Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/58065
The of Evolution E-Learning Five experts in online education stress that, to reach a burgeoning community of e-learners, educators need to keep in mind three important E's: engagement, experience, and educational value. by Tricia Bisoux K aren Mishra is a doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism and Mass Com- munication. Vaida Linartaite works as chief specialist in the Lithuanian government's law and information division in Vilnius. Both wanted to take an e-commerce course taught by Michael Rappa at North Carolina State University's College of Management in Raleigh—but their busy schedules and distant locations made it impossible to attend in person. Thanks to the Internet and a digitally savvy professor, that wasn't a problem. Rappa includes an extensive online component to his course, "Managing the Digital Enterprise." He designed a comprehensive Web site at digitalenterprise.org, which incorporates course readings, links to online resources, video guest lectures, online student discussions, and podcasts in Rappa's own voice explaining each lecture topic. While 50 students attended Rappa's lectures in person, Mishra and Linartaite were among 15 who took the course completely online. But did they learn as much as their in-class counterparts? Did they gain as much from interactions with other students? Both say, "Absolutely." While their experience of the course may have been different than those who attended in person, each emphasizes that it was just as educationally fulfilling. "I found myself getting drawn into extensive online conversations with other students. I know I spent as much time or more on this course as I would have if I had taken it 'traditionally,'" says Mishra. "The downside is that I didn't get in-class time with Dr. Rappa; but with the addition of his podcasts for each module, I felt I still learned a great deal from him." She learned so much, in fact, that Rappa asked her to be his online teaching assistant this year. Linartaite's job required extensive travel, so she could not take part in the discussions or ask a real-time question. She compensated by delv- ing deeply into the site's resources, reading the discussions, and asking questions by e-mail. "E-learning is not easy, but I don't think I learned less comprehensively by taking the course online," says Linartaite. "What was amazing was how the online course combined theoretical knowledge with practical tasks." Mishra and Linartaite represent a growing number of motivated, orga- nized, and engaged students who are turning to online classrooms for their educational needs. A recent survey by the research firm Eduventures found that approximately 50 percent of consumers planning to enroll in a post- secondary educational program say they prefer taking courses presented entirely in an online format or balanced between online and face-to-face 22 BizEd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007