Definitions

Definitions

by Terry Anderson -
Number of replies: 20

A number of us have commented upon the lack of precision and common understanding of terms we regularly use when discssuing e-learning research.

I am thus creating this thread and welcome discussion on any terms that are defying common understanding


I'll begin with e-learning which was mentioned by a number of posters as ill defined.

A Google define: e-learning search yields 15 definitions. I'll highlight those I find of interest.


The New Zealand government defines e-learning as "Learning that is facilitated by the use of digital tools and content. Typically, it involves some form of interactivity, which may include online interaction between the learner and their teacher or peers." This definition stress the interactivity and seem to imply formal education contexts.


Oxford University adds the infrastructure for supporting elearning as"Services which are delivered, enabled or mediated by ICT for the purposes of delivering education, and the technology and services which help create, manage and deliver those activities.

Imperical College finally notes the difference between learning and education in their definition "E-Learning is the learning process created by interaction with digitally delivered content, services and support."


And finally E-Career Management defines E-learning as" an approach to facilitate and enhance learning through the use of devices based on both computer and communications technology"


I also liked The Mountainquest's definition as" any virtual act or process used to acquire data, information, skills or knowledge. In the context of our research, eLearning is enabled learning, learning in a virtual world where technology merges with human creativity to accelerate and leverage the rapid development and application of deep knowledge' Except this seems to preclude using e-learning in blended contexts that are not 'virtual'

Would anyone care to craft a definition of e-learning that we might all agree on for this conference?



In reply to Terry Anderson

Re: Definitions

by Vivian Forssman -

Terry,

In a previous thread you commented on "e-learning" versus "e-education" which might also be part of our definitions here. Whoever in this discussion proposed a Venn diagram, we are ready!

Seems Grainne Conole had some diagrams that might get us started.

I agree with Mark Bullen that the term e-learning is problematic in higher education because various stakeholders interpret it more as online distance education delivery rather than a broader interpretation of technology-enabled learning.

In my own institution, e-learning is grounded in the notion that if a student has a laptop (one issued as part of an institutional program), and is "accessing something" from this laptop (either in a bums-in-seats classroom or at distance), it is e-learning. A student "accessing something" from their own personal laptop is not officially e-learning. Fortunately, this position is starting to shift, but there is a long journey ahead to get stakeholders to understand engagement and/or interaction factors ;-)

In reply to Vivian Forssman

Re: Definitions

by Mark Bullen -
Vivian:

I agree, e-learning is often used to mean online distance education but as your example with the laptops illustrates, it is often misinterpreted to mean ANYTHING that involves the use of an information and communication technology in an educational setting, regardless of how it is used or how it is integrated with the overall educational experience.

To help clarify the meaning, I offer this e-learning continuum graphic which I find useful in showing both what e-learning encompasses and also how it overlaps with distance education.

Well, I would offer it if I could figure out how to upload an image. The insert image command asks for a url. Can anybody help?

Mark.


In reply to Mark Bullen

Re: Definitions

by Sylvia Currie -
To the rescue! Mark, underneath the text box where you type your message you'll see an option to upload an attachment.
Sylvia
In reply to Sylvia Currie

Re: Definitions

by Mark Bullen -
Thanks Sylvia. Moodle is usually more intuitive than that.

Mark.
In reply to Mark Bullen

E-Learning Continuum

by Mark Bullen -
Okay, here's the e-learning continuum graphic I mentioned in the my previous message.

Mark.
Attachment e-learning4.jpg
In reply to Mark Bullen

Re: E-Learning Continuum

by Mark Nichols -
Nice one Mark! That reminds me of the one proposed by Jara and Mohamad in Pedagogical templates for e-learning, Figure 1.3. Where is the continuum graphic in your post drawn from? I like the way in which it differentiates between the different forms and would like to cite it.

Mark N!
In reply to Mark Nichols

Re: E-Learning Continuum

by Mark Bullen -
Thanks Mark. It's a variation of a continuum that Tony Bates used in one of his books. If I recall correctly, his did not make a distinction between e-learning and distance education (and it didn't look as nice smile). This one appears in the book I co-edited with Diane Janes, "Making the Transition to E-Learning: Strategies and Issues" (2007).

Mark.
In reply to Mark Bullen

Re: E-Learning Continuum

by Michael Power -

Hi all,

Thank you, Mark, for the figure included in your posting. I really like how you have found a way to link up DE with in-class teaching and learning. I too have been working on a continuum involving the linkage between DE and online learning (OL) which I would like to offer to this group as well. I have always found the term elearning vast in scope, simply too much so for an applied research program. However, I do see elearning as the logical descendant of distance education as well as a term which includes online learning. My figure puts DE and OL on a continuum, emphasizing the role technology has always played in they way instruction has been designed and developed for, as well as delivered to, DE learners.

So, in this figure, I locate the well-known "generations of DE" concept on an upward-moving continuum (emphasizing the increasing use of educational technology in DE), but only up to the 4th generation. I've intentionally excluded what some authors refer to as the 5th generation of DE because I see a quantum leap forward occurring at that point, one so profound that I feel the term DE no longer sticks. Thus IMHO began 1st generation OL thanks to the introduction of Internet, then the Web. At this point in time, roughly 14 years later, I believe we have already entered a new stage, that of second generation OL which I see emerging as "blended online learning" in that use of numerous technologies (synch and asynch) are being harnessed in myriad ways, with a lesser focus on upfront design and development and a greater focus on delivery (which has usually been the norm in campus-based higher education).

Hope this stirs the pot!

Mike

Attachment GenDE_OL_final.JPG
In reply to Terry Anderson

Re: Definitions

by Raymond Guy -

Bonjour Terry!

The definitions issue is a big one.  How can we concert research efforts if we don't have the common vocabulary.

Some time in the distant past (2006;-)), I worked on a document in an attempt to establish a common language related to e-learning in French.  This was intended to set common vocabulary with our faculty and groups I worked with.  My perspective was to look at things from the online course, distance education and their convergence with on-campus use of technology as e-learning.  It has not been peer reviewed but served the purposes for which it was intended.

I ended up categorizing the jargon in four categories and attempted to tag English equivalents:

  1. Types of delivery modes (ex. e-learning, distributed learning, distance learning, open learning...)
  2. Tools for managing online learning (ex. LMS, CMS)
  3. Components of online courses (ex. Learning objects)
  4. Other definitions (ex. blog, wikipedia, RSS, etc) which were relatively obscure for most at that time.

I tried to clarify the existing jargon from various sources in the Francophone field of distance education and e-learning.

A nuance I was faced with was the use of the terms: "Apprentissage. formation, cours".  Each has its implicit connotation depending on the context used : "Learning, traning, course".  We often see e-apprentissage, e-formation, e-learning used liberally to refer to similar applications.

I have attached a copy to share.  Everyone can download the pdf by cliking on the lexique en ligne.pdf icon in the upper right hand corner of this post.  I'm open to having this document used and critiqued.  It also illustrates many of the challenges related with establishing equivalents between French and English and other languages in the field of e-learning. 

Raymond

In reply to Raymond Guy

Re: Definitions

by Hope Seidman -

Bonjour Raymond!

Thank you for sharing your definitions. We are constantly translating English documents into French and French to English. I think we lose a lot in translation, especially with the technical terms.

I haven’t read through your document carefully but I do have one comment that relates to other discussions here on the inclusion of informal learning. I noticed that blogs, wikis etc are in a category entitled “other” (I recognize this document was written in 2006!). As we move forward with a research agenda, I think it’s important to consider the directions in which organizations and individuals are moving.

In recent years, I’ve noticed that the theme of informal learning has become more prominent at conferences and in publications. More importantly, informal learning methods and the use of technologies to support them are on the rise in schools, corporations and in government. It’s complex, dynamic and difficult to measure but I believe it reflects the reality of what is actually going on out there. If the definition of e-learning and the research agenda are too narrow in scope, I am afraid we might miss the boat on some important research opportunities.

At the end of the day, I think we are all interested in similar questions such as: How can we better support the learning process? What’s working? What’s not? Why? How? etc.

Hope

In reply to Terry Anderson

Re: Definitions

by Mark Nichols -
Hi Terry,

I define e-learning as "pedagogy empowered by digital technology" (see monograph). Later in the same document I suggest ten statements that contextualise this:

  1. E-learning is a means of implementing education that can be applied within varying education models (for example, on-campus or distance education) and educational philosophies of practice (for example behaviourism and constructivism).
  2. E-learning enables unique forms of education that combine the existing paradigms of on-campus and distance education.
  3. Whenever possible, the choice of e-learning tools should reflect rather than determine the pedagogy of a course. However, as a general rule how technology is used is more important than which technology is used.
  4. E-learning advances primarily through the successful implementation of pedagogical innovation.
  5. E-learning can be applied in two major ways: presenting education content, and facilitating education processes.
  6. E-learning tools are best made to operate within a carefully selected and optimally integrated course design model.
  7. E-learning tools and techniques should be used only after consideration has been given to online versus offline trade-offs.
  8. Effective e-learning practice considers the ways in which end-users will engage with the learning opportunities provided to them.
  9. The essential process of education (that is, enabling the learner to achieve instructional goals and performance objectives) doesn’t change when e-learning is applied.
  10. Only pedagogical advantages will provide a lasting rationale for implementing e-learning approaches.
These statements received some international discussion through the IFETS forum and are broadly accepted to my knowledge. I think it's worthwhile coming up with a pithy definition for e-learning and then contextualising it rather than trying to overburden a definition with too much detail.

An article by Sarah Guri-Rosenblit in Higher Education (2005) 49:467-493, called "'Distance education' and 'e-learning': Not the same thing" is also worth a read.

Cheers,

Mark.
In reply to Terry Anderson

Re: Definitions

by Glen Gatin -
One element that I haven't sensed in any of the definitions so far is the shifted locus of control that technology-mediated education affords. The learner usually has some increased control over at least some conditions of learning; the cost, place, pace, time or means of interaction.
In reply to Glen Gatin

Re: Definitions

by Mark Bullen -
Glen:

I think that assumes a particular type of e-learning. Typically learning technology is used initially at a very basic level to enhance an existing mode of teaching, e.g., power point presentations to enhance lectures, the use of learning management systems to distribute resources and lecture notes etc. These uses may afford a marginal increase in learner control, but they don't change the underlying teacher-centered approach.

Mark.
In reply to Mark Bullen

Re: Definitions

by Glen Gatin -
Mark,
I should have been more precise. I was trying to avoid using the term elearning but I should have said ICT-mediated learning rather than technology-mediated, yellow chalk on a green board being learning technology in the strictest sense.

I agree that the shift in control has been marginal in many settings but I think that personal control is part of the promise of elearning.
In reply to Terry Anderson

Re: Definitions

by Caroline Park -
Great thread! I think this is an important place to start. We probably can't even articulate our goal without a serious look at definitions. I don't find the methodologies discussion useful at this time, other than to say that all methods have a place. Most researchers believe that the research question determines the methodology(s).

So back to an earlier post of mine. Not only do we need to know what we want this strategy to achieve, we need to be clear about why Elearning is "crucial".

Caroline
In reply to Terry Anderson

Three types of e-learning

by Mark Bullen -
More grist for the definition mill:

E-learning as distance education

This refers to courses that are delivered entirely, or almost entirely, on the Internet. Massy & Zemsky (2004) suggest this is the most common understanding of e-learning but I think increasingly, e-learning is not seen as distance education but as any teaching that involves technology which is the second type of e-learning.

E-learning as electronically-mediated learning
This category includes any teaching or learning that is mediated by technology. Thus, products like computerized test preparation courses that prepare students to take the SAT, GRE, complex, integrated learning packages such as Maple or Mathematica that teach elementary calculus, learning objects that simulate and illustrate various concepts such as chemical reactions, mathematical modelling, social interactions and musical compositions, and tools like Macromedia’s Dreamweaver and Flash that students use to build their own websites. Interactive CD-ROMs and the websites of book publishers would be part of this category. What all these products and resources have in common is that they involve electronically mediated learning in a digital format that can be used as part of regular on-campus teaching. It is not necessarily distance education.

E-learning as facilitated transactions software
This category includes the software that is used to organize and manage teaching and learning, course management systems like the commercial products, BlackBoard and WebCT and open source products like Moodle. These course management systems link teachers with students, students with each other, and students to resources. Course content, schedules, assignments and other resources are uploaded to these systems for students to access. In addition, these systems allow for online testing

Zemsky , R. & Massy, W.F. (2004). Thwarted Innovation: What Happened to E-learning and Why. The Learning Alliance. http://www.irhe.upenn.edu/WeatherStation.html.

In reply to Mark Bullen

Re: Three types of e-learning

by Rodger Levesque -
Here's a slice of an article on learning form the latest wired magazine:

"The spacing effect is "one of the most remarkable phenomena to emerge from laboratory research on learning," the psychologist Frank Dempster wrote in 1988, at the beginning of a typically sad encomium published in American Psychologist under the title "The Spacing Effect: A Case Study in the Failure to Apply the Results of Psychological Research." The sorrowful tone is not hard to understand. How would computer scientists feel if people continued to use slide rules for engineering calculations? What if, centuries after the invention of spectacles, people still dealt with nearsightedness by holding things closer to their eyes? Psychologists who studied the spacing effect thought they possessed a solution to a problem that had frustrated humankind since before written language: how to remember what's been learned. But instead, the spacing effect became a reminder of the impotence of laboratory psychology."

It speaks to some of the concerns that have been brought up in the conference so far, like how to integrate the work of other disciplines into e-learning research and how to apply the research (overcome fears). It's an interesting article.

My question is about the software that was designed to put the spacing effect into practice. Where does something like SuperMemo fit in? The program is less about mediation and more about control - computer controlled learning. It also tends toward completely self directed content.
In reply to Terry Anderson

Re: Definitions

by Nalin Abeysekera -

People have different definitions on E-learning. But I think we have to have definition which should have some adaptation. Some definitions are broad and some are narrow.If some definition with solution to the people or to the nation then it should be a good definition

In reply to Terry Anderson

Re: Definitions

by Sylvia Currie -
During our live session today John Biss shared a definition of e-learning from the Canadian Council on Learning (taken from the presentation slides)

===
The Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) defines e-learning as the :

  • “development of knowledge and skills through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs)
  • particularly to support interactions for learning—interactions with content, with learning activities and tools, and with other people”. [1]

[1] J. Rossiter, 2002; also 2005 in an address at the CCL Workshop on e-learning