Exploring the Effectiveness of E-Learning in Higher Education
This paper by Michaelson Rosa analyzes the effectiveness of e-learning in higher education, focusing on definitions, technologies, and UK initiatives. It examines various teaching projects, issues such as evaluation and sustainability, and the reasons behind low uptake rates. The study highlights essential factors for successful e-learning implementations, emphasizing user-centric design and cost management. Ultimately, it concludes that e-learning can be effective if it is tailored to educational needs, backed by proper IT project management, and includes a supportive social learning environment.
Exploring the Effectiveness of E-Learning in Higher Education
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Presentation Transcript
LTSN-ITC 2003 Does e-learning work? Rosa Michaelson Fellow in Business Computing Accountancy and Business Finance University of Dundee
Overview • Definitions • Technologies • UK Initiatives • CS Examples • Issues • Conclusion
Definitions • e-learning • networked learning • open learning • Internet • WWW • e-universities • institution-wide
Technologies • Internet + applications • Web Browsers • Learning Environments • Portals • user-centric • GRID • large-scale distributed computing
UK e-learning Initiatives • TLTP • Teaching & Learning Technologies Project • CTI • Computers in teaching Initiative • JISC • VLE, MLE, Portals, GRID
TLTP • 1991-2001 • Multimedia-focus • 72 subject specific projects • £90M from Government • take-up low (3 products still available)
Computer Science Examples • Ceilidh/Coursemarker • St Andrews: TAGS + VIT • Warwick: TELRI + peer assessment • Durham: BSCW + shared file space • OU/QMS: distance learning
Issues • Evaluation • Costs • Sustainability • Focus • Acceptance and take-up • Standards • Social Learning
Evaluation 1 • usability/HCI issues • choice of application • Durham report • software functionality • Britain/Liber • 'soft' studies of student attitudes
Evaluation II • Cost/Benefit analysis ignored • Bacsish - JISC Report • Pedagogy? • Scope? • e-university failures • Ryan Report • Low take-up of products
Sustainability Previous initiatives found to be • Unsustainable • infrastructure not in place • a service NOT a computer-book • Technology change versus embedding • Timeliness • Portals v LE
Focus Is e-Learning about: • Widening Access • Lecturer Replacement • Cost Benefits • Technology • Education? • Is it designed for the users?
Explaining Low Take-up • Staff ignorance • staff development • Techno-fear • ?IT service expansion in HE not because • Inappropriate • Extra workload for teaching staff
Standards • Many standards? • Training or University-level? • Metadata classifications? • Assumptions about learning and teaching • Modelling users NOT data
Distance Learning • High start up costs • Long life for product • Division of labour • High drop-out rates • Short courses most successful • Need to put the social back • support staff
Social Learning • Material owned by individual lecturer/teacher • Dynamic response to students • Embedded in subject discipline • About whole campus experience • Cost-effective
Conclusion • e-learning works if • education is right & • IT project management is right • subject-specific • small scale • designed for educators • properly costed
Also… Computer Science Educators have the right mix of disciplines • to influence and design good e-learning • to evaluate the success or failure of e-learning
