Implications of E-Learning on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

E-learning is defined as learning via electronic means such as the internet, video, audio or multimedia. Students may access learning material anytime of the day and any where in the world as long as they have access to the server which house the material. With globalisation and technological advancement, e-learning has transformed the traditional mode of instruction in higher education. It is apparent that the trend in higher education is to incorporate e-learning in the curriculum.

Singapore Polytechnic organised its first campus wide e-learning week in December 2005. During this week, students and lecturers were off campus and lessons were conducted online. A range of e-learning activities were used to deliver subject content and activities and to assess students’ learning.

This paper compares the range of e-learning activities used for online subject delivery and activities. A survey on students’ perception of the different e-learning activities and how elearning impacts students’ learning was conducted. A total of 40 polytechnic students from a Diploma in Multimedia (DMMT) course participated in the survey. The results showed that the students preferred outdoor activities that required some form of engagement with the real world. These experiences enhanced the knowledge they acquired in the classroom. The implications of e-learning on teaching and learning in higher education are discussed in this paper.

2nd International CDIO Conference, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, 13 – 14 June 2006