The Difficulties of eLearning in Universities
When people think of a university, they think of a place where all ideas can be presented and discussed, and knowledge is disseminated to willing minds to help better society. It’s funny then that colleges and universities throughout the country are hesitant to implement eLearning programs even though they realize that it will expand educational offerings. Everyone recognizes that eLearning is the way to go, but at least on the university level, schools are hesitant to adopt this new technology. With eLearning, the college community opens to the world. No longer are “local” campuses local, people from across the globe can partake in a transfer of knowledge never before seen in a classroom. Why then are universities hesitant to adopt this new technology?
To begin with, professors are worried about the loss of autonomy. No value is more greatly held in the academic world than “academic freedom.” Essentially, this means that professors have the right to decide what to say and how to say it when they are in the classroom. Many times, they fear that the introduction of an eLearning environment will remove some of their autonomy by having some external group impose change on them. This ties into the reason why unions are generally opposed to eLearning. They fear that eLearning will result in external companies suddenly deciding what the professors can and should teach and telling them how to teach it.
Secondly, colleges have the benefit of professors that run the gamut in age. This is a great quality since it gives students many different perspectives. However, when it comes to eLearning, this can actually be a detriment. Numerous studies have shown that children know more about computers than their parents, given that they had the benefit of growing up with the technology. This spills over into education as well. Those professors to whom the computer and the Internet are new inventions are more hesitant to use them. As a result, these professors are less likely to see the value of computers and distance education in general. As a recent graduate myself, I can testify to the fact that there are professors out there who barely know how to use a typewriter, let alone a computer. This does not mean they are bad professors, only that it makes them more likely to resist eLearning.
Finally, even if in a school where the faculty and the administration are open to technology, there is always the question: how do we accomplish this goal? This again ties into the lack of computer knowledge. When the administration approves an online course, no one knows what to do. Professors are experts in teaching, not necessarily in technology. As a result, they begin designing their eLearning endeavor, but flounder because they have not been properly trained.
While there may be obstacles in the way, they can all be overcome. eLearning must occur as a joint project; eLearning providers provide the technical knowhow and professors provide the learning material. The goal is not to change the way professors teach their classes. Rather, it is to help them learn how to teach their classes in an online world. Furthermore, eLearning companies must recognize that professors may not have the expertise to setup the perfect camera shot, or to build an interactive game, but they do have the information the students need. Rather than working against each other, the two should work together leveraging each other’s expertise to expand learning beyond the walls of the classroom.