Lesson: E-learning

A. Picture Discussion (Picture not provided)

Look at the picture. What objects do you see in the picture? How are they related? Discuss with your partner and identify what they are.

(Note: Please refer to the picture provided with your original lesson materials.)

B. Discussion

Work in pairs and discuss these questions:

• Have you ever experienced any digital education programs in multimedia or CD/DVD format?
• Have you ever used any digitized educational resources such as the Oxford Dictionary, Banglapedia, or Wikipedia?
• Have you ever heard of any online education courses?
• Have you ever watched a classroom teaching program on television?

C. Reading

The Virtual Classroom

Can you imagine a classroom without blackboards or desks? Can you believe that you could be a student without a printed textbook, a writing pad, or even a pen or pencil? Wouldn’t it be exciting to ask a question and have your tutor answer it while flying on a plane from Dubai to Dhaka? All of this is possible in a ‘virtual campus’ using the e-learning system.

For quite some time, educators have been taking advantage of computer technology. Social networking services have enormous potential to help educators in this field because they provide access to millions of people worldwide. Educators have observed that many social network users are from the younger generation, particularly the student community. Therefore, alongside computer-assisted teaching-learning software, online education programs are evolving rapidly to support traditional education systems. But is this e-learning?

We might confuse distance education or computer-based learning or computer-assisted training or even online education programs with e-learning. We should be careful not to mix them up. What happens in an online education program? You might receive some materials online from your tutor, submit your assignment by email, or even take your test online. But there is typically a traditional campus, a department or institute, that issues your certificate.

However, in e-learning, as defined by global e-learning expert Dr. Badrul Khan*, every step—registration, admission, entering and exiting the virtual classroom, completing coursework, marking attendance, discussions with classmates, feedback, exams, and finally, certification—must occur electronically through computers and the Internet in a virtual campus.

(Picture: A student participating in an online class)

Everything is digitized and managed by a system called a Learning Management System (LMS). Therefore, online education programs simply blend various elements of e-learning.

The revolutionary concept of e-learning is already being implemented in many parts of the world. Professor Khan has developed a framework and important writings on e-learning that have been praised by experts worldwide, including those in Bangladesh. Professor Khan is particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of e-learning in Bangladesh.

How would you feel if Bangladesh decided to establish South Asia’s first virtual university? Wouldn’t that be a pioneering step in the world of e-learning? Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

*Born and educated in Bangladesh, Dr. Badrul H. Khan was a professor at George Washington University and the University of Texas, USA. He is one of the leading theorists in the field of e-learning.

D. Email Writing

Write an email to your teacher expressing your feelings and opinions about e-learning as the next generation of education. Ask your teacher to clarify anything in the text you find unclear.

E. Text Message

Imagine that Dr. Badrul Huda Khan is visiting your school and plans to give a presentation on e-learning. Write a text message to invite your friend to the presentation.

F. Sentence Completion

Complete the following sentences with suitable words.

1. Education experts have been ______ the advantages of computer technology for a long time.
2. In e-learning, everything from admission to certification takes place ______ through computers and internet technology in a virtual campus.
3. In some online courses, you ______ your test online.
4. In online programs, there ______ usually a traditional campus from where ______.
5. In e-learning, all activities are ______ by a system called a Learning Management System (LMS).