Baskadia

Online learning

Home Education, Professionalism and Globalization Theories of Higher Education 2 July 2020 | Published by BFI (Books in French) Abstract An online learning environment has seen an increase in popularity over the last several years. This essay considers two main issues: one is a theoretical perspective on how higher education should be organized in France, which focuses on internationalisation, another explores what we now call e-learning or Internet Learning. Online teaching and learning are becoming increasingly popular in higher education around the world. It is necessary to define this phenomenon in order to determine its potential impact on students and teachers. Keywords: Computer based learning, distance education, web-based learning, computer technology, globalization, educational process

Online Learning Definition Introduction A study conducted by the OECD in 2016 showed that between 2011 and 2015 a total number of 20 million people started using different technologies for online learning and teaching. In addition, more than 30% of learners surveyed in Europe and 17% in the USA stated they started using some form of electronic media in their studies at a certain stage of their education. This represents a high use rate; however, it does not necessarily mean that online learning will make our education systems obsolete. Some schools have already transitioned completely to online teaching; others have begun with hybrid models that combine traditional and digital methods. With each new type of model there are opportunities and disadvantages, as well as various types of resources available for both teachers and students. But all of these possibilities also allow a more profound exploration and critical analysis of ways learning happens online than in person where the teacher and student might meet face-to-face. This essay aims to provide a definition of online learning in higher education, highlight the history of this academic term, explore its major components, and describe the current state and future direction of work. This work draws on recent literature to analyse the theoretical perspectives on distance education as well as the views of educators working within that field. Finally, some arguments are presented about the implications for teaching practice in terms of globalization.

In the following section I intend to clarify what online learning actually means and describe its components. For this purpose, in turn, several theories describing the nature of higher education will be considered, starting with one formulated by Edward Shils, who is considered by many to be the father of the modern theory of higher education. His view of higher education stems from his lifelong dedication to research into the needs of society, the university, faculty, and students. [1] In particular, he distinguishes three kinds of interaction in a higher education system: (1) pedagogical interaction, i.e., relationships between students and tutors, (2) affective interaction, i.e., relations between students and instructors, and (3) communicative interaction, i.e., relations between students and others. These interactions are crucial for creating meaningful and positive personal experiences. However, due to social pressures and limited time, universities often find themselves unable to offer their students the kind of interactive experience offered online. Therefore, in response to growing concerns about sustainability, institutions of higher education have been adopting newer models which aim to create conditions enabling greater participation and involvement of students in teaching and learning processes. In general, such a move has led to the creation of so-called “online” universities which do not allow students to return to campus, but rather operate as independent learning entities with online courses with minimal support from the school.

This essay briefly examines two main issues related to online learning: whether the online space can maintain its relevance in terms of globalizing the world and whether the transition to it can enhance learning. If our education requires us to think about the relationship between teaching and learners, if our task is to promote learning, then online learning can help contribute to the development of effective teaching practices. Many advantages open to teachers working within the framework of online learning and even to those who want to adopt it as part of their teaching practice: reduced costs, a lack of administrative overhead, improved accessibility, increased autonomy, increased flexibility and creativity, among other benefits. At the same time, because of the inherent limits of online activities, some questions arise as concerns the appropriateness of an entirely virtual format for the development of knowledge of any sort. Also, due to the increasing level of interconnectedness through the internet, information overload affects the quality of our access to the content we need in our daily lives. Thus, despite being attractive in the present day climate, the effectiveness of online learning may no longer suffice in today’s post-global era. A comprehensive review of the empirical evidences collected through researches related to e-learning shows a strong correlation between the adoption of online learning and enhanced grades in secondary, tertiary, and primary education. As reported by Giannini et al. (2015), “a majority of European countries have implemented some elements of e-learning as part of their curricula… e-learning programs account for up to 70% of formal secondary-level enrollment across many sectors in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.”

[2] Nevertheless, while having made huge strides in recent decades in regard to the integration of the concept of online in the existing curriculum, there still exist gaps in understanding the way in which this learning modality works for most people’s everyday tasks and tasks in general. This discussion highlights the importance of discussing the current status of knowledge management strategies in relation to the development of online tools in the higher education context. More precisely, it investigates the role played by KMS strategies for knowledge exchange between students and teachers so that students could become competent users of the newly emerging platforms where they can discover online resources with various degrees of competency, for instance, free libraries or specialized newsgroups or other platforms where they cannot afford membership. Moreover, it also examines the role played by different kinds of content (text, music, video) in acquiring more complex skills. All of these questions reflect the current state of innovation, competition, dynamism, and uncertainty in education which place additional demands on the functioning of e-learning and raises new problems that challenge practitioners. To successfully tackle these issues, in conjunction with a deeper examination of the peculiarities of current developments in the field we would therefore need to take into account the multiple dimensions of the paradigm of distance education. Since the 1980s, when Shils published the article titled Higher Education, he has advocated the implementation of the blended models, where digital tools are complemented by traditional teaching and learning methods. However, the debate concerning the meaning of e-learning and online learning and whether online activities can replace traditional ones seems to persist. Thus, it needs to be explored as to what extent e-learning is compatible with traditional practices, given the fact that both practices are vital parts of higher education since they help prepare students for life after school. And yet, it is also important to understand how this transformation from offline to online learning could evolve. Here, we turn to the first theoretical perspective on higher education identified by Shils, namely the conceptual theory of higher education developed in 1978. Specifically, here we focus on the notion of internationalisation which encompasses the idea that learning must be accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime. The goal, according to him, is to facilitate the transfer of relevant knowledge to every individual; to provide a platform where knowledge could flourish without restrictions of geography, time, or cultural barriers, or to integrate the whole community. We will refer repeatedly throughout this text to the term ‘internationalisation’ to explain this approach. On the one hand, this notion embraces the very essence of democracy, of progress as an inclusive process that seeks to ensure the rights of every citizen within a community as diverse as possible. But on the other hand, under the influence of neo-liberal ideologies and a desire for freedom and prosperity, internationalisation has gone beyond merely putting a question mark on the issue of political power. Nowadays, in a period marked by rapid growth in technological advancement, many academics and policymakers propose that our globalized economy and business environment require continuous improvement. One of the consequences of this situation is that internationalization becomes indispensable for sustainable economic growth. Indeed, the emergence of the “knowledge economy” has been accompanied by an increase in international outsourcing of labour. The latter was, of course, accelerated by the unprecedented rise in globalised trade in goods between countries.[3] Consequently, a large share of workers of international companies who were previously engaged in domestic markets is expected to go abroad in search of jobs. According to statistics, in 2019, nearly 100 million individuals entered the job market of freelancing and short-term contracts worldwide.

[4] From a pedagogical standpoint, this trend is beneficial since it creates an opportunity for qualified professionals to take advantage of underemployment in the domestic labor market. But from a socio-political point of view, long-term employment by foreign employees is fraught with risk and instability. For example, in the United States, approximately 11 percent of unemployed workers are immigrants who seek work in low-skilled occupations.

[5] Accordingly, unemployment rates are bound to increase as a consequence of mass migration. Due to this, a significant share of skilled labour is going to leave the country which will result in loss of productivity. To counter the adverse effects of this phenomenon, governments of many countries have adopted policies encouraging the formation of local communities within which national borders will no longer serve as an obstacle to knowledge exchange. Such practices are known as “internationalization,” which essentially refers to the promotion and protection of multicultural communication between states. Given the dynamics of today’s living in a transnational world, the concept of internationalization has taken on a special significance in order to respond to trends affecting the dissemination of scientific knowledge. That said, it is essential to realise that the concepts of e-learning and Internet learning are closely intertwined, and in fact, overlap significantly. That said, let us consider the main functions that each of them has within education and which are directly linked to learning and teaching in a broader sense