|
|
2014 » Papers » Volume 2 » A Critical Approach to Online English Learning 1. A CRITICAL APPROACH TO ONLINE ENGLISH LEARNING Authors: Chisega-Negrila Ana-Maria, Kraft Luiza Volume 2 | DOI: 10.12753/2066-026X-14-065 | Pages: 80-85 | Download PDF | Abstract
ELearning has been part of language education for years being both praised for its benefits and criticized for its lack of human interaction. The use of electronic media and information and communication technologies in education was first a means to bring traditional teaching into the new era and as a result, it became extremely popular as provider of both synchronous and asynchronous learning through a modern approach. Ranging from the sheer use of laptops in the classroom, to real distance learning, eLearning attracted not only teachers, but also institutions to the mirage of cheap, 24-hour available courses, which offered not only modern, but also tailored and self-paced learning. Practice showed that eLearning became extremely popular due to the mixture of technologies (emails, blogs, wikis, discussion boards etc) it involved and its connection with social media (Facebook, Twitter etc.). In addition, the use of hypertext documents, audio and video files on portable devices, the third wave in computing (ubiquitous computing) made teaching and learning a lot easier and marked a step forward towards mobile learning. However, there are language teachers who still consider eLearning a variant of traditional courses as, according to them, it provides just old content and activities in a new format. This paper will examine not only the way language courses have been poured into the eLearning mold by analyzing the forms the traditional classroom activities had to take in order to suit the new digital format, but also their aggregation into completely new and challenging forms to better meet learners' needs. | Keywords
language learning, eLearning, learning activities, technology-enhanced learning |
|
|
|