E-learning offers numerous advantages, such as accessibility, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, it can sometimes lead to a sense of isolation, reduced opportunities for face-to-face interaction, and challenges in building relationships with peers and instructors.

To address these challenges and maintain the human connect in e-learning, several strategies can be employed:

Interactive learning platforms: Choose e-learning platforms that promote interaction, collaboration, and real-time communication among learners and instructors. These can include features such as video conferencing, live chat, discussion forums, and group projects.

Personalized learning experiences: Create personalized learning paths for students based on their needs, preferences, and goals. This can involve providing individualized feedback, offering various learning resources, and tailoring course content to address diverse learning styles.

Foster a sense of community: Encourage learners to engage with their peers and instructors through online discussion boards, virtual study groups, and social media channels. This can help build a supportive learning environment, promote collaboration, and reduce feelings of isolation.

Incorporate multimedia content: Utilize a variety of multimedia content, such as videos, podcasts, and interactive activities, to create engaging learning experiences that cater to different learning styles and preferences.

Blend online and offline learning: Combine e-learning with face-to-face interactions when possible, such as through in-person workshops, seminars, or networking events. This can help strengthen relationships and facilitate more meaningful connections among learners and instructors.

Ever since the integration of technology and human life, there has been a widespread notion that we are losing the human touch. There is no doubt that technology has advanced and at the same time simplified many aspects of our life on earth. However, does this benefit come without a price to pay?

Multiple mediums, devices and channels have come to help us stay connected with each other. This innovation have bridged the geographic, time, convenience, cost and continuity gaps and facilitates instant communication. But with these gains did we lose, empathy, compassion, depth, genuine concern and other human emotions. In this blog we will refer to many interesting facts which can help us get deeper insights on E-Learning and the Human Connect.

Due To E-Learning, Have We Lost the Human Connection.

By Lindsay O’ Neill

Traditional, in-person learning is a very human experience. Many classroom instructors, when teaching online for the first time, tend to try to do a straight transfer of materials from in-person to online. The instructor might record their lectures, post them online, and think that’s enough, but it’s better to format online materials so that their students can interact with the materials in the way that works best for them. ‘Teaching presence’ is both the act of developing an online course and then facilitating it. Instructor presence is important because it helps motivate students and reminds them that they’re part of a learning community. Careful development of an online course includes thinking about what students need to learn, how they’ll learn it, how they’ll know they learned it (via assignments and feedback), and how the instructor will help them along the way.

n line with the observations made by Lindsay O’Neill if the necessary transitional steps are not taken, then we can certainly expect a major loss in the human connection. Few remedial points suggested in the same article are as follows

• Humanize your learning experience with instructor presence and empathy
• Learner – Instructor and learner – learner connection to be constantly encouraged
• Flexible learning and Assignment options
• Include a wide range of content materials to avoid monotone and mundane mode of learning
• Develop more inclusive assessments with constructive competition to promote a healthy environment

The Ongoing tussle between technology and people’s readiness by – John B Horrigon

Since the late 1990s, inequalities in tech adoption have been characterized as the “digital divide,” and the focus has been mainly on the binary “haves versus have knots. However, there has recently been a pivot in the technology adoption discussion that looks at people’s preparedness, such as their digital skills and their trust in technology, which may influence their use of digital tools, separate and apart from their access to them. The term often used to capture these factors is people’s “digital readiness. When organizations, such as libraries, think about digital readiness, it is usually about whether people have the skills to use information technology, historically speaking the technology always surges ahead in the beginning and the readiness of the people follows it, in days to come.

This Observation made by John B Horrigon remains true to this day as the world is experiencing a sweeping transformation especially in the e-learning domain.

Below are some interesting statistics about people’s confidence level in embracing new technology.

How confident people are in using computers, smartphones or other electronic devices to do the things they need to do online.

• 54% of internet and smartphone users said they are “very confident.”
• 32% said they are “somewhat confident.”
• 10% said they are “only a little confident.”
• 4% said they are “not at all confident.”

Research finding data from Pawresearch.org.

Creative ways of providing the H-Factor by giving individual attention to learners by Dr. Stacey Gonzalez.

We must ensure that we are intentional in our design of online learning spaces that provide human connections and emotional support for both learners and trainers. Here are a few simple adjustments which can be easily applied during virtual live sessions (i.e. zoom, Google meets, etc.) to build socially connected and emotionally supportive online learning spaces.

• Have a welcome screen ready
• Have a inclusive ice breaker
• Have collaborative norms like dividing them in groups/teams to do certain activities together
• Be Genuine in your intention and approach
• Have social breaks in between
• Have a well timed session
• Use personalized and customized presentations

As spelled out by Dr. Stacey Gonzales, it is really important for us to have the (H) Human factor.

Of course all our sessions may have different number of learners. More the number of learners it is more difficult to have the human touch. That is why we need to be careful in choosing the batch size for a learning session. It is a better idea to divide the group into small groups so that they can connect with each other and you can also connect with them as groups.

One of the best ways is to be organized in maintaining a log of having a one to one session with your e-learning learners. All opportunities to display their talents or abilities in the class should be distributed equally to everyone. No one should feel left alone and everyone should be listened to. Being on top of this helps indeed.

Summary

in summary, e-learning and the human connect involve balancing the benefits of digital education with the need for interpersonal connections. By incorporating interactive and collaborative elements into e-learning experiences, educators can maintain the human touch and foster a more engaging, supportive, and effective learning environment.

The SYS LMS has solutions for all major e-learning sectors: SYS LMS for K-20, K-12 for school, and Corporate LMS for Entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit lmssys.com/

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E-Learning is the most relevant and positive change in this present circumstances

Hence, E-learning’s relevance and pertinence to the Global audience has been proven beyond doubt. It is completely reasonable to accept the fact that this is here to stay and in the future, it is going to only increase its features and will continue to transform the way we all live.

What Experts say by Dr Marcus Specht

With the advent of the new phase of learning, arises the sparkling debate on whether the increase amount of time being exposed to the screen helps benefits students or rather it shackles their progress. One cannot deny the fact that the ongoing pandemic has led to the increase amount of screen time where families are relying on technologies and digital solutions to keep children updated, connected with the world and be in touch with their studies. To deal with the current situation we have to have an alternative resource to study outside the classroom environment. This is indeed stressful and something that one is unaware of at a time, which is trying for everyone, and our task is to provide our children with something that does not pose harm in their routine learning rather facilitates it.

E learning the new age double-edged sword, where benefits come with a price tag

Hence, let us tread this street of gold with caution and proactive preparedness to address the losses. Let us protect ourselves and our near and dear ones to experience the benefits and to reduce the effect of the loses.

Advantages vs. Disadvantages

E Learning brings along numerous advantages. However, we cannot completely dislodge the disadvantages linked to the same as well.

Let us look at 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of E-learning by Matthew Lynch.

5 Advantages of E-learning

1. Saves time and money

One of the most obvious advantages of e learning is that you can save time and money. You can manage your schedule and take online courses at your most convenient time, whether early in the morning, late afternoon, or evening. You save money, too, because you do not have to pay for transportation or worry about eating on the go.

2. Better retention

E-learning makes use of different platforms like Pedagogue, which provides interactive content. Also, you can share your thoughts and opinions with others. The more engaging the lessons, the more students can remember the information.

3. Personalized learning

You can choose your learning path and study at your own pace. You become more motivated and invested in the course.

4. Cost-effective

Students aren’t the only ones that can save money in e-learning. Many educational institutions save money through this set-up because there’s no need to use a physical classroom, which translates to reduced monetary spending.

5. Environment-friendly

E-learning is also more environmentally friendly because it doesn’t contribute to the pollution brought about by paper production.

5 Disadvantages of E-learning

1. Lacks social interaction

E-learning is one of the causes of social isolation because you don’t see your teachers and classmates face-to-face anymore. Interaction is very limited to none.

2. Inaccessible to others

Consider yourself lucky if you’re located in an area where the internet connection is fast and stable. Unfortunately, some have very limited access to the internet. They have to go to internet cafes or use public Wi-Fis which is very inconvenient.

3. Cheating is unavoidable

E-learning includes assessment, just like in a regular classroom setting. However, there are no teachers or proctors to watch over you during exams. It’s easy for online students to share answers knowing there’s nobody watching.

4. Requires self-motivation and proper time management skills

You’re basically on your own in e-learning. You have to motivate yourself to study hard, take down notes, and gather more information. You should also manage your time well by learning how to juggle studying while doing other things like household chores or earning money part-time.

5. Focuses more on theory

You’ll spend most of your time listening to podcasts, watching videos, and looking at slide presentations. There’s no hand-on experience like conducting experiments.

It’s the most modern way of learning that requires only a gadget and internet access. However, it’s not for everybody. Being aware of the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning can help you decide whether this is for you or not.

As experts claim that the exponential increase in screen time can have its own effect on both children as well as working professionals. Research conducted by Lenstore reveals that there has been a staggering 76% increase in the screen time post covid 19.

According to Behavioral Optometrist Bhavin Shah, there can be as much as 10 disadvantages we all can experience due to increase in the screen time and they are –

• Decrease in concentration/focus
• Retina over simulation
• Decreased Intimacy in couples
• Fatigue and Insomnia
• Vision changes and headaches
• Loneliness and isolation
• Touch deprivation
• Lack of motivation and creativity
• Increased stress related to media and civil unrest
• Technostress, skepticism and sense of ineffectiveness

Despite the above reasons, the advantages are beyond a second thought as in today’s scenario all activities are in the process of Digital Transformation, hence adapting to E-learning gives you the edge to optimize this opportunity and progress towards a digital future.

Benefits vs. Loses

There is no doubt that E-learning contributes to obvious benefits such as cost cutting and Global coverage to name a few. However, did we give it a thought that it can have adverse effects as well? Yes, in many ways, E-learning is indeed a double-edged sword; however let us first glance through some tangible benefits we enjoy due to E-learning. According to recent article published by Enyota learning company they have listed 7 key benefits we all enjoy due to online learning and they are –

• Simple and direct learning path
• Easy accessibility to receive online support
• Higher engagement possibility
• Multi device accessibility and support
• Collaborative learning
• Better completion rate and higher retention
• Learning Flexibility

The Benefits are obvious, however it doesn’t come without a price to pay. According to eminent psychologists Kahenman and Tversky there are broadly 3 main loses learners experience and they are –

• Remediated embodied teaching (No way of teacher sensing the response and help the learner)
• Reimagined community (No physical social bonding with peers)

Remixed Spaces (Confusion due to not having an exclusive space to focus on learning and living

Convenience vs. Hassles

Log in from home, access from multiple devices and connect to anyone from your drawing room. There is a plethora of convenience that.

E-Learning offers and there are no two ways about it. However, on the hindsight there are quite a number of hassles, which are faced by the recipients as well. First let us focus on the convenience factor. George Nolan a popular E-learning expert writes –

Education is essential to every human being because you get to learn several things that help shape your future. The skills you acquire through learning can be helpful to society when put into practice. It is essential for one to go through the learning system for a better future. We all know the procedure of going through learning institutions to acquire education. However, advancements in technology have seen the introduction of digital learning.

Then he goes on highlighting the 3 pillars of convenience and they are

• Less expensive
• Easy access
• Increased mobility

Now, what about hassles, according to E-learning industry research findings, there are 5 common hassles learners face and they are –

• Adaptability struggle
• Lack of technical knowledge
• Computer literacy and Internet connection issues
• Time management
• Possibility of Privacy invasion

The SYS LMS has solutions for all major e-learning sectors: SYS LMS for K-20, K-12 for school, and Corporate LMS for Entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit lmssys.com/

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