Session 3: eLearning Trends in Higher Education

 

eLearning Trends in Higher Education

eLearning is now becoming the face of teaching and learning in higher education. More educators and even students are getting inclined towards e-learning with the introduction of latest version of technologies for instance smart phones, tablets and laptops. eLearning applications such as learning analytics, bring your own devise (BYOD), mLearning, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and markerspaces are already making its contribution towards teaching and learning and it will definitely influence the future of higher education in Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

Some of the eLearning applications that I use in my course are learning analytics (Moodle student logs and EWS), BYOD (students are using tablets, smartphones and laptops) and mLearning (SMS sent out by course coordinates to update and notify students of upcoming activities) and makerspace (SLS hub, genetic and microbiology labs). BYOD is a better fit with current student expectations and lifestyles (Johnson et al. 2016). One of the eLearning application that I would want to integrate in my course in future is AR where there will be incorporation of digital information including images, video, and audio into real-world spaces. This will lead to deep and active learning. I would want to incorporate this application in practical classes for instance during an ecology lab where population status (species diversity, evenness and richness) is assessed. VR and AR could be incorporated in PICs but it will take some time to sync into these technologies looking at the economic and development status of each PICs.  

VR

AR

However, there are sometimes issues or challenges faced by educators or learners in either accessing or using these technologies. Some of the educators are not tech savvy and face difficulty in incorporating technology into their course. Some students face the issue of accessing the digital devises such as laptops or computers to learn or do assessments. Sometimes the issue of internet connectivity and affordability avoids students from learning. Those students who live in remote or rural areas find it difficult to have a stable internet connection thus are not able to physically be at the online teaching sessions (lectures or tutorials). Most of the students are inclined towards mLearning where they use their mobile phones to access T&L materials and sometimes do assessments for example online quizzes.

eAssessments are a crucial component of student learning process. It allows both the educator and learner know how the student is doing in a course. The assessments should be aligned with the course learning outcomes and the T&L activities. Marking rubrics should be provided for all assessments so that the students have a fair idea on what is expected from the assessments. Once assessments are submitted by the students, a timely feedback should be provided so that students can identify their weak areas and work on it to enhance their learning. Technologies which has automated marking and feedback capability is mostly preferred by the educators as it allows them to provide timely feedback. For instance, moodle which is the online learning platform where all learning materials and assessments are given. Designing online quizzes and tests using multiple choice and true and false questions are easier and it marks automatically and gives feedback instantly. This session was very informative and comprehensive.

 

Video on "Top 5 Educational Technology Trends and Innovations Transforming Higher Education".

 

Reference

Johnson, L., Adams B. S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., & Hall, C. (2016). NMC Horizon Report: 2016, Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium, pg. 38-39.