Effects of the use of web-based tools in Blended Learning Essay

Technology has made a deep meet on all aspects of human lives ranging from confabulation to tuition and enhancing individual performance. The conventional schoolroom is slowly be replaced by computer ground nurture and online cultivation environss that has penetrated remote corners of the globe via the Internet. The use of entropy and conference technologies in education has transformed traditional orders of eruditeness and teaching practices.The personalized schooling environment offered by the online medium has great potentials and smoke influence the learning process to a considerable extent. Technology has been a great enabler of transforming and re-defining the way a system operates and the wide variety of applications that it can support. Mevery web based learning environments use innovative technologies that have revolutionized the learning process over the past few years. surmount learning by the use of collaborative tools and technologies available has made significant breakthroughs in the field of learning.In the past few decades a number of tools and technologies have emerged that has enabled the users to adopt distance learning gradations and training departments be using it to furnish cost effective means of implementing learning and development programs for their employees spread across the globe. The online learning environment is supported by various types of tools that provide high level of inter legal action and collaborative features enabling participants to substitution messages, files, videos and impersonateations.This kind of technology is more and more being used in a wide range of applications ranging from facilitating electronic discussion between schoolchilds to enabling distance learning programs through web conferencing. The revolution in communication and information technology has had a profound effect on the teaching and learning process. The change is panoptic in ontogenesis learning communities online. M ost of the countries and even developing economies argon stressing on the use of computers as an instructional medium.E learning encompasses a wide variety of tools and technologies that can be used to crap the learning process in an individual. With the dish out of this technology a variety of online learning services ar made available ranging from online searches, tutorials, college courses, and professional courses to professional training and individual development programs. The E learning get adopts high level of audio and video interaction integrated with graphics and animation tool to present the learning module in an attr brisk format.Educational institutions and business organizations be increasingly adopting the e learning model for learning and training purposes. E learning is being increasingly used as a solution for delivering online learning regardless of physical locations or time constraints. The whole world has become an increasingly connected global community that can parcel of land ideas and exchange information through the Internet.More populate across the globe are turning towards the latest technology gadgets that have made communication transmit smo opposite and faster. It has proved to be a big resource for individuals who would like to learn a recent skill or train themselves in new fields while pursuing their current employment. Hence, E learning field has provided new and make better learning opportunities extending its reach beyond university campus and corporate learning centres. blend learning an overviewBlended learning has been described as a phrase introduced by the distance learning community in recognizing the value of synchronal learning activities, like feeling to face interactions with instructors and collaborative control with peers, as complements to activities performed asynchronously by individual learners (Howard et al. , 2006). The blended learning system includes both web based learning and traditional classroom learning environment. The web based learning system provides the students with self paced learning modules that they can pursue at leisure and convenience depending on their learning capacity.This learning environment also provides E learning tools that enable live discussions and online learning programs. The conventional classroom settings are used to clarify doubts and queries regarding the course content and student progress. An effective learning environment facilitates interaction between the learners that increases the scope to exchange ideas and opinions, share experiences and assess their level of understanding on the athletic field matter.A classroom environment provides this kind of face to face interaction enabling the students sharing the same learning goals to coordinate with each other, communicate their ideas and information. Jonassen (1988) has tell in his works that the effectiveness of any learning environment is based on the types and levels of cogni tive and metacognitive activity engendered in the learners. It is widely accepted that learning is enhanced in instructional settings where students are engaged in processing personally relevant content and are reflective during the learning process.Learners that participate in active learning activities find learning a more pleasurable and increasingly effective than engaging in monotonous lecture sessions. Online learning provides the learners with the scope to explore the topics and study related theories that increase their level of understanding. The secernate ingredient to a successful computer based learning application is its ability to interact with the student and direct the flow of learning in accordance with the student capability. The visibility and presentation of information through attention grabbing graphics and multimedia tool make this a more effective learning platform.in oneness case the attention of the student is on the learning tool the application needs to stimulate the learners curiosity that in turn leads to search for answers and in-depth study of the learning module. The most effective teaching method involves a high level of interaction between the teacher and the student. A dedicated teacher is one who understands the students learning capacity and his shortcomings and guides him through with effective feedback. A two-way communication between the teacher and the student is very effective in the learning process.Computer based learning applications are continually striving to achieve the human to human interactivity level and have been quite successful in this venture with the aid of multimedia based technologies. Blended learning combines the positive aspects of both conventional classroom learning and online learning to provide an enriching learning experience to the students. Web-based tools There are wide varieties of computer-mediated communication theory technologies that enable manage and support E learning. These tools have facilitated extensive collaboration and communication protocols providing an enriched learning environment.Some of these tools are email, chat, video conferencing, web conferencing, newsgroup, blogs, forums, virtual classrooms, and message boards. Synchronous and Asynchronous tools E learning is unremarkably referred to the planetary use of networked information and communications technology in teaching and learning. It refers to educational processes that utilize information and communications technology to mediate asynchronous as well as synchronous learning and teaching activities (Naidu, 2006). roughly(prenominal) synchronous and asynchronous tools can be used effectively to communicate, exchange and form ideas and information on a specific subject matter.Synchronous E learning is live, real time facilitated instruction, and learning orient interaction that enables learners to use electronic means to collaborate and participate in live forums. The root of synchronous E learning has been derived from three main influences the classroom, the media, and the conference. The virtual classroom uses highly interactive forms of synchronous E learning tools to simulate a conventional classroom environment. White-board, discussion rooms, and break out areas are whatsoever of the concepts used to enhance interactivity between learners in a virtual classroom.Naidu (2006) also observes that most of the applications are construct around the synchronous learning model that makes use of tools like virtual learning environment, rapid E learning, web casting, web conferencing, video conferencing, webinars, live E learning, and e conferencing. These synchronous E learning tools help in connecting dispersed learners, facilitating real time interaction and collaboration, fostering a sense of immediacy and co-presence, developing a learning community, and enabling access to subject matter expert resources.This kind of learning environment rules out gender and perso nality dominance that tends to overpower in a traditional classroom setting. It encourages learners towards better teamwork, collaboration skills, strong motivation and extended peer support (Naidu, 2006). Asynchronous tools like emails, electronic forums, online discussions, blogs, provide a platform for students and teachers to discuss ideas and opinions on a specific topic.This form of E learning is commonly facilitated by media such as email and discussion boards, supports work relations among learners with teachers, even when participants cannot be online at the same time (Hrastinski, 2008). This provides a form of flexibility to the learners since they can access learning materials and information any time according to their convenience. The learners can log on to an E learning environment and access training materials, receive and send messages to peers and tutors. In higher education, learners can pursue online courses while taking care of other commitments.Asynchronous E le arning tools have the advantage of enabling users to access information and pursue their subject matter with greater degree of concentration allowing the mind to process the information at leisure. However, it also has some significant drawbacks that include greater learner discipline since the learner has to take initiatives to login and make use of the information and tasks involved in learning process. This kind of learning process is more impersonal and isolated as compared to synchronous learning tools that enable live interaction (Ashley, 2003).