The role of E-Learning Technology in higher Education
Jamal al sharhan
College of Education
King Saud University
Saudi Arabia
jsharhan@hotmail.com
Abstract:
Would like to watch your students develop their skills and discover a web based
application in your university and how their education helped them to become using
this on -line tools and interconnection between students them self and academic
staff. However, introducing of e-learning systems has changed the way of learning.
This paper explores the role of e-learning and impacts in higher educating. Good
funds and technical resources are the importance issues to be considered. The
implementing of e-learning is depending on successful delivering contents, courses,
and academic staff training .Poor facility will affects the utilization of e-learning by
students and academic staff .On the other hands, Poor fit discourages some
instructors from using the e-learning in their performance, and few universities have
lots of challenges regard e-learning such as King Saud University. Academic staff
participants are not enough in some universities and some of them are not
responded to use e-learning in classrooms. Educators need to take a serious and
wary approach to accepting claims of ensured participation in e-learning in all
classrooms. This paper indicating that the better fit of an e-learning to the skills of an
instructor and the more positive its effect on their performance. However, educational
technologists concerned with understanding the impact of e-learning on learning into
teaching learning process.
Introduction
The rapid growth of e-learning in the world has made learning very quickly develop.
Classroom facilities have been recognized as important to the educational experience of
students. New concepts of classrooms have come with the advent of the use of the Internet
and e-learning into teaching learning process. which requires new thinking about how we
acquires knowledge and skills .The literature review has been defined the e-learning in
different ways, e-learning describe instructional content or learning experience delivered or
enabled by electronic technologies(ong and lai 2004).Other definition can include the use of
internet , audio ,video ,TV ,CD,DVD,ect ,but not only for content delivery, but the interaction
among participation, however, other definition can be further expanded to include mobile and
wireless learning application (kinshuk and others,2003,lehner and others,2003 ).The concept
of e-learning is expected to develop as technology advances, Synchronous e-learning
includes technology such as video conferencing and electronic white
boards(Romiszowski,2004). Most of the courses available on the internet are based on this
asynchronous model (Greenagel,2002).Students can be involved in e-learning from
distributed location ,as in distance learning (Gunasekaran and others 2002). However some
of Saudi universities are adopting e-learning to classrooms such as King Saud University
,King Fahd University Petroleum and Minerals,King Abulaziz University and King Khalid
University.
Background
The short history of e-learning is not new ,in 1982,the 1st technology application was
computer assisted learning (CAL)with interactive video and branched learning, and in 1984
developed interactive leadership training modules for disc systems, in 1992-6 designed and
developed an integrated computer aided instruction (CIA) ,in 1997-9 developed electronic
learning systems and in 2000 developed intelligent search for online help file system(Vollmer
,2010 ). With the application of e-learning a number of direction are been explored, such as
exchange ideas, challenge the statues. E-learning tools and technology will give academic
staff, teachers, trainers, instructors, administrators, and instructional designers the knowledge
they need to pick tools and technology that support their e-learning efforts. It will also help
academic staff to understand the technology they are now required to use to deliver their
courses over networks and select tools and technology to carry their plains and designs for elearning.
The e-learning models of higher education in Saudi Arabia today find their roots in
technological advancement for changing education; beginning with the integrating of internet,
these trends provides universities education an ideal channel for the delivery of educational
content.
Important factors to consider
E-learning technology can be received by a large number of students simultaneously land
transmitted over an extended geographical area. However, teaching methods in some
universities have so far concentrated on the use of textbooks and blackboard ,and little use of
internet technology ,e-learning, small group discussion and that those teaching techniques
were subject to criticism and discussion by some writers such as AlZaid
(1982),Postilethwaiter and Husen (1985),Ajaco(2006). Some factors affect the universities in
higher education need to be borne in mind when academic staffs, teachers, educaters and
policy maker's conceder the adoption of e-learning into their contents. These include:
1-Lack of resources
2-Lack of training course academic staff and students
3-Limitations of downloading
4-Weak of academic staff and student's motivation
5-Weak of students interactive of web skills
6-Poor of computer knowledge
7- Lack of awareness among the e-learning
8-Lack learning atmosphere
9-Low funds
10-Software problems
11- Too much cotent:Lots of stuff
12-Over administration: lots of tracking
13-Inflexible learning process
14-Shortage of maintenance in equipments and material
Recommendation
The benefits of e-learning for outweigh it challenges, thus, it is imperative that higher
education come to resolve the important factors above and it is necessary to take initiative to
overcome above problems. Introducing e-learning in teaching and learning process are
needed in higher education system. However, the important of recommendation are to
increase the level of use e-learning and to integrate into Saudi universities because of their
potential values in teaching and learning process. Some of the most important
recommendation can adopted are listed below:
1-Develop policies for e-learning in higher education
2-Universities should measures to improve proficiency in e-learning
3-Improve the computer laboratories in all universities
4-Make "learning" the goal not the use of technology
5-Focuses on the learner and not only tools
6-Balance stuff (content)
7-Ensure academics staff are well trainers and skilled
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