E-Learning - Opening the Doors of Opportunity

E-Learning – Opening the Doors of Opportunity


"One of the greatest challenges facing educators in today's technology enhanced world...is transitioning from age-old position of providing information to a new status as a 'chief orchestrator' of learning" (Murphrey, 2010, p.212).

In essence, eLearning has opened the doors of opportunity to those individuals that before could not pursue a higher education due to a variety of reasons. Issues of time, job constrains, family obligations, or rigid classroom structures inhibited many from going to a campus based classroom. An advance in technology has now opened the door of opportunity for many who've dreamed of advancing their education.

Yet, technology alone will not achieve the goal of enhancing or providing the opportunity to engage in online learning. Instructors must use new strategies of learning to provide an environment that will combine the student's background and experiences and new knowledge to reflect and gain a greater understanding. By facilitating an interactive learning experience, students are able to draw from and learn by engaging with each other and completing the learning assignments. Instructors can plan online learning opportunities by guiding and monitoring students’ written thoughts, providing feedback, and using critiques.

In summary, I feel that eLearning has grown in popularity because it has provided opportunities to many that before could not pursue the traditional classroom structure. Yet to ensure students are engaged, learning and the course is relevant, instructors must consider the students' background and experiences along with new knowledge to create a learning environment to meet their needs. By utilizing different media of learning and having a forum of communication, students can grow in their studies.

References: Murphrey T. A CASE STUDY OF EELEARNING: Using Technology to Create and Facilitate Experiential Learning. Quarterly Review of Distance Education [serial online]. Winter2010 2010;11(4):211-221. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 2, 2011.

AnnMarie M.