Web-based learning is generally mentioned to as E-Learning or online learning. It basically contains learning online through the courses that are accessible on the net. This allows all the participants to give their views on a particular topic and then deliberate them further. They also provide fixed pages like course materials that are printed for the use of all the members. One of the main advantages of reading pages on the web is that most of the web pages have hyperlinks that will direct you to another page and thus opens up a massive amount of information on the Internet. You don’t have the time to physically go to a University and be present for the classes. The E-Learning industry is undergoing rapid growth. Set to become a $200B industry by 2024, we can expect new and innovative E-Learning platforms and courses to break into the industry, offering learners ways to learn that have never existed before. There are different methods by which E-Learning content is delivered to the learners. Here are just few of the delivery methods of the digital learning content:
- Online
- Learning Management System
- Mobile E-Learning
- Rapid E-Learning
- Virtual Classrooms
The people who are engaged in learning as such mainly are:
- Academic Students
- Job Seekers
- Working Professionals (for re-skilling and online certifications)
However so far, though, online courses are not building any massively better-skilled workforce. There are many disadvantages of E-Learning, the main one being that you get knowledge only on a theoretical type and when it comes to setting to use whatever you have learnt, it may be slightly altered. The face-to-face learning practice is lost, which may matter in some cases. The other reasons of E-Learning are not helping students around the world are:
No self-discipline
Supporters of E-Learning claim that the core benefit of this learning method is that it is self-paced. If you want to watch a particular video again, you can. If you want to take a breather from the material, you can halt and come back to it when you are feeling revitalized. However, because of this integral freedom, E-Learning often turns into no learning. People may shift off from fully engaging in the material, and perceive the activity as a tick box exercise – just another item on an ever-growing “to do” list. In a self-paced environment, an E-Learning task can endure an attractive gravitational attraction to the bottom of the list, where it can languish for days, weeks, or even indefinitely. The point is that many people find it much simpler to adopt new expertise and knowledge through lively training sessions with other individuals, than through an impersonal E-Learning module.
No face-to-face interaction
While E-Learning can be relatively interactive nowadays, through the wide usage of video conferences, webinars, and face-to-face video chat, it still is very different to sitting across the room from a real person. Basically, there is no alternate solution to working together with, and learning from, a physically present teacher.
Lack of flexibility
E-Learning can be helpful for learning particular skills and knowledge that needs to be transferred. However, with more complex skills and proficiencies, it is extremely challenging to put together an operative E-Learning program. And in an academic environment, these intricate skills are often the most important. It is these skills, which can only be learned when you start thinking deeply and engaging in an activity or topic, that can make or break your career path. The top learning emerges when students ascertain the answers on their own – by asking questions and finding an explanation – and with E-Learning, this is tough, if not impossible, to do.
Lack of input from teachers
E-learning is planned and structured. When a program is established, it is founded on what the course creators think is the correct prospectus at that particular time. However, learning materials can fast become outdated and redundant– and can even have errors from the commencement. The best teachers will sit and talk to individuals and involve them to find out what they need to be acquainted with, and how they need to learn it. Student response is highly appreciated, however, that’s far less conceivable with an E-Learning course. Skilled teachers and subject matter professionals are at their very best when they are being questioned by – and studying together with their students. These relations mark in a healthier training process and better coaches. In E-Learning, it’s mostly not physically present.
Slow evolution
After an E-Learning course is established, it can take an exceedingly long interval for any required alterations to be worked in. If a business model is modified or market conditions are disturbed, online training can swiftly be made outdated. This is a complete waste of the time and energy that were spent to get the course started. However, with standard training – conducted in the training room, with live trainers – the course can be changed rapidly and even on the fly.
Good E-Learning is demanding to do
Developing a really impactful E-Learning course takes time, money, and a great amount of technical proficiency. Multimedia, custom web development, technical support, and strong User Interaction design are involved in a good E-Learning course. Although the market is improving, many of the first E-Learning courses were clunky and unwieldy, and the technical and design problems negatively impacted the learning process. With live training, the standard systems, procedures, and best practices are far more established and well understood. The best practices for E-Learning courses are still evolving and are a lot trickier to get right.
Lack of transformational power
E-Learning is useful for training process execution and for teaching certain categories of knowledge. However, real learning originates through live association with a more qualified expert. It is through this commitment that a real revolution happens and the learner becomes more effective and moves to the next level of performance. Such transformation is not possible for a course with E-Learning.
Online education has progressed in a very short time and now it’s time to carry on that evolution further. If we can carry on to develop quality and fit education into the way people really learn now, we’ll be a lot closer to supporting the new idea of successfully conveying high-quality education to scale.