Week 5 Entry: E-learning

SPRING 2011 COM 125: Introduction to the Internet

Quote of the Week: "To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge." - Socrates

Blog Entry 4: Do you think E-learning will be a success in the future?

I had my first dose of E-learning when I entered secondary school in 2003. I was excited to try out the school site and found it highly interactive.

I guess it's every student's dream to be rid of school. No more classes, scary teachers, or time taken from daily schedules. In recent years, the idea of E-learning has become more and more popularly recognized by many students. Now, there is a way to skip school and still, catch up on what you've missed. Furthermore, if you are unclear of some information given, you can immediately check up answers on the internet. While it is highly convenient, it has a higher chance for a student's complacency as well.

The technology is here now, and functioning properly. The question of it being a success in future is a different story altogether. It is hard to determine if people would actually do better in schools via E-learning. If that is the case, people in the teaching profession are in danger of losing their jobs. I do not think that E-learning could possibly replace physical schools in future. Indeed, there are online degrees that are now offered, but I think that there are still people who doubt the credibility of such courses.

E-learning takes away one very important element in education and upbringing. And that is, face-to-face interaction. In the working world, a person cannot just be expected to sit behind his or her computer all day and not meet a single soul. Employers still like conducting face-to-face interviews, and the skill of interacting cannot simply be learnt via E-learning.

All in all, the success of E-learning technology is dependent on how the individual defines 'success'. Because, like I mentioned earlier, the technology is working properly, which is already a success.