E-learning futures? Speculations for a time yet to come

Abstract

This paper examines some of the ways in which e-learning has failed to live up to its early promise and suggests how this situation might be remedied. Two of the main challenges for the future of e-learning are explored: the ever shifting nature of the e-landscape, characterized by its rapidly changing technologies, software and marketing mechanisms; the difficulty of helping teachers find ways to exploit the capacities offered by these ‘disruptive technologies’ as they continue to bring about change. It is argued that if our investment in e-learning is to be recouped then what is needed is a paradigm shift to the employment of ‘disruptive pedagogies’. This would involve the use of teaching strategies that exploit the currently underused capacities of technology options in such a way as to enable student engagement, motivation and higher order thinking skills.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful for the comments of my colleagues, Chang Chew Hung, Pamela Coutts, Donna Gibbs, Bill Twyman, and the reviewers on earlier drafts.

Notes

1. Learning objects are not clearly defined in the literature but a commonly accepted definition was provided by Wiley (2002), who defined a learning object as ‘any digital resource that can be reused to support learning’ (p. 6). Several large projects have sought to create repositories of learning objects that can be shared by fellow teachers. The Learning Federation (2005) online curriculum content initiative takes a similar stance, stating that a learning object is a ‘digital resource facilitating learning experiences related to a particular educational purpose. Learning objects are designed based on decisions about learning design and learning outcomes’ (p. 1).