Without any prejudice, I want to try to describe what I understand e-learning to be.
In H800 we had to describe "learning". We came to the consensus that learning was mainly gaining knowledge in various ways. If I think about e-learning, the word "learning" is a key factor. The letter "e" stands for electronic. So e-learning should be described as gaining knowledge electronically. Learning through technology inside and outside a classroom. I could live with that description.
According to messages on the e-learning centre (www.e-learningcentre.co.uk) e-learning has evolved as well and one could speak nowadays of e-learning 2.0
It all sounds very interesting. Unit 1 is about to begin and maybe by the end of the course I'll want to change my description. It's pretty likely that I will.
Cheers,
Eugene
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What is e-learning
Couldn't agree more Eugene, e-learning should be defined as 'gaining knowledge' through electronic means, but I would suggest the definition go further than that.
While we are learning electronically, we are also gaining knowledge about the mechanisms used in that teaching (the pedagogy?) e.g. although I am learning French online I am also gaining secondary knowledge about writing a blog, using the net, participating in forums - do you agree?
Im looking forward to debating this and other things in 808
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Good points here, Eugene, and I think Tim adds an important distinction. Since electronic technology is the information and interaction carrier in e-learning, e-learning professionals must be comfortable and adept with how the techology works and its potential uses.
Just as educators have become used to using flip charts and whiteboards instead of blackboards, and computers to supplement and substitute the use of paper and pencil, so blogs, CMC environments, Twitter and Wiki will gradually enter the mainstream. In an ideal world, it will be E-Learning professionals that guide and accelerate good practice in using these media. It seems to me that we must not simply mirror the way these environments are used in a social networking sense, but we must develop world class learning practice to exploit the potential of these electronic learning environments.
Cheers,
Madeleine