E learning for learners

E-L EARNING FOR LEARNERS Your first steps in e-learning

Alina Ivanovaite, Kristina Lillkvist E-learning for learners |1

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

This E-booklet was created by the Partnership for valorisation of the best e-learning practices among teachers and trainers in Europe.

2|E-Booklet Title .

Contents 1.

Introduction ....................................................................................... 5 What is e-learning? ................................................................................ 5 Who can use e-learning? ....................................................................... 6 E-learning as today’s learning approach................................................ 8 Traditional learning and e-learning ....................................................... 9

2.

Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Learning ................................. 11 E-learning benefits ............................................................................... 11 Disadvantages of e-learning ................................................................ 13

3.

4.

E-Learning and Blended Learning .................................................... 16 E-Learning Environment .................................................................. 17 Synchronous and asynchronous learning ............................................ 17 Virtual learning environment .............................................................. 19

5.

A Guide to most popular E-Learning Tools and their use ................ 20 Online shared document systems ....................................................... 20 Screen sharing tools............................................................................. 21 Chatting................................................................................................ 23 Discussion boards and forums ............................................................. 23 YouTube videos.................................................................................... 24 Blogs and wikis..................................................................................... 25 Shared whiteboard .............................................................................. 27

6.

Skills for E-Learning .......................................................................... 28 Time management and planning ......................................................... 29 Responsibility and motivation ............................................................. 31 Reflection and self-assessment ........................................................... 33 Information management skills and search strategies........................ 35 Communication and cooperation skills ............................................... 38

7.

Testimonials from real E-Learning Users ......................................... 40 E-learning for learners |3

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1. Introduction In latest years e-learning has become one of the most popular words when speaking about education. We hear about e-learning in secondary schools, colleges and universities, in vocational and further education institutions, in learning communities and societies, and, finally, in different business organizations and companies. People have increasingly started using e-learning as such or its elements in their learning process. Still, some have not heard the term, or do not quite understand it. This booklet is dedicated to those who are „beginners“ of e-learning– the ones who have never used e-learning before, or who tried and didn’t quite succeed in it, but still would like to give it another try. By writing this booklet we try to help beginners to take first steps in e-learning process and discover unlimited possibilities offered by it.

What is e-learning?

To start using e-learning in our learning process we first need to know what it is. So, what does e-learning mean? Is it a kind of learning when you use a computer? Or use Internet? Or both? Is it the same as online learning or distance learning? Well, there are hundreds of different ways to classify different types of learning other than traditional classroom-based learning, but we will try to keep it simple. So, there we go. Learning which makes use of modern computer and Internet based technologies is e-learning.

So, yes, we can say that e-learning is a kind of learning which compiles a wide choice of techniques and methods that are all based on electronic means (the term electronic sounds a bit threatening here, but that’s actually how the term e-learning started, similarly to e-mail which means nothing else than E-learning for learners |5

electronic mail, that is, a mail sent over electronic means rather than delivered physically). So, if you learn using some articles published online, you are using e-learning. If you learn by doing quizzes which you found on some teaching websites, you are using e-learning. If you watch a video on Youtube to learn how to make good presentations you are using e-learning. If you do web search to find information on a topic of your interest, you are using elearning. As you can see, e-learning is really a broad term and most probably you have been using it without even realising it! So, that’s good news for you! E-learning is not as daunting as it seems, and we wrote this booklet to help you in your first, second and further steps towards successful e-learning.

Who can use e-learning?

Now, before we move forward, let’s make some things clear. We wrote this booklet to someone who is not an IT specialist, but who would like to find new learning methods and to make a learning process easier and more flexible. So, if you think that your knowledge of IT is not good enough, don’t get discouraged.

Sometimes learners and teachers refuse to use e-learning tools because they lack motivation and time which would take them to learn them. In fact, to learn these tools is as easy as to learn using any other computer or Internet programme developed for a basic user. There are also many myths that e-learning systems are too complicated and not effective enough. We will try to show you that this is not true (though we have to admit that some e-learning management systems are clumsy and far from user-friendly, however, majority are not.) We also have to admit that there are some myths about advantages of e-learning which are not exactly true. Therefore, by keeping a critical approach in this booklet we will give you arguments for e-learning and some against it, will

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show you not only strong, but also weak(!) features of e-learning, will present testimonials from real users and will give descriptions of the most popular e-learning tools. We do not intend to turn you into a big-headed e-learning guru who knows all about all elearning tools (we even doubt that this is possible as e-learning is such fast developing field that once you learn all, tomorrow that ‘all’ becomes only a small part of it). In this booklet we will try to show e-learning beginners the most popular, easily available and easily applicable e-learning tools which successfully can be used in every-day learning.

We wrote this booklet for everyone who wants to start e-learning – whether you are a part-time, full time, evening, undergraduate, postgraduate or continuing education student; whether you are a working adult or unemployed at the moment, whether you are a junior or senior learner, whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, whether you are from socially excluded groups (elearning is a powerful tool for social integration). In other words, for EVERYONE who is not afraid of innovations and is eager to learn new things.

Shortly, this booklet will help you to:  get acquainted with e-learning, to find out what it is and what it is not;  become open-minded, confident and self-reliant by using new methods and tools for learning;  take first steps with e-learning;  find out the advantages and disadvantages of different methods related to e-learning;  learn how to use most popular e-learning tools and systems;  improve traditional ways of learning with new learning methods and tools.

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E-learning as today’s learning approach “E-learning is gradually gaining ground as a learning method.

Learning is increasingly becoming a challenge that has no age boundaries. But not everyone wants to continue learning in a classical way. Students are becoming increasingly demanding; they want to study when and where they want and at their own rhythm. E-learning can be a particularly effective learning tool.

When combined with classical forms of learning the results can be extremely powerful.� (Source: From learning towards e-learning, published by the Belgian Network for Open and Distance Learning).

E-learning is a general term covering different approaches that have in common the use of information and communication technologies. E-learning is quite a new phenomenon. Terms and concepts are new, and often different definitions and words are used to describe similar approaches, which makes it difficult to perceive what e-learning is. Speaking about one of the main elearning features we should mention that e-learning helps to make a learner independent and free from a strict time table of attendance at a learning institution. This includes the delivery of learning at a distance from a tutor or institution, but it can also add a degree of freedom to more traditional lectures and courses, allowing online discussion groups to accompany a lecture programme, delivering a programme based on interactive multimedia learning materials in a learning institution and a distance learning programme based across a whole country.

Nowadays learners intend to mix two terms: e-learning and online learning. It is necessary to separate these two definitions, because they are different. E-learning is supported and delivered through the use of information and communication technology, while E-learning for learners |8

online learning is supported and delivered only through the web (internet). So, we can say that online learning is a part of the broader term – e-learning. E-learning can be based on the Internet, Intranet, Network, CD, DVD etc. It can include text, video, audio, animation and virtual environments. E-learning can also define the search of materials needed for your course in internet on websites created especially for teaching purposes and as well on websites created for “masses” and “general use”. Sometimes those websites may require registration, others are freely accessible. Very often learning institutions have their learning materials and lectures in PowerPoint presentations collected in repositories which are available for registered users who are mainly students in those institutions. Even simple everyday use of this service can be called participation in e-learning process. Just instead of going to the library and getting a list of books from your teacher, you get a list of useful websites where you can get the information you need or simply a list of topics, which you use in information search.

Traditional learning and e-learning What is traditional learning? In easy words it is a face-to-face learning (in the classroom, lecture room, etc.). Actually, that’s how learning was done before modern information and communication technologies have come into use and stepped onto the learning stage. Learners were attending lectures and tutorials, were doing pair and group work, and were learning on their own from books and articles, but this process of learning ALWAYS included face-toface communication, either with a teacher or with peer learners.

E-learning, on the contrary, does not need face-to-face communication. Face –to-face communication is replaced by the use of modern information and communication technologies.

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Can we say that e-learning is to traditional learning as mobile phones are to pay phones at the bus station? At least, it is in some ways. For instance, e-learning allows you to learn anywhere and usually at any time, as long as you have a properly configured computer. Mobile phones allow users to communicate any time and usually anywhere, as long as he or she has a properly configured phone. The major differences between those two kinds or learning is “face-to-face” communication. Traditional learning provides many informal opportunities such as a discussion with teacher and lecturer during the lecture, providing questions during the lecture, brief chats with teachers and other students at the lunch table or in the corridor. E-learning requires us to send emails, join some online groups and social networks. Every message is collected and saved so this communication requires more formalities and “thinking before you ask” or state “your opinion”.

We have to admit that many of us have had experience of practice in face-to-face communicating but a lot will be relatively inexperienced at being dependent only on email or chat.

We also miss the “body language” in e-learning. In traditional learning a learner can see the expressions of faces of people, hear voices, therefore e-learning which is based on non-verbal communication only very often can lead to misunderstandings which rise during communication. On the other side, e-learning is quite similar to traditional learning. It can also be very boring while you need to follow boring slides, monotonous speech on the other side of microphone (sometimes you just decide to put things aside), and little opportunity for interaction. The beauty of elearning, however, is that new software allows the creation of very effective learning environments that can engulf a learner in the material.

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2. Advantages and Disadvantages of ELearning E-learning benefits If there’s so much hype about e-learning, and e-learning is offered as an integral part of learning process or offered per se, what is the reason for that? What are the benefits of e-learning compared to traditional learning? Why should we switch to something relatively new and somewhat turn away from the kind of learning which had been prevailing over long years of learning and education? Definitely there should be some very clear benefits and obvious advantages of e-learning over traditional learning. Let’s look at three most often mentioned by e-learning specialists, trainers and tutors as well as learners themselves. All three of them can be classified as the learner’s choice over:  Study time  Study pace  Study place If in traditional learning settings lectures and tutorials are strictly scheduled, and you have to organise your work and other obligations around your studies, in e-learning you usually have a choice over at what time to study. In e-learning traditional lectures are replaced by presenting study materials in some format online, so you can access the materials when it is convenient for you.

Unlike the lecture, which has a set time and duration, materials for study are available all the time (while the e-learning course is open and the deadline for the material study is not over yet). This gives you flexibility and freedom of choice. Similarly, tutorials in traditional learning settings are also strictly scheduled, while in elearning they are organised in the form of discussion groups and E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 11

forums and, therefore, are spread over time. You can choose when to take part in the discussions and present your ideas or give feedback to other learners’ postings. Of course, most formal elearning courses have certain time spans assigned to them and they do not continue unlimitedly, you still have more choice over the time when you can devote yourself to studying. This also leads to another choice you have in e-learning, and that is the choice of pace. If the lecture is usually centred around the lecturer, that is, it is given at the pace and in the format convenient to the lecturer (as a rule, you cannot ask the lecturer to repeat some idea during the lecture or comment again and again if you fail to grasp the meaning, or you cannot ask the lecturer to skip some part of his or her lecture because it is already familiar to you) in e-learning you choose the pace of your study. If you need, you can reread and revise some materials again, you can skip certain parts of materials if you are confident that you know them well, you can change the order in which you study them, you can intensively study for some time and then give yourself a bit more relaxed time. In other words, you choose the pace that is most convenient to you, your learning style, experience, skills and abilities. Even if you watch a video-recorded lecture given by a professor (the kind of learning which seems very similar to traditional learning) you have much more flexibility over it compared to attending a traditional lecturer: you can always stop the video in order to clarify vague points, you can replay some parts of it again, you can fast forward it if the subject matter is clear for you. That means you adapt the pace of learning according to your needs and abilities. And the last choice you have which gives e-learning a considerable advantage over traditional learning is the choice of place, or, rather, availability of study process at any place. This allows you to study from virtually any location in the world as long as you have a PC and Internet connection available. Moreover, it saves you travel E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 12

costs to and from the place of travel. And even further, this again saves you time as you don’t need to spend time on travelling to the place where learning is happening. In fact, e-learning is happening where you are! You just need to get your PC (nowadays even your mobile phone might be enough) and Internet connection (as well as your brain ) working and you land right in the centre of a learning process.

Disadvantages of e-learning Now, before moving toward the skills necessary to be a successful e-learner, let’s briefly look at some things which can make elearning a bit frustrating, not so attractive or, finally, not so beneficial to the learner. Though e-learning developers and practitioners try to bring e-learning courses as close as possible to traditional ones in terms of interface so that learners don’t feel so much of technology loaded onto the learning process, still, all the information and materials are presented over electronic means.

And whatever they might say about how perfect their e-learning courses are, there are some people who still prefer traditional learning in class, face-to-face with a teacher and other learners than sitting in front of a PC. They still prefer to listen to a live lecture than a video recorded one, they prefer sitting in a classroom discussing topics with their classmates than posting messages in discussion forums, reading messages of their course mates and then leaving feedback to those messages. And this has nothing to do with how good or bad e-learning courses are, this has to do with the learner’s personality. Some people say: elearning is just not for me, I don’t like technology! This is very similar to some people rejecting electronic books: though they are so convenient, don’t take up space, are easy to carry everywhere (you can ‘put’ virtually hundreds of traditional books into one ebook), some people simply say that they need to hold a real book

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in their hands, they want to feel its pages when they are reading.

No wonder some e-books nowadays look so similar to hard-cover books, but still they are not ‘real books’. The same goes for elearning and traditional learning. Another weakness of e-learning is that students may feel isolated and miss real social interaction.

Though e- courses usually provide space for less formal discussions on various subjects, again, this requires more time (time to read and write forum postings) and, therefore, more efforts to keep relationships with other course mates. Similarly, unlike in a traditional learning setting with a trainer, in e-learning the trainer may not be available on demand, which may add some frustrations while doing the course. In the same way, less motivated learners or those with poor study habits may fall behind, since there’s no a tutor who would be there to support and encourage when needed.

The last but not least requirement for effective and successful elearning is not related to the learner, or tutor, or the course. It has to do with technologies used in e-learning and for e-learning. Slow or unreliable Internet connections can be very frustrating and add to the feeling of being cut off from real learning, your course mates and tutors. Especially it is important that Internet connection is working properly in synchronous communication (e.g. video and audio conferencing, chat used for discussions, etc.) in e-learning and set deadlines for sending in assignments or completing the tests. Otherwise, you may feel very disappointed because, for example, you got ready to present and discuss your ideas at the tutorial and, oops, your connection got very slow and you practically are not able to actively take part in it. Even worse, if you have a pressing deadline and your assignment is ready to be delivered, but due to connection failure you cannot send it in and, as a consequence, you receive a ‘fail’ for the assignment. That’s why in many formal e-courses with set deadlines you are very E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 14

strongly advised not to leave sending in assignments until the last minute, but allow it a few days in case you have problems with Internet connection. All this may be very frustrating and discouraging for you and may give you a bad feeling about elearning over all. So, if you want to be a successful e-learner and avoid unnecessary frustrations, try and get the best Internet connection in terms of price and quality.

And, finally, the very last thing to mention in this part is that you need basic IT and Internet skills to do e-learning. You don’t need to be an advanced PC user, but you need basic skills to be able to find, browse and read materials online, to send your postings to the discussion, to perform quizzes and so on. If you haven’t used a computer before and a PC and Internet are ‘terra incognita’ for you it may take a bit of time to acquire for those basic skills. On the other hand, most, if not all, e-courses will have course guides which will take you step by step through all tools and parts of the e-course so that your learning can be as smooth as possible. Below you can see contents of the user guide for e-learning course ‘English for IT’.

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Figure 1 ‘English for IT’ User Guide From www.english-it.eu

3. E-Learning and Blended Learning You may have come across the term ‘blended learning’. This term usually encompasses traditional learning (face-to-face in classroom or lecture room) which replaces some parts of it by e-learning. So, in a blended learning course, for example, instead of attending a lecture, you are directed to a collection of readings or ppt presentations or even a recorded lecture, and then for discussions you are requested to attend a face-to-face tutorial. In this way, some parts of the course are transferred online, while others are kept in the traditional way. Assignments and examinations are

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usually conducted in a traditional way to ensure greater control over learners’ performance.

This mode of learning is widely practiced nowadays in many learning institutions .offering both formal and informal education and training and is favoured by both the learners and trainers. The great advantage of it is that learners don’t feel socially isolated where they have to struggle with learning difficulties themselves without trainer or classmates being by their side.

Also, some courses such as traditional hands-on courses can be difficult to fully transferred online. However, even in these courses e-learning can be used in part to replace a theoretical introduction by online presentation of materials while keeping hands-on learning or learning by doing in a traditional mode because these can be quite difficult to simulate. Instead of the trainer showing how to use a saw for future carpenters in a class, the learners can be directed over to a video placed onto the online course where all the step-by-step process accompanied with comments and explanations is presented.

4. E-Learning Environment Synchronous and asynchronous learning E-learning involves two types of learning: synchronous and asynchronous. To put it simple, synchronous learning means that e-learning process including all learning related activities happens simultaneously for all learners involved. In synchronous learning you use certain e-learning methods and tools at the same time as other learners and the tutor. One example of synchronous learning is audio/video conferencing. It involves interaction with your E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 17

course mates and the tutor/lecturer through sound and videos/images displayed on your computer screen. Audio/video conferencing usually has a set date and time when you are expected to log in onto it (you are provided with details how to do it) and take part in discussions on a certain subject, listen to the lecture, propose your views or give comments. The advantage of this method is that all the learning process is happening at the real time and you feel you are in the centre of it; you have a chance to direct your learning process in the way you want – for example, if this is a tutorial organised as a video conference, you can ask for clarification on certain points which your learning group is discussing or ask tutor’s or other learners’ feedback on your views.

Unlike in asynchronous learning, you don’t need to wait to get a reply over e-mail. Moreover, if the clarification you get immediately is not sufficient, or you have opposite views, you can express this right away. Similarly, text conferencing (otherwise known as chat) is also a synchronous method of learning and gives you a possibility to directly address your tutor and other learners and get replies from them via text. In this way synchronous learning has much of resemblance to the traditional learning, but, alongside, it has its disadvantages. In synchronous learning you have to be available at the time when the activities or assignments are set, and sometimes this is not possible for you. You might be working then, or be on holiday, or have family obligations.

Therefore, well designed e-learning courses and programmes tend to minimise the use of synchronous methods to ensure that learners have a chance to study at the time and pace convenient for them. Another possibility is to record the audio/video conference, save a text conference and place it onto the e-learning course resources so that learners who missed the activities could at least go through them later.

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To bring e-learning closer to traditional learning some e-courses use so called ‚virtual classrooms‘, which somewhat remind of real classrooms. Virtual classroom technologies provide a virtual place for students and trainers to meet via their computers and Internet connection; trainers then choose synchronous learning tools to organise learning process (slide presentation, audio/video/text conferencing, shared whiteboard, group or project work). A virtual classroom provides space for trainer/learner and learner/learner direct interaction.

Asynchronous learning, on the other hand, lets students learn at the time convenient for them, and this is the main advantage of elearning. Asynchronous or otherwise called self-paced learning methods include email, discussion boards, forums, wikis, blogs and a number of e-course incorporated tools: quizzes, assignments, etc. In asynchronous learning, for example, you have a possibility to take part in the tutorial discussions at the time available for you as long as you fit into the time span assigned for it. You don’t need to be stressed up over whether your Internet connection is good enough to support a video conferencing you are supposed to take part in. You don’t need to worry and try and change your work obligations to be able to log onto activities in time. Asynchronous learning gives you freedom and flexibility over your learning process.

Virtual learning environment You may have heard the terms such as a virtual learning environment (VLE) or learning management system (LMS) and have been wondering what they mean. In fact, they are simply certain systems that are used to design, support and deliver elearning to you. In other words, it is ‘the environment or ‘the looks’ of the e-learning course. Learners perceive it is their eE - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 19

course webpage. Virtual learning environment presents a number of facilities, functions and tools that you will be using while learning via the selected e-learning course. Below you can see a virtual learning environment of the English for IT e-learning course.

Figure 2 Virtual Learning Environment From www.english-it.eu

5. A Guide to most popular E-Learning Tools and their use Online shared document systems Online shared document systems let learners and teachers to store and organise learning materials and resources online and access them wherever they are. While using document sharing systems, you can share documents online and collaborate with teachers and other students. Online document management and document collaboration systems (which are usually

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incorporated into the virtual learning environment) allow registered users to store, organise, view, and modify files through an Internet connection. You don‘t need special software to use them. These systems include free web-based word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and data storage technologies. By using online shared document systems you can create and edit documents online in real-time with other learners. A good example of shared document systems is Google Documents (see the figure below).

Figure 3 Document sharing system From http://docs.google.com

Screen sharing tools Screen sharing is a tool which allows transmitting the contents of your computer screen to the computer screen of another learner or a trainer. In other words, screen sharing allows you to show ppt presentations, Word documents, images and any other software running on your computer to other users. This E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 21

may be of a great help in various learning activities such as online meetings (for example, when you want to explain a flow chart), web conferences (for giving a power point presentation) and similar. Screen sharing, when used alongside with other multimedia tools such as audio and video, creates virtual space where learners can meet, socialise and learn together. The examples of freely available screen sharing tools are Team Viewer, Mikogo and LogMeIn. Below is a graphic demonstration From Mikogo how desktop sharing works.

Figure 4 How screen sharing works

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Chatting The main function of chat programs in e-learning is to share textual information with other learners. Chatting is a way of communicating by sending messages to people in the same chat in real-time. A text typed by a learner appears almost immediately on the screen of other learners‘ computers. Some chat tools use both text and voice at the same time. New technologies may use information sharing and web conferencing in chat programs. It is an easy and fast way to communicate with teachers and other learners in your study group if they are available online. All chat messages can be stored as reference materials about a lesson. In this way a teacher can keep track of frequently asked questions and refer to them according to learners‘ needs. A learner can also ask for feedback from the teacher or from other participants.

Discussion boards and forums A discussion board or a forum is an online discussion site very often used in e-learning. Other names for discussion groups are message boards, bulletin boards and discussion forums.

Registered users of the discussion boards are called members, and are allowed to submit or send electronic messages through the web application. Internet forums can be used by every learner, and everyone can react by sending a short piece of text. New subjects can be entered or a solution requested for a specific problem. A discussion group is a collection of conversations that occur over time. A discussion group might start out as a question from one learner. Later, another learner responds to that question. Others can respond to the question E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 23

(creating a thread) or they can start their own conversation (forming another thread). A threaded discussion might also start with a teacher asking an open-ended question that leads to a class discussion. An example of e-learning course incorporated forums is presented below.

Figure 5 Forums in e-learning (from www.english-it.eu)

YouTube videos YouTube is a video-sharing website that can effectively be used in e-learning. Users can upload, share, and view videos on this website. It allows users to display a wide variety of usergenerated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as content such as video blogging and short original videos. Teachers can place lectures and other learning materials on YouTube. They can also refer to different YouTube movies as resources in e-courses.

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Figure 6 Learning Spanish - Youtube screen shot (from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j91m55N7e9I)

Blogs and wikis A blog is a kind of website, created by an individual learner where he regularly enters his or her comments on a certain subject, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. A typical blog includes text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages and other media related to its topic.

The possibility for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art, photography, etc. Video, music and audio is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.

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Figure 7 Personal learning blog (from http://elearningcurve.edublogs.org/)

A wiki is a website that allows easy creation and editing of web pages through a web browser. If blogs are typically created by individual users for expressing their own ideas (where other readers, however, may leave their comments, but they are not allowed to change the contents of blogs), wikis typically are created in collaboration by a group of users. So, wikis are created by a group of people for a group of people. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites, to develop community websites, to take personal notes, to present ideas and let others take part in developing websites devoted to certain subjects. Teachers and trainers may use wikis to create their learner groups‘ websites or their taught subject websites where they can upload learning materials and present learning sources and useful links. Popular wiki websites are Wikispaces (www.wikispaces.com), MediaWiki E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 26

(http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki), TikiWiki (http://info.tiki.org/tiki-index.php).

Figure 8 Educational wiki (from http://blog.wikispaces.com/2011/02/my-story-new-teacher-chat.html)

Shared whiteboard A shared whiteboard lets a group of people communicate by typing comments, drawing, highlighting and pointing on the same virtual board. A shared whiteboard is a common feature within virtual classroom software packages. You can find free and userfriendly shared whiteboards at www.skrbl.com, www.dabbleboard.com , www.sharedview.com. Below you can see how a shared online white board looks like and what features it may incorporate.

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Figure 9 Shared whiteboard (from http://thekencook.com/2009/03/very-cool-tool-online-shared-whiteboardfree/)

6. Skills for E-Learning To be a successful e-learner you need to develop certain learning skills. We will talk about them in detail further in this booklet. To start with, we would like to mention that as in traditional learning it takes time to get acquainted with how learning process is organised similarly in e-learning you will go through certain stages in finding out about the course until you start feeling comfortable with your e-learning environment, resources and tools. So maybe at the start you will be feeling not very sure about how and what resources and tools to use but with the help of the online tutor, other learners and course guide you will soon take first successful steps in your e-learning process. The most important is to start communicating with your course mates and your tutor in discussion groups by posting your messages or using e-mail. In most courses it is usual that learners are encouraged to introduce themselves to others so that they can find out about each other E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 28

and start feeling as a group. So we encourage you to be an active communicator as in this way you will get confidence in using elearning tools and will gain understanding of how your e-learning environment works. You will learn about other learners and a tutor, and this will help you to establish strong relationship which are very important in e-learning as at times you may feel isolated and on your own. Once you got to know the interface of your learning environment, explore the resources and tools available.

Be active in performing the assignments, doing group work, taking part in tutorials, posting your messages in discussion boards and giving feedback to other learners’ ideas and you will soon start feeling at home with this new fascinating learning mode. Further we will speak about specific skills which are necessary for keeping you a successful e-learner. They are:  Time management and planning  Responsibility and motivation  Reflection and self-assessment  Information management skills and search strategies

Time management and planning As we mentioned before, one of the advantages of e-learning compared to traditional learning is freedom of choice of time and pace of your study. Unlike in traditional learning where learners follow strictly set schedules of their studies (lectures, tutorials, hands-on workshops) e-learning usually provides much more flexibility in what to study and when and at what pace. If in traditional learning home and work obligations are usually organised around studies (to put it simple, you work when you don’t study) in e-learning it is usually the opposite (you study when you don’t work).Though formal e-learning which leads to a

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qualification usually has set deadlines for assignments, examinations and tutorials, and provides suggested time spans for specific parts of the course (so that the learners still feel organised and don’t ramble around with their learning), it still gives you much more freedom in your daily learning process. It’s up to you when you choose to study: every day or a few days a week, or even once a week, and for how long, as long as you ‘fit in’ into the set deadlines. This seems very attractive, but it also requires very good time management and planning skills, otherwise you are in danger of losing it out: falling behind or even not finishing your studies. Therefore, in order to put your online studies in a more organised way, we suggest the following:  At the start of the course learn about the course structure and note down the set deadlines for assignments, tutorials, examinations, etc. in your diary  Consider your weekly routine and set aside time devoted for e-learning. Don’t hope that you occasionally will find time for learning when you have nothing else to do. This time will never come. Instead, make yourself time for studying and note it down in your diary (we suggest that you mark exact weekdays and hours when you study).  If your course is open ended, then think when you would like to finish the course and gain a qualification.

Then set the deadline for completing the course and organise your weekly study timetable according to it.  Make sure that time assigned for learning is not disturbed by work and family obligations, otherwise your learning will be less effective and you will need extra time to revise the materials and do the assignments.

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Don’t put off completing and sending in the assignments until the last minute. Try and give it a few extra days so that in case of technology break down you still have enough time to use another PC and Internet connection.

Responsibility and motivation Other qualities which you need to develop in order to be a successful e-learner are responsibility and motivation. No doubt, you need this in traditional learning as well, but in elearning it is especially true because here you are often on your own. You don’t have tutor and course mates physically by your side to support and encourage you, to remind you of tasks and assignments to be done, and this at times may be frustrating. When you study the course by following the course guide it moves responsibility onto you. Of course, tutors usually send reminders about assignment deadlines and organise tutorials in advance, but still this is your responsibility to open and read their messages. Similarly, it is your responsibility to develop your study pattern (when you study or for how long, at what intervals with what breaks and so on).

In traditional learning settings tutors and trainers may judge learners’ understanding of the subject by their participation in tutorials and offer their assistance if they consider that needed. In e-learning it is your responsibility to let the tutor know that you fail to understand certain parts of the course.

So if you face any difficulties in the course, related either to course contents, tools or technological issues, always ask for help.

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As in traditional learning, e-learning sometimes can be frustrating, the reasons being that you feel that the progress is slow, or you have failed an assignment, or you feel on your own (especially true of e-learning), or you lost the sense of direction and feeling of satisfaction with what you are doing.

Whatever the reasons, there are times when you are feeling very down and demotivated. There are many different ways to get back on track, but what is the most important is that you again get the motivation to continue your learning. What helps you to become motivated again?  Consider your study goals – remember the reasons why you are doing the course.  Talk to your course mates about how you are feeling (by sending emails or posting your message in a forum). You will soon discover that you are not the only one feeling this ways and you will find support and encouragement from others.  If you have been studying intensively, take a break, do something that gives you pleasure, so that you may come back to studies with a new energy and attitude.  Think of what you have already achieved (we are sure that you HAVE already achieved something) and this will help you to cope with doubts and fears about the future.  Express doubts to your tutor and ask advise from him/her.  The last, but not the least, talk to your friends and family members to get things off your chest.

Sometimes, a short talk may do miracles and you will discover yourself feeling much better and more confident about your studies again.

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Reflection and self-assessment Reflection is an important skill in both the traditional learning as well as e-learning. It helps you to get new insights into yourself and into the subjects you are studying. It helps you to understand new information, to judge it against what you already know, to form new understandings and opinions.

Though most learners do reflection occasionally (when they feel for it) it is more efficient and beneficial to do it in a more systematic and organised way. Therefore, we suggest that you find a quiet place, where you will not be disturbed, and reflect on your learning progress, experience, goals, subjects. Note down your ideas so that you can go through them later, and major points are imprinted in your mind. In this way your motivation and enthusiasm for studying are refreshed. Also, knowing where you stand helps you to move forward.

Another skill which you need to develop is self-assessment.

You can assess yourself and judge your progress in both formal and informal ways. Formal ways are grades you are given for assignments and examinations while informal ways are discussions you have with other learners where you can check your understanding of the subject against that of other learners. While in traditional learning this informal selfassessment is quite easy as it is natural for course mates to hold discussions on lectures, topics of study and so on, in elearning this gets a bit more complicated as learners usually study at a different pace which means that may be focused upon different parts of the course at the same time. So, what is important for you at the moment may not be of interest to another learner. But, as we mentioned before, it is important that you communicate with others, so we encourage you to E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 33

send emails or post messages to other learners where you can discuss the topics of your study. In this way you will not only judge your progress against progress of others but will gain new insights into the course. Even more, if in informal discussions with your peers in traditional learning, for example, right after a lecture, all the ideas and comments expressed by course mates ‘stay in the air’, in e-learning discussions are held in a more systematic and organised way and, moreover, they are saved and stored in your course depository so that you can always come back to them later if you need.

As in traditional learning in e-learning the tutor plays an important role in your assessment. The tutor is responsible to provide feedback on your assignments, to highlight strong sides and any weaknesses or misunderstandings you face.

However, in e-learning it is your responsibility to send questions to a tutor about things you don’t understand and want to clarify as the tutor will not be able to judge your reaction at a distance. If in classroom you may ask questions immediately, in e-learning you will need to either post your questions or concerns or send them in the form of e-mail and this requires additional effort. And then you need patience to get a reply as again this may take some time (in formal courses there are usually set standards how much time tutors are given to provide replies to their students’ questions).

Finally, to make your self-assessment process easier we suggest that you keep records of your tutor’s feedback, messages you have sent to tutor for clarification and links to group discussions. This will help you to tackle problematic areas of your study easier.

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Information management skills and search strategies No doubt, good information management skills will help you to organise your learning more efficiently and will save you a lot of headache when you need to find and use certain materials. In e-learning you usually have two virtual places where all the learning information (materials, resources, essays, assignments, etc.) is stored: this is your online learning environment and your personal computer. As most e-courses are devised by e-learning experts, in e-learning environment the information is organised in a meaningful and convenient way. Now it’s your turn to organise information stored on your computer logically and meaningfully so that you can easily locate and access it when needed. To do this follow these tips:  Store essays, assignments, articles, tutor’s comments and feedback, reflection notes, etc. in separate files.

It’s better to have many files than lots of unrelated information in one file.  Organise files into different folders (e.g. by courses, parts of the course, tutorials, etc) – it will help you faster locate where the resource you are looking for is stored  Use subfolders to organise files within folders  Give files, folders and subfolders clear and meaningful names.  Create shortcuts for the most often accessed folders or subfolders and save them on your desktop – this will save you time and lots of mouse-clicking when you need to access information there .

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Below is a sample way of organising your learning materials into folders and subfolders. You may prefer to organise your files based on a different logic, but the figure below will give you an idea where to start.

Main folders

Folders and subfolders

ď‚Ž

Folders, subfolders and sub-subfolders

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Figure 10 Information filing system. (from personal data of the author)

Both modes of learning - traditional and e-learning - require learners to be able to search, locate, evaluate, analyse, interpret, summarise and compare information. In e-learning you have access to vast amounts of information online.

Therefore, in e-learning developing search skills is very important as you have much more information to look through and be able to judge whether it’s suitable for your study goals E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 36

and objectives. The amounts of information sometimes may be overwhelming, and you may start feeling at a loss once you are returned with hundreds and hundreds of web pages once you entered keywords for your online search. But, once you get some search experience and apply search strategies, you will enjoy the enormous possibilities e-learning resources open for you. Imagine only, how much time and cost you save when instead of going to the library to check printed materials (books, magazines, journals, collections of articles, etc.) to find information you need you do online search. In e-learning you are one click away from enormous volumes of learning resources, so take advantage of it!

Many e-learning courses have their own collections of materials that are complimentary to your learning, and at the start of the course you will be directed to them. However, sometimes you feel that you need to do extra reading or provide support for your ideas and then you try and find the necessary information on the Internet. Once you did the search and were returned with a number of web pages containing information that might be useful to you, you should be able to assess the quality and suitability of the content that the site offers you. To do this effectively we suggest the following steps:  Check who produced the content of the website, who is the author of the presented information. Is it a personal website presenting personal views or a website presenting views and opinions of professionals and experts in the area?  Find out if the material presented on the website is regularly updated, otherwise information presented there might be outdated. Many websites provide date E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 37

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when presented information was updated. In case of information on forums and discussion boards, check the date when the postings were made.

Check if information presented is supported by statistical data, references, links to supportive materials, other sites, explanation of research methods, collection of statistical data. All serious sources provide this information so that their webpage could be considered as reliable source of information.

Above all, be open, but critical towards the information you are presented with while doing the search. The more you know about the subject matter, the easier will be for you to quickly assess the suitability and quality of information.

Communication and cooperation skills Though E-learning is often perceived as individualised learning, where you study at the time, place and pace convenient for you, it still involves communication and cooperation both with other learners and the tutor. Most formal e-learning courses provide space for online communication with other learners in the course as well as have compulsory assignments involving collaborative online work. The major difference between communication and cooperation in traditional learning and e-learning is that in traditional these are happening face-to-face while in e-learning all is done over specific tools and technologies using Internet connection. Though e-learning involves video and audio conferencing, still, the main mode of communication is text:

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sending and receiving e-mails, posting messages and comments in online discussions and forums as well as communicating in real time through chat. This type of communication takes away all features of non-verbal communication (emotions, intonation, body language) and sometimes this may lead to difficulty in understanding what exactly the learner/trainer wanted to say. On the other hand, in e-learning all text based (and often sound or image based) communication is stored, and you have access to it when needed. This allows you to come back to certain ideas expressed, comments made and feedback provided.

In order to be successful in online communication and collaboration, follow these tips:  Be active: both proactive and reactive. Proactive means be the first one to start a discussion on a topic of your interest, be the first one to introduce yourself, be the first one to ask questions if you failed to understand something. Don’t hope that others will take part in forum discussions instead of you. Do it yourself and don’t wait for the tutor to push you. Reactive means give feedback to other learners on their ideas, send replies to your tutor’s questions. Don’t let your good ideas stay in your head and die there, but type them out and send them off.

This will turn your learning into a fascinating engaging elearning experience.  Be polite in the way you present your ideas and give comments on other people opinions. Remember, that all you type and send in the discussion boards and forums is stored and is accessible later for all users of that forum.  Check your messages before you send them. Put yourself in the place of the reader of your message and see if what you wrote is clear enough and easy to understand. This E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 39

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also concerns spelling and grammar as poor language is a potential source of misunderstandings. Also, e-mail messages tend to be informal and spontaneous, and this may pose the risk to offend people. Therefore, if some messages or comments made you upset try and calm down before replying to them.

E-learning allows learners from different part of the worlds and cultures to take part in the same e-learning course. This requires you to be tolerant and open-minded to other people ideas. Don’t immediately reject ideas of other learners because they differ from your, reflect on them and try to see valuable points in them.

7. Testimonials from real E-Learning Users Once you have learnt about e-learning benefits, methods, tools and technologies, we would like you to look at testimonials from real learners who used e-learning in their studies. We included testimonials of present and former students from The Open University (The Open University is the leading university in distance and e-learning). We hope that their words will encourage you even more to start or continue your e-learning experience and will direct you to the absorbing and trilling e-learning world.

I never felt I was studying alone I was very pleasantly surprised at how easy it was for me to study with The Open University in the Czech Republic. Despite the distance, it never felt like I was studying alone thanks to its modern, highly accessible internet-approach to communication.

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The fact I did not have to sit any entrance exams for my course was also a huge bonus.

Colin Pitman, Studying BSc Environmental Science Interaction with fellow students made study thought-provoking and enjoyable Completing a part-time Masters in Applied Linguistics with The OU was a very satisfactory experience. As each of the three modules was scheduled from February to October I was able to use the long Summer months here in Finland for a lot of the work. The qualification raised my status in my job at a university language centre, and the materials, committed tutoring and on two of the three modules, stimulating interaction with fellow students, made the study itself thought provoking and enjoyable. All the effort I put in was thoroughly worthwhile.

John Mills, Finland

OU courses have proven inspirational I am very happy with my choice to study at The OU. Apart from the convenience and flexibility provided by distance learning, which makes it possible to combine studies with work, family and other commitments, OU courses have also proven to be truly inspirational, allowing me to develop personally and professionally.

Zygimantas Medelis, Lituania, BA (Hons) Arts and currently studying for an MA Each course is changing me a little Joining The OU as a student was the best decision I have ever made. My goal is to achieve a Bachelors in Social Sciences with Politics but it’s not the degree that’s motivating me to study. Each E - l e a r n i n g f o r l e a r n e r s | 41

course is changing me a little and I can see that I am becoming more rational, more tolerant and more creative day by day.

Working as a freelance journalist and social scientist, The OU offers me a variety of courses that help me improve my knowledge in areas where I feel I need more expertise. Everything I learn from The OU is affecting the quality of my daily life in a positive way.

Sanda Nicola, Romania Arranging when I study and for how long makes it very enjoyable As a physical education teacher, and mother of a 16 month old baby, studying with The Open University is giving me the opportunity to complete a Bachelors degree by distance learning.

Although I have moved from one country to another, changed work and become a mother, my programme of study has not been affected. Being able to arrange when I study, and for how long, makes it very enjoyable. Course materials are sent to me by post and I can also access them on the Internet. So even when I’m on holiday and have an essay to write I know that I can do it!

Andri Agathokleous, Sweden, Psychology

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Wyşsza Szkoła Biznesu - National Louis University has been well known among the best Polish universities for years. Practical approach to education combined with a solid educational backround and modern technological facilities makes WSB-NLU one of the pioneers in many fields of science and business. WSB-NLU - a place for people with passion.

Vilnius Business College is a non-profit private training organization providing higher education as well as formal and informal education in the fields of business administration, finances, languages and ICT. The Belgian Network for Open and Digital Learning is a non-profit making organization. It aims at establishing cooperation between statutory organizations and private companies with a view to a growing implementation of elearning in training programmes for employees in Belgium.

Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga) is one of the leading business schools in Baltic countries, which offers quality education in economics and business administration. SSE Riga has been involved in a number of research projects related to business development in Baltic Rim. RayCom BV in Utrecht, The Netherlands is a software development company that specializes in web-based solutions for knowledge development, knowledge exchange and business.

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