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ACCENT JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS ECOLOGY & ENGINEERING

Peer Reviewed and Refereed Journal, ISSN No. 2456-1037, IMPACT FACTOR: 7.98, (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL) Vol. 05, Issue 03, March 2020, Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE

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A STUDY OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN ONLINE EDUCATION Mr. Yogesh Bhaira

Research Scholar, Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women’s University, Jaipur

Abstract: India’s education system turns out millions of graduates each year, many skilled in IT and engineering. This manpower advantage underpins India’s recently economic advances, but masks deep seated problems within India's education system. India has recently been leapfrogging communications technologies at a level and pace unlike any other continent. This rapid adoption may be partly responsible for the “Indian renaissance”

and recent rise in economic growth rates. The rapid rate of adoption of cell phone technology among even rural and poor regions, for example, has been a surprise. It is providing new prospects for rural and other disadvantaged areas and people. This phenomenon brings hope to the possibility of schools being able to use new technologies to leapfrog over many of their problems such as a shortage of teachers, school books and low achievement levels, and to train their students in technologies and to have “21st century skills” such as creative thinking and problem solving. e -Learning may assist with this transformation.

1. INTRODUCTION

India has recently been leapfrogging communications technologies at a level and pace unlike any other continent.

This rapid adoption may be partly responsible for the “Indian renaissance”

and recent rise in economic growth rates.

The rapid rate of adoption of cell phone technology among even rural and poor regions, for example, has been a surprise. It is providing new prospects for rural and other disadvantaged areas and people.

This phenomenon brings hope to the possibility of schools being able to use new technologies to leapfrog over many of their problems such as a shortage of teachers, school books and low achievement levels, and to train their students in technologies and to have

“21st century skills” such as creative thinking and problem solving. e - Learning may assist with this transformation. The term “e-learning”

originates from electronically-assisted learning, or learning with and through the use of technologies. Other commonly used terms include online learning, computer -assisted learning or ICT in education. e-Learning incorporates both content (curriculum) and instruction (pedagogy). E-learning has become a term representing a new model of education that may incorporate an

“ecosystem” of networked communities and a variety of learning resources.1 In education, it involves revised curriculum, infrastructure, teacher professional development, textbooks, and exams.

The study discusses these issues in developing countries with a focus on India. It provides examples with information from India, a country that is at the cusp of transforming its secondary school educational system including incorporating e-learning. The situation India and elsewhere that are changing rapidly, and where the government, citizens and international institutions see opportunities to help shape its future in exciting directions.

Distance education emerged in response to the need of providing access to those who would otherwise not be able to participate in face -to-face courses. It encompasses those programs that allow the learner and instructor to be physically apart during the learning process and maintain communication in a variety of ways (Keegan, 1986). It has evolved from correspondence schools to delivery mechanisms such as independent study, computer-based instruction, computer-assisted instruction, video courses, videoconferencing, Web-based instruction, and online learning.

Technology has played a key role in changing the dynamics of each delivery option over the years, as well as the pedagogy behind distance education.

Technology is responsible for distorting the concept of distance between learner and instructor, and enabling learners to access education at any time and from any place. Emerging technologies also facilitate the establishment of synchronous and asynchronous learning networks using the Internet.

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98 This study explores the functions and benefits of using emerging tools and technologies in online and distance education. Current trends in the field of distance learning indicate a radical shift in both instructional design and pedagogy. There is some urgency in being able to provide flexible learning opportunities without compromising the quality of instruction. As technology evolves, so will the tools be available to make it happen.

2. OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Objectives of Study

 To examine the concept of Online and Distance Education.

 To find scope of Distance and Online Education in India.

 To Identify the emerging tools and techniques in Online and Distance Education.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methods can be classified in different ways, the most common distinction is between the quantitative and the qualitative approaches.

Quantitative approaches were originally used while studying natural sciences like:

laboratory experiments, survey methods and numerical methods. A qualitative study is used when the researcher wants to get a deeper understanding on a specific topic or situation. Myers stated that the qualitative approach was developed in social sciences in order to support the researcher in studies including cultural and social phenomena. Sources included in the qualitative approach are interviews, questionnaires, observations, documents and the researcher's impression and reactions. The chosen approach is qualitative.

This study typically takes the form study of secondary data available on education system. To understand and conclude the emergence of innovative tools and techniques in online and distance learning, we have gone through a number of reports and papers. This has the advantages of providing very rich information and avoiding the influence of others on the opinion of any one individual.

4. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN ONLINE & DISTANCE EDUCATION Emerging technologies provide opportunities for instructor–student as well as student–student real-time and/or time-delayed collaboration. Software companies are creating user -friendly applications that are an asset to business and educational settings alike.

The first -generation Web tools, as many have called them, included email, chat rooms, and discussion boards, among others. Nevertheless, it is second- generation Web tools that promise to take interactivity to the next level. Blogs (Weblogs), wikis, and podcasts (also called vlogs if they use video, or audio blogs if only audio is used) can be implemented alone or in conjunction with applications such as Imeem™, Write board™, and Insta Coll™ to create engaging learning environments.

A collection of writings, blogs are easily published and accessed via the Internet. Blogs lend themselves to exploratory topics or enhancing writing skills, since they provide students with an audience. Others suggest that blogs or Weblogs are best used as student portfolios that keep record of an individual’s progress, accomplishments, as well as reflections.

As distance educators acknowledge the need to foster social interaction for the purpose of knowledge construction, pedagogical approaches are adjusted and new teaching models emerge. Teaching models that integrate technologies such as blogs or wikis may afford more learner control, and thus may be more effective at delivering instructional strategies that support knowledge construction. Today's learners demand more control of the learning experience when they need it; which emerging technologies may be used, are given below:

1. MOOCs

Arguably, the technology with the most potential to disrupt current models of higher education (HE) provision is Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs).

MOOCs is an open -access online courses that provide no constraints on class size”. MOOCs were pioneered by George Siemens through the University of Manitoba’s course on Connectivism and Connected Knowledge 2008 (Stewart,

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99 2013). Although MOOCs can vary in many respects, from content to number of students to types of expected participation, MOOCs can generally be categorised in one of two ways, the first kind of which to emerge was connectivist MOOCs (cMOOCs). cMOOCs emphasise connected, collaborative learning based on like-minded individuals free from institutional constraints (Yuan & Powell, 2013). MOOCs promote peer learning based on the connectivist theory of learning, which emphasises how skills emerge through a combination of experience, learning and networking.

MOOCs are often run on open source learning platforms, and may be led by academics as part of a university course.

2. BYOD

“Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) refers to the practice of students using their own computing devices in classrooms.

Devices have traditionally included laptops, but increasingly feature smart phones and tablets, all of which offer a high degree of mobility and flexibility.

3. Mobile computing

Smart phones and tablets as mobile phones have evolved to include colour, high definition screens, cameras and internet connectivity over time, there is no single accepted definition as to what make some phones „smart‟ and others „dumb. A Smartphone could be defined as a device which “runs an open (to new apps) operating system and is permanently connected to the Internet”.

4. Educational apps and software Some of the educational apps used for academic purposes included Khan Academy, Flash Cards, i Tunes U.

Students also used Dictionary apps and Wikipedia for referencing, Chrome and Safari browsers for browsing information and Ever note, Drop box, Pages and Keynote for productivity. However the most popular app categories used by students on smart devices were for social networking, accessing music and gaming, showing that students may need to be made more aware of the educational potential of their devices.

5. M-learning

Tablets and smart phones overcome the size, weight and mobility of PCs and

laptops, and allow teaching to become more learner-centric. High definition screens, adjustable magnification, internal storage with the ability to hold thousands of books, magazines and articles, ability to instantly share materials on via conventional and social media and the ability to play embedded videos and follow links make tablets and e -readers an engaging alternative to the traditional textbook and journal.

Students now have the ability to create their own, customizable learning environment using collaborative applications such as Drop box, Delicious and Cheddar on these devices (Johnson et al., 2013). The ability to have a customizable learning environment could be especially useful for distance learners, off-campus students and part -time students juggling work and care commitments.

6. Cloud computing

Cloud computing also circumvents the need to constantly update institutional software, which can be expensive and cause disruptions to campus activities.

Using a trusted third party provider could be a good way to maximise the utility of in-house resources for research and teaching, while maintaining the security of sensitive materials. The LSE is already testing Microsoft Share point services as an official cloud -based service for staff, and Google Drive and Drop box are already extensively used by students and staff alike for study and extra-curricular purposes.

7. Gamification and Game-based learning

Using games to teach skills and concepts is an ancient concept, and even the use of video games for educational purposes is a concept that has origins in the 1970s. Games can be a very rewarding method of instruction for learners and a good way of teaching „soft skills‟ such as critical enquiry and resource management, and even to instill a sense of competition amongst students. Games and gamification can be extremely engaging particularly if the game can facilitate a „flow experience‟, or a state of complete absorption or engagement in an activity.

8. Educational data mining

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100 (EDM) is another sub-set of learning analytics concerned with the development of methods for exploring and analysing datasets sourced from educational settings to better understand those settings and student learning. It emerged from the analysis of data logs containing information on student - computer interactions, and tries to answer the question “how can we extract value from these big sets of learning- related data?”. EDM therefore uses techniques such as classification, social network analysis, relationship and process mining, and Bayesian modelling to predict student performance and outcomes.

5. CONCLUSION

In the end of this chapter we may conclude that, today's workplace requires that individuals create and collaborate within the constraints of time and place. These needs have given way to technological advancements that allow for real-time communication among peers and co-workers who stay connected over the Internet. It is no coincidence that these same advancements bring a fresh promise to distance education. New tools promise to create a stronger learning community where members can build expertise and develop problem-solving skills.

As distance educators seek to improve the quality of online courses, they face the challenge of meeting the needs of a diverse population that is more mobile and technology-savvy than any previous generation. The 21st-century learner requires educational opportunities not bound by time or place, yet allow interaction with the instructor and peers. Voice and videoconferencing, whiteboards, live presentation tools, application sharing, chats, and emails are just a few of the many tools available for interaction and collaboration. Blogs, wikis, and podcasts, as well as social software are emerging technologies that foster the sense of connectedness between the members of a group.

Researchers and practitioners are recognizing emerging technologies as powerful tools for building social interaction in constructivist learning environments. The demand for distance

education will only continue to grow. The ever -evolving nature of technology will continue to push distance educators to use new tools to create learning environments that will indeed prepare students to be life-long learners, who can problem solve through collaboration with global partners.

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