The Pros And Cons Of E-Learning

Today e-learning is mostly delivered though the internet, although in the past it was delivered using a blend of computer-based methods like CD-ROM. E-learning provides the learners with the ability to fit learning around their lifestyles, effectively allowing even the busiest person to further a career and gain new qualifications. Overall, traditional learning is expensive, takes a long time and the results can vary. E-learning offers an alternative that is faster, cheaper and potentially better. The term “e-learning” has only been in existence since 1999, when the word was first utilized at CBT systems seminar. Other words also began to spring up in search of an accurate description such as “online learning” and “virtual learning” However,

New and experienced workers alike now had the opportunity to improve upon their industry knowledge

base and expand their skill sets. At home individuals were granted access to programs that offered them the ability to earn online degrees and enrich their lives through expanded knowledge. (P, 6, 11).

Key to the concepts of online learning is that a very significant part of the

Course delivery and course work takes place virtually, using the internet. At one end of the scale we have 100 percent online course, where learner never meet face-to-face, and all course content and course work takes place online, and at the other end of the scale, a blended option where most course work takes place face- to-face, but is a regular and carefully integrated online component to the course. Online learning is often delivered via a learning ‘platform’ or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) also known as a Learner Management System (LMS), or a virtual classroom, a VLE web based platform and which course content can be stored. It is accessed by learner on the internet, and they cannot only see course content, such as documents, audio and video lecture, but also do

There are also some technologies that work in a complementary manner to other software and enable new features, for example software that adds a whiteboard on your video conferencing tool to allow you or your peers to make changes on other people’s work for review, or screen-sharing which allows someone to make a presentation while still making comments and giving input using the microphone.

E-learning makes good use of database and CMS (Content Management System) technologies. These two work hand in hand to store your course content, test results and student records. The data is stored in the database and the CMS provides a user interface for you to add, update and delete data. A good LMS will often provide reporting tools to generate and store progress reports.(p,49,51)

In online teaching and learning student is often on a computer reading or seeing the syllabus or completing homework .the students are often at home or in a computer lab as compared sitting in the classroom with desks and the teacher