Learning from the computer screen

E-learning is bound to play an increasingly important role in the education scene in the coming years.
Often, the e-learning process involves four steps: material being presented, practised, assessed, and reviewed. The progressive steps are adapted from experiential education theory, which forms a strong foundation for effective learning. These can be explained as follows: New materials such as theory and practical skills are introduced. Participants practise the application of the newly presented materials. They assess their work. They reflect and review the lessons learned. This will influence the next progressive iteration of the learning cycle. Elements involved E- lectures: introduction of concepts and techniques. Discussion forum: enables online interaction. Posting of questions as well as responses. Expert guidance: clearing serious doubts or giving answers to questions. There can be an online `mentor' who will provide answers to your queries. This ensures personalised instruction wherever needed. Network treasury: a catalogue of websites that can be of special help in handling specific topics. Sometimes, referred to as `course documents.' Local learning tutor/facilitator, for face-to-face guidance, especially for developing practical skills. Group activities: group discussions, seminars, learning circles and partnership activities. This ensures interaction among peer groups, thereby easing the pains of isolation in the educational effort. Communication of this kind will add substantially to the efficiency of learning. Students who have lived in hostels do know how much and how well they learnt from healthy interaction among their hostel mates. There will be concerns regarding the efficacy of e-learning in comparison with conventional classroom face-to-face teaching. It has been established that well-planned and executed e-learning has been effective; further, it has proved to be a blessing to those who have no opportunity to engage themselves in the conventional mill of institutional rigours. The pace of learning can be determined by the learner to suit his taste and convenience. The framing of curricula and syllabi, and flexible schedules may have to be different from those of routine institutionalised academic programmes. E-learning is interactive and dynamic, though the setting is different from that in a college or school. The capabilities and talents of the best teachers are made to benefit thousands of students stationed in various locations. Periodic assessment and evaluation of students, and remedial steps are easily arranged. As in on-campus education, benchmarks can be kept in respect of curriculum construction, syllabus review and updating, institutional contribution, student assessment, teacher assessment and so on to ensure quality in the teaching-learning process. The tremendous advantage in e-learning has been brought out by an expert thus: "Internet-based work allows collaborators to communicate any time from anywhere to any place. People from different parts of a building, State, country, continent or the globe can exchange information, collaborate on shared documents and ideas, study together, or reflect on their own practices." It is estimated that several millions of students undergo e-learning at the global level, and that there is a 25 per cent growth in the number of e-learners. In India also, e-learning is an emerging trend. The Indian Space Research Organisation has taken the initiative for e-learning in institutions such as Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. There has been help from Carnegie Mellon University. Two deemed Universities, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani and the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, have taken initiatives in e-learning — the former in the field of technology and the latter in management. Organisations such as GurukulOnline Learning Solutions have done work in the field of e-learning. While evolving any e-learning format, four basic pedagogical perspectives have to be kept in mind for achieving effectiveness, from an educational standpoint: Cognitive perspective — cognitive processes involved in learning. Emotional perspective — emotional aspects of learning such as motivation, commitment and fun. Behavioural perspective — skills and behavioural outcomes of the learning process. Application to real life/on-the-job settings. Social perspective — social aspects which stimulate learning, interaction with others, peer support, and peer pressure. Online-only colleges Online-only colleges have emerged, though at a slow pace in the west. They mostly focus on areas such as management, accounts and law. There are claims of superiority of digital delivery beyond the podium. It is a moot point; conventional face-to-face learning has, of course, its own merits. The following quote is relevant. "A face-to-face human conversation, the sort for which dinner tables and traditional seminar and meeting rooms are designed, is a spatially coherent, corporeal and strictly synchronous event. The participants are all present in the same place, everybody hears the words as they are spoken, and replies usually come immediately. The telephone and talk radio have allowed them to be dispersed spatially, but have not altered this condition of synchrony." In spite of this superiority of conventional classroom instruction, e-learning is sure to play a significant role in the Indian education system in the years to come. The fact that the aspirants of higher education in the country are far greater than the seats available in the conventional institutions give force to the development in this sector. Those who live in remote areas, or are employed but interested in continuing education, will find the blessings of e-learning a great boon in their career advancement.