Information and communication technology (ICT) has become an essential entity governing all aspects of the current life. For the major part of the last two decades, ICT has transformed fundamental procedures and practices in nearly all forms of governance and business endeavors on a massive scale. Since education has always been viewed as a social activity, teachers who have degrees reflecting high-quality performance often determine the quality of education. Therefore, people always consider the best instructors and subsequently, the best educational experience as one that displays a high degree of personal contact with learners. However, the advent of ICT and its use in education is primarily ascribed to a more student-centered approach and learning environment. With the current world moving rapidly into new forms of information delivery and digital media, the role that ICT plays in the educational sector is gaining significance exponentially (Noor-Ul-Amin, 2014). Ultimately, the involvement of ICT in the education sector will only increase as the century progresses and as new forms of technological advancements take shape. This paper shows that in using online learning and open resources, the educational quality is improved through the reduction of instructional learning and program delivery, utilizing the time allocated to teachers and subsequently enhancing the quality of education.
Within a short period, ICT has overtaken most of the basic methods of educational enhancements to become one of the most efficient and essential building blocks of the contemporary society (UNESCO, 2002). Numerous countries regard the comprehension of technology and its mastery as part of the educational foundations alongside numerical ability, reading and writing. Inasmuch as this is the case, there appears to be a misconception that ICTs refer to computing related activities and things to do with computers. Although computers play a significant role in the overall management of the ICT infrastructure, this is auspiciously not the case. One research proves this conjecture stating that towards the end of the 1980s, the commonly known term “computers” was substituted for “IT” meaning Information Technology. This change portrayed the significance that focus had shifted to the capacity to retrieve and store information from a general sense of computing technology (Plomp, Pelgrum, & Law, 2003). In due course, there was the introduction of the term Information and Communication Technology in 1992 at a time when the use of email became available to the public. This evolution brought about the availability of a range of ICT products used in different educational sectors all over the world. Such products which have relevance to today’s education and in particular through e-learning include email, teleconferencing, audio conferencing, interactive voice response systems, lessons on televisions, interactive radio counseling among others.
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To comprehend the various e-learning solutions and its implementations thereof, it is imperative to understand the concept of e-learning fully. The term e –learning has the prefix “e,” which means electronic, indicating the use of computers and internet technology. This term closely resembles other names such as e-banking, e-library, e-business among others. Consequently, this term means learning that is supported by the use of Information Communication Technology. The accomplishment of e-learning normally takes different forms depending on stressing either the educational part or the technological part. The definitions include learning done through the internet, or via a satellite broadcast; learning delivery through educational and training programs done by electronic means; set up of processes and applications that deliver web-based learning among others. Therefore, the teaching and learning modalities supported by ICT are numerous and systematized for complete comprehension. These modalities include face to face supported by ICT, mixed mode and fully online. When discussing e – learning, the fully online mode is the one applicable since its method of delivery takes place exclusively through the web.
To implement e-learning adequately, various methods, plans and procedures that ensure smooth running and full use of this type of learning need to be in place. More to this is the understanding of pedagogical principles and their relation to e – learning. The whole idea of e-learning commences with the teacher and his/her various ways of influencing education. Most teachers, especially in developing countries face the challenge of altering their teaching practice in a manner that accommodates the use of technology. In addition, the problem of blending traditional teaching practices with technology to create solutions related to e-learning has become a reality in innumerable facets of education. Overall, technology is essentially a powerful tool that educators can use in different ways to effectively impact students’ learning process within this new environment. Therefore, any instructor bent on employing the use of technology needs to put into consideration how it will eventually provide relevant solutions to particular problems experienced in the learning environment. Such problems include the use of e-readers in the case where there is a lack of textbooks; another could be the understanding of “large ideas” or notions especially in children who study science; or even the problem of aiding students who work alone or in groups in using computer simulations in environmental manipulations.
One method of ensuring the use of ICT in education especially in pedagogy, which is the science and art of educating children, is the conceptualization of technology in relation to teaching. In this, there has been an evolving theoretical principle that involves a blend of technology, knowledge, and pedagogy. This principle reflects a stark intersection among the three subsets involved in the knowledge of the teacher, which are technology, content and pedagogy (Olson et al., 2011). Various research indicates that current teachers have moved their perspective from viewing technology, content and pedagogy as separate entities of knowledge to a more intertwined perspective that leads to a transformative potential. Considering the relationship among these three models of knowledge, the use of a particular example of technology has greatly enhanced the teaching and learning experience. A good example is the use of cell phones that have integrated cameras or the use of cheap digital cameras, which have proven effective in shaping the decisions involved in pedagogy and content delivery. Students employ the use of these cameras to explore the existence of geometric shapes in areas that a teacher’s anticipation would not consider. As a result, students find new connections that honor their overall contributions to the learning experience and feed their learning appetite. Through conceptualizing technologies, communities of practice emerge. This involves among other things the inquiry and problem-solving tendencies that are largely enhanced using ICT. Therefore, through communities of practice, students learn about the different types of technologies, and in turn, this assists them not only on their academic prowess but also gives them an opportunity to someday use the technology in a different way other than on educational purposes.
Another method is the use of Internet technology to foster rapid learning and quick understanding. Aside from conceptualization, this involves the direct use of ICT practices and most notably e-learning in enhancing the learning process of students. Technology remains to be a formidable tool when it comes to learning, but while teachers use it only for delivery of information, its potential is somewhat minimized, subsequently making it ineffective in properly instilling the right information in learners. In this context, the challenge remains in making full use of technology. This is why employing e-learning principles is essential in ensuring student progression. In addition, the problem of applying technology in education is ensuring that technology does not fully substitute the teacher. Therefore, in fostering learning, technology has to be used to engage and facilitate learning. More to this, blending technology utilization and teacher training has proven effective in achieving higher outcomes in various learning spheres (Olson et al., 2011). In the case of pedagogy, especially in teaching high school students, the integration of technology has taken various forms. First is through viewing technology as a tool that supports the construction of knowledge for presenting the ideas of learners and in the production of organized, multimedia knowledge bases. Another is through promoting learning through constructing, which results in the access of much-needed information and the comparison of beliefs perspectives and worldviews. Technology also supports knowledge development through encouraging the learning by doing method. In this, there is the formulation of real-world problems, contexts and situations that prove pivotal in keeping a student’s mind engaged. In fostering learning, e-learning also acts as a medium that supports learning through conversing and therefore is a method of teaching collaborations among students.
Planning for e-learning strategies requires a sound implementation to curb student dropout rate in a particular program. Most experts recommend the use of the mixed-mode method, which involves a combination of face-to-face gatherings in classrooms and online work (Žuvić-Butorac, 2010). Such an approach has proved effective in ensuring continuous student engagement thereby reducing the dropout rates profoundly. Through classroom meetings, social contacts are enhanced, encouragements on online use fortified and students become highly motivated to achieve. More specifically, in the implementation of e-learning, there is a high inclination to the utilization of the “Lone Ranger” model or the Strategic Planning of Institutions. On a more general sense, any change in innovation, particularly those that alter long-standing habits in everyday work, are normally met with stiff opposition and ultimate resistance. In any endeavor of innovation, there are those who initially embrace changes and go ahead to experiment with them. After mastering the needed skill, the innovators motivate and stimulate people in their surroundings to employ the use of their innovation, which is usually a minimal number. After this, major influence needs to take place to make people users and consequently form an “early majority” group. After the formation of this group and in light of positive achievements, more people become influenced and start using the technology. This situation applies similarly to the use of e-learning in education. Over the years, e-learning has become pivotal and has evolved due to the innumerable advantages it gives to the student (Žuvić-Butorac, 2010). Through putting time and effort in digitalizing the content, materials organization and timely delivery, e-learning has proven formidable in enhancing the learning process. This is evident since currently, there is the employment of e-learning practices all over the world as more people join its use, particularly in developing countries.
The overall advantages of e-learning are innumerable. To begin with, e – learning enhances the overall teaching process. For many years, traditional teaching has always emphasized on content delivery. Teachers have accentuated for a long time the need of using tutorials to rehearse and amalgamate content. Now, most contemporary settings view this as being outdated and prefer an approach that favors performance and competency, just like the one employed through the use of e-learning. Through using ICT in education, the quality increases and the accessibility of education become easy. E-Learning has proven to increase the overall flexibility of education delivery. In addition to this, it teaches and influences the student in various ways since they engage them in becoming learner driven, consequently making students develop a disciplined attitude, thereby increasing their educational quality. Easy access to learning also ensures that students get books and other materials quickly and this increases their information absorption rate. The use of e-learning has also enhanced the learning environment and consequently the student learning motivation. In motivational improvement, the acquisition of core competencies is facilitated and teacher training increases (Noor-Ul-Amin, 2014). Another advantage of e-learning is the inevitable scholastic performance increase. In improving the student’s academic performance, e-learning acts as an aid that helps in educational expanse, the strengthening of educational relevance and the growth of the digital workplace. This entire strategy works together to form a tightly knit bond that ensures scholastic performance in all academic aspects and future endeavors.
In the end, e-learning has proven essential to the advancement of all educational aspects. In all kinds of educational efforts, ICT has proven to be central in most developmental agendas; actually, ICT has been a growing trend for the last 20 years without receding. The adoption of e-learning in teaching, research and learning have brought about a positive impact on the overall educational achievements in students the world over. Eventually, more people are adopting the use of e-learning to achieve their educational objectives. This has influenced the way students learn and consequently how they are taught. New possibilities on achievement and student performance have opened up in the end, leading to more success in the field of education. Therefore, the use of e-learning is instrumental in achieving educational success.
References
Noor-Ul-Amin, S. (2014). An Effective use of ICT for Education and Learning by Drawing on Worldwide Knowledge, Research, and Experience (PhD). University Of Kashmir.
Olson, J., Codde, J., deMaagd, K., Tarkleson, E., Sinclair, J., Yook, S., & Egidio, R. (2011). An Analysis of e-Learning Impacts & Best Practices in Developing Countries (1st ed.). East Linsing, MI: Michigan State University.
Plomp, T., Pelgrum, W., & Law, N. (2003). SITES2006—International comparative survey of pedagogical practices and ICT in education. Education And Information Technologies , 12 (2), 83-92.
UNESCO. (2002). “Foreword” in Information and Communication Technology in Education–A Curriculum for Schools and Programme for Teacher Development . Paris.
Žuvić-Butorac, M. (2010). EDUCATION QUALITY IMPROVEMENT BY E-LEARNING TECHNOLOGY . University of Rijeka, Croatia.
