e-Learning: Changes in Teaching and Learning Styles

Abstract

Availability of vast amount of information on the web has provided access to all types of learning material. The teacher’s lecture notes is no longer the primary focus of a learning process, and the teacher’s role and the student’s learning process are changing. In the modern global learning environment e-learning has become a facilitator in organisational development through knowledge sharing, especially in the area of web based training and project management. It has also become a potential business for many organisations. The changes that should be happening in teaching and learning are discussed here with the aid of two case studies. The key technologies and practices of elearning at University of Western Sydney (UWS) are highlighted here and are compared with the existing activities of the external degrees program at University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC). The importance of identifying learning objects, assessment methods and training to apply the learning outcomes are some of the changes in the teaching process. These changes should be considered as a strategy to implement e-learning systems. The learning process is activity based and focuses on group and individual work with presentations and discussions. Elearning environment together with tutorial and practical classes facilitates the learning process.