1. INTRODUCTION:

Learning is a goal-oriented process that acquires new learning, modifying and reinforcing, existing knowledge. Behaviors, skills, values, or preferences of a learner may involve accumulating different types of information (BOU, 2018). E-learning stands for electronic learning that deals with all kinds of technology enhanced learning (Zaman, 2010, Wikiversity 2018).

It is defined as instructional content or learning experiences delivered or enabled by the current advanced computer and other technologies and is referred to the utilization of information systems and information technology in educational services (Pathan and Hassan, 2005). It is essentially a learning environment which uses information and communication technologies (ICT’s) as a platform for teaching and learning activities. It is possible to capture a student's attention through visual representation of concepts taught, sounds, moving pictures as well as interactive activities by using IT (The daily Star, 2011). In distance education or e-learning technology is central to the learning tasks (Bates, 2005). The use of technology in education allows people to learn at anytime and at anywhere. E-learning can include training, the delivery of just-in-time information and guidelines from experts (Zaman, 2010). These services are delivered, enabled or mediated by ICT for the purposes of delivery education. E-learning is a single term given to a wide range of instructional materials that can be delivered on a CD-ROM or DVD over a Local Area Network (LAN) or on the internet. It encompassed Computer-Based training (CBT), Web-Based training (WBT), Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS), distance or online learning and online tutorials. The major advantage to students is its easy access (Mannan, 2015; Zaman, 2010). Students of online courses are increasing steadily (Kirtman, 2009) and e-learning is one of the fastest growing trends in education sector and the study of Christensen et. al. (2008; cited by Means et. al., 2013) predicted that by 2009 the half of all US high school enrollments will be online.

2. RATIONALE:

E-learning is rapidly growing and its role on education has been increasing since 1990s. It allows people to receive education and training in a more efficient and more convenient, and cheaper way compared to the traditional learning. With the increase use of internet, e-learning is becoming more and more popular. Bangladesh is experiencing increasing awareness on the use of ICTs in teaching and learning (Mannan, 2015). But to the best of my knowledge, until now there has been no comprehensive study that covered different aspects of e-learning. Research on e-learning has not focused on learning outcomes or academic achievement (Kirtman, 2009). Hence the purpose of the study is to address this gap in literature by integrating different aspects of e-learning and by exploring the role of e-learning on education. In order to integrate different aspects of e-learning, this study covers history and types of e-learning; advantages of e-learning; importance of e-learning in education and its current status; issues with e-learning and their solution; e-Learning and education sector of Bangladesh.

3. METHODS:

The nature of this study is exploratory as it is designed in order to gain insights and understanding. In terms of the character of data and the way in which they are gathered, the process of this research is qualitative in nature. Besides, the study seeks to elicit on the opinions and views of the different academic scholars. In terms of outcome of the research this is a pure or fundamental study as the study aims at expanding frontiers of knowledge and is being conducted mainly to improve our understanding to validate an existing relationship. i.e. to know more about the role of e-learning on education. Information can be collected in many ways. As the study is a literature review, secondary data are collected in order to address the specific objectives of this study. As per the objective of the study, with a view to highlight different aspects of e-learning and to identify role of e-learning on education, prior studies are rare on the present issue. As such, only a handful numbers of relevant studies on e-learning and education are reviewed.

4. HISTORY AND TYPES OF E-LEARNING:

By the early 90s several schools had been set up that delivered courses online only, making the most of the internet and bringing education to people who wouldn’t previously have been able to attend a college due to geographical or time constraints (TalentLMS, 2018). There were no educational programs using the web before 1996 (Bates, 2005). Technological advancement also helped educational establishments reduce the costs of distance learning, a saving that would be passed on to the students helping bring education to a wider audience. In the 2000s businesses began using e-learning to train their employees. New and experienced workers alike now had the opportunities 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.

Table-1: Differences between Traditional Face-to-face Learning and E-Learning

	Traditional Face-to-face learning	E-learning
Focus of course	Group	Individual
Focus of content	Teacher-centered	Student-centered
Form	Synchronous	Asynchronous
Time	Scheduled	Anytime
Place	Classroom	Anywhere
Flexibility	Standardized	Customized
Content	Stable, durable	Dynamic, transitory
Number of students	Space delimited	Without limits
Instructor preparation	Some (Transparencies)	Extensive preparation
Distribution of materials	Hard copy	Electronic download
Interaction	Spontaneous	Structured
Range of Interactivity	Full interactivity	Limited interactivity

Source: Valiathan, 2008; cited by Eryilmaz, 2015

There are fundamentally two types of e-learning. These are synchronous training and asynchronous training (Bates, 2005; TalentLMS, 2018). Synchronous means “at the same time”. It involves interaction of participants with an instructor via the web in real time (e.g. VCRs or virtual classrooms on line). Participants interact with each other and instructors through instant messaging, chat, audio and video conferencing etc. and what’s more all the sessions can be recorded and played back. Its benefits are ability to log or track learning abilities; possibilities of continuous monitoring and correction; possibilities of global connectivity and collaboration opportunities among learners; and ability to personalize the training for each learner. 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. The advantage is that this kind of e-learning offers the information whenever they need it. It also has interaction amongst participants through message boards, bulletin boards and discussion forums. These include computer based training (CBTs), modules on CD-ROMs; Web based training assessed 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 and at anytime; ability to simultaneously reach an unlimited number of employees; and uniformity of content and onetime cost of production.

A new form of learning known as blended learning is emerging. The study of (Means et. al., 2013) suggests that learning takes place entirely or significantly over the internet is e-learning where as learning through a combination of online and face-to-face experiences is termed as blended learning. As the name suggests it is an amalgamation of synchronous and asynchronous learning methods. Using both online training through virtual classrooms and also giving CD’s and study materials for self-study is being increasingly preferred over any single type of training. Bonk and Graham (2005; cited by Means et. al., 2013) defined blended learning as combination of face-to-face instruction and computer mediated instructions. The environment of blended learning has been designed in the form of online material sharing, forum, exam, text, picture and lesson summaries supported by videos (Eryilmaz, 2015). Blended learning is seen by many as a process in which appropriate e-learning modules are a precursor to a training session in the classroom i.e. both the methods are successfully used in training. More and more organizations are using the blended technique for a complete training solution (Bates, 2005; TalentLMS, 2018). The advantages of using blended learning are: it boosts up effectiveness of education, increases access and convenience; and is cost effective (Eryilmaz, 2015).

5. ADVANTAGES OF E-LEARNING:

The study suggests that there exists no difference between the outcomes of e-learning and traditional learning but the students value online courses (Kirtman, 2009) and they perform better in e-learning condition than in traditional face-to-face condition (Means et. al., 2013). The literature review (e.g. gc-solutions.net, 2018; Mannan, 2015; Pathan and Hassan, 2005) suggests that E-learning has certain advantages which make the creation and delivery processes easier and hassle-free. This is cost effective. There are no boundaries and restrictions. Along with locational restrictions, time is one of the issues that learners and teachers both have to face in learning. In the case of face-to-face learning the location limits attendance to a group of learners who have the ability to participate in the area, and in the case of time, it limits the crowd to those who can attend at a specific time. E-learning in the other hand, facilitates learning without having to organize when and where everyone who is interested in a course can be present. There is more fun by designing a course in a way that makes it interesting and fun through the use of multimedia. This is directed to both learners and teachers, but there is a good chance that whatever your role you had to pay exorbitant amounts of money at some point to acquire updated versions of textbooks for school and college while textbooks often become obsolete after some certain period of time, the need to constant acquire new editions is not present in e-learning. E-learning by its ‘Anytime, Anywhere and by Anyone’ nature can disseminate skills and knowledge of the developed economies to the developing economies. As companies adopt technologies to improve the efficiency of day-to-day operations, the use of the internet becomes a necessity. As multinational corporations expand across the globe, the chances of working with people from other countries increase, and training all those parties together is an issue that e-learning successfully addresses. And that’s great advantage of e-learning.

In an effort to enhance the credibility of course material, oftentimes a professor will summon a field specialist to give a lecture relevant to the topic at hand. In the traditional model of education the professor would have to extend an invitation to said event and incur the costs of the flight, stay and training. With e-learning the professor has the ability to host a guest lecture without having to spend much money. It can be done virtually with cameras for both the lecturer and the students and with the use of microphones to facilitate the same level of interaction that would be possible if the lecturer were physically present in the room. The added benefit comes in when we are able to replay the lecture and gain even more out of it, Students that missed out can view the recording or students that attended can watch it again to further their understanding.

In short, the advantages of e-learning are: it increases the availability of learning experiences for learners who can’t attend face-to-face offerings; it is cost effective; It provides access qualified instructors to learners in places where such instructors are not available; it can bring economic competitiveness; provides life-long learning; it provides social equity and access; better education; can cover geographically remote or sparsely populated areas; and provides scopes for commercialization of education. (Bates, 2005; Means et. al., 2013)

6. IMPORTANCE OF E-LEARNING IN EDUCATION AND ITS CURRENT STATUS:

The study (e.g. Zaman, 2010, Mannan, 2015; Bates, 2005) suggests that e-learning has its root in distance learning and is part of the revolution brought by the new media: the web. E-learning is the third generation distance education and is the outcome of rapid expansion of the internet and the Web. E-learning can encompass of any form of telecommunications and computer based (internet and the Web) learning (Bates, 2005). After the dawn of the new web technologies educators and trainers soon found the potentials to advance learning. The advocates of e-learning voice for the breakdown of barriers to learning (especially for adult learning in higher education) such as limitations in time and distance. Research on media comparison proved that there is no difference in the learning outcome of e-learning from traditional face-to-face instructions. Over time, more and more instructors/institutions are incorporating e-learning component in the practice of instruction in higher education as a way of facilitating learning. E-learning is a rapidly growing industry, the effects of which can be traced back to the 1980s and even well before that (in the form of distance learning and televised courses). Now that affordable e-learning solutions exist by both computers and internet, it only takes a good e-learning tool for education to be facilitated from virtually anywhere. Technology has advanced so much that the geographical gap is bridged with the use of tools that make feel as if you are inside the classroom. E-learning offers the ability to share materials in all kinds of formats such as videos, slideshows, word documents and PDFs, conducting Webinars (live online classes) and communicating with professors via chat and message forums is also an option available to users. There is a plethora of different e-learning systems (otherwise known as Learning Management System (LMS) and methods, which allow for courses to be delivered. With right tools-various processes can be automated such as a course with set materials and automatically marked tests. E-learning is an affordable (and often free) solution which provides the learners with the ability to fit learning around their lifestyle, effectively allowing even the busiest person to further a career and gain new qualification. In the fast-paced world of e-learning the available technologies to make a course new and exciting are always changing, and course content can and should be updated very quickly to give students the very latest information. This is especially important if the e-learning training is being given to employees in a sector where keeping up-to-date on industry development is of most the utmost importance. This is one of the reasons why many businesses are now offering training via e-learning-other reasons includes low costs and the ability for employees to study in their own time and place. Overall traditional learning is expensive, takes a long time and the results can vary. The importance of e-learning is now a given fact and it can offer an alternative that is much faster, cheaper and potentially better.

7. ISSUES WITH E-LEARNING AND THEIR SOLUTION:

Even given all the benefits of e-learning, one cannot deny there are some drawbacks (Bates, 2005). A good example of a disadvantage of e-learning is that practical skills are somewhat harder to pickup from online resources. For example although, building a wooden table is something you can easily share information about, record videos of and explain. The practical experience is essentials. Pottery and car engineering are examples of skills that require hands-on-experience. Though e-learning offers ease, flexibility and the ability to remotely access a classroom in the student’s own time, learners may feel a sense of isolation. This is because learning online is a solo act for the most part, which may give the learner the feeling that they are acting completely alone. As technology progresses and e-learning benefits from the advancements being made, learners can now engage more actively with professors or other students using tools such as video conferencing, social media and discussion forums among others. E-learning requires the use of a computer and other such devices, this means that eyestrain, bad posture and other physical problems may affect the learner. When running an online course it’s a good practice to send out guidelines about correct sitting posture, desk height and recommendations for regular breaks (Mannan, 2015; Pathan and Hassan, 2005).

8. E-LEARNING AND EDUCATION SECTOR OF BANGLADESH:

The education sector of Bangladesh has been suffering from many deficiencies including quality teachers, quality content and quality environment (e.g. Zaman, 2010; Pathan and Hassan, 2005). So, at present great-challenge faced by Bangladesh is to create a knowledge based society and ensure that the citizens are equipped with knowledge and skill of information and communication technology (ICT). There is a potential that using ICT in the education sector, the cost can be brought down. It also improves the quality of education and impairs uniformity. If the country wants to enhance the concern over the significance and excellence of education than 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.

Generally e-learning is seen as offering solutions to several challenges currently facing in education sector (Zaman, 2010). E-learning can improve the quality of education by: providing access to a range of resources and materials which may not otherwise be available or accessible, for example graphics, sound, animation, multimedia; giving control to students over when and where they study; allowing students to study at their own pace; providing attractive multimedia learning without any tutor; providing a student centered learning environment which can be tailored to meet the learning needs of individual students, making it easier to amend and update materials, creating an environment that promotes an active approach of learning, reduces learning time, releasing time for more active, engaging and interactive forms of teaching, supporting increased communications between staffs and students, and amongst students, providing frequent and timely individual feedback for example through computer assisted assessment, and positive reinforcement; motivating students through appropriate use of interactive coursework, supporting and encouraging collaborative learning, supporting economic reuse of high quality, expensive resources, encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Bangladesh is also initiating to step toward the same path with vision of integrating ICT into its education system (e.g. Mannan, 2015; Zaman, 2010; BOU, 2018). Government of Bangladesh initiated a pilot study of e-learning 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 mobile ICT lab of TQI-SEP on 23^rd February, 2010 in order to provide e-learning for the under privileged secondary students of rural Bangladesh. These initiatives ensured primary ICT knowledge as well as ICT based education for the students and also enhance the teaching capacity of the teacher (The daily Samakal, 2010; cited by Zaman, 2010). Alongside of Government initiative, some non-government initiatives are also mentionable.Among these scheme one is CTEE (Computer teaches Everyday English) project initiated by D.Net (Development Research Network) with the financial support VAB (Volunteer Association for Bangladesh), New jersey, USA, to assess the effect of e-learning of English on Secondary School Children. It is a matter of pleasure that the present Government of Bangladesh declared a vision to build “Digital Bangladesh” by 2021 (Zaman, 2010). The term “Digital Bangladesh” has found 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 remains restructuring the education system to ensure quality in form of access to quality education (Ibrahim, 2010). So this vision will come into the light of the non-government organization integrate ICTs into education sector.

The study (e.g. Pathan and Hassan, 2005; Mannan, 2005) points out that the different challenges for employing e-learning in Bangladesh are: insufficient ICT infrastructure; low bandwidth; limited internet access; limited technical knowledge of the learners; poor knowledge in English; learners’ limited participation in the learning; and high cost of e-learning contents in the context of Bangladesh; lack of e-learning policy; lack of e-learning readiness based on the connectivity, country capability to deliver and consume e-learning; lack of existing e-learning initiatives; lack of availability of low-cost laptops/PC/tablets/mobile phone; and lack of availability of high speed internet at low cost.

9. CONCLUSION:

E-learning is the use of technology in acquiring knowledge so as to make it convenient for the learners. E-learning has enabled distance learning to take place and with e-learning certain barriers to education such as time and distance can be overcome, making education more affordable and more accessible. Educators and trainers have acknowledged the potentials of e-learning in delivering very high quality education and training. If appropriate steps are to amalgamate ICT with the education sector of Bangladesh it will compensate for the deficiencies the education sector of Bangladesh is facing besides creating a knowledge-based society well equipped with the skills of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It will be a boom for the economically disadvantaged rural children of Bangladesh. This study is based on the academic articles that was managed to collect or download. Though a handful number of articles were reviewed but this is not the exclusive list. There may have some other important studies which were not available to the writer and, hence, not reviewed. Hence further review based on more in-depth analysis might develop the findings about the role of e-learning on education. Hence further research is recommended with a view to confirm the findings of the study.

10. REFERENCES:

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Received on 15.05.2019 Modified on 30.05.2019

Asian Journal of Management. 2019; 10(3): 273-278.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5763.2019.00042.8