E-LEARNINGThe aim of this article is to present some criteria and indicators

of quality for the e-learning evaluation, based on the sociocultural perspective. Firstly, it presents different

approaches and models of quality evaluation for the virtual learning. Secondly, this paper identifies concepts of sociocultural

theory significant for the learning evaluation in the formation with ICT. Finally, it illustrates how this framework can be used

for the application of these sociocultural concepts in creation of evaluation instrument for learning ( e-learning ) .

E-learning presents an entirely new learning environment for students, thus requiring a different skill set to be successful

NABEELAH ISMAILPHOENIX MUSLIM

SCHOOLTOPIC: 2 E-LEARNING

E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

Contents

Introduction_______________________________________________________________________________________________3

What is eLearning?________________________________________________________________________________________4

(Armstrong, Ministry initiatives / enabling e-Learning - enabling eLearning)_______________________5

What are e-Learning: Challenges and Solutions?__________________________________________________________________6

The New Digital Divide__________________________________________________________________________________11

Conclusion________________________________________________________________________________________________13

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

TABLE FO FIGURES FIGURE 1E-LEARNING IMPACT.............................................................................................................................................................9FIGURE 2E-LEARNING ENVIROMENT...............................................................................................................................................9FIGURE 3PLANNING.................................................................................................................................................................................. 9FIGURE 4E-LEARNING MIRACLES.......................................................................................................................................................9

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

Introduction

This report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and evidence are presented, analyzed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is presented in a clearly structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to locate and follow. The purpose of this investigation is to illustrate and conclude how we can successfully Implement e-learning in schools and overcome all the challenges associated with it.This investigation was used to find out if users were aware of the benefits and reliability of E-learning and if not, the response was used to create an awareness.For my investigation, I have gathered data and information using reliable internet sources and other printed media. I also distributed 30 questionnaires to members of my community and my peers to get their opinions and attitudes relating to the awareness of E-learning and the impact that it has had on their lives. I made use of technology in the form of my computer and the Microsoft Office Suite as well as a text editor (Notepad++) to design a web page. My web page contains information on E-learning .I used a word processor to create, design and edit my data. I also made use of a spreadsheet to perform statistical calculations and to display these statistics using charts. Thereafter I summarized my data into meaningful information in the form of queries and a report in a database.

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

What is eLearning?

ELearning is...

the use of electronic technology to deliver, support and enhance teaching and learning

The use of new multimedia technologies and the Internet to improve the quality of learning by facilitating access to resources and services as well as remote exchanges and collaboration.

ELearning is not a cheap option and there is no "fast buck" to be made. ELearning will only succeed if there is a synergy between educators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, learning technologists, graphics designers, and publishers etc. to produce good quality learning materials adhering to recognized standards that can be delivered to the student in a timely way. There is no point in investing money in expensive video productions if the student receiving the information is sitting on the end of a 28K modem.

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

(Armstrong, Ministry initiatives / enabling e-Learning - enabling eLearning) E-Learning is learning that is enabled or supported by the use of digital tools and content. It typically involves some form of interactivity, which may include online interaction between the learner and their teacher or peers. E-Learning opportunities are usually accessed via the internet, though other technologies are also used in e-learning. E-Learning environments can be rich, interactive, dynamic and customizable, connecting learners with an almost limitless wealth of information. New patterns of learning are starting to emerge as a result. We are seeing an increasing emphasis on information literacy, increased flexibility as to where, when and how people learn, and exploration of new ways in which learners can be empowered to structure and manage their own learning experiences.

(Higley)

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

WHAT ARE E-LEARNING: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS?With education being seen as a key foundation for Africa’s development, eLearning has the potential to play a pivotal role in the transformation of the delivery of quality education across the continent. To achieve the level of scale required in the delivery of quality education, Africa needs to leap forward and maximize on the potential of eLearning in creating innovative learning solutions. The education delivery approach in Africa has to shift from one that is highly dependent on physical infrastructure such as schools and colleges, physical learning materials, and in class education delivery to one that makes extensive use of interactive education technology.Progress has been made over the past decade and according to a report by Ambient Insight, Africa has the highest growth rates in eLearning in the world for four out of the five self-paced eLearning products and services, including packaged content, custom content development services, cloud-based authoring tools, learning platform services, installed authoring tools, and installed learning platforms.Despite the progress that has been made, there are three central challenges that continue to exist which hinder effective implementation of eLearning in Africa.

1. Internet Access / Connectivity.Without access to the internet many eLearning projects in African countries are throttled before they even begin. U.N. Broadband Commission reported that 8 of the 10 countries with the lowest levels of internet availability in the world are in sub-Saharan Africa. The 8 countries are Ethiopia, Niger, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Somalia, Burundi, Eritrea, and South Sudan. Internet penetration in all 8 countries is less than 2 percent of the population. Providing all the students with internet access is a very expensive proposition for most African governments and this is more so in the case of rural centres and remote areas, where internet connections are bound to be erratic, if available at all. The countries that lead in eLearning on the continent and that have had the largest levels of foreign and local investments

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

in this sector have the advantage of better than average Internet access and connectivity. South Africa’s peak connection speed was measured at 16.8 Mbps in the first quarter of 2015, giving it a world ranking of 112th. Kenya currently leads in Africa with regards to internet connectivity with the highest bandwidth per person on the continent, the fastest speeds, and some of the lowest Internet costs. International companies such as Google, IBM, and Microsoft have set up offices in Kenya and made concerted investments in education in the nation as a result. In Kenya –home to IBM’s Africa Research lab and a state-of-the-art innovation centre– IBM is partnering with the Kenya Education Network (KENET) to deliver advanced hands-on certification courses to faculty and students of 50 Kenyan universities over KENET’s broadband network. Microsoft has also partnered with Intel East Africa and the Kenya Private Schools Alliance, to launch the 4Afrika Youth Device Program, which provides a bundle of affordable devices, educational applications, online services, data plans, and smart financing to Kenyan learning institutions.

2. Availability Of Locally Developed Content And Curriculum Online.Content development is a critical area that is too often overlooked. Academic institutions in Africa have not made the level of investment needed in developing local content that is aligned with national curriculums and that can be utilized for eLearning. The majority of tertiary institutions still use textbooks from the United Kingdom and the USA and there has not been a consistent drive to develop local content. Given the unique facets of Africa, the diversity of languages and culture and the continent’s specialized needs, there is a great opportunity for African countries to develop targeted plans for content development. A large proportion of the educational software produced in the world market is in English. For African countries, such as

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

Swaziland, where English language proficiency is not very high, especially outside urban areas, this represents a serious barrier to eLearning. There are significant challenges in terms of language patterns and local language usage (especially in serving the youngest populations), and as such there is a need for locally developed content.

3. Training and Professional Development.Teachers on the continent have been brought up in education systems with limited technology and they find it difficult to utilize technology to engage and support learning. There is a great emphasis that needs to be made for teachers to understand that technology is not replacing them, but rather it is an enabler that will enhance their work. A huge challenge is to develop and implement training and professional development for teachers so they may embrace teaching with technology and understand the benefits of teaching with technology as a way to advance the academic outcomes of students. Partnerships with private entities play a key role in building the skills of teachers in ICT. In South Africa, Microsoft has trained over 31,000 teachers and school leaders on ICT integration with the aim of enhancing teaching and learning and having an impact on nearly 4 million learners. Over 800 trainers from the South African Department of Education have been trained to roll out, scale and sustain the Microsoft Partners in learning program.

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

Figure 1E-learning impact

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Figure 2E-learning enviroment

Figure 4E-learning miracles

Figure 3planning

E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

The New Digital Divide

In education, the digital divide is most commonly defined as the gap between those students who have, do not have, and know how to use the internet and the information technologies that are currently transforming education. According to Warschauer (2003), the “digital divide is marked not only by physical access to computers and connectivity but also by access to the additional resources that allow people to use technology well”. Due to the affordability of many information technologies today the current meaning of digital divide is changing from having access, to knowing how to use the technologies. In this way the digital divide still acts as a challenge for education and more specifically e-learning environments. In education the digital divide has, most recently, become more about closing the gap between using the resources appropriately to obtain quality educational outcomes than not having access to the technology. The quality of learning outcomes, and more importantly the successful use of the expected technology resources, all hinge on the amount of experience and comfort level each learner has with these specific resource technologies.One solution to this challenge is for the instructor to implement a learning environment that encourages collaboration. Providing learners with the opportunity to collaborate, share, and create will increase the learner’s use of various technologies, enhance their e-learning experience, and support self-directed and ongoing learning 

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E-Learning | Nabeelah Ismail

There's an app for just about everything these days, and education is no different. Technology can be of enormous help in teaching and learning and the use of educational apps is changing the way students study around the world. Designed to anything from provide advanced study methods - such as a Flash Card app - to preventing procrastination - block the use of those apps you sink all your time into - educational apps are revolutionizing the world of education.

It's the 21st century and there is no reason to be afraid of including technology in our studying - used properly, educational apps can significantly boost your productivity levels and your marks. Look below for all the latest news about educational apps in South Africa and stay up to date on our rapidly changing world.

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Conclusion 

The goal of delivering a high quality education to every child in Africa remains unfulfilled, but technology presents an opportunity for this to be a reality. E-Learning has overwhelming potential to improve education systems in African countries and if implemented well with strategies that focus on overcoming these key challenges, radical transformation of the education system is possible.With so many different ways to define e-learning and the educational approaches that can be taken in these learning environments, it is the conclusion of this author that e-learning is an innovative approach to learning. It is a holistic way of teaching and learning that meets the needs of today’s digital natives.  It is an environment made up of collaboration, choice, and an array of technological resources that supports a successful online learning experience. However, in order for learners to be successful in this learning environment the challenges to e-learning must be overcome with support and a best practice solutions. Instructors and learners must embrace the shift away from traditional classroom practices to an e-learning approach to education. Despite the fact that today’s learners are digital natives, the use of technology for e-learning can be overwhelming and provide student motivation challenges however, with the proper supports from instructors, learners can be successful within these e-learning environments. Finally, and probably the most important challenge for the instructor is to focus on the overall elements of a well-developed course. Developing a purposeful and well-defined online course, which supports the instructor and learner, means devoting the appropriate time and embedding the applicable course elements into the e-learning environment.

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