Types, Modes and Tools of E-Learning

5. Types, Modes and Tools of E-Learning

Types and modes of e-Learning. E-Learning is most commonly classified by when the teaching and learning happen in relation to each other — that is, whether teacher and learner are active at the same moment or not.

1. Synchronous e-Learning (same time). Here teaching and learning take place at the same time, in real time, even though teacher and learners are in different places. The learners join a live session and can interact immediately — asking questions, answering and discussing as the class happens. Live online classes, virtual classrooms, web conferences, live webinars and online chat sessions are synchronous. Its strength is immediate interaction and a sense of a real class; its weakness is that everyone must be available at the same fixed time and needs a good, live internet connection.

2. Asynchronous e-Learning (different time). Here teaching and learning happen at different times — the content is prepared and made available in advance, and each learner studies it whenever it suits them. Recorded video lessons, e-books and reading material, pre-set online quizzes, e-mail, and discussion-forum posts are asynchronous. Its strength is flexibility — the learner chooses the time and pace, and can repeat material — and it does not need a live connection at a fixed hour; its weakness is the lack of immediate interaction and the greater self-discipline it demands.

3. Blended (hybrid) learning. Blended learning combines e-Learning with some traditional face-to-face classroom teaching, taking the best of both — for example, reading and watching lessons online before class and then using the classroom time for discussion, doubts and practice. It also often mixes synchronous and asynchronous e-Learning. Blended learning is widely regarded as the most balanced and effective approach for school and college study.

(A further way to describe e-Learning is by whether it is self-paced — the learner alone controls the pace — or instructor-led — a teacher guides and schedules the learning; synchronous e-Learning is usually instructor-led, while asynchronous e-Learning is often self-paced.)

Tools and technologies of e-Learning. A range of tools makes e-Learning possible. They are described here by their function, since the same function is offered by many different products:

• Learning Management System (LMS) — software that hosts courses, delivers lesson content, sets and collects assignments and quizzes, records each learner's progress and marks, and lets teachers and learners communicate; it is the electronic 'campus' that ties an e-Learning course together.
• Virtual classroom and video-conferencing tools — software that lets a teacher run a live class online with audio, video, a shared screen or whiteboard and a chat window, so learners in different places attend together (synchronous learning).
• Multimedia and content tools — recorded video lessons, audio recordings and podcasts, animations, presentations, e-books and electronic notes that carry the subject content to the learner.
• Online assessment tools — software for setting quizzes, tests and assignments online, often marking them automatically and giving instant feedback.
• Communication and collaboration tools — e-mail, discussion forums, instant-messaging and group-work spaces through which learners and teachers interact and help one another.
• MOOC platforms (Massive Open Online Courses) — online platforms, including the government's own free MOOC platform SWAYAM and the NPTEL courses, that offer complete courses to very large numbers of learners over the internet, usually free or at low cost, often with certificates. …