Can E-learning Replace the Traditional “Chalk and Talk” Delivery?

Teaching tools have changed dramatically from blackboards and chalks to whiteboards and smart boards in the last few years. Along with this natural evolution of teaching tools comes the internet with electronic learning (E-learning) as a great resource for students. E-learning consists of all forms of electronic delivery that supports learning and training. E-learning give students control over their learning process. Nonetheless, having the internet so close to one’s fingertips could sometimes hinder the learner’s experiential learning. Simple teaching strategies associated with using the internet make it a useful tool for students around the globe. Thus, E-learning is essential because it provides the student with an easy to use, one click away classroom materials. It builds and encourages student’s self-responsibility. Finally, it provides great accessibility, and higher education affordability.

E-learning is becoming easier to use and manage after the revolution of the web and the introduction of Web 2.0. The new web created a simpler, yet more active, interactions between the student and the materials being taught on the web, thanks to Ajax and JavaScript language used. These interactions include, but are not limited to, video annotation and captioning, or even dynamic 3D modules of chemical compounds, for instance. Such active learning interactions are the basis for E-learning. However, that is not the only advantage of E-learning, being an independent platform means that the content can be transformed into several formats. One of these formats is the Personal Digital Assistance (PDA), or in other words, mobile phone’s format. An interesting study revealed that sixty percent of middle-income students use a cell phone (Offi...

... middle of paper ...

...1108/00197850610704552

Chen, S., & Fu, Y. (2009). Internet use and academic achievement: Gender differences in

early adolescence. Adolescence, 44, 797.

Office of consumer affairs (OCA). The expansion of cellphone services. Retrieved 11/9/2011, 2004, from http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca02267.html

Statistics Canada. 2005. The daily, January 29, 2010. Study: The financial impact of student loans. Retrieved 10/1/2011, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily- quotidien/100129/dq100129c-eng.htm

Kubey, R. W., Lavin, M. J., & Barrows, J. R. (2001). Internet use and collegiate

academic performance decrements: Early findings. Journal of Communication,

51(2), 366-382. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02885.x

Larvin, M. (2009). E-learning in surgical education and training. ANZ Journal of Surgery,

79(3), 133-137. doi:10.1111/j.1445-2197.2008.04828.x