Emerging Technology that Supports eLearning (Blog Post 10)

I tend to disagree with the book on the concept of eLearning not being that much different than face to face learning. It depends on the audience: the younger one is the less effective on line learning can be. Students in elementary to secondary level need to learn from a “live” teacher. They need to be molded by those teachers and be given the educational foundation in order to be able to be successful in an online classroom environment. Egbert (2009) suggests four guidelines for effective eLearning experiences (pg216):
*Build community—students need to realize that there are other students that are in the same learning environment—they all need to work together.
*Consider the hidden curriculum—students need to realize that with any learning situation there are topics that are not discussed—students need to come with prior knowledge
*Organize ahead of time—teachers can not fly by the seat of their pants in an eLearning environment—assignments need to be posted ahead of time—most students take online classes because they can work a their one pace.
*Give clear instructions—teacher need to be explicit in their instructions, think about possible questions and answer them ahead of time—they should leave n stone unturned
If teachers follow these guidelines, students will be successful in their eLearning courses.

Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Columbus, OH: Pearson.