E-Learning Environment

“E-Learning”

Mathetics (=science of learning, subjective didactic) vs. Didactics (=science of teaching, objectiv didactic) (Eichelberger; Laner et al., 2010, p. 63)

Definition of E-Learning

= Merge of educational processes with digital technologies

• Blended Learning: mix of face to face and digital remote learning
• Online Learning: digital Learning

(Kergel, Heidkam-Kergel, 2020, p. 2)

Advantages & Disadvantages of E-Learning

• Advantages:
  • The participants do not depend on time and space, more autonomy (time management)
  • online seminars parallel to daily life → immediate application in daily working processes
  • diverse learning offers → focus on one topic or individual topics
  • collaboration with others → new insights, contacts, enrichment
• Disadvantages: 
  • Need of good self- & time-management (often a hindrance)
  • lack of Presence → no interaction with the others, easier to step behind, to avoid visibility
  • a knowledge shared is a knowledge doubled → only if cooperation (based on previous experience)
  • need of courage to say something, harder in virtual space
  • responsibilities for learning process are not clear
  • motivation doesn’t last until the end
  • technology is a hindrance, if participant is not familiar with

Learning competency

Definition of Learning competency (Born 2014, p. 12f.) 

• • knowledge, capacities, skills, abilities and attitudes that are necessary for individual and cooperative learning processes - can be developed and optimized through learning. 
  • includes: 1) technical skills; 2) methodological skills; 3) social skills and 3) self-competence
  • Self-competence especially important: possibilities for motivation, organisation & controlling cannot be copied from face-to-face teaching  need of individual responsibility, self-organisation

1. Access/motivation:
   1. Help pages, contact via e-mail/phone open to public
   2. Frustrating, in case of problems/difficulties
2. Online Socialisation
   1. Present – perceive – orientation (on the platform)
   2. Useful: attractive entrance into the topic, arousing interest; efficient & fast support
   3. Where appropriate, face-to-face seminar for introduction
3. Exchange of information
   1. Perception of possibilities for information & communication
   2. Indication for support, FAQ & content related suggestions
4. Joint knowledge construction
   1. Forming of working groups – learning with and from one another
5. Development & transfer, Self-organisation
   1. Role of instructor changes to role of supporter and learning colleague

The Participant:

(Born, 2014, p. 7f.)

• Ideal Characteristics: Discipline, Endurance, Motivation, Power, Cooperativeness, self-confidence, self-esteem, knowledge, ideas, brain
• Participant as Co-producer of the learning success: quality and learning success are based on active role of participants
• Participant is dealing with two worlds: personal life & virtual learning space 

→ Participants in the focus → Task of teacher: support them in order to guarantee their learning success 

Team members of online-seminars:

• Seminar manager
  • Responsibility for all action in the three phases: Preparation – Implementation – Evaluation
  • Organisational frame of the seminar: content related and didactical conceptualization, course material
  • Coordination of the team’s internal cooperation
• Moderator or teletutor
  • Co-responsibility for the communication and cooperation in the seminar groups
  • Co-participation in achieving and verify the learning goals
  • Reflection of the learning and working process together with seminar manager
  • Definition and implementation of measures for intervention
• Expert
  • Bring in expert knowledge for the seminar’s content
  • Joint development of course (teaching/Learning) material
  • Ready in the background for questions and more information
• Supporter
  • Responsible for the technical frame, technical implementation of the wishes pronounced by seminar manager and experts
  • Support for the handling and utilization of the learning platform

Literature / References

Eichelberger, H., Laner, C., Angerer, H., Bronkhorst, J., Günther, H., Hungs, E., ... & Stary, C. (2010). Unterrichtsentwicklung via eLearning. Oldenbourg Verlag.

Kergel, D., & Heidkamp-Kergel, B. (2020). E-Learning, E-Didaktik und digitales Lernen. Springer VS.