CHAPTER 2: OPERATIONALISATION OF THE KEY CONCEPTS AND
2.2 DEFINITIONS AND CONTEXTUALISATION OF CONCEPTS AND CONSTRUCTS
2.2.5 Electronic learning (e-learning)
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Shearer (2012) indicates that the search engine industry in Africa is constrained by low internet bandwidth and high dial-up tariff, as well as high cost of Personal computers. The cost of bandwidth in Africa is much more compared to most of developed countries and students are faced with the challenges of slow internet connectivity, many sites disappear without any notification or warning, slow access is also one of key common challenges when a large number of users are connected to the internet (ibid.). The prospective of the search engine is also being limited by slow data transmission speed and by the difficulties of information management and retrieval posed by the presence of such massive amount of information (ibid.).
Suhaimi and Hussin (2017) state that information has increasingly come unfiltered.
This raised questions about authenticity, validity and reliability of information retrieved on the internet. Moreover, online information is available through various media, including graphical and textual. Users are faced with diverse and profuse information choices for their academic purposes. Information seeking involves uncertainty, which demand skills and efficacy when selecting some and leaving of the information. This is a problem, since the quality and aim may vary significantly. Musa (2014) investigated the impact of the internet on final year students’ research projects and revealed that most of the students used Google (40%) as their search engine. The following search engines extremely used by students is Yahoo (28%) and MSN (14%).
The study affirmed that the internet is one of a vital tool for research.
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may be as several explanations of the concept e-learning as there are academic papers on the subject. Dublin (2003) attempting to find a collective meaning of the term e-learning asks the subsequent questions:
(i) Is e-learning an on-line coursework for students at a distance?
(ii) Does it mean using a virtual learning environment to support the provision of campus-based education?
(iii) Does it refer to an on-line tool to improve, spread and reinforce collaboration?
or
(iv) Is it an entirely on-line learning or part of intermingled learning?
Goya (2012) states that e-learning has changed from a fully-online course to using technology to deliver part or all of a course independent of permanent time and place.
The European Commission (2001) defines, e-learning “as the use of new multimedia technologies and the internet to increase learning quality by easing access to facilities and services as well as distant exchanges and collaboration”. The following are also different definitions of e-learning:
E-learning involves the use of ICT to permit the access to online learning and teaching resources. In a brief sense, Mohamed and Peerbhay (2012) describe e-learning as any learning which takes place electronically, but nonetheless confined this explanation to mean learning that is empowered by the use of digital technologies.
This meaning is more narrowed by some scholars as any learning that is internet- enabled or web-based (Hoijtink, 2015).
According to Isabirye and Dlodlo (2014), the term e-learning is applied in diverse perspectives, comprising of online-distance learning, as well as hybrid learning. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005) explains e-learning as the use of ICT in various processes of education to support and improve learning in institutions of higher learning, and takes into account the usage of ICT as a complement to traditional classrooms, online learning or merging the two approaches.
Dabbagha and Kitsantasb (2012) explain e-learning as an attainment and use of information that is mainly expedited and distributed by electronic means. E-learning happens through the use of computers and the internet. Bagarukayo and Kalema (2015) established that the features of e-learning process are primarily centred on the internet; global sharing and learning resources; information broadcasts and
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knowledge flow by way of network courses, and lastly flexibility of learning as computer-generated environment for learning is created to overcome concerns of distance and time. Hoijtink (2015) argues that e-learning is proposed based on distance learning, as a result a transmission of lectures to distant locations by way of video presentations. Open Educational Resources Africa (2014) claims that the evolution of communications technologies, especially the internet, did develop distance learning into e-learning.
Other scholars (Brady et al., 2010; Freeman, 2014) described e-learning as a revolutionary method. Freeman (2014) defined the e-learning approach as centred on the learner as well as its design as involving a system that is interactive, repetitious, self-paced, and customizable. Brady, Holcomb and Smith (2010) likewise referred to the concept as the use of computer network technology, primarily through the internet, to provide information and instruction to students. Open Educational Resources Africa (2014) outlined e-learning based on the summaries of its features, which are:
First, they offer a multimedia environment.
Second, they integrate several kinds of information.
Third, e-learning methods support collaborative communication, whereby users including students have entire control over their own circumstances of learning.
Fourth, e-learning support networks for retrieving information.
Last, e-learning permits for the systems to be implemented freely on several types of computer operating systems.
According to Sangrà, Vlachopoulos and Cabrera (2012), this new setting for learning that is positioned on electronic networks has afforded students at institutions of higher learning to receive individualized support and to have learning programmes that are more apposite to them as well as separate from other students. This enables a great collaboration and interaction between academics and students than traditional settings for learning. E-learning for academics is characterized by the use of multimedia concepts and make the process of learning more dynamic, motivating and pleasant (Hough & Neuland, 2014). The key concepts that have made e-learning the most useful educational technology, according to Mohamed and Peerbhay (2012) comprise of service, cost, quality, and speed. It is evident that e-learning empowers students at
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institutions of higher learning to obtain their education and at the same time going after their personal (Dabbagha & Kitsantasb, 2012).
2.2.5.1 Types of e-learning
There are different ways of categorizing the types of e-learning. Algahtani (2011) highlight that there have been some categorizations based on the degree of their engagement in education. Some classifications are also centered on the timing of interaction. Jethro, Grace and Thomas (2012) separated e-learning into two basic categories, viz. computer-based and the internet based e-learning. The computer- based learning embraces the use of a full range of hardware and software mostly that are available for the use of ICT. Computers are used instead of the traditional methods by providing interactive software as a support device within the class or as a tool for self-learning outside the classroom. In the computer-managed-instruction, computers are used for the purpose of storing and recovering information.
Internet-based learning (IBL) is a further enhancement of the computer-based learning, and it makes the information accessible on the internet, with the readiness of links to associated information sources. Bagarukayo and Kalema (2015) categorised IBL by the extent of such features use in education, mixed or blended more, assistant mode, and completely online mode. The assistant approach supplements the traditional method as needed. The entirely online method, which is the most complete improvement, includes the exclusive use of the internet for teaching and learning.