Educating the Future with Disruptive e-Learning Solutions
Merija Jirgensons
2014
Abstract
e-Learning is having a strong impact on Higher Education. It is reinventing approaches to education and is causing sharp debates among its practitioners about the future direction of learning. Advocates argue that e-learning is a viable option to combat the high cost of higher education; that it extends educational opportunities to a greater number of students; that it trains students for the emerging Knowledge Economy. In fact, the e-learning education market has seen a continuous influx of new players; not only are traditional universities going online, but for-profit universities are emerging, some having a global reach, and most recently MOOCs (massive online open courses) that are offered as online education for free—many from elite universities that were the last to go online. These developments have created debates over assessment and accreditation. Educator Clayton Christensen calls e-learning “the great disrupted” that is transforming the higher education landscape. Yet even with the steady increase of e-learning options, e-learning is still regarded as inferior to traditional forms of learning. Critics regard is as too business and vocationally orientated, unmindful of questions of quality. This paper looks at some of the issues surrounding the controversy of e-learning options and makes some recommendations as to its improvement.
References
- Allen, I. Elaine and Seaman, Jeff (2013) Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States, Babson Park, MA: Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group. http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/changin gcourse.pdf (accessed 10/09/2013)
- Auguste, Byron G., Cota, Adam, Jayaram, Kartik, Laboissière, Martha C.A. (November 2013) Winning by degrees: the strategies of highly productive highereducation institutions, McKinsey http:// mckinseyonsociety.com/winning-by-degrees/ (accessed 11-2-2013)
- Christensen, Clayton M. and Eyring, Henry (2011) the Innovative University, San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass.
- Christensen, Clayton M, Horn, Michael B, and Johnson, Curtis B. (2011) Disrupting Class, New York: McGraw Hill.
- Concannon, Fiona, Flynn, Antoinette and Campbell, Mark (2005) “What campus-based students think about the quality and benefits of e-learning,” British Journal of Educational Technology 36(no. 3), 501-512
- European Commission, EuroStat, Glossary: E-learning, Information society statistics, http://epp.eurostat. ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Informatio n_society_statistics (accessed 28-12-2013).
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), eBig3, synergetic approach with eLearning, TV and mobile technologies to promote new business developments, Project No. LV-LT/1.1./ LLIII-183/2011/26
- Levin, Tamar (August 22, 2013) Obama's Plan to Lower College Costs, New York Times
- McGrath, Rita Gunther and MacMillan, Ian C. (JulyAugust, 1995) “Discovery-Driven Planning,” Harvard Business Review, Reprint 95406
- McGregor, Jena, “Clayton Christensen's Innovation Brain”, Bloomberg Businessweek, June 15, 2007 http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-06- 15/clayton-christensens-innovationbrainbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-andfinancial-advice (accessed 10-10-2013)
- MOOCS: Top 10 Sites for Free Education with Elite Universities http://www.bdpa-detroit.org/portal/index. php?Itemid=20&catid=29:education&id=57:moocstop-10-sites-for-free-education-with-elite-universities &option=com_content& view=article (accessed 12- 10-2013).
- Nissen, Max, “Now Even Harvard Business School is Working On Online Courses,” Business Insider, Oct 10, 2013. http://www.businessinsider.com/harvardbusiness-school-online-courses-2013-10 (accessed 12-10-2013)
- Obama, Barak President (August 22, 2013) President Obama Explains his Options to Combat Rising College Costs, The White House Blog, http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/08/22/president -obama-explains-his-plan-combat-rising-college-costs (accessed 13-09-2013).
- Redden, Elizabeth and Fain, Paul (Oct 11, 2013) “Going Global,” Inside Higher Ed.
- Vedder, Richard, “How to Slash College Costs,” CNN Edition: International, Aug 23, 2013 http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/23/opinion/veddercollege-costs/index.html?iid=article_sidebar (accessed 12-10-13)
- Walters, Garrison, (April 11, 2011) “More Degrees / Dollars-Damn the Quality”? Inside Higher Ed
- What is Pathway? Brigham Young University /Idaho, http://www.byui.edu/online/pathway/what-is- pathway (access 12-10-13)
Paper Citation
in Harvard Style
Jirgensons M. (2014). Educating the Future with Disruptive e-Learning Solutions . In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 3: CSEDU, ISBN 978-989-758-022-2, pages 65-70. DOI: 10.5220/0004846500650070
in Bibtex Style
@conference{csedu14,
author={Merija Jirgensons},
title={Educating the Future with Disruptive e-Learning Solutions},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 3: CSEDU,},
year={2014},
pages={65-70},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0004846500650070},
isbn={978-989-758-022-2},
}
in EndNote Style
TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 3: CSEDU,
TI - Educating the Future with Disruptive e-Learning Solutions
SN - 978-989-758-022-2
AU - Jirgensons M.
PY - 2014
SP - 65
EP - 70
DO - 10.5220/0004846500650070