H . Poursharafoddin

Faculty of Foreign LanguagesIsfahan University

May 20091

What is Online Learning? Electronic learning(or e-

Learning or eLearning)is a type of Technology supported education/learning (TSL) where the medium of instruction is through computer technology, particularly involving digital technologies. (Wikipedia)

Online courses are those in which at least 80 percent of the course content is delivered online. (Babson Survey Research Group in the United States, 2008)

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How Many Students are Learning Online?Background: For the past several years, online enrollments

have been growing substantially faster than overall higher education enrollments. The expectation of academic leaders has been that these enrollments would continue their substantial growth for at least another year.

The evidence: Online enrollments have continued to grow at rates far in excess of the total higher education student population, with the most recent data demonstrating no signs of slowing.

Over 3.9 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2007 term; a 12 percent increase over the number reported the previous year.

The 12.9 percent growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 1.2 percent growth of the overall higher education student population.

Over twenty percent of all U.S. higher education students were taking at least one online course in the fall of 2007.

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E-LEARNING IN IRAN:E-learning in Iran is still in its infancy

stages and there are only a few online programs. The history of e-learning in Iran at present time did not exceed more than 6 years, yet from a realistic point of view we might say that e-based learning in Iran has had a 5 year experience and even younger. E-learning in Iran is delivered by both the private sector and government organizations. There have been risen a plenty of virtual universities or centers like Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology, Shiraz virtual University and some Islamic virtual collages and centers like Islamic virtual centers and Faculty of the Science of Hadith. 5

E-LEARNING IN IRAN: Currently about 2200 Iranian students are taking e-learning

courses at B.S. and M.S. degree programs in Iran. Sharable Course Objects (SCOs), which are created by using sound, text, graphic and animation are accessible to students, registered for that course, in the Learning Management System (LMS) system, through the internet or intranet. University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) and Shiraz University use SCORM standard for their courses and SCOs are mostly made in flash environment. These universities offer CDs as part of their educational system, related to the online courses or as general information. It should be noted that live classes with audio and video are not compulsory at the moment in Iran. This is mainly due to insufficient bandwidth, available to end users. So, in virtual branch of these universities, all courses (except practical courses and laboratories) are digitized and saved with high quality. Students can attend on-line classes whenever and wherever they have access to the Internet. One important fact in selecting virtual universities mentioned above is that they all use blended learning method, which has been recognized as the most effective way for virtual learning in the world. 6

E-LEARNING IN IRAN :The process of changing traditional education into a modern

one in the Iranian society involves many critical problems which can be summarized as following according to recent studies (Dilmaghani, 2003; Noori,2003):

Lack of realistic comprehension concerning the process of learning Ambiguous understanding about students' educational needs in

different levels Defective implementation of computer hardware and software Weak IT education Faint IT infrastructure No realistic point of view or strategic program for higher education Budget and equipment shortages Influential atmosphere of political, social and economic situations Lack of information literacy

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study:Advantages:

Accessibility: Attend online classes from anywhere.Flexibility: Work when it makes sense for you - at night,

morning. You're not tied to a class schedule (usually)Interpersonal Breadth: Your peers will include

students all over the country and even the world. Cost: An online education does not require that you

relocate to a new place or that you forgo full time work. Documentation: Documents, transcripts, live

discussions and training materials are all archived and recorded so that they can be retrieved via mail, e-mail or the school's website for reading, downloading, and printing.

Access: Instructors are also available, respond quickly through email, and generally are prepared to work with diverse students with a range of lifestyles and needs.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Study: Disadvantages:

Employment: You may find that you have to discuss the validity of your degree. Information about the school's accreditation and, if needed, copies of syllabuses and sample assignments will convince employers.

Communications: Most of your communication will be through email. You might miss the sound of an instructor or peer's voice.

Courses: Not all courses of study are easily available online. If you're interested in a more unusual field, you may have to search for a program.

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Instructional Strategies for Online Courses: Effective online instruction depends

on learning experiences appropriately designed and facilitated by knowledgeable educators. Because learners have different learning styles or a combination of styles, online educators should design activities that address their modes of learning in order to provide significant experiences for each class participant. In designing online courses, this can best be accomplished by utilizing multiple instructional strategies. Teaching models exist which apply to traditional higher education learning environments, and when designing courses for the online environment, these strategies should be adapted to the new environment.

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Instructional Strategies for Online Courses:Traditionally, in a teacher-centered classroom,

instructors control their environment because they have a monopoly on information. In an online course, with instant access to vast resources of data and information, students are no longer totally dependent on faculty for knowledge. As faculty is beginning to teach online, learning is becoming more collaborative, contextual and active. Educators must first design their curriculum, goals and objectives and then consider how the online environment can best serve the instructional objectives and activities of that curriculum. This requires changes in pedagogy, with instructors taking the role of facilitators of information while guiding students toward solutions. In order for online learning to be successful, teachers as well as learners must take on new roles in the teaching-learning relationship, and faculty must be willing to release control of learning to the students.

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Instructional Strategies for Online Courses: Instructional strategies are tools available to educators for

designing and facilitate learning . Below are four instructional strategies which have been effectively used in the traditional classroom and can likewise be used in the online learning environment:

 LECTURE  : The lecture  is one of the most frequently used instructional

methods in adult education. It  assumes the educator to be the expert and is an efficient way of disseminating  information.

DISCUSSION :Discussion is the instructional strategy most favored by

adult learners because it is interactive and encourages active, participatory learning. The discussion format encourages learners to analyze alternative ways of thinking and acting and assists learners in exploring their own experiences so  they can become better critical thinkers. The discussion is often the heart of an online course.

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Instructional Strategies for Online Courses:LEARNING CONTRACTS:Learning contracts connect educational needs to individual

student needs and are useful when there is diversity in learner needs and interests in a class. A learning contract is a formal agreement written by a learner which details what will be learned, how the learning will be accomplished, the period of time involved, and the specific evaluation criteria to be used in judging the completion of the learning. Learning contracts help the educator and learner share the responsibility for learning.

PROJECT  :Online projects give students an opportunity to pursue their

special interests and can be done individually or within groups. Projects also provide students with practical experience and a sense of accomplishment.

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