Issues In WebEssay -based Education Essay - 2,147 words

Issues in Web-Based Education Issues in Web-Based Education Management of the learning process includes tasks such as time tabling, tracking attendance, recording progress, calculating grades, and identifying the learning needs of students. Many educators already use tools such as spreadsheets, databases, and specialized software to perform these tasks. The Web offers an environment that can integrate these separate tools behind a consistent interface and make the whole process of class management more efficient (Inglis, Ling, Joosten, 1999, p. 8). The fact that several books exist about building a Web-based classroom indicates the growing need and desire for it. Most educators aim to use a teaching approach that is effective, efficient, and enjoyable.


However, many existing approaches suffer from problems that can adversely influence these goals. New approaches, Web-based and not, offer characteristics that make it possible to more easily facilitate these ideas (Herring, 1999, 12). Although courses offered over the Internet benefit students and teachers alike, disadvantages exit as well. Both the education and training sectors face an increase in the number of people needing and wanting to undertake further education. In many cases, the inclining demand on education exceeds the funding allocated to education (Darbyshire, 2000, p. 201).


One driving force behind the surge in demand for education is the increasing rate of change in work environments brought about by technology and the recognition that most workers will require some form of retraining throughout the course of their working lives. Increasing demand can result in larger class sizes, higher student-to-staff ratios, and a decrease in the interaction between students and staff. Growing class sizes also put a strain on physical resources. Most university students are familiar with overcrowded lecture halls that force people to sit in the aisles. At some institutions, the inability of physical classrooms to handle the increased class sizes has led to repeat lectures (Bastiaens & Martens, 2000, p. 29).


Among the increasing population of learners is a significant population of mature students who are studying part-time while working and supporting a family. These students must be able to study whenever and wherever possible; otherwise, further education is not possible. The growing importance of this scenario is evidenced by the increasing interest in distance education methods in which traditional face-to-face communication is not used (Miller & Miller, 2000, p. 162). For most learners today, education represents a considerable investment in time and money, and like most consumers, students are now demanding a service equivalent to the cost. Lawsuits have been filed by students unhappy with the value of education received. As a result, many students want more feedback, more attention, and more resources to help (Margolis, 2000, p. 20).


The amount of new knowledge generated in the last thirty years is greater than that created during the rest of human history, and new knowledge is being produced at an alarming rate. Along with the rapid growth in knowledge comes the requirement for people to become increasingly specialized in a particular field. Consequently, people may need to be retrained more frequently and receive more advanced training in specific areas. Thus the education facilities available to these people must maintain contact with current knowledge and be able to change (Inglis, Ling, Joosten, 1999, p. 2). The belief of many educators that the Web offers a method to address some of these problems comes in part from the Webs particular characteristics. In a Web-based classroom, the relative geographic locations of the students and the teacher need not significantly change the quality of the learning experience.


Students can study from wherever they happen to be with whatever educational institution best suits their needs. This means that learning is no longer restricted to the physical buildings of the learning institution and consequently the problems of overcrowding start to disappear. Education can proceed without major reorganization of students lives (Herring, 1999, p. 62). Geographic independence also means that information stored in a Web-based classroom can be changed at any time. There is no longer any delay in distributing material to students; as soon as it is on the Web, students can retrieve it. Information can be corrected, or new and pertinent information can be added. Information can be changed in response to students requirements or comments, or a change in the material being taught (McCormack & Jones, 1998, p.20). The combination of the Webs information distribution possibilities, and asynchronous communication in conjunction with appropriate instruction can free the learning experience from the bounds of time. There is no longer any need for a teacher and 500 students to synchronize their schedules and meet in the same place at the same time.


When participation in the learning experience occurs at a time convenient to both the students and the educator, there are a range of advantages (Rea, White, McHaney, Sanchez, 2000, p 150). There is no longer any reason for a student or an educator to miss a class. Students no longer must compete with other students for the professors limited time, and both student and teacher have the time to formulate answers and responses without the pressure of having to provide and immediate reply (Darbyshire, 2000, p. 214). Many existing applications of computers in education such as computer-managed learning, computer-based training, and CD-ROMs are specific to a particular computer platform like Windows or Macintosh. The platform-independent nature of the Internet almost totally removes this problem.


However, it still exists if someone plans to used advanced features of the Web that may not be available on all the platforms the students may be using. For example, the Shockwave multimedia system cannot be used on computers running UNIX. The majority of the software needed to access the systems described in this book is available free and can be used on any computer regardless of make or operating systems (Herring, 1999, p. 25). Many people find learning how to use computers difficult; as a result, they are often reluctant to use them at all. Any use of computers in education should aim to minimize the necessity to learn new skills.


Where new skills are required, the instructor should attempt to ensure that those new skills are useful in other arenas. The popularity of the Web means that many students entering a Web-based classroom for the first time may already know how to use the Internet. If they do not, the relative simplicity of the tools used to access the Web keeps the effort involved to a minimum. The popularity of the Internet also means that onc ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: web-based, classroom, based learning, learning experience, computer

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