EL7001+Challenges+of+E-learning


 * ** EL7001-8 ** ||  ||
 * ** Principals and Practices in e-Learning ** || ** 7 Challenges of e-Learning ** ||
 * Very nice work Stephen! Well organized and well documented. **
 * Very nice work Stephen! Well organized and well documented. **

=Challenges of e-Learning* = In higher education Feenberg (1999) identifies two polar positions regarding the implementation of e-learning. This finding of polarity is also found in businesses offering e-learning according to Horton (2001). Both Feenberg and Horton detail a contretemps between “administration” or “management” and “faculty” or “teachers,” and both argue most persuasively from the position of those who are the agents of learning. The purpose of this paper is to identify actions that can be taken when implementing an e-learning program that will realize the underlying and necessary goals of both camps. =Administration and Management = Milton Friedman (1970) eloquently stated that the purpose and responsibility of business is to “ increase its profits ” ( para. 33 ). Feenberg (1999) complains that the administrations motive for pursuing distance learning is to deprofessionalize and de-skill professors and teaching staff. Horton (2001) I believe comes closer to the mark. He says that companies are leaning more toward e-learning because it saves them thousands and millions of dollars in their training budgets if the company is receiving the training, and potentially makes companies thousands and millions of dollars if they deliver the training. Both Feenberg and Horton identify money as a factor in moving education and training toward distance education. The job of the administration in higher education and of the management team in a business is to look for and find means to increase revenue. Generally this can be done in one of two ways, by increasing revenue or decreasing costs or preferably both. This is what is meant by increasing profits. Most business schools teach, and a look at current news stories confirm, that for most businesses the ends justify the means in arriving at this profit. Feenberg (1999) justly accuses that “ for too many administrators the big issues are not educational ” ( “Education and economics”, para. 2 ) and rightly so – it is not their job to fret over the learning, that is and should be the professors responsibility. It is just as questionable for Feenberg to state that administrators should not be pursuing a course to increase revenue and decrease costs, as it would be for an administrator to come to him and ask him not to teach so well. Poor performance in any job, whatever that job may be, could cost the benefit of that job. The five interests depicted by Feenberg (1999) regarding the implications of distance learning appear to be in line with administrator responsibility. First, he claims that they want “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">to use new technology to finesse. . . spending <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“Education and economics”, para. 2 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), which would help decrease costs. Second, Feenberg claims that they want to use e-learning to “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">accommodate exploding enrollments of young people and returning students <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 2 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), which would potentially increase revenue. Third, he claims administrators want to use videoconferencing or automation to “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">improve quality. . . while cutting costs <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 2 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Fourth, he decries that fewer physical structures will need to be built because of more virtual classrooms, increasing revenue and decreasing costs. Finally, Feenberg portrays that by packaging and marketing certain courses the administration could generate “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">a continuous revenue stream without further investment <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 2 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), which potentially increases revenue and eliminates costs.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Professors, Adjuncts, and Instructors
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The position of professors, adjuncts, teachers, and instructors also has important and valid points that both Feenberg (1999) and Horton (2001) elaborate. Feenberg has a high opinion of his profession and his colleagues as well as a high regard for the sidereal learning that can take place when human beings are collocated and have the opportunity to interact face-to-face. He lists five advantages that accrue to learners in a physical environment, or disadvantages that come from a virtual environment. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Feenberg (1999) wonders how teachers are to “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">duplicate the learning experience of a highly interactive classroom on an electronic network <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“Education and economics”, para. 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), and provides the answer in other sections of his article. In his first adventure in e-learning Feenberg notes that despite limitations with the technology he was able to “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">explore a Socratic pedagogy based on virtual classroom discussion that proved quite successful <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“My adventures”, para. 5 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). He articulates well the argument that distance education is best implemented with an emphasis on writing, which position is supported by many ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Cabrera-Lozoya, Cerdan, Cano, Garcia-Sanchez, & Lujan, 2012; Ke & Hoadley, 2009; Pigliapoco & Bogliolo, 2008; Sinclair, 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Second, Feenberg laments the loss of “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">informal human contacts that add so much to education on a campus <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Third, he remonstrates that the online experience can rob the student of “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">the intense moments of human interaction which mark our memories and our lives <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Fourth, he suggests that teachers are generally poor performers and “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">boring to watch <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Finally, Feenberg criticizes that the programs that teachers and students need to use in order to have online learning “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">are often difficult to use or even incomprehensible <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">In my opinion Feenberg (1999) protests too much. Every student has had at least one experience with a teacher who did not encourage interaction, and probably more than one who was boring to watch in person.* Feenberg in making his argument makes the logical fallacy that all teachers teach the same, subscribe to the same principals, and have the same motivations. For every “star” teacher there exists hundreds who are less driven. He also makes the logical fallacy that all learners learn the same way. Has he never seen a student slink into class at the last minute, slump in his or her chair in the back of the room, barely appear to be breathing for the entire session, and just as quickly leave at the end without every engaging in informal contacts or interact in any way? Feenberg concludes that “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">there is little reason to take [automation of the educational process] seriously <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“Conclusions”, para. 1 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) but paints it as the boogey man who can eliminate “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">half of community college and 35% of four-year college enrollments <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“Education and economics”, para. 6 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). His arguments, while in some cases valid for some teachers and students, ring of a man who has a vested interest in the outcome and doesn’t like what he sees.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Avoiding the Pitfalls
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Both Horton (2001) and Feenberg (1999) realize that the party that controls the purse strings is the one that has the power. Horton identifies that while “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">e-learning has no fixed classrooms,. . . [it] does not eliminate teachers, but it does fundamentally redefine their roles <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” (p. 5). This seems to be the crux of Feenberg’s argument that this redefinition deprofessionalizes teachers and robs them of hard won face-to-face teaching skills. Horton* states: <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">In the classroom, teachers trigger learning experiences in the minds of students, but it is the students themselves who do the learning. Teachers simply provide the environment and resources necessary for learning to take place. In e-learning, there is no instructor; but, there is a designer who triggers the same learning experiences. This designer, perhaps aided by a facilitator must do all the things done by a classroom instructor – but by remote control. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 6 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Feenberg acknowledges this when he identifies that technology is “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">an environment, an empty space faculty must inhabit and enliven <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“The question”, para. 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). The field of higher education and training are constantly being restructured, because needs change, but the specific need of teaching whether it be face-to-face or online is an exceptional teacher who can engage the learner by “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">inhabit[ting] and enliven[ing] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">para. 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) the space in which the learning takes place. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Finally, faculty and instructors are not without power. In a market-driven economy the consumer lifts up products that are good, are priced well, meet some perceived need, and have a good marketing plan. The consumer also destroys products that are not good, are not priced well, do not fit a perceived need, or have an execrable marketing plan. Faculty and instructors need to be strident in their voice that education and training have to be of good quality, and meet the needs of students. Faculty and instructors are in a better position because of their interactions with the students who are educational and training consumers. Administration needs to focus on pricing the offering well and creating an excellent marketing plan. If administrators delve too much into what should be offered, or what they “think” students want, in a market-driven economy their plan will fail, and it will be the administrator looking for a job. =<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Conclusion = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Management and instructors, administration and professors need to work together in a symbiotic relationship. While one has the power of the budget, the other is closer to the ultimate consumer, and is more likely to recognize the needs of the student. Revenue is not endless or boundless, and the income from an institution of higher education, or a business engaging in professional development needs to be allocated in ways that tend toward growth. Management and administrators will make mistakes in that allocation at times, but it is the job of those individuals to seek to increase the bottom line. If they are not successful in their endeavors neither they, nor the instructors and professors who collect a paycheck will continue to do so. On the other hand, if the professors and instructors do not consistently produce the engaging and interactive learning situations propounded by Feenberg (1999), and this becomes consistent across an organization it is likely to have the same result. The only constant in life is paradoxically change, both management, administration, professor, and instructor need to be adaptable and do the best that they can with the resources that they are given to enlarge upon their stewardships.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [scl1] Do not use bold on the title. See fig. 2.1 on p. 42 of APA 6th edition <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [scl2] Very true! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [scl3] Horton (2001) states:


 * = References ||
 * * Cabrera-Lozoya, A., Cerdan, F., Cano, M.-D., Garcia-Sanchez, D., & Lujan, S. (2012). Unifying heterogeneous e-learning modalities in a single platform: CADI, a case study. //Computers & Education, 58(1)//, 617-630. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.09.014
 * Feenberg, A. (1999). Reflections on the distance learning controversy. Canadian Journal of Communication, 24(3). Retrieved from http://www.cjc-online.ca/index.php/journal/article/viewArticle/1110/1016
 * Friedman, M. (1970, September 13). The social responsibility of business to increase its profits. //The New York Times//. Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/libertarians/issues/friedman-soc-respbusiness.html
 * Horton, W. (2001). //Leading e-learning//. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training & Development.
 * Ke, F., & Hoadley, C. (2009). Evaluating online learning communities. //Educational Technology Research & Development, 57(1)//, 487-510. doi:10.1007/s11423-009-9120-2
 * Pigliapoco, E. E., & Bogliolo, A. A. (2008). The effects of psychological sense of community in online and face-to-face academic courses. //International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 3(4)//, 60-69. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
 * Sinclair, A. (2009). Provocative pedagogies in e-learning: Making the invisible visible. //International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 21(2)//, 197-209. Retrieved from EBSCOhost ||
 * Note from later:** All of the retrieved from's that reference EBSCOhost are incorrect and should either include the doi, or failing that should reference the actual article, and failing that should reference the journal home page per APA guidelines.