How we break social barriers to higher education through

e-Learning

By Indika RathnindaMIT/2007/061

Example of social barriers

•Gender difference•Money• Social class •Cultural difference•Believes•Education background•Location.

What going to discussIt is very interesting and important thing to survey that how we overcome social barriers to higher education via online learning.

What?

Mainly discuss how gender barrier affect to higher education and can we overcome this social barrier via eLearning.

Gender barriers to access to education

•Significant barriers that have historically restricted women's access to learning opportunities.

Women and distance education•Distance education has potential to overcome barriers to rural women's participation but must consider women's attitudes toward technology and ways of knowing. Strategies are outlined for developing gender-friendly models of distance education. "Value-added" distance education requires rethinking traditional instructional settings and techniques.

•family/parenting, sibling, spouse and social obligation

•Although they praised distance education, the women interviewed unanimously agreed that distance study "isn't for everyone" and that it is a significantly different experience for female learners than it is for male learners

Women and ICT•These women were grateful that communication technologies, despite their imperfections, allowed them to study from their own homes, at times most convenient for their personal schedules.

Online learning/E-learning and women•The researchers found that females perceived that a deeper learning took place in online than in face-to-face courses.

•Allowed them to study from their own homes, at times most convenient for their personal schedules.

Producing gender sensitive online learning materialsDeveloping online learning materials to assist in identifying gender bias concerns and improving capacity for addressing them.

For example: course calendars and brochures are examined to find ways in which opportunities for education and training can be "advertised" so that it is clear that women are encouraged to take part

Requirement for future research

How online learning tools affect to gender equity

REFERENCES

http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/sala_de_premsa/entrevistes/2008/lani_gunawardena.html

http://www.col.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Ahooja-Patel_Women.pdf

http://www.tgslc.org/pdf/StudiesonBarriers.pdf

http://www.ucc.ie/publications/heeu/Minority/taylor.htm#FOOTNOTE_6

http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/2007/10/barriers_to_higher_education_1.html

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119072977/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

http://www.sportsci.org/jour/9901/wghreview.html

Thank you !!!