EMERGENT THEORY AND TECHNOLOGY IN E-LEARNING - NRG WORKING PAPER SERIES Marie-Joëlle Browaeys, Stephanus Eko Wahyudi January 2006 no. 06-01
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NRG WORKING PAPER SERIES EMERGENT THEORY AND TECHNOLOGY IN E-LEARNING Marie-Joëlle Browaeys, Stephanus Eko Wahyudi Nyenrode Research Group January 2006 no. 06-01
NRG WORKING PAPER SERIES EMERGENT THEORY AND TECHNOLOGY IN E-LEARNING Marie-Joëlle Browaeys, Stephanus Eko Wahyudi January 2006 NRG Working Paper no. 06-01 NRG The Nyenrode Research Group (NRG) is a research institute consisting of researchers from Nyenrode Business Universiteit and Hogeschool INHOLLAND, within the domain of Management and Business Administration. Straatweg 25, 3621 BG Breukelen P.O. Box 130, 3620 AC Breukelen The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 346 - 291 696 Fax: +31 (0) 346 - 291 250 E-mail: nrg@nyenrode.nl NRG working papers can be downloaded at http://www.nyenrode.nl/research/publications
EMERGENT THEORY AND TECHNOLOGY IN E-LEARNING Abstract E-learning should be approached via a new paradigm, one where instruction and information are involved in a recursive process, an approach which counters the concept of linearity. New ways of thinking about how people learn and new technologies favour the emergence of principles of e-learning that deliver both business and individual opportunities. In this paper we develop a vision of what learning will look like in the future and a clearer idea of technological opportunities for the promotion of new e-learning. Keywords e-learning, learning, knowledge, technology, paradigm, complexity Addresses for correspondence Marie-Joëlle Browaeys Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Straatweg, 25, 3621 BG Breukelen The Netherlands m.j.browaeys@nyenrode.nl Stephanus Eko Wahyudi University of Surabaya, Raya Kalirungkut, Surabaya 60293 Indonesia Us6173@fox.ubaya.ac.id
Emergent theory and technology in e-learning “E-business…e-commerce…why not e-learning?” (Rosenberg (2001,p.28) 1. Introduction “E-business…e-commerce…why not e-learning?” (Rosenberg 2001). But what does e-learning really mean? Because the word e-learning is used to indicate widely differing activities, it is ill- defined. We will follow a definition that covers, in our opinion, the topic very well: “E-learning is an umbrella term that describes learning done at a computer, usually connected to a network, giving us the opportunity to learn almost anytime, anywhere.” (http://www.worldwidelearn.com). E-learning can also be described as a new way of learning that involves Internet, a network, a standalone computer or any other electronic devices and processes for transferring knowledge and skills (www.learnframe.com). Faced with the growing demand for life-long learning, whether in universities or in business, it is becoming imperative to revalue the educational environment and to propose resources and tools which respect the diversity in learning styles. In this paper we will give several examples to demonstrate this point. Furthermore, we will establish a strategy based on the paradigm of complexity to build a new framework for e-learning, one which develops a vision on what learning will look like in the future, a profile of a future learner and a better sense of the technological opportunities for promoting collaborative learning tools. 2. Positioning e-learning in Information Systems Rapid development of information technology, especially the Internet, has become one of the main factors that push E-learning to a new standard. Server side scripting languages, such as: ASP, PHP, Coldfusion or JSP, as well as Database and Operating System Servers, enable many education institutions to build a set of E-learning tools in-house. At the moment, there are some developers providing services that allow any education institution to use a well designed, implemented and tested E-learning platform without having to develop it from scratch. However, such a platform is usually very expensive and does not provide the perfect solution since it is not built in accordance with the conditions and requirements of the education institution. The new technology enables education institutions to develop their own e-learning platform. Their in-house programmer and designer can use technology to provide a basic set of tools which can be used to mimic the real world teaching and learning processes. There are many tools that can be built to support E-learning, for example: discussion forums, chat rooms, online bulletin boards, emails, instant-messaging tools, and many more. An advanced E-learning platform allows the teachers to monitor the students’ progress, to post their lecture notes and announcements, and even provide audio-video conferences. Developing each of those tools separately might not be so difficult, but developing an integrated E-learning platform that supports the activities of a particular educational institution is another story, since not all of the institution has the same system, procedures, and policies. In order to develop an E-learning platform that perfectly meets the requirement and needs of a particular educational institution, the developer should follow every step of the System Development Life Cycle described in Information Systems. NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 3 of 11
However, the combination of ‘e’ with ‘learning’ remains the problem. It depends where is the focus, on the technical side of the ‘e’ or on the second part of the word ‘learning’. If we consider e-learning in the first place as a system of information - that is a “system whether automated or manual, that comprises people, machines, and/or methods organized to collect, process, transmit, and disseminate data that represent user information” (www.atis.org) - but also as a means of "the delivery of individualized, comprehensive, dynamic learning content in real time, aiding the development of communities of knowledge, linking learners and practitioners with experts" (www.linezine.com), then we can conclude that e-learning is a form of information systems implementation. 3. Link between e-learning and knowledge management What is the link between e-learning and knowledge management? According to Rosenberg the new framework for e-learning, enabled by the Web, is about online training and knowledge management interacting with each other. However, e-learning is not just online training. The new approaches to e-learning include not only the instructional strategy but also the informational strategy, because people learn in many different ways so that “access to information is as essential for learning as is instruction”. He recognizes that, because the online information is not always well structured, it is necessary to work in “an area that has come to be known as knowledge management”. Like e-learning, knowledge management is facilitated by technology, but it is primarily about people, working together and about communication. (Rosenberg 2001) This is what the new approaches confirm in relation to the applications of knowledge management. It is not only a means to resolve technology and information management problems, but also a socio-organizational and cultural process allowing the promotion of learning, creation and innovation. Thus, we can argue that the knowledge management can be understood as an information system which codifies the knowledge, but also as a dynamic process in which 'knowledge is created through learning '. It does not mean that the initial function of the knowledge management - which is that of the management of systems and information technologies – should be abandoned , but the human element and its cognitive properties has to be integrated. (Allix 2003) Just like knowledge management, e-learning originates from a strategy that is both informative (informational strategy) and instructional (learning), but also from cognition. In addition the human element enters on the scene and interacts with all other elements in a complex process. But how should we deal with e-learning in which all components – information, knowledge, learning, technology - seem at first sight not to have anything in common, and even seem to be contradictory? The challenge is to propose a new way of thinking, to propose a paradigm - on which any scientific method is based - which has the principle of recognizing the interactions that our minds should distinguish, but not consider in isolation (Morin, 1990). 4. E-learning needs a new paradigm Changing the way of thinking will be the key to create a new framework for e-learning. E- learning should therefore be approached via a complexity thinking paradigm. It is the French philosopher Edgar Morin who, with his paradigm of complexity, brings the conceptual framework to “complexity thinking”. In his view, traditional thinking is too simplifying to be satisfactory, its ambition is limited to controlling and mastering reality. Complexity thinking, on the other hand, aims to account for the articulations between the disciplinary fields. He defines his paradigm – established by a strong logical relation between notions and principles – as another way of thinking which does not seek to complicate but to open thinking towards other conceptual fields, and to progress towards the comprehension of complex matters. (Morin, 1990). NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 4 of 11
4.1 Paradigm of complexity Morin (1999) insists on the fact that complexity is not only the problem of the object but also that of the method used to acquire knowledge about this object. To acquire a relevant knowledge, we need to connect, to put in context, to globalize our information and our knowledge, thus to look for a complex knowledge. The traditional paradigm is based on principles of isolation, reduction and disjunction, and as such, in our view, no longer meets the new demands of e-learning. The problematic nature of e-learning is closely related to that of information systems: that is why we cannot separate them, and why on the contrary we should bring the concepts of each together. We saw previously that two main components of the e- learning, instruction and information, are involved in a recursive process, which totally conflicts with the traditional concept of linearity of cause / effect, product / producer, structure / superstructure. The knowledge which we acquire on one of the components reflects on the whole and what we learn on the whole reflects on its components. Apart from this recursive principle, Morin (1990) proposes, to deal with complexity, the dialogical principle which allows for the recognition and linking of opposite and contradictory notions because they are complementary, as are the components of e-learning – our particular area of interest. In fact, according to the epistemological terms of complexity, this so-called contradiction is called 'dialogic'. It is the union of two different forms of logic, of two different principles, without their duality being lost. However the problem remains according to Morin, the organizing principle of the knowledge: « what is vital today, it is to learn, not only to re-learn, not only to forget, but also to reorganize our mental system to ‘re-learn to re-learn’. » (Quoted by Fortin 2000). But how do we really learn? 4.2 Constructivism and knowledge If we refer to the psychology of learning, there are three main views on learning theories as we can see in the figure below. Behavioral learning theory Cognitive learning theories Social learning theories ¾ More interested in what ¾ People ‘construct’ their ¾ Formal learning: people do rather than what own understanding based emphasizes individual work they think on their prior knowledge ¾ Informal learning: involves and experience interaction with others Figure 1. From Participant book phase 2, facilitator Tim Wentling, Workshop “Improving Training Quality”, organized by World Bank Institute, 2002 Martel (2002) provides a link between learning theories and technology by stating that the development of the technologies of communication in the field of education is transformed into technologies of knowledge, which could be the emergence of a paradigm change, going from behaviorism to constructivism. This constructivism is related to an educational postmodern paradigm, which postulates that the learner builds his/her own interpretation of the events and the information. Lyotard (1979) comes in here with his argument that knowledge changes its status as societies enter the postmodern period. Technological transformations affect knowledge in its two main functions: research and transmission of knowledge. This implies that not only is learning questioned but also information systems. The tools of communication which are offered to individuals necessitate the redefinition of traditional information systems. In addition, the relation with information changes in the sense that we can no longer know in advance who will need which information at what time. (Larrasquet 1999). NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 5 of 11
This constructivist approach to knowledge - we build our own truth from the perceptions which we have of ourselves and of our relations with others – allows for the emergence of a new e- learning. It is also the notion of complexity that implies the plausible emergence of something new within a phenomenon which we call complex. (Le Moigne 1995). 5. Emergence of the new e-learning New technologies and new ways of thinking of how people learn favor the emergence of principles of the e-learning approach that delivers both business and individual opportunities. In his paper, Banks (2003) states that E-learning contents design should be different to the one of traditional face-to-face taught courses a focus on the pedagogy issues during the training of instructors is also needed to ensure that they understand that creating E-learning contents is not just simply a question of transferring and publishing the content to online media. Banks also mentions that, as content development takes a lot of effort and time, defining in detail the scope of the material beforehand, will ensure that the result will be the one that is needed by the students and supported by the technology available. The E-learning experience should also be as enjoyable – if not more so - than the traditional face-to-face method. There are a number of approaches that can be used to introduce fun into E-learning based teaching and learning situations. These include using interesting stories as a medium, activities which require interaction with others – such as games, as well as other activities which the students can stop and continue at any time they like. The students’ curiosity is aroused, a community of students is maintained, teachers of a particular topic provide feedback and give positive reinforcement, and offer rewards to develop sense of competition among students. A good instructional material should involve ‘interactivities’, which enable the learners to relate the material to their own problems and respond to the system. Transferring teaching material into an online instructional material is not just simply a question of creating a PowerPoint slides. There should be more added values, such as using games and quizzes, since these can provide an encouragement to the students, and give a sense of fun to learning processes. Klaila (2000) suggests that E-learning applications should deliver an educational experience that is compelling, informative, and fun by incorporating the innovative tools and techniques used in computer games, such as graphics, interaction, and skill-building challenges. • Using games as an instructional tool may offer a number of advantages. This tool could be used to increase students’ motivation and interest and to improve retention and high- order thinking skills (Hogle 1996). Moreover, well-designed games offer a challenge and have the additional characteristic of improving skills or knowledge. However, any game introduced should contribute to learning which is relevant to the learning material. • Telling a story is a classic and very useful technique for teaching. A good teacher should be able to incorporate learning material into interesting narratives that are able to attract the students’ attention (Billhardt 2002). By using current information technologies (with the help of computer programmers), a teacher would be able to develop great storytelling computer applications that may include audio, video and animation. For more technical learning materials, these technologies can be used to create simulations, illustrations or demonstrations to help the students to understand such materials more easily. • Attracting learners’ curiosity about the advantages of using sophisticated technologies. The possibility to learn at one’s own pace at any time and almost any place, are other important motivating factors that teachers should mention (Obringer 2003). NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 6 of 11
Building a community among teachers and students within a particular learning topic is also a very useful and fun activity (Hogle 1996). The use of bulletin or discussion boards, chat rooms, instant messengers, and email to enable students and teacher to communicate easily and flexibly should be encouraged. Using these kinds of tools, E-learning can be conducted as a team exercise, where those involved can discuss strategies and interact in much the same way as in a classroom (Klaila 2000). The use of these tools should not be too formal: both the students and the teachers should feel comfortable and enjoy the experience. In order to build the learners’ confidence, positive reinforcement should be given to students at all time. E-learning courses can build in immediate feedback to correct misunderstood material. As each step of learning builds on the previous step, immediate feedback is necessary to avoid further learning being based on an incorrect interpretation. Another important thing to do is that teachers should always offer rewards and recognition. The rewards need not necessarily be in kind. Publishing a list of students’ accomplishments is an example of a cheap and easy reward. Programmers should also create an online performance management process as part of the E-learning application, which enable the students to monitor their progress (Hoffmann 2003). Carefully designed E-learning platforms using the Information System development techniques will ensure that the technology provided perfectly matches the requirements. According to Illinois Online Network, the technology developed should be easy to use and be as seamless as possible to the students. Both the students and the instructors should be allowed to get used to the new technology to ensure that no significant problem is experienced. The system should also be designed so that it can be used with the lowest hardware and software requirements by all of the students. Technical support for the students and instructor with any problems should be available at all times. 6. Evaluation: Two examples The examples below are from Management Education. They provide insight into learning theories and their instructional implications where technology is used not as a learning objective but as an educational tool. 6.1 From an existing classical course to a hybrid course: an example from Higher Education The intention of the project was to re-design an existing course into a hybrid course, integrating classroom and online activities. The technology used was not an objective, but only a tool to set up a learner-based approach defined as follows: “The teacher needs to become a facilitator, empowering the learners to construct their own knowledge, rather than being the sole source of direction and knowledge in the class” (Reigelugh 1996). The pedagogical objective for the new course design was to stimulate active learning and experience-sharing between students outside the classroom. The other objectives of this project can be summarized as follows: - To review the quality of the theoretical content of the course - To evaluate the existing classical material - To adapt or develop new course resources for virtual learning - To create appropriate activities using the e-learning technologies NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 7 of 11
To develop material for online learning, one must be able to use different online tools. However, every instructor can learn these new technologies and adapt the existing course for online delivery. In particular (s)he has to: - Apply the appropriate training principles for online instructional design. - Create active learning activities for learner-centred approach. - Improve the use of interactive technologies for peer-based learning. Thus, the new course followed the approach of online and in-person learning (blended learning method), which has been described in a publication (Browaeys, 2004) which focuses on the creation of online learning activities using a learner-centred approach. It discusses how to apply the appropriate training principles in online instructional design and how to improve the usage of interactive technologies for peer-based learning. It describes a way to transform a classical course prepared for classroom teaching into a hybrid e-learning approach. This paper may serve as an example for teachers wanting to produce their own material suitable for e-learning activities, such as online discussions. Evaluation of the course by students: The course was built within a virtual education learning environment. This meant that students were able to follow lectures (spoken), do assignments, read theory and discuss issues from every location with an internet connection (usually in their room). This changed the educational function of ‘real’ lectures. The classes were designed to give more background information about a subject and students had the possibility to ask questions. The study material consisted basically of a website, which contained concepts to learn, assignments to make and presentations to follow. This website was really user-friendly; links were clear and the information was well- organized. It was also possible to participate in online discussions (Forums). Besides that, there was also a booklet consisting of practical cases. There were two assignments: An individual paper and a group presentation related to a business situation. The exam was designed to test the knowledge of the students about the various online concepts. Lessons Learnt Student opinions about the structure of the course were divided. Some were positive as they could study in their own place. Other students preferred regular classes as a means of transferring knowledge. This implies that, for the latter, the teacher has to be the source of knowledge. Conciliating the different learning styles therefore remains the major challenge. 6.2 Developing an e-learning course for executive education: an example This project was developed as an intensive internal course for high-profile young managers in a French bank. This course consisted of training sessions over five days. Two days were spent online, during which participants were introduced to the theoretical component of financial risk management in the banking sector. During the training sessions teams competed with each other – by means of a simulation – in managing virtual banks in a dynamic economic and competitive environment. The re-designing of the theoretical part of the existing course on Bank Financial Risk Management consisted of transforming the PowerPoint presentations into an online format, so that the participants could follow the course from their own workplace. These online lectures gave the learner the opportunity to choose the most appropriate ones, and to re-play if some information was missed. This online activity has been presented in a publication (Browaeys, Wahyudi 2003) which presents an easy way for teachers to develop their own course material suitable for e-learning activities. In particular, this paper focuses on the transformation of a classical PowerPoint presentation prepared for classroom teaching into a Web-based format. NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 8 of 11
Technological competencies Creating online presentations by using software which is already available is easy. There are many online tutorials available that can be simply followed to create an online presentation using PowerPoint. In addition, these presentations are easily transferable into an e-learning environment. Figure 2: Objectives of the online part of the course Lessons learnt The online lectures have an advantage over classroom presentations and follow the learner-based pedagogy, because the learner can decide upon progress of presentation, where and when (s)he decides to use it, and can also go over it as often as necessary. Interaction plays a key role in the learning process and can develop new insights. Integrating video between the slides in which the instructor appears and directly asks questions to the learner may personalize the lectures. However, adding more interactivity remains the major challenge. 6.3. Evaluation of the examples What can we learn from these examples? First of all we can learn that e-learning is a complex system because it brings together notions which seem to have nothing in common, such as technology and learning. This forms the base of complexity thinking (Morin). These cases indeed show that moving from a classical course or training to an e-learning course (or blended learning) must necessarily be approached by means of another paradigm which takes into account notions which, at first sight, seem to oppose each other or conflict with each other. It is the paradigm of complexity that allows us to assemble without separating, to link, for example, instruction and information in a recursive process. If we refer to learning theories, it also allows us to take into account the construction of knowledge (constructivism) while respecting individual learning styles. We can therefore argue that these two cases are evidence of the emergence of a constructivist paradigm favoured by the techniques of communication in the field of education. This is a paradigm which takes into account those social learning theories which emphasise individual work (online PowerPoint presentations) and stimulate interaction with others (asynchronous and synchronous discussions with peers). The instructor is no longer the only source of knowledge. Knowledge is also shared between the students or people of an organization who are involved in a process of creating new knowledge. Nevertheless, in the two examples given, the instructor remains the instigator of an educational e-learning approach. That is why transforming teaching NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 9 of 11
material for use in an e-learning environment demands in the first place another way of thinking, one which addresses the complexity of e-learning. This implies that the use of information system techniques to develop the e-learning tools is a very important and crucial thing to consider. The examples show that different sets of E-learning tools should be developed for different purposes. This applies not only to the content, but also to the whole learning experience. Animation, for example, might not be suitable for one particular subject, but for another it may well be the best way to successfully deliver the materials. Both examples also clearly show that in order to successfully use technology to deliver knowledge, teachers should understand the main benefits and the limitations of the technology. In this case, a simple and easy to use system will ensure that the learners do not have any problem using the system and are allowed to progress at their own pace. The hardest thing to do is to build a sense of fun into learning when students are using the technology. Most of them enjoy using the learning tools very much since using this kind of technology is a new experience for them. However, more efforts still have to be made to improve the tools: more interactivity needs to be added and extra learning tools employed to make the students believe that learning by using this kind of technology is a fun way to learn. 7. Conclusion The dominant inspiration favouring the development of new e-learning approaches should come from the paradigm of complexity, which means another way of thinking, one which encourages the mind to elaborate knowledge strategies applicable in all the areas. E-learning strategy has to integrate the principles which allows engaging content to be created (content means blended solutions using several different delivery methods) and the use of technology to link the e- learning components. This implies the necessity of thinking in a dialogical way, which means linking in a complementary way notions which seem opposing. E should be linked to learning by the principles of recursivity and dialogic. However, the human element remains the main constituent of the learning. So E has to be a means, not an end in itself. That is why E-learning has to distance itself from ‘distance learning’ and to seek collaboration with Information Systems in order to develop what is missing in postmodern learning and to avoid becoming just a substitute method or a means of gathering information. References Allix, N.M., (2003) “Epistemology and knowledge management concepts and practices”, Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, p.12 [online], http://www.tlainc.com/artcl149.htm Banks, B. & McGrath, K. “e-Learning Content Advisory Paper”, [online] http://www.fdlearning.com/html/company/papers/e-learnContentPaper.pdf, last accessed 8 July 2004 Billhardt, B. (2002) “Making E-Learning Fun” http://www.enspire.com/nl_04_22_03.jsp cited 28 September 2003 Browaeys, M-J., (2004) “Creating online activities from classical course material: A hybrid e- learning approach”, [online], HICE, Teacher Education, pp.4788-4792, NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 10 of 11
http://www.hiceducation.org/edu1.pdf Browaeys, M-J., Wahyudi S.K.,(2003) “Transforming a classroom PowerPoint presentation into an online lecture”, Malaysian Journal of Educational Technology, Vol.3, No.1 Fortin, R. (2000) Comprendre la complexité, L’Harmattan, Laval, Canada, , p.17 Hofmann, J. (2003) Motivating Online Learners, http://www.learningcircuits.org/2003/aug2003/hofmann.htm, cited 4 October 2003 Hogle, J. G., (1996) Considering Games as Cognitive Tools: In Search of Effective ‘Edutainment’, University of Georgia. Klaila, D. (2000) “Game-Based E-Learning Gets Real”, http://www.italianstudies.org/aati/features2.htm, cited 26 September 2003 Larrasquet, J-M. (1999) Le management à l’épreuve du complexe, Tome II, L’Harmattan, Paris, Montréal, p.373 Le Moigne, J-L.(1995) La modélisation des systèmes complexes, Dunod, Paris, p.3 Lyotard, J-F.(1979) La condition postmoderne, Les Éditions de Minuit, Paris, p11-14 Martel, A. (2002) ‘La transition des instructivismes aux constructivismes par les technologies de la communication au service de l’enseignement/apprentissage à distance’, [on line], REFAD, p.4, http://www.refad.ca/constructivisme.html Morin, E., (1990) Introduction à la pensée complexe, ESF éditeur, Paris, pp98-104 Morin, E., (1999) Relier les connaissances, le défi du XXIe siècle », Journées thématiques, Seuil, Paris Obringer, Lee Ann “How E-learning Works”, http://www.howstuffworks.com/elearning.htm/printable, last accessed 10 July 2004 Reigeluth, C.M. (1996) “A New Paradigm of ISD?” Educational Technology, (36)3,p.14 Rosenberg, (2001) pp.28-66 Websites Illinois Online Network, “Key Elements of an Online Program”, http://www.ion.illinois.edu/IONresources/onlineLearning/elements.asp, last accessed 12 July 2004 www.learnframe.com, “Glossary of e-Learning Terms”, http://www.learnframe.com/aboutelearning/glossary.asp, last accessed 5 July 2004 NRG 06-01 Emergent theory and technology in e-learning - Browaeys and Wahyudi - 11 of 11
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