Assignment 01

ELECTRONIC LEARNING CEL 420

ASSIGNMENT 1

NAME AND CONTACT NUMBER ELUFISAN KOLAWOLE THOMAS 0834962477

STUDENT NUMBER 28465424

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DECLARATION I Elufisan Kolawole Thomas, student number 28465424 declare that I understand what plagiarism entails and am aware of the University’s policy in this regard. I declare that this assignment is my own, original work. Where someone else’s work was used (whether from a printed source, the internet or any other source) due acknowledgement was given and reference was made according to departmental requirements. I did not make use of another student’s previous work and submitted it as my own. I did not allow and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of presenting it as his or her own work

ELUFISAN K.T.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE

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1. Define of e-learning as interpreted by the European

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e-learning Action Plan. 2. Briefly discuss the opportunities that e-learning offers

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the educator. 3. Briefly discuss the meaning of the concept blended learning.

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4. Briefly discuss aspects that managed learning environments.

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5. Briefly discuss the type of communication tools that support

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interaction in a virtual learning environment. 6. References.

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Assignment 1 1. Define of e-learning as interpreted by the European e-Learning Action Plan. It is defined as “the use of new multimedia technologies and the internet to improve the quality of learning by facilitating access to resources and services as well as remote exchanges and collaboration” (COM,2001:2) as quoted by Holmes B & Gardner J (2006, p.14) 2. Briefly discuss the opportunities that e-learning offers the educator. E-learning affords the educator innovative opportunities to augment their facilitation experiences. Because of its practicality, it allows the educator to be able to facilitate in a way that will be appealing to the learners through the use of digital information and communication technologies such as mobile video and e-mail. It allows for the encouragement of new studies, because e-learning gives room for discovery and application of information. 3. Briefly discuss the meaning of the concept blended learning. Many people believed that e-learning can not totally replace face to face facilitation. They argued that if this could be so, then there will be no need for anybody to attend school anymore in as much learners can log on to goggle and download all the resources that they need. Because of the practicality of e-learning, it is now argued that both of them can be used together as a means of facilitation hence the concept, blended learning. Blended learning is a mixture of e-learning, face to face instruction, group and individual study and coaching. This process could be used to optimize the teaching/learning process. One of the advantages of blended learning is that learning becomes a process, rather than event.

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4. Briefly discuss aspects that managed learning environments. In a managed learning environments, it is not only the learning environments such as assignment submissions, discussion groups etc that are electronically managed, but a more robust system is put in place that uses technology to improve and make more efficient the network of relationships between learners, teachers and administrators of learning, through integrated support for comfortable communications and activities. There are basically two aspects that are found in managed learning environments: •

The resources that the learners will make use of to be able to learn effectively such as online tutorials.

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The personal information of the learners, the courses that they have registered for, and their progress in their works.

5. Briefly discuss the type of communication tools that support interaction in a virtual learning environment. There are two types of communication tools that support interaction in a virtual learning environment and they are: Synchronous tools-This is a two way communication that affords interaction between two people taking place in the real time i.e. the communication between the two people is taking place simultaneously at the same time.e.g chat rooms. If I want to have a chat with a friend in USA through Yahoo messenger or any other chat room, he will have to be on his computer at the same time Iam also on my computer in South Africa not minding the time difference. Asynchronous tools-This is a one way communication that is not happening at the same time e.g.email.If I send email to somebody, even if the person is not on his sit at that very particular time that I sent my email, my email will still be waiting for him in his mail box until he has the time to reply to my mail.

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6. References Holmes B & Gardner J (2006) E-Learning concepts and practice.London: SAGE Publications

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