E-Learning

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1. E-Learning
Digitalization changes the way humans live in all fields. The main purpose of digitalization is to get
efficiency and optimization in human life. One of the digitalization products in the field of education is
e-learning. E-learning is a new way of teaching and learning by using all forms of electronic devices.
The Real Meaning of e-learning is all the process of transferring expertise and knowledge with all digital
media and networks, both intranet and internet. So, we can say that e-books, video and audio digitalized
in the form of CDs have implemented e-learning methods. Most people think that e-learning is limited
to online learning. Some experts emphasize that e-learning refers to internet use. Onno W. Purbo (2002)
explains that the term "e" or abbreviation of electronics in e-learning is used as a term for all
technologies used to support teaching efforts through internet electronic technology. The e-learning
discussed in this paper is e-learning which emphasizes internet usage.
The difference between e-learning and traditional learning. In e-learning learning, students are the main
focus. Whereas, traditional learning, the teacher is considered to be the person who knows everything
best and is assigned to channel knowledge to his students. So, in an e-learning atmosphere it will force
students to be active in the learning process. So that students must plan and look for material with their
own efforts and initiatives. E-learning can replace the teacher in the true sense. E-learning will be a
supplement and a complement of teacher representatives that represents an important learning resource
in the world.
The Purpose of E-Learning
In an era where technology and information are rapidly developing, e-learning is needed by the
education community. However, e-learning is not just a technology that must be available in schools or
campuses. In building e-learning, educational institutions should not only aim to catch up with
technological lags. As explained by Cisco (2001) that the actual philosophical purpose of developing
e-learning is as follows. E-learning is the delivery of information, communication, education, training
on-line.
E-learning provides a set of tools that can enrich the value of conventional learning (conventional
learning models, studies of textbooks, CD-ROMs, and computer-based training) so that they can answer
the challenges of the development of globalization.
E-learning does not mean replacing conventional learning models in the classroom, but strengthens
the learning model through content enrichment and educational technology development
Student capacity varies greatly depending on the form of content and how it is delivered. The better
the harmony between content and delivery tools with learning styles, the better the capacity of students,
which in turn will give better results.
Characteristics of E-Learning
There are several requirements that must be fulfilled so that a system can be categorized as e-learning,
including the following.
 Utilizing electronic technology services; where teachers and students, students and fellow students
or teachers and fellow teachers can communicate relatively easily without being restricted by protocol
matters.
Harnessing the advantages of computers (digital media and computer networks)
Using self-learning materials is stored on a computer so that it can be accessed by teachers and
students anytime and anywhere if the person needs it.
Utilizing the learning schedule, curriculum, learning progress results and matters relating to
educational administration can be seen at any time on the computer
E-Learning Support Technology
E-learning technology is grouped into two, namely: technology based learning and technology based
web-learning. Technology based learning is divided into two parts, namely: audio information
technologies (radio, audio tape, voice mail telephone) and video information technologies (video tape,
video text, video messaging). While technology-based web-learning is basically data information
technologies (bulletin board, internet, e-mail, tele-collaboration).
But in practice in everyday learning, e-learning combines the technologies mentioned above. Among
the many internet facilities, according to Onno W. Purbo (1997), there are five standard internet
applications that can be used for educational purposes, namely e-mail, mailing lists, News groups, File
Transfer Protocol (FTP), and the World Wide Web (WWW).
2. The Advantages of E-Learning and The Weakness of E-Learning.
Advantages of E-Learning
Instructions on the benefits of internet use, especially in open and distance education (Elangoan,
1999; Soekartawi, 2002; Mulvihil, 1997; Utarini, 1997), among others.
Availability of e-moderating facilities where teachers and students can communicate easily
through internet facilities regularly or whenever communication activities are carried out without being
limited by distance, place and time. Teachers and students can use instructional materials or structured
and scheduled learning instructions through the internet, so that both can assess each other to what
extent the teaching material is learned. Indirectly this learning method encourages students to use
technology so that students not only get knowledge but also not to be clueless about technology
(stuttering technology).
Save costs in implementing teaching and learning activities because they require relatively few
facilities and resources when compared to traditional learning. Students can study or review
instructional materials at any time and anywhere if needed considering teaching materials are stored on
the computer. Both teachers and students can hold discussions through the internet which can be
followed by a large number of participants, thus increasing knowledge and broader insights. Students
must be really active in the learning process, because lecturers only act as directors, mediators,
motivators, and facilitators. Support government programs "Go Green" because it can save the use of
paper that is used to record or work on tasks.
The Weakness of E-Learning
However, the internet for learning or e-learning is also inseparable from various shortcomings. Various
criticisms (Bullen, 2001, Beam, 1997), among others.
Less interaction between teachers and students or even between students themselves. This lack of
interaction can release the formation of values in the learning and teaching process. Social or social
aspects and vice versa encourage business / commercial aspects. The learning and teaching process
leads to training in the direction of education. Changing the role of teachers from the beginning who
mastered conventional learning techniques, is now also required to understand the learning techniques
that use ICT. Students who have no learning motivation, who have high difficulty. Not everything that
students need must be active. Quantitative lessons (mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc.). For these
quantitative lessons, traditional learning is still very much needed by students. Responsibility for
lessons taken through e-learning methods is difficult to prove because learning is in cyberspace, where
in this world everything can be easily manipulated.
E-Learning Psychological Impacts
By using e-learning, more parameters need to be sought regarding learning in e-learning, because this
brings a big change in the world of learning. However, many aspects can have a negative impact on the
use of e-learning, for example e-learning can be a disorientation dilemma for students because it has a
gap in the internet world. Research in the world of e-learning is generally more than the business,
economic, and learning theory of e-learning, while the amount of research in the field of learning
experience by students is still minimal. Nevertheless, several studies have proven the emotional
experience of students who take e-learning, and it turns out that there are quite a number of students
who need and learn in the world of e-learning. As a learning process, e-learning must be connected with
logistics. This will make the development of e-learning and support in e-learning more rich and reliable.
Kerry O’Regan in his journal entitled Emotion And E-Learning, explored various experiences and
emotional feelings of students in participating in e-learning. This research was conducted with
qualitative methods. Here are the results of the study.
Frustration
Perceived by all respondents. generally with regard to technological problems, administrative
processes, as well as the design and structure of website content towards the learning process.
Fear and Anxiety
It was felt by almost all respondents. generally caused by a lack of control in the e-learning system
used. the characteristics of anonymous internet are also one of the causes.
Embarrassing feeling
It was felt by some respondents, and interestingly, all were women. caused by the possibility that
their inability was revealed to other participants.
Enthusiasm
The respondents felt enthusiastic in their experience in e-learning. the causes include: being greatly
helped by the technology, the existence of new tools that can be used, can gain knowledge with a wider
range of existing connections.
Pride
Felt by several respondents. caused by the nature of e-learning that is public and permanent.
3. The Example of Conversation E-Learning
In the introduction of the story, show how the learner is facing a challenge. That problem is one that
can be addressed through your training. Maybe your character has been dealing with an angry customer,
students that are disengaged in class, or a project that is behind schedule. Your character needs new
skills: how to respond to customer objections, how to motivate students, or how to get a slipping project
back on track. This character is facing a moment of need. If your audience faces a similar challenge,
they can immediately see that this training is relevant because they want to solve this problem too. Your
character seeks help from a mentor.
Tom: How many of our patients do you think have problems with alcohol or drugs? It can’t be that large
of a number.
Deborah: I’ve seen estimates that the lifetime prevalence of alcohol use disorders is about 30 percent
of the total population.
Tom: Thirty percent?!? That can’t be right.
Deborah: It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? I couldn’t believe it either. That includes both abuse and
dependence though.
Tom: I never would have guessed it was so high.
[A little later in the conversation, after a few more statistics on the impact of addition]
Tom: Wow, I didn’t realize what a significant issue this is. I must treat patients all the time who are
dealing with addiction without even knowing it.
Deborah: That’s probably true.
Tom: But is this really something we should be dealing with as primary care physicians? Aren’t
counselors and specialists really better equipped to handle these issues?
Deborah: We should refer patients to specialists when they need extra help. We need to address it here
first though. We’re still the people our patients see the most. It’s even more important that we do so
now with the Affordable Care Act.
Tom: Why does that matter?
4. The grammatical error that kill the credibility of an e-learning course.
a. Overlooking Subject-Verb Agreement
A very simple error that should not be overlooked is subject-verb agreement. For example, saying
‘Peacock and Tiger is the national symbols of India’ is incorrect. ‘Peacock and Tiger are the national
symbols of India’ is correct. Such trivial errors distract learner attention from the course content. The
subject and verb must agree on the number; if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular.
b. Excessive Use of Passive Voice
The key objective of all e-learning courses is teaching or training – processes, topics, subjects,
principles, methods etc., to the learner. Use of passive voice makes the content dull and unclear, severely
compromising the learning process. It hides the object of learning and makes learning difficult. For
example, consider the statement, ‘A cute and fascinating animal from Antarctica that stands erect and
has tiny feet to help it move is the Penguin’. The fact that we are speaking about the Penguin gets lost
in this sentence (this can be rewritten as: The Penguin is a cute and fascinating animal from Antarctica,
which has tiny feet to move). Learners get bored or confused by long winding sentences and may skip
content.
c. Verbosity
The needless usage of verbs and excessive prepositions creates long, winding sentences that leave little
impact on the learner. Sentences should be succinct and crisp for maximum impact. Proofreading and
editing should ensure the deletion of unnecessary words and create impactful sentences. Cluttering
sentences and paragraphs with words, phrases, and expressions can lead to both misinterpretation and
an increase of the production costs of e-learning.
d. Unnecessary Usage of Articles
The incorrect usage of articles (a, an, the) is a common grammatical error that often compromises the
standard of content. Unnecessary and wrong usage of articles irritates learners, and negatively impacts
the credibility of the entire e-learning course. Learners look at you as the expert on the subject, and
mistakes like this will make them distrust both the content and your competence.
e. Usage of Complex Words and Lengthy Sentences
Lengthy sentences and complex words slow down learners, forcing them to pay attention to the wording,
rather than learning. A recent study has found that 79% of people reading online merely scan or skim
through the content and only 16% read every word. Simple words and sentences create reader-friendly
content that is easy to skim through and absorb. Through proofreading and grammar checks, we can
address content sloppiness and errors and create simple, effective, and impactful e-learning content. A
crosscheck of identified grammatical errors can help us in creating simple, clear, and crisp content.
Let’s take these tips seriously to improve our content standards to meet international levels.
Conclusion
E-learning is a new way of teaching and learning by using all forms of electronic devices. The use of
the internet is the main focus of technology that must be used e-learning. So that it is possible for
students not to meet face to face with the teacher. The main purpose of implementing e-learning is to
get efficiency and optimization in the teaching and learning process. There are several conditions that
must be fulfilled so that a system can be categorized as e-learning. Basically the technology of
supporting e-learning is grouped into two, namely audio information technologies and video
information technologies. E-learning does not always have a positive impact but also has a negative
impact. In addition, there are several psychological impacts for students who use e-learning technology.

References

E-Learning. (2012, Maret 2). Retrieved 2 3, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-

learning.

Kerry O’Regan, Emotion and E-Learning, the University of Adelaide South Australia, Australia, Volume
7, Issue 3 — September 2003.

Romi Satria Wahono, Strategi Baru Pengelolaan Situs eLearning Gratis,

http://www.ilmukomputer.com, 2003.

Soekartawi, Prinsip Dasar E-Learning: Teori Dan Aplikasinya Di Indonesia, Jurnal Teknodik, Edisi
No.12/VII/Oktober/2003.