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University of Dhaka

Department of International Business

“E-Business”

Course Code: IB-404

Submitted to: Dr. Santus Kumar Deb

Date of submission: 14th July

Group Name: IB SWAG

Group Profile

ID No. Name
RH-030-040 JannatulNayma
SN-030-042 KanizFatema Armin
FM-030-058 Sadia Binte Rahman

FM-030-072 Samsun Naher

KJ-030-076 ShiponHossen

KJ-030-080 Md. Abu Talab


SN-030-127 Tasmeem Tamanna Hoque

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Executive Summary

E-education has been described in various ways as learning using a number of different
technologies and methods for delivery e.g. Computer Based Training, Internet-based training,
Web-based instruction, distance learning, online learning , mobile learning or remote learning
and learning management systems.
In E-education system, students are able to interact anytime from wherever with different
instructional material (text, sound, pictures, video and so on) through Internet. In addition,
learners can communicate with teachers and classmates both individually and as a group
discussion with the use of message boards, instant message exchanges and video conferencing.

E-education system is used for an open, flexible, and diverse E-education environment.
Moreover E-education system can be analyzed as an inventive approach for delivering, learner-
centered, interactive, and facilitated learning environment to anyplace, anyone, anytime by
utilizing the features and resources of different digital technologies along with other types of
learning materials suited for an open, distributed, and flexible learning environment.

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Table of content

1. E-education 4

2. History of E-education 5-6

3. Types of E-education 7-15

4. Differences between E-education and Traditional education 15-19

5. Importance of E-education 20-21

6. E-education for rural people in Bangladesh 22-23

7. Benefits and drawbacks of E-education 23-24

8. E-education in corporate sector 24-25

9. Tools for E-education 26-28

10. Worldwide popular E-education sites 29-39

11. E-education in Bangladesh 39-42

12. Popular E-education sits in Bangladesh 42-47

13. Impact of E-education on student’s performance 48-49

14.Future of E-education 50-52

15.Conclusion 53

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1. E-Education

E - Education is a flexible instructional delivery system that encompasses any kind of learning
that takes place via the Internet. E- Education gives educators an opportunity to reach students
who may not be able to enroll in a traditional classroom course and supports students who need
to work on their own schedule and at their own pace.

The quantity of distance learning and online degrees in most disciplines is large and increasing
rapidly. Schools and institutions that offer online learning are also increasing in number.
Students pursuing degrees via the online approach must be selective to ensure that their
coursework is done through a respected and credentialed institution. E-education was first called
"Internet-Based training" then "Web-Based Training" Today you will still find these terms being
used, along with variations of e-education such as e-education, E-education, and eLearning.

There are many terms used to describe learning that is delivered online, via the internet, ranging
from Distance Education, to computerized electronic learning, online learning, internet learning
and many others. We define eLearning as courses that are specifically delivered via the internet
to somewhere other than the classroom where the professor is teaching. It is not a course
delivered via a DVD or CD-ROM, video tape or over a television channel. It is interactive in that
you can also communicate with your teachers, professors or other students in your class.
Sometimes it is delivered live, where you can “electronically” raise your hand and interact in real
time and sometimes it is a lecture that has been prerecorded. There is always a teacher or
professor interacting /communicating with you and grading your participation, your assignments
and your tests.

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2. History of E-Education

The term “e-education” has only been in existence since 1999, when the word was first utilized
at a CBT systems seminar. Other words also began to spring up in search of an accurate
description such as “online learning” and “virtual learning”. However, the principles behind e-
education have been well documented throughout history, and there is even evidence which
suggests that early forms of e-education existed as far back as the 19th century.

An E-Education timeline:

Long before the internet was launched, distance courses were being offered to provide students
with education on particular subjects or skills. In the 1840’s Isaac Pitman taught his pupils
shorthand via correspondence. This form of symbolic writing was designed to improve writing
speed and was popular amongst secretaries, journalists, and other individuals who did a great
deal of note taking or writing. Pitman, who was a qualified teacher, was sent completed
assignments by his students via the mail system and he would then send them more work to be
finished.

In 1924, the first testing machine was invented. This device allowed students to tests themselves.
Then, in 1954, BF Skinner, a Harvard Professor, invented the “teaching machine”, which
enabled schools to administer programmed instruction to their students. It wasn’t until 1960
however that the first computer based training program was introduced to the world.

This computer based training program (or CBT program) was known as PLATO-Programmed
Logic for Automated Teaching Operations. It was originally designed for students attending the
University of Illinois, but ended up being used in schools throughout the area.

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Online learning Today

With the introduction of the computer and internet in the late 20th century, e-education tools and
delivery methods expanded. The first MAC in the 1980’s enabled individuals to have computers
in their homes, making it easier for them to learn about particular subjects and develop certain
skill sets. Then, in the following decade, virtual learning environments began to truly thrive, with
people gaining access to a wealth of online information and e-education opportunities.

In the 2000’s, businesses began using e-education to train their employees. New and experienced
workers alike now had the opportunity to improve upon their industry knowledge base and
expand their skill sets. At home individuals were granted access to programs that offered them
the ability to earn online degrees and enrich their lives through expanded knowledge. Today, e-
education is more popular than ever, with countless individuals realizing the benefits that online
learning can offer.

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3. Types of E-Education

E-education entails the use of ICTs to accelerate the achievement of national educational goals by
connecting learners and teachers together for professional support services. Includes all educational
solutions for distance training in which the methods of information and communication technology (ICT)
are used, thus supporting individual learning, use of computers and electronics to assist learning, refers to
use of information and communication technologies in education

E-education enables the learners to learn anytime and anywhere. It enables the development of perfect
learning content through the application of sound instructional design principles to perfectly analyze the
basic requirements of education as well as learning objectives.

E-education or online education includes:

 Distance learning
 Home schooling
 Flipped learning
 Blended learning
 Online public education
 E-education

Distance learning

Distance Education provides an opportunity to students of any age or level to learn at home or at
places of work. There are a number of definitions of distance education or learning. But in fact,
the definition that is accepted by all provides for an education system in which a distance exists
between teacher and students. So, to this teaching learning process is added an educational
organization, the purpose of which is to ensure an effective two-way communication between
teacher and students through the use of multi-media technology. Of all these characteristics two-
way communication is greatly emphasized. For example it makes possible such interaction as
regular exchange of information between computer and computer users.

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Bangladesh Open University (BOU) is the only distance education institution in Bangladesh. In
October 1992, the BOU was formally recognized by an Act passed in the National Parliament.
Although BOU was established in 1992, the history of distance education in Bangladesh goes
back to about fifty years. In 1956 the then Director of Public Instruction had already understood
the significance of distance education and, in 1957, the Education Reform Commission
recommended that a correspondence school be established on a trial basis for students eager to
receive education without attending regular classes.

Homeschooling

Homeschooling is a progressive movement around the country and the world, in which parents
choose to educate their children at home instead of sending them to a traditional public or private
school. Families choose to home school for a variety of reasons, including dissatisfaction with
the educational options available, different religious beliefs or educational philosophies, and the
belief that children are not progressing within the traditional school structure

Flipped learning

Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group
learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into
a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply
concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter. Flipped Learning is an approach that allows
teachers to implement a methodology, or various methodologies, in their classrooms.

Blended learning

Blended learning is a term increasingly used to describe the way e-education is being combined
with traditional classroom methods and independent study to create a new, hybrid
teaching methodology. It represents a much greater change in basic technique than simply adding
computers to classrooms; it represents, in many cases, a fundamental change in the way teachers
and students approach the learning experience.

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There is a general consensus among education innovators that blended learning has three primary
components:

 In-person classroom activities facilitated by a trained educator.

 Online learning materials, often including pre-recorded lectures given by that same instructor.

 Structured independent study time guided by the material in the lectures and skills developed
during the classroom experience.

Online public education (k-12)

K12 offers options to fit your student’s needs and the needs of your family between tuition-free
public school from kindergarten through 12th grade a new kind of high school with career-
focused pathways, and fee-based private schools and independent courses.

Tuition-free, K12-powered public schools feature rigorous online curriculum with hands-on
materials delivered to your door. Dedicated USA based state-certified teachers provide
instruction and support for students in grades K–12.

E-education

A learning system based on formalized teaching but with the help of electronic resources is
known as E-education. While teaching can be based in or out of the classrooms, the use of
computers and the Internet forms the major component of E-education. E-education can also be
termed as a network enabled transfer of skills and knowledge, and the delivery of education is
made to a large number of recipients at the same or different times.

Fundamentally, there are two categories of e-education:

 Synchronous

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 Asynchronous

Synchronous E- learning (Set time-phone/Internet classroom sessions)

Synchronous, means “at the same time,” involves interaction of participants with an instructor
via the Web in real time. For example – VCRs or Virtual class rooms that are nothing else but
real classrooms online. Participants interact with each other and instructors through instant
messaging, chat, audio and video conferencing and what’s more all the sessions can be recorded
and played back. Its benefits are:

• Ability to log or track learning activities.


• Continuous monitoring and correction is possible
• Possibilities of global connectivity and collaboration opportunities among learners.

Synchronous e-education is gaining popularity because of improved technology and internet


bandwidth capabilities.

Education from the sources of:

• Virtual Classroom
• Audio and Video Conferencing
• Chat
• Webinars
• Application Sharing
• Messaging instantly

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Educational Apps/Programs

There are countless apps or programs, such as ABCmouse.com and LearnBop, which enable
supplemental online education, while at the same time offering a fun experience for students.
Even adults can benefit from this type of learning apps covering a variety of subjects from
astronomy to world languages.

The mobility of these education systems allows for adaptability to a student’s individual lifestyle
and can be utilized anytime and anywhere.

Webinars

A webinar is training or a workshop delivered over the web using videoconferencing software.
The best part of this form of training is that, you can host a large group, interact and brainstorm,
and share applications and documents with the other participants. In simple terms, it mimics the
traditional classroom, where you can interact with the instructor and other learners. You can
deliver all kinds of trainings through this form of education system. A few of them include
product sales training and HR training.

Virtual Classroom

It is an online portal through which learners can attend the training right from the comfort of
their own place. This is similar to a traditional classroom, but the instructor and learners’ login
from different places, virtually. This uses various synchronous technologies such as web
conferencing, video conferencing, etc. to enable global learners attend the training, communicate
with each other, and view videos at the same time. Learners do not need to travel to attend the
session, thus saving their money and time.

Mobile learning

Mobile learning is a breakthrough in the e-education world. In this form of learning, the training
material is accessed by learners via mobile devices anywhere anytime with just a few taps. Now,
sales reps are able to go through the training material before meeting customers to refresh
product knowledge at their pace. Mobile learning also allows employees collaborate, discuss,
and learn with their peers and managers across the globe. Collaborative learning

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In this type of training, both the instructor and learners interact and share knowledge, either
offline or online. In simple terms, it is a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning of
education. Learners can gain knowledge and acquire new skills by interactions and who could
not make it to the online session can participate in online forums, live chats, instant messaging,
and use message boards.

Video-based Learning

In this mode, training is imparted to end-users via engaging videos. This is ideal to grab the
attention of unmotivated learners. Basically, videos with less content and more images glue the
audience to their seats throughout the training. This video-based training material can be
accessed round the clock from anywhere, thus allowing learners watch the video as many times
as they want and learn at their own pace. A plethora of studies has proven that 80% of people
grasp things by seeing them. In fact, it gives a feel of someone guiding the learners. This medium
is interactive, engaging, and yields positive learning outcomes.

Asynchronous E-education (Student directed, self-paced learning)

Asynchronous, which means “not at the same time,” allows the participants to complete the
WBT (Web-based training) at their own pace, without live interaction with the instructor.
Basically, it is information that is accessible on a self-help basis, 24/7. It has interaction amongst
participants through message boards, bulletin boards and discussion forums. These include
computer based training (CBTs) modules on CD-ROM’s. Web based training accessed through
intranet (WBTs) or through well written articles and other write ups. Its advantages are:-

• Available ‘just in time’ for instant learning and reference.

• Flexibility of access from anywhere at any time.

• Ability to simultaneously reach an unlimited number of employees.

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• Uniformity of content and onetime cost of production not effecting their daily
commitments.

Learning from the sources of:

 Self-paced online courses

 Discussion forums & groups

 Message board

Self-Education

If students are self-motivated or just curious, they can search the Internet for an extensive supply
of educational information. Search engines and sites such as “YouTube” offer a collection
articles, videos, and images related to most topics. Sites such as “Khan Academy” offer a free
collection of courses for all grade levels on a variety of subject matters.

Students looking to become more knowledgeable in a particular area are able to use the vast
array of free online resources for research and education. Discretion should be used, though, as
not all websites and sources are accurate or reliable.

Online College Courses

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are classes offered on a large scale and that are not
limited to enrollment in a particular school or university. People choose to take these either for
career or academic advantage and the courses are not necessarily applicable towards earning a
degree. That said, there are some students who are able to earn credits or meet prerequisites
through MOOCs, depending on their institution of higher learning.

Whether it is an adult looking to further their education or a recent high school graduate wanting
flexibility in class scheduling, enrolling in an online college enables a student to earn a degree
without the constraints of traditional campus learning. With the popularity of online courses
today, just about any degree is offered while still being able to attend credible and notable
colleges.

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Supplemental Online Education

From preschool all the way to graduate school, students can supplement their education through
online resources. Selective online classes enable students who desire to extend their learning in a
particular area to study beyond that which is offered at their current school. Supplemental online
courses also help those students struggling with a particular subject to receive further education
and assistance.

Even looking beyond the educational arena, anyone looking to become a subject matter expert,
out of a love for learning or to advance their career, can greatly benefit from any number of
supplemental online education offerings.

Online certifications are also available for a variety of careers including popular ones such as
nursing, information technology, web design, and business administration.

Web-based learning

This form of training is accessed via web browsers or through the corporate Intranet. The best
part of this training is that, learners can access it at their own pace, within the set time. In
addition, they do not need to travel to the training centers to attend the training. The
compatibility of web browsers with videos, audios, animation, and other media elements make
it a user-friendly medium to deliver the training. On the flip side, to embrace this education,
the learner needs to meet a certain set of system requirements (additional bandwidth and
software).

Computer-based training

It is training accessed offline on computers. This type of interactive training worked wonders
before the advent of the Internet. It allows learners learn at their pace and the training progress
is tracked by the computer, hence assigning grades instantly. In addition, instructors can also
track the training progress. It uses various multimedia elements to engage the learner.

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CD-ROM based learning

This is an obsolete training model where the training material was recorded onto compact disks
and accessed on the system without Internet connection. Today, e-education has come a long
way from CD-ROM to mobile-based learning. However, a few organizations are still using this
outdated form of education to distribute training material.

4. Differences between E-education and Traditional Education

Traditional Education

The traditional schooling experience requires you to attend classes in person and on campus. It
makes sense to attend classes in person if you decide to live in the dorms or an incoming
freshman who wants the real college experience. There are certainly more opportunities to join
clubs, associations, or fraternities/sororities while taking classes on campus.

Also, you may need additional assistance from guidance counselors and professors, which is
more readily available on campus. Traditional classes may be a better choice for students who
aren't very savvy with technology or who enjoy interacting with teachers and professors face-to-
face.

In addition, there are majors that require more hands-on training during class, such as:

 Automobile Mechanic/Technician
 Computer Science/ Engineering
 Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Technician
 Nursing
 Online Education

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 Internet Job Search

Online education

Online education is also known as distance learning and consists of taking classes via the
internet. More and more students are taking online classes because of the flexibility and
convenience it provides. You can attend class sessions from the comfort of your home and
complete assignments whenever it's convenient for a student.

Online classes are great for individuals who have family responsibilities or lack a flexible work
schedule. In addition, online classes are more cost efficient because they doesn't require any
commuting, allowing students to save on gas and the wear and tear of your vehicle. Online
courses are also great for individuals in the military or who travel frequently. The distance
learning format allows students to pursue education wherever they are, rather than tying them
down to a specific location.There are, however, some cons to online education. These include
limited direct contact with colleagues and professors, and fewer opportunities to join campus
clubs and extracurricular activities. You also have to have a reliable computer and internet
connection.

For those looking to get more of the social classroom experience, a traditional education might
be the better fit. For those looking for a more flexible option, online education is something to
check out. Another option is to use online resources to supplement and enhance your traditional
education. Study.com has a diverse selection of courses, including a wide variety of college-
credit courses. These courses can help you prepare for exams, learn professional development
skills, and even accelerate your degree progress with college credit, while still allowing you the
freedom to participate in extracurricular activities or chat in-person with professors and
classmates.

When choosing between online/ e-education and traditional education, it can be helpful to
consider factors such as learning styles, settings, and technology need. When students are
considering choosing between online and traditional education, they may only think about the
most obvious difference between computers versus classroom. There are many other differences

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that could significantly impact a student's ability to succeed. In this piece, we'll discuss several of
these factors, including:

 Learning styles
 Classroom setting
 Technology
 Tuition
 Pacing

Learning Styles

Typically, online education tends to favor independent learning styles. Online students are
expected to be self-directed in achieving their academic goals while balancing other
responsibilities. Some courses also favor certain learning styles over others. For instance, those
that rely primarily on visual content may favor visual learners. Others deliver material through
recorded audio lectures, which can be helpful for auditory learners. Although there are still
misconceptions that online courses are isolating, most online education programs have adopted
active learning environments that incorporate activities, peer-to-peer communication, and
student-instructor interactions. This can helpful for individuals who learn better when working
with others.

Some communication options in online courses include:

• Email
• Message boards
• Instant messaging
• Video conferencing
• Chat rooms

Nevertheless, traditional courses often cater more specifically to students with collaborative
education style, especially auditory and kinesthetic learners. Likewise, traditional education
environments offer opportunities for face-to-face interaction in and out of the classroom.

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Furthermore, at a brick-and-mortar school, social and academic support may come from peers on
campus.

Classroom Setting

In a traditional course multiple students gather to learn at a specific time and place. Students may
attend lecture discussion sessions, independent study groups with peers, or interact with the
instructor after class or during office hours. The style of instruction at traditional universities is
most often teacher-driven, in that the knowledgeable instructor lectures on the subject of his or
her expertise.

Some online courses actually follow the same model, with synchronous online class sessions and
question-and-answer sessions that serve as instructor office hours. However, other online courses
allow students the flexibility to choose the time and place to learn that is most convenient for
them. The style of instruction in online programs is more user-driven. Depending on the course,
students may experience varying levels of control over the pace of learning and when they attend
the class.

Technological Concerns

To do well in online courses, students must have basic computer literacy. Likewise, teachers
must understand how to incorporate these resources into lessons, and teachers must be able to
provide instruction on how students can use the resources. In addition to the communications
methods previously discussed, some of the media that may be utilized in online courses include
web pages, webinars, software programs, webcasts, search engines, and social media.

However, while traditional classes may take place in the classroom, students and faculty still
require some technology skills for using document creation programs, conducting Internet-based
research, and using other technology resources. Therefore, traditional classes will not save
students or faculty from having to learn how to use and incorporate some technology into their
education programs.

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There are both similarities and differences between online and in-person educational programs.
Prospective students can choose between them based on their personal preferences and learning
styles.

Tuition

While some schools charge online students the same price as on-campus students, many have
separate tuition and fees for their distance learning programs. Often, schools will structure their
tuition on a per-credit basis or charge a flat fee that includes all requisite costs for the semester.
Some schools drop certain fees that don't apply to online students (such as a lab fee) or add fees
that help them maintain the online program's technological infrastructure.

Pacing

In a traditional on-campus setting, students must take courses on the semester, date and time
they're offered. Since there's no physical location, online courses often offer more flexibility.
This is true in two senses. One, many schools offer self-pacing where students absorb the
material on their own time using resources provided by the college, giving them the flexibility to
work around their busy work and life schedules. Other schools have a more traditional setup,
'conducting' online classes according to a set schedule, but offering them in different start times
and lengths. For instance, students might choose a 12-week course or an accelerated 5.5-week
course.

With these flexible options, online students typically finish their degrees faster than their on-
campus counterparts; for a bachelor's degree, full time online students in an accelerated program
could complete their degree in about 2.5 years to graduate, while traditional students take an
average of 5 years. However, students who enroll in their online degree program part time, and
complete it around their work schedule, usually take longer

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5. Importance of E-Education

Technological development and the internet have changed people’s lives on different scales
including for instance education. The web has become one of the channels of education that
opens the door for people around the world to access education for free, or for fewer costs.

The IT booming and the internet have opened the door to largely access knowledge, high quality
education and training. This easy access using information systems and the web can improve
people’s skills for fewer costs. Knowledge delivering to some people would have never been
possible without the opportunities offered by technology and the web.

A recently published study has highlighted the importance and effectiveness of e-education and
how students are satisfied with web-enhanced teaching. For that purpose, researchers collected
data through surveys “for a total of 45 undergraduate and 26 graduate students enrolled in
landscape construction studio courses at Texas A&M University during 2011 and 2012.”

To understand the issue, researchers made comparison with another study that previously
conducted in 2003–04. “They evaluated students’ learning satisfaction and the effectiveness of e-
education in landscape architecture construction studio courses, compared trends in learning
vehicles preferred by graduate and undergraduate students, and examined preferred learning
vehicles between students expecting an A grade and those expecting a B or C grade.”

This study which is published at a Journal of e-education and Higher Education found that
“satisfaction level with web-enhanced teaching increased to 95% in the 2011–2012 investigation,
compared to 73%-87% in the 2003–2004 one.”

The study results indicated that “students were highly satisfied with web-enhanced teaching in
both investigations. Particularly, students in recent years were more satisfied with web-enhanced
teaching than those in the past. Undergraduate and graduate students preferred different types of
learning vehicles, in which undergraduate’s preferred interactive types. In addition, students

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expecting an A grade were more likely to prefer individual or independent learning vehicles
whereas students expecting a B or C grade relied on interactive learning methods.”

For teachers and instructors, they can learn from this study that the web-enhanced teaching “is no
longer an add-on feature in teaching but a necessity” as stated in the research. What can still be
missing in online learning and teaching is the interactivity and communication offered in class-
based lessons. As stated in the study “undergraduates who are more likely to rely on interactive
learning may suffer from web-based teaching that often lacks interactive communications.”

Today, the use of web to teach and learn is inevitable for both teachers and students. Online
courses are becoming more and more necessary for education to and for knowledge spread.
Thus, teachers should consider this trend in education and get prepared technically and
pedagogically to take online teaching in consideration. In turn, students need to get enough skills
that will help them effectively benefit from the advantages e-education is providing.

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6. E-Education for rural people in Bangladesh

Inadequate educational resources, insufficient and unqualified teachers and health care providers,
and lack of community involvement, are some of the causes that contribute to the poor state of
education and health in rural Bangladesh. This is although, it is well known that, access to
quality education and scientific knowledge is essential for creating economic growth and
sustainable human development, including poverty alleviation and improvement of human
health. In all countries and in the developing countries in particular, there is a need to employ
Information and Communication Technology, ICT to gain global access to learning. ICT can
address issues of educational equity, social exclusion and can deliver a more effective and
accessible educational opportunities. It can also reduce cost of reaching and educating many
rural students who are deprived of creative education due to lack of qualified teaching force. In
Bangladesh, the education curriculum has been modernized to meet an international standard.
For various reasons, qualified teachers are not keen to move to rural areas. The same is true in
areas of health sectors where qualified medical doctors are not willing to move to rural areas.
Therefore, we find enormous potentials for contribution of e-education and e-Health in
empowering the rural educators as well as health care providers. A pilot project to test the
potentials of e-education is implemented at a village Nohata in Magura district in Bangladesh
(www.nuhat.org). Started in 2006, it has been using ICT tools to communicate, learn, and access
international quality educational content. International quality teachers have been conducting
teaching using videoconference system. Various relevant e-education aids have been developed
to meet the local needs and conditions, you tube programs covering different topics are carefully
selected to meet the appropriate requirement of different target groups. The links are downloaded
so that the students, the teachers, health workers, patients can follow the links off line, as many
times as they want and discuss among themselves. The main challenges are to empower the rural
people through creating locally relevant content for improving proficiency in English language,
Mathematics, Science and Health care application and services considering the socio-cultural
factors, to achieve health, education and economic development. Through careful selection and
creation of relevant e-education materials, we intend to develop the rural community using the

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potential of rural people and adopting participatory approaches for building knowledge, skills
and capacity.

7. Benefits and Drawbacks of E-education

Benefits of E-education

1. People are able to link the various resources in several varying formats.
2. It is a very efficient way of delivering courses online.
3. Due to its convenience and flexibility, the resources are available from anywhere and at any
time.
4. Everyone, who are part time students or are working full time, can take advantage of e-
education at anytime.
5. Web-based education promotes active and independent learning.
6. As most people have access to the internet 24x7, they can train themselves anytime and from
anywhere also.
7. It is a very convenient and flexible option; above all, people don't have to depend on anyone
for anything.
8. Not only can people train themselves on a day to day basis, but also on weekends or
whenever they have the free time to. There is no hard and fast rule.
9. Through discussion boards and chats, people are able to interact with everyone online and
also clear their doubts if any.
10. The video instructions that are provided for audio and video learning can be rewound and
seen and heard again and again in case not to understand the topic first time around.

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Drawbacks of E-education

1. Most of the online assessments are limited to questions that are only objective in nature.

2. There is also the problem of the extent of security of online education programs.

3. The authenticity of a particular student's work is also a problem as online just about anyone
can do a project rather than the actual student itself.

4. The assessments that are computer marked generally have a tendency of being only
knowledge-based and not necessarily practicality-based.

8. E-education in Corporate Sector

E-education is also utilized in the corporate sector. In fact, its utilization in this sector is growing
at a rapid rate. It is even used in the training of employees.

Analysis and statistics from corporate learning industry have proven that that business can save
up to 50% by adopting this system; this is the main reason why it was embraced in the business
sector to replace the traditional training which was instructor-based. Furthermore, the application
of E-education has greatly helped in reducing the instruction time by 60%. This is a great step
towards the growth of any business.

These are the benefits associated with the rising trends of E-education in the business sector:

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Decreased training costs

Companies which have incorporated E-education have an opportunity of reducing their training
costs. Online training has greatly minimized or reduced the number of printed training materials
since all the needed information can be obtained easily on the E-education platform.
Furthermore, the conservation costs incurred in online training is low as compared to the
traditional training system.

Quick and convenient:

This system has enabled fast and rapid deployment of the required content. This means that
training and the learning process can be imparted conveniently and quickly. Employees can,
therefore, gain new information almost immediately even without the use of printed materials.
Additionally, it has helped in empowering different organizations to upload materials which can
be accessed instantly by their employees.

Has made access to information easy:

With online training, employees can have access to information wherever and whenever they
need it. This is helpful in keeping the employees knowledgeable and educated regarding the
various companies’ procedures in a more flexible manner. This, in turn, will enhance customer
satisfaction; enhancing the business practices.

Upgrading the preservation of knowledge:

With online training, employees can enjoy all the benefits of interactive training sessions. E-
education will allow them to gain skills and knowledge in asset up which is engaging or
interactive. This can lead to the improved preservation of skills and knowledge.

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9. Tools for e-education

E-education makes use of many technologies – some of which have been developed specifically
for it, whilst others conveniently complemented the learning process, for example, computer
games.

Communication technologies are also widely used in e-education. Starting with the use of email
and instant messaging, message forums and social networks, we see a plethora of tools that any
internet user would use in any case.

There are also some technologies that work in a complementary manner to other software and
enable new features, for example software that adds a whiteboard on your video conferencing
tool to allow you or your peers to make changes on other people’s work for review, or screen-
sharing which allows someone to make a presentation while still making comments and giving
input using the microphone.

Word Processor / Text editor

At some point or another, students will be required to hand over an essay or some kind of written
exercise. For this they are going to need a text editor or word processor of some kind. Not
necessarily something full blown, like Word or Open Office Writer, whose myriad of features
they are never going to use. For most cases, the text-editor bundled with their OS (WordPad for
Windows, TextEdit for Mac) will do just fine.

A modern browser

Modern LMS platforms take advantage of the latest HTML5 offerings, from CSS3 to WebGL.
Even if the courses are fewer cutting edges in their use of web technologies, students will still
need to have a modern browser ― if not anything else, it will be faster and more secure, and
render the modern web with more precision.

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Generally students use one of the so-called “evergreen” browsers (like Chrome and Firefox), the
industry name for the browsers that are constantly auto-updated to the newer version as opposed
to those whose releases are tied to OS update cycles (like IE and Safari).

Browser Plugging

Third-party browser plugging are generally in decline on the modern web, as browsers are
getting ever more capable of handling complex multimedia tasks themselves. That said, for some
e-education functionality, and depending on one’s LMS platform of choice, one gonna still need
them.

The most popular one, used in numerous LMS systems to provide functionality such as built-in
video chat or collaborative whiteboards, is Adobe’s Flash, with (Oracle’s) Java coming in a
distant second.

Students should not install any such plugin unless they have confirmed it as a requirement with
their e-education course provider. And they should also take care and update it regularly to the
latest version, since old, buggy, versions of browser plugins are the most common entry points
for PC malware and viruses.

A PDF viewer

Adobe’s PDF document format, originally a content delivery format for printing jobs, is
ubiquitous in e-education and even education in general.

While there would seldom be a need to create one, students should be able to download and view
PDF files. For Windows, Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader (the industry standard) will do the job.
Mac users have it even better, as the capability to read (and write) PDFs is built-in into OS X.

A webcam

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They might have to fork out some money for one, or they might already have one bundled with
their laptop or desktop PC. In any case, they’ll need to have a webcam in order to participate in
tele-conferences and 1-to-1 sessions with your teaching staff. A cheap, basic model will do.

Headset

A headphones and microphone combo, a headset complements the webcam, and allows students
to listen and speak in video/audio teleconferences without interfere and feedback from their
speakers. As with the webcam, a cheap, basic model will do.

A calendaring app

Not strictly necessary, but it will very much help students in keeping up with course schedules
and examinations. They can use a desktop, mobile or cloud-based calendar app (there are also
some that support all those platforms and can sync your calendar data between them).

Whether course teacher prefer Microsoft, Apple or Google platforms, they all offer very good
(and free) calendar applications, and they all imaginatively name them “Calendar”.

FTP Client

Some LMS platforms offer the ability to upload and/or download learning material and student
work through FTP. This industry standard file exchange protocol can speed up the delivery of
large files compared to the browser’s fickle file upload/download function.

Those are some of the basic tools needed for an e-education student. There are others that we
assumed they already have (a computer, an email account, etc), as well as some that depend on
the specific requirements of their e-education course operator, such as which specific conference
app to use (e.g Skype or Google Hangouts).

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10. Worldwide popular e-education sites

1.Coursera

Coursera is a website that partners with universities and organizations around the world. This
brings a wide variety of topics and perspectives to one searchable database.

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Coursera is a powerful tool for free online education, and includes courses from many top
universities, museums and trusts. This gives the site an extremely wide range of in-depth
courses.

Coursera is extremely useful if anyone is looking to study many different topics, or want courses
from different schools and groups.

2. Khan Academy

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Partnering with many post secondary schools, Khan Academy offers a useable, well organized
interface. Also curetting many courses from around the web, Khan Academy offers impressive
depth on many different subjects.

Among the more well known educational sites, Khan Academy is also incredibly useable, which
may make it easier to keep learning goals.

3. Open Culture Online Courses

If anyone is struggling to find exactly the material he is looking for, then he can try Open
Culture’s listing of free online education courses. The page highlights 1000 lectures, videos and
podcasts from universities around the world. The site features a lot of material found only on
universities private sites, all in easy to browse categories. This means one can find hundreds of
university courses, without having to visit and search each university’s own site.

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Open Culture’s list features courses from England, Australia, Wales and many state universities
around the United States. A very helpful resource for finding many courses in one area of study.

4. Udemy

Udemy’s free courses are similar in concept to Coursera’s but additionally allow users to build
custom courses from lessons.Working with many top professors and schools, the site mixes the
customizable platform of other sites with a heavy emphasis on top quality content. This is
another site however, that mixes free and paid content.

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5. Academic Earth

Another site with courses from many different schools is Academic Earth. Much like the three
sites above, Academic Earth brings together top notch courses from many different sources, and
focuses on offering a wide variety of subjects.

Academic Earth lists courses by subject and school, so it might be easier to find what one is
looking for.

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6. edX

Another great option for free online education is edX. Also bringing together courses from many
different schools, the site has impressive, quality information for everyone. edX covers a great
range of topics.

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7. Alison

Unlike the previous sites on these lists, Alison is a free education site offering certification in
some areas. Alison offers courses mainly in business, technology, and health, but also includes
language learning courses.It’s a great option if users need certification for their learning as
Alison also offers school curriculum courses.

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8. iTunesU Free Courses

A very convenient place for free online education is iTunesU, because it integrates seamlessly
with your iPod, or any app-ready Apple mobile device. On iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, users
download the iTunesU app.

Desktop users can access iTunesU on the upper right hand corner of the iTunes Store. iTunesU is
also convenient because the store is categorized much like iTunes.Users can search learning
materials in many different ways, including genre and topic. However, courses are often a mix of
free podcasts or videos, and paid content.ITunesU does include courses on a pretty wide scope of
topics, but does not integrate with Android, Google or Windows mobile devices.

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9. Stanford Online

This site offers all the online offerings from Stanford University, Stanford Online offers self-
paced and session based courses. While Coursera features some courses from Stanford, many
classes are only available via other hosts. Some courses require iTunes, but most are completed
in your web browser.

Stanford Online is a great site for high quality courses, though the topics are somewhat limited
compared to sites partnered with more than one school.

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10. Harvard Extension

Like Stanford Online, Harvard Extension features free online education courses from Harvard
only. This is another excellent source for top notch course material, though the course variety is
less rich than multi-school sites. Additionally, Harvard Extension allows students to search for
courses by professional certificate. This makes it much easier if anyone’s online education goal
includes certification.

Take it or not, the time we are living in right now has an immense inspiration of edutainment.
You can think of bunking education yet; education will come right at you literally.Online
streaming live classes and at home distant learning systems have made this imaginary situation a
reality. One can desire education at these sites and be a part of the future of education.

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11. E-Education in Bangladesh

Around 50 % of the children drop out before they complete primary education, today in
Bangladesh. Attending school is particularly difficult for working children, children with
disabilities, children of very poor families and those living in remote areas. The teacher/student
ratio in Bangladesh is around 1 to 47.

The quality of education in Bangladesh suffers, largely due to the shortage of schools and the
scarcity of teachers, particularly in rural areas.

E-Education is the use of technology to enable people to learn anytime and anywhere. e-
Education can include training, the delivery of just-in-time information and guidance from
experts. These services are delivered, enabled or mediated by ICT (Information &
Communication Technology) for the purposes of delivering education.

At present great challenge faced by Bangladesh is to create a ‘Knowledge based Society’ and
ensure that their citizens are equipped with knowledge and skill of Information &
Communication Technology (ICT). There is potential that using ICT in the education sector, the
costs can be brought down. It also improves the quality of education and imparts uniformity. If
the country wants to enhance the concern over the significance and excellence of education then
it is essential to expand educational opportunities to all, including most vulnerable group, like
low income and less skilled people, girls and women, children out of school as well as illiterate
youths and adults.

Bangladesh is initiating to step toward with vision of integrating ICT into its education system.
Government of Bangladesh initiated a pilot study of e-Education of Math in Secondary Schools
in Gazipur and Comilla from 2009 with the support of BRAC under TQI-SEP (Teaching Quality
Improvement in Secondary Education Project). Ministry of Education formally inaugurated

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Mobile ICT Lab of TQI-SEP on 23rd February, 2010 in order to provide e-Education for the
underprivileged secondary students of rural Bangladesh. A total number 17 Mobile ICT Labs in
17 Cars (14 Microbuses & 3 Four Wheel Drive Pickups for hill tracks, haor areas and remote
areas) will move all over the country to introduce e-Education system with the teachers and
students of one thousand schools by December, 2010. Each lab contains five laptops, five
wireless internet modems, two digital cameras, multimedia projector, webcam, printer, pen drive,
interactive board, e-Education CD, speaker, generator etc. This initiative will ensure primary ICT
knowledge as well as ICT based education for the students and also enhance the teaching
capacity of the teachers.

Alongside of Government initiative, some non-government initiatives are also mentionable.


Among those schemes one is CTEE (Computer Teaches Everyday English) project initiated by
D.Net (Development Research Network) with the financial support of VAB (Volunteer
Association for Bangladesh), New Jersey, USA, to assess the effect of e-Education of English on
secondary school children. In order to assess the effectiveness of the developed English
education CD, 10 schools were taken. In each of 10 schools two groups (Control Group and
Experimental Group) of students were taken. They were similar based on their results in the
immediately past final examinations. Thus, total 200 students were selected for experimentation.
Group 1 was the ‘Control Group’ and Group 2 was the ‘Experimental Group’. For both group an
English test was arranged. The answer scripts were evaluated and graded like ‘Strong’,
‘Medium’ and ‘Weak’ with the help of teachers. Out of 100 students (from 10 schools) in the
control group, 61 were in the week group, 25 were in the medium group, and the rest 14 were in
the strong group. On the other hand, the result of the pre-test for the experimental group was
weak-65, medium-22 and strong 13. After the pre-test, a 36 hours course was conducted with
100 students using the CD. Classes took place in regular classrooms using a big screen monitor
to show the multimedia content. After six months, when all the courses in 10 schools finished,
another test was taken for both control group and experimental group. It is to be mentioned that,
the control group received only regular English class. The result of post-test showed that the
impact of the multimedia education was significant. The result of control group was weak-46,
medium-31 and strong-13. On the other hand, the result of the experimental group was week-32,
medium-45 and strong 23.

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Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing are the pre requisite of learning among which
listening is the first and foremost obligatory. If an amalgam of listening and visualization can be
made then obviously the learning process will enhance. For the control group, number of
students in the strong group is reduced from 14 to 13 and number of week students reduced to 46
from 61. For the experimental group, number of students in the strong group increased from 13
to 23, a 77% rise and the number of students in week group reduced from 65 to 32, reduced 51%.
Students were extremely excited with their new learning system. They received the multimedia
content as a very useful assistant to them. Especially the animated picture and the movement of
the characters made them spell bound. They spend much more time with exercise as the exercise
has been designed as different famous games, like Cricket, Carom Board, Football and so on.

It’s a matter of pleasure that the present Government of Bangladesh declared a vision to build
‘Digital Bangladesh’ by 2021. The term ‘Digital Bangladesh’ has four inter-related components:
(a) Digital Government (b) Digital Education (c) Digital Business and (d) Digital Citizen.
Computer Literacy and the availability and use of computers and ICTs are integral to the Digital
Education component of the Digital Bangladesh, which requires restructuring the education
system to ensure equity in terms of access to quality education. So, this vision will come into
light if the non-government organizations integrate ICTs into Education sector alongside of
Government initiatives.

Information technology is capable of capturing a student's attention through visual representation


of concepts taught, sounds, moving pictures as well as interactive activities. A student may sleep
through a lecture on the human digestive system. But if he can see visually how the digestive
system works, actually see animations of the food moving through the body, listen to the relevant
sounds and then do an interactive activity related to the topic, he will find it worth his interest.

As a corollary of information technology comes the internet a worldwide repository of


interlinked information from a sea of sources. The use of technologies such as the internet as a
teaching tool in schools is not the issue now since it is pervasively used. Rather, the issue is how
to effectively employ such technologies and harness fully the new opportunities created by them
to promote positive student learning experiences.

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In Bangladesh, however, the use of internet among students is limited to social networking and
entertainment. The reason being, lack of appropriate content from the field of education and
absence of research-based activities and assignments from schools. Inquisitive students often feel
lost in the humongous sea of information available on the internet. If they could find something
that was close to their school syllabus, they could find it useful and relevant to them.

The Daily Star and Team Creative have jointly launched the country's first assessment website
for school students called champs21.com to engage the Bangladeshi students in using the internet
constructively and for education purposes. Russel T Ahmed, CEO of Team Creative says, “Our
next generation -- our students will have to face the global competition eventually, since children
of their generation in the developed countries are already using technology in their learning
process. We need to prepare these students appropriately to face and come out successful in this
competition.”

12. Popular E-Education sites in Bangladesh:

Whether you’re five or ninety five, the internet has a lot to offer. Particularly when the topic is
education, the resources on the internet are endless.

Best of all, many high quality sites are completely free. And that is the main reason behind the
popularity of e-education sites.

There are so many recognized sites for e-education, both around Bangladesh and outside
Bangladesh. First, we will discuss about some popular sites for e-education in Bangladesh, and
after that, we will discuss about some worldwide popular e-education sites.

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1. 10 Minute School
10 Minute School is one of the latest additions to online learning in Bangladesh. It kicks started
as a relatively small initiative which is now growing rapidly with almost 150000 students
attending the classes regularly. It is now being sponsored by Telco giant ROBI and is being
endorsed by numerous public figures.

From JSC candidate to Professional workers, everyone can benefit from the contents of
10MinuteSchool. The modules are divided into JSC, SSC, HSC, University Admission,
University Courses Skill Development, Professional Courses, etc. Students can watch chapter
and topic-wise pre-recorded lecture videos, attempt quiz and even attend live classes on Face
book. The coolest part of it is that it is completely free.

2. Repto Education Center


Repto can be labeled as a deshi version of Udemy. The education process here is simple. Some
experts prepare a video course and upload it on Repto, students enroll in the courses, and get
certified after completion.

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The courses can be of both types – paid and free. Different fields of education like Programming,
Digital Marketing, Graphic design, Photography, English language; MS Office, Database,
Entrepreneurship, etc. are the major types of courses you will find at Repto.

3. ShikkhokBatayon
This site is a project of the government of Bangladesh that aims to bring digitalization of
education of our country into a reality. The site mainly is enriched with PPT presentation slide
contents explaining different terms and topics of school-level academic studies.

There are three mainstreams study contents (General, Madrasa, & Technical) are available there.
The contents are prepared and uploaded by different teachers of different schools and madrasas
around the country. The site is completely free to use.

4. eShikhon
At eShikhon.com, one can take different model tests to prepare himself according to subjects.
Study subjects from JSC level to BSC test preparation – one can take the topic-wise test at
different levels.

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One can try out a technical audio-visual course from a range of courses like CPA training, SEO,
WordPress, graphic design, affiliate marketing, android development etc. The blog section of the
site has many informative write-ups that can help a student get up to date with latest education
news.

5. StudyPress
StudyPresss concentrates on competitive exams for jobs, whether government job or private. The
site is a hub for students who want to excel in their competitive exams such as BSC, government
job exams, and bank jobs.

The study module is divided into different parts – BSC, Bank, Govt.Job, NTRCA, MBA. Under
all these sections, one will find study materials, recent questions and model tests. One can read,
practice, take a quiz or sit for a model test for his target exam. One need to sign up for that at
first. And also can also log in alternatively just by Facebook ID. The site is available as the app
on both iOS and Android platform.

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6. Educarnival
This site is also set up centering the competitive exam preparation. You can find any previous
questions of the state competitive exams like BCS, public varsity admission, Medical College,
Bank Job, SSC, Teacher registration and other government recruitment exams.

Side by side, students can sit for model tests for each of the modules. There is a
report/assignment section where students can find many academic write-ups related to different
topics that will surely help to shape up their learning more flawlessly.

7. Shikkhok.com
Shikkhok.com is one of the oldest online learning sites in Bangladesh. Unknown to most of the
youth, this site has been a hub for knowledge seekers for many years. Founded in 2012, it has
been growing with full potential since then. The lectures are designed for everybody to
understand.

The best thing about Shikkhok.com is that it has a panel of teachers who are expert and excelled
in their own educational field. Learn at your freedom from the Freelance corner, Mobile
application development, Computer science and technology, Engineering, Language and even
subjects from SSC and HSC level.

8. Educationpedia of Bangladesh
This site has some loads of contents for any student to get prepared for university admission test.
Humanities, Science, and commerce – all departmental subjects can be studied at the admission
preparation tab.

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Students can take different model tests to prepare themselves for the upcoming exam. The news
tab has all the latest news about the admission tests coming up to keep students up to date.

9. MCQStudy
This site is completely dedicated to BSC exam preparation. Find the latest study contents on
different topics of the exam to study on the go from one’s PC, laptop or smartphone.

One can go through the previous questions from the vast archive of question bank and can take
preparation for the exam battle.

10.SRIJONSHIL.COM

It is one of the largest sites for e-education in Bangladesh. The site helps students, mostly school
going students with their tutorials which helps the students to understand their text books makes
them prepare to learn according to the current education system. This site is also helpful for
those parents who cannot afford their children with coaching classes or with home tutor, as these
are becoming expensive day by day. Parents will only need a desktop with internet connection.

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13. Impact of E-education on Students Performance

Attitudes concerning e-education, echoed by scholarly and academic reviews, range from neutral
to positive. On one hand, it is noted that e-education is at least as effective as traditional
instructional strategies and there are no major differences in academic performance between the
more traditional and more technology-oriented modes of instruction. On the other hand, many
reviews go further, reflecting a principally positive attitude towards the impact of e-education.
The current piece sought to demystify e-education by concentrating on how specific e-education
factors (socio-demographic characteristics, hours spent on-line and prior computer skills)
influence individual academic performance.

There is a considerable body of evidence to suggest that different teaching delivery styles can
have different degrees of success; as measured in terms of academic results. In relation to online
teaching, some studies indicate that this medium of delivery has a positive impact on
performance; some studies find that greater online teaching has a negative impact on
performance.

Benefits include offering a variety of new possibilities to learners in addition to having a positive
effect on students’ achievement in different subject matter areas. Other benefits of electronic
education include increases in enrollment or time in school as education programs reach
underserved regions, broader educational opportunity for students who are unable to attend
traditional schools, access to resources and instructors not locally available, and increases in
student-teacher communication. According to students in virtual schools showed greater
improvement that their conventional school counterparts in critical thinking, researching, using
computers, learning independently, problem-solving, creative thinking, decision-making, and
time management.

Electronic education is not the most effective choice in all situations. Students may feel isolated,
parents may have concerns about children’s social development, students with language
difficulties may experience a disadvantage in a text-heavy online environment, and subjects
requiring physical demonstrations of skill such as music, physical education, or foreign language
may not be practical in a technology-mediated setting. Distance between tutor and learner in an
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online instrumental music program has negative effects on performance quality, student
engagement, and development and refinement of skills and knowledge. Virtual school students
show less improvement than those in conventional schools in listening and speaking skills. ‘e-
education’— can improve how students learn, can improve what students learn, and can deliver
high-quality learning opportunities to all children”

Conceptual Framework of Academic Performance

Moderating Variables

Student – Teacher contact

Prior computer skills

Socio-demographic Academic performance


Characteristics

Dependent Variable

Hours spent online


Attitudes towards education

Independent Variables Intervening Variables

Figure: Conceptual Framework

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14. Future of E-Education

Future Prospects of E-Learners:

The conventional education system gives an idea of an environment where the Teacher is the
supreme authority and students are their subjects. However, most of the adults who need to
enhance their educational backgrounds find the campus experience difficult.

Often people look forward to educate themselves further, but retrieve back giving up the idea. E-
education provides great future aspects to those people, offering the following features:

1. Economic.

Opting for educational courses might be expensive, while eLearning provides affordable and free
online based certificate and degree courses, distant education, and learning contents.

2. Dream Institution.

E-education provides an opportunity to avail classes from distant educational institutions of their
dream online overseas. The most prominent example is the MITx courses.

3. Subjects and Assistance.

The learner gets the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of subjects and courses. They get
to study as per their preferred time and flexibility, get academic assistance or assignment help
online; they can give their exams online, etc.

4. Time Management.

The learner can practically take the courses at a convenient time with customized options of their
choice. Time management is essential for candidates with existing jobs who find it quite difficult
to take out time for studying.

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Future Prospects of E-education

E-education is becoming vital to meet the needs of a lot of types of learners around the planet. It
has many advantages that could have not been even possible before it its advent such as learning
according to the one pace and time. Accordingly, I believe that it will be expanding in the near
future. Despite the fact that it has some weaknesses, like the lack of direct guidance, it is still
providing great learning opportunities.

With the immense improvement of mobile networks in the past few years and the increase in
telecommuting, taking all the awesome features of e-education on the road is a reality with
smartphones and other portable devices. Technologies such as social media are also transforming
education constantly.

Generally speaking, learning is expensive, takes a long time and the results can vary. E-
education has been trying for years now to complement the way we learn to make it more
effective and measurable. The result now is that there are a number of tools that help create
interactive training courses, standardize the learning process and/or inject informal elements to
otherwise formal learning processes. Several e-education trends can give us a clear view of the
future of e-education and how learning tools will be shaped

Micro-learning focuses on the design of micro-learning activities through micro-steps in digital


media environments, which already is a daily reality for today’s knowledge workers. These
activities can be incorporated into a learner’s daily routines. Unlike “traditional” e-education
approaches, micro-learning often tends towards push technology through push media, which
reduces the cognitive load on the learners. Therefore, the selection of micro-learning objects and
also pace and timing of micro-learning activities are of importance for didactical designs. Micro-
learning is an important paradigm shift that avoids the need to have separate learning sessions
since the learning process is embedded in the daily routine of the end-user. It is also perfectly
suited for mobile devices where long courses can be overkill.

Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context to engage
users and solve problems.

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Personalized Learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning environments to
meet the needs and aspirations of individual learners. Personalization is broader than just
individualization or differentiation in that it affords the learner a degree of choice about what is
learned, when it is learned and how it is learned. This may not indicate unlimited choice since
learners will still have targets to be met. However, it may provide learners the opportunity to
learn in ways that suit their individual learning styles and multiple intelligences.

The distant future of eLearning: Automatic learning

This type of automatic learning might sound like a dystopian future for many but it is where we
are heading. And despite the ethical questions that may arise, the benefits could be substantial at
multiple levels if used properly. Here’s how it works: you pick a task that requires high
performance from your visual cortex such as catching a ball. Then you go find someone who’s a
pro at catching a ball, place them in an fMRI machine and record what’s going on in their brain
whilst they visualize catching a ball. Then you’ve got your ball-catching program, and you’re
ready to learn. Next step: put yourself into the fMRI machine, and rig it to induce that pro-ball-
catching imagery that you recorded earlier in your brain using neuron feedback. You don’t even
have to be paying attention while this is going on. Your brain, though, becomes familiar with
that pattern – which is essentially what learning is: the brain becoming familiar with new
patterns.

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Conclusion

Pupils are widening their understanding of other cultures, enriching the learning experience and
mastering vital new skills through interactive communications delivered by e-Education
technology. Research and education networks are working together to provide schools with
reliable, cost-effective and high capacity links that allow real-time, interactive collaborations
between students thousands of miles apart. With enhanced software, hardware, and Internet
access, more options for online education will become available. With student enrollments
increasing faster than classrooms can be built, students becoming more proficient with
technology, and students pursuing an education that meets their needs, the future of online
education will continue to grow. Online degree programs will become more widely accepted as
they become a more common practice.

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