Overview of Online Learning
Online learning is taking place in schools and homes across the world. In order to make this experience successful, learning management systems have been created to help instructors and students. A learning management system (commonly abbreviated as LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content(Ellis 2009) .
For further information and links to LMS Providers: Field Guide to Learning Management Systems by Ellis.
According to elearners.com,"An online course is student-centered. Taking a course online is very similar to taking a course face-to-face in a traditional classroom setting, but with one significant exception. There is an instructor who is an expert in the subject matter, there is a course plan, or syllabus, and students are expected to study, participate in discussions, and demonstrate by examination or written term paper that they have learned the material. However, students may do all of this without ever entering a classroom. An online course makes use of emerging technologies and media such as broadband Internet, web cameras, live chat, asynchronous message forum, podcasting, and instant messaging. Far from being isolating, individual students become a part of a global learning community."
Blended learning (or blended education) combines coursework in a traditional classroom environment with an online environment. Students get the sense of community with other students by attending some classes or week long seminars, and then are allowed to finish a portion of the coursework independently in a virtual environment.
"What Does Research Say About Online Learning?" by Jamie Littlefield gives some interesting statistics about online education:
For further information and links to LMS Providers: Field Guide to Learning Management Systems by Ellis.
According to elearners.com,"An online course is student-centered. Taking a course online is very similar to taking a course face-to-face in a traditional classroom setting, but with one significant exception. There is an instructor who is an expert in the subject matter, there is a course plan, or syllabus, and students are expected to study, participate in discussions, and demonstrate by examination or written term paper that they have learned the material. However, students may do all of this without ever entering a classroom. An online course makes use of emerging technologies and media such as broadband Internet, web cameras, live chat, asynchronous message forum, podcasting, and instant messaging. Far from being isolating, individual students become a part of a global learning community."
Blended learning (or blended education) combines coursework in a traditional classroom environment with an online environment. Students get the sense of community with other students by attending some classes or week long seminars, and then are allowed to finish a portion of the coursework independently in a virtual environment.
"What Does Research Say About Online Learning?" by Jamie Littlefield gives some interesting statistics about online education:
- Students who take online classes perform better, on average, than those students who took the classes in a face-to-face format and students who take blended courses perform even better.
- Over 3.9 million students in the U.S. took at least one online course in 2007.
