inclusion of digital technologies mainly due to two reasons. The first
one is that this type of education uses technology from two perspectives: as a way to manage the educational process
and as a teaching tool. The second one because the educational process core is integrated by people and these people
is directly affected in many different ways by their relationship with the TICs (Garcia-Peñalvo and Seoane, 2014).
The development of information and communication technologies (TIC) very clearly favoured the creation and
development of eLearning. The communication is another essential element in the educational process that also
benefited from the integration or attachment of TICs. This does not mean that the new technologies in themselves
enrich the communication processes, but specific proposals can benefit from the possibilities that the technologies
offer to create real communication networks and to build up knowledge. Because of this, there is a need to analyse
the best practices and all those methodologies that favour the communication processes (Fernández-Rodríguez and
Rainer, 2014). Following the ideas of García-Peñalvo (2014), when we talk about improving the interaction between
people and computers, this is not done with the objective to remove the human factor, which is key in education. On
the contrary, we should consider improving the relationships amongst people through the new generation of digital
ecosystems, with the ability to evolve, following the continuous needs that may arise in the future in
learning/teaching processes.
It is important to consider that the technological content on itself has no use for the student learning, unless it has a
clear educational, didactic and institutional foundation (Restrepo, 2005; Fernández-Rodríguez, Rainer and Miralles,
2012). The computer application of the different platforms could rely on this educational foundation to facilitate the
teaching role of teachers. The training efficiency does not lie in the teaching mode, but on the educational approach
on which the training is based, with the educational variable being the most significant dimension of the learning
(Rodríguez-Hoyos, 2010). In fact, following the ideas of García Aretio (2010), the results achieved by students
depend more on the educational design used in the training projects than on the technological resources used for
learning. With this in mind, learning would be the result of the design and the educational method used, rather than
the currently employed technology.
eLearning is usually considered one of the distance learning modes that generally refer to the new TIC technologies

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with a learning purpose. Thus it becomes a relevant factor in the transfer of information and training, allowing a
personalised tutoring process, constant access to the course programme, improvement of communication amongst
students and between students and the teacher by using tools such as discussion forums, live chats and email
activities designed by the tutor, monitoring of activities and evaluations that allow measuring results. These
activities are usually developed within a virtual classroom and they are included in the student learning process
(Cardona and Sánchez, 2010).
The implementation of digital learning-teaching environments requires the development and support of IT tools that
are particularly indicated for this purpose. Some of them are specifically designed with an educational purpose (tools
for learning or collaborative working, for course design, management and distribution, academic administration, etc.)
and on other occasions it is possible to use Internet services o applications with a general purpose and normally
already included in learning platforms (forums, chats, shared folders, servers, etc.). Technology itself can help to
design effective teaching resources, to facilitate communication processes and to improve the learning process
monitoring. The communication tools and technological devices are one of the main foundations when designing
flexible learning-teaching models, although we defend the principle that the most sophisticated technology is not
what will bring success to learning in virtual environments. This success will happen if we do the correct
methodological use of this technology.
But eLearning involves more than just integrating the TICs in the educational process, it includes taking up a
teaching model (we can no longer call it 'new'), where the student plays a role of high-responsibility in his own
education, contributing to develop the efficiency of the learning-teaching process, and in doing so, contributing to
improve the quality of the educational model (Baelo, 2009). Moreover, it is necessary to mention how well students
receive technology-based teaching tools (Mirete and García-Sanchez, 2014), and how much this will help the
teaching job.
The challenge of the new technologies does not just lie in the change of role or function of the teacher, but it also
affects globally each and every element that participates in the relationship between the teaching means and
environment. The TICs imply a new conceptualisation of distance learning, setting the psycho educational
foundations for the use of virtual learning environments (López-Fernández et al., 2014). Thus, it is no surprise that
we find ourselves faced with different teaching models, as there is more than one way to represent and understand
reality. A model must be understood as a mediator between theory and practice.
The new technologies not only help to develop eLearning, together with the construction of applications, they also
help to actually get closer to students with particular needs (Fernández-Rodríguez and Rainer, 2014). The topic of
teaching innovation requires to be mentioned separately. Thanks to technology, teachers can overcome aspects such
as the lack of participation, lack of resources o even a poor communication. Technology can provide an optimisation
of the educational processes and a clear example are the services offered in the cloud and their relationship with
eLearning (Pinchao, Bastidas, Ortiz, Polanco and Porras, 2014).
As an example of this optimisation we can focus on some of the teaching tools used. For those in favour of using
online platforms, the blogs are an appropriate way of communicating and interacting for teachers and students. It is
possible to achieve a real learning from a blog without specific applications or exorbitant costs. In addition, it
provides different help possibilities for the teacher-student relationship, such as class support, reinforcement of
completed tutorial, etc. (Salgado, Gonzalez and Zamarra, 2014).
4.Discussion
It is clear that providing teaching through eLearning has obvious differences with the traditional, 'analogical' or
'face-to-face' learning. We can also verify that including technology has facilitated change. The introduction of new
technologies in teaching will continue to shape the future and this change will not affect the traditional roles of
teacher and student. To date we do not have information about the real effects obtained from changing the teaching
style, however, the daily experience shows that these could be positive.
The available time that the eLearning teacher has to perform the different tasks and reinforce learning is very
important. We should not forget that an eLearning teacher needs a large amount of time to perform the different
aspects involved in the online teaching activity and many teaching bodies tend to forget this consideration.
Tutors must take the role of real leaders and drivers of the students learning process, given that the students have
access to the contents and the information that they need to assimilate individually. The tutor must be a counsellor
on the best way to study and learn them: the most adequate strategies, the best way to organise the study time and

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the planning of their academic path. This is done considering the study programme chosen by the student, his/her
time, objectives and academic goals, particularly for adult students.
Consequently, having a large number of students will imply a reduction of the teaching quality. However and in any
case, the teacher will try to prevent the appearance of one of the variables more closely related to the eLearning
system failure, what we can call: 'the student loneliness and sense of isolation'. This is an aspect that requires
educational bodies to use extreme care.
It seems clear that when faced with the challenge of technologies and their influence in virtual learning, teachers
must have clear digital competences and a proactive approach towards them, not only because of the teaching
innovation associated to them, but also because their positive effects on education and the real influence on teaching
methodology. In addition, they have to assess and rate all the educational actions performed. It is imperative to
resolve the teachers’ digital shortcomings, the lack of training, the lack of motivation, the potential resistance to
change or the potential fear to face students that are digitally better prepared.
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