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Compiled by Muhammad Yousaf

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
MOHI UD DIN ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
NERIAN SHARIF AJ&K
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Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4
Q1: History of e-learning. .................................................................................................................... 4
Q2: Definition of ILT, eLearning, ICT, IT .......................................................................................... 5
Q3: Need and opportunities ................................................................................................................. 5
Q5: Role of eLearning: Range, Patterns, Potential .............................................................................. 9
Chapter 2 – Effective Learning ................................................................................................................... 12
Q1: Significant factors in learning: wanting, doing, digesting, feedback. ......................................... 12
Q2: Experimental Learning................................................................................................................ 13
Q3: Deep and Surface Learning ......................................................................................................... 14
Q4: Accelerated Learning. ................................................................................................................. 16
Q5: Multiple intelligence. .................................................................................................................. 17
Chapter 3 - eLearning technologies and tools ............................................................................................. 18
Q1: Proven characteristics of good eLearning. .................................................................................. 18
Q2: Virtual learning environment ...................................................................................................... 19
Q3: Managed Learning Environment ................................................................................................ 20
Q4: eLearning technologies ............................................................................................................... 21
Q5: Software and Hardware............................................................................................................... 23
Q6: Tools for traditional and rapid e-course ...................................................................................... 24
Q7: Communication tools .................................................................................................................. 25
Chapter 4 – Professional development framework for eLearning .............................................................. 27
Q1: Online tutoring ............................................................................................................................ 27
Q2: Development of material.................................................................................................................. 28
Q3: ICT Skills, Housekeeping skills, health and safety ..................................................................... 29
Chapter 5 - E-learning Resources ............................................................................................................... 31
Q1: World Wide Web ........................................................................................................................ 31
Q2: Evaluating information found ..................................................................................................... 32
Q3: Copyright .................................................................................................................................... 34
Chapter 6 – Types of E-learning ................................................................................................................. 36
Q1: Synchronous E-learning ........................................................................................................... 36
Q2: A Synchronous E-learning .......................................................................................................... 36
Chapter 7 – Leadership, learning and improvement .................................................................................. 37
Q1: Ideas and tasks of learning focused leaders ................................................................................ 37
Chapter 8 - Leadership for effective school ................................................................................................ 39
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Q1: Skills and competencies of effective principal............................................................................ 39

Q2: Leadership and vision ................................................................................................................. 40
Q3: Leadership and school climate.................................................................................................... 42
Q4: Leadership and assessment of student’s progress ..................................................................... 44
Q5: Leadership and involvement of parents in school program ....................................................... 45
Chapter 9 - Continuous improvement ......................................................................................................... 48
Q1: Quality in education .................................................................................................................... 48
Q2: Quality tools and action research ................................................................................................ 50
Q3: Tools/ technique to generate innovative ideas ............................................................................ 51
Q4: Brainstorming, brainwriting, benchmarking ............................................................................... 53
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Chapter 1 - Introduction
Q1: History of e-learning.
Ans: The term “eLearning” has only been in existence since 1999, when the word was first utilized at a
CBT systems seminar. Other words also began to spring up in search of an accurate description such as
“online learning” and “virtual learning”. However, the principles behind eLearning have been well
documented throughout history, and there is even evidence which suggests that early forms of eLearning
existed as far back as the 19th century.
An eLearning timeline
Long before the internet was launched, distance courses were being offered to provide students with
education on particular subjects or skills. In the 1840’s Isaac Pitman taught his pupils shorthand via
correspondence. This form of symbolic writing was designed to improve writing speed and was popular
amongst secretaries, journalists, and other individuals who did a great deal of note taking or writing. Pitman,
who was a qualified teacher, was sent completed assignments by his students via the mail system and he
would then send them more work to be finished.

In 1924, the first testing machine was invented. This device allowed students to tests themselves. Then, in
1954, BF Skinner, a Harvard Professor, invented the “teaching machine”, which enabled schools to
administer programmed instruction to their students. It wasn’t until 1960 however that the first computer-
based training program was introduced to the world.
This computer-based training program (or CBT program) was known as PLATO-Programmed Logic for
Automated Teaching Operations. It was originally designed for students attending the University of Illinois,
but ended up being used in schools throughout the area.

Online learning today

With the introduction of the computer and internet in the late 20th century, eLearning tools and delivery
methods expanded. The first MAC in the 1980’s enabled individuals to have computers in their homes,
making it easier for them to learn about particular subjects and develop certain skill sets. Then, in the
following decade, virtual learning environments began to truly thrive, with people gaining access to a
wealth of online information and eLearning opportunities.
In the 2000’s, businesses began using eLearning to train their employees. New and experienced workers
alike now had the opportunity to improve upon their industry knowledge base and expand their skill sets.
At home individuals were granted access to programs that offered them the ability to earn online degrees
and enrich their lives through expanded knowledge. Today, eLearning is more popular than ever, with
countless individuals realizing the benefits that online learning can offer.
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Q2: Definition of ILT, eLearning, ICT, IT

Ans:

1. eLearning. E-learning, also referred to as online learning or electronic learning, is the

acquisition of knowledge which takes place through electronic technologies and media. In simple
language, e-learning is defined as “learning that is enabled electronically”. Typically, e-learning
is conducted on the Internet, where students can access their learning materials online at any place
and time. E-Learning most often takes place in the form of online courses, online degrees, or online
programs.

2. ILT. Instructor-led training or ILT, is the practice of training and learning material
between an instructor and learners, either individuals or groups. Instructors can also be
referred to as a facilitator, who may be knowledgeable and experienced in the learning material,
but can also be used more for their facilitation skills and ability to deliver material to learners.

Instructors may deliver training in a lecture or classroom format, as an interactive workshop, as a

demonstration with the opportunity for learners to practice, or even virtually, using video-
conferencing tools; and the instructor may have facilitation and teaching skills, in which they can
use different methods to engage learners and embrace different learning styles.

Other learning delivery methods include e-learning which delivers self-paced courses online,
and blended learning which mixes instructor-led and e-learning elements.

3. ICT. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education is the mode of education
that use information and communications technology to support, enhance, and optimize the
delivery of information. Worldwide research has shown that ICT can lead to an improved student
learning and better teaching methods.
4. IT. Information technology (IT) is the use of any computers, storage, networking and other
physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create, process, store, secure and exchange
all forms of electronic data.

Q3: Need and opportunities

Ans: Today's learners want relevant, mobile, self-paced, and personalized content. This need is fulfilled
with the online mode of learning; here, students can learn at their own comfort and requirement. Let's have
an analytical look at the advantages of online learning.

1. Online Learning Accommodates Everyone’s Needs

The online method of learning is best suited for everyone. This digital revolution has led to remarkable
changes in how the content is accessed, consumed, discussed, and shared. Online educational courses
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can be taken up by office goers and housewives too, at the time that suits them. Depending on their
availability and comfort, many people choose to learn at weekends or evenings.

2. Lectures Can Be Taken Any Number of Times

Unlike classroom teaching, with online learning you can access the content an unlimited number of
times. This is especially required at the time of revision when preparing for an exam. In traditional form
of learning, if you cannot attend the lecture, then you have to prepare for that topic on your own; in
eLearning, you can attend the lectures whenever you want with ease.

3. Offers Access to Updated Content

A prime benefit of learning online is that it makes sure that you are in synchronization with modern
learners. This enables the learner to access updated content whenever they want it.

4. Quick Delivery of Lessons

eLearning is a way to provide quick delivery of lessons. As compared to traditional classroom teaching
method, this mode has relatively quick delivery cycles. This indicates that the time required to learn is
reduced to 25%-60% of what is required in traditional learning. There are some of the reasons why the
learning time is reduced by eLearning:

a. Lessons starts quickly and also wrapped up in a single learning session. This enables training
programs to easily roll out within a few weeks, or sometime even days.
b. Learners can define their own speed of learning instead of following the speed of the whole group.
c. Saves time as a student does not need to travel to the training venue. You can learn at the comfort
of your own place.
d. Students can choose to study specific and relevant areas of the learning material without focusing
on each and every area. For example, they can skip certain areas they do not want to learn.
5. Scalability

eLearning helps in creating and communicating new training, policies, concepts, and ideas. Whether it
is for formal education or entertainment, eLearning is very quick way of learning!

6. Consistency

eLearning enables educators to get a higher degree of coverage to communicate the message in a
consistent way for their target audience. This ensures that all learners receive the same type of training
with this learning mode.

7. Reduced Costs
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eLearning is cost effective as compared to traditional forms of learning. The reason for this price
reduction is because learning through this mode happens quickly and easily. A lot of training time is
reduced with respect to trainers, travel, course materials, and accommodation.

This cost effectiveness also helps in enhancing the profitability of an organization. Also, when you are
studying at your own place, you are relieved from paying for travel expenses (e.g. accommodation)
when training happens in another city/state and/or external learning materials.

8. Effectiveness

Has a positive influence on an organization’s profitability? It makes it easy to grasp the content and
digest it:

a. It results in improved scores on certifications, tests, or other types of evaluation.

b. Higher number of students who achieve ‘pass’ or mastery’ level.
c. Enhanced ability to learn and implement the new processes or knowledge at the workplace.
d. Help in retaining information for a longer time.

9. Less Impact on Environment

As eLearning is a paperless way of learning, it protects the environment to a lot of extent. As per a
study done on eLearning courses, it has been found that distance-based learning programs consumed
around 90% less power and generated 85% less amount of CO2 emissions as compared to traditional
campus-based educational courses. With eLearning, there is no need to cut trees for obtaining paper.
Thus, eLearning is a highly eco-friendly way of learning.

eLearning can offer a lot of interesting opportunities. Here’s a few:

1. Adaptiveness
One of the greatest things about eLearning is that the software and technology can easily evolve
according to new pedagogical theories. Everyone is talking about Gamification and learners are
asking for it? - no problem. You just need to develop a new module in your training platform and
instantly get all the benefits to all your learners.

2. Mobile Learning

As mentioned before, nowadays eLearning can be delivered also via mobile devices. This means
that people can start learning pretty much everywhere, any time they want. Learners can take
courses during their morning commute to their workplace by simply bringing their smartphones
along with them!
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3. Reporting
In order to gather useful information, and data you can actually use, you have to be extremely
precise while reporting by using standards and a unified approach. Thanks to modern technologies
it’s extremely easy to automatically create reports that fit your needs, no matter how many learners
you’re trying to evaluate.

4. Management
Obviously it’s important to get reports right away, but it’s also very important to keep your data
and reports in a place where you will be able to retrieve them at any time for future analysis and
history tracking. Say no to huge paper folders that can easily get lost or ruined. It’s now time to
leverage databases and online storage to keep your learner’s records in a permanent and easy to
browse organizational system.

Q4: Advantages and disadvantages of eLearning

Ans: Advantages of eLearning

1. You are able to link the various resources in several varying formats.
2. It is a very efficient way of delivering courses online.
3. Due to its convenience and flexibility, the resources are available from anywhere and at any time.
4. Everyone, who are part time students or are working full time, can take advantage of web-based
learning.
5. Web-based learning promotes active and independent learning.
6. As you have access to the net 24x7, you can train yourself anytime and from anywhere also.
7. It is a very convenient and flexible option; above all, you don't have to depend on anyone for
anything.
8. Not only can you train yourself on a day to day basis, but also on weekends or whenever you have
the free time to. There is no hard and fast rule.
9. Through discussion boards and chats, you are able to interact with everyone online and also clear
your doubts if any.
10. The video instructions that are provided for audio and video learning can be rewound and seen and
heard again and again if you do not happen to understand the topic first time around.

Disadvantages of eLearning

1. Most of the online assessments are limited to questions that are only objective in nature.
2. There is also the problem of the extent of security of online learning programs.
3. The authenticity of a particular student's work is also a problem as online just about anyone can do
a project rather than the actual student itself.
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4. The assessments that are computer marked generally have a tendency of being only knowledge-
based and not necessarily practicality-based.

Q5: Role of eLearning: Range, Patterns, Potential

Ans: There are three ways of classifying the models of e-learning. The first one is called synchronous,
the second one is asynchronous and the third one is blended learning.

1. Synchronous training (at the same time):

Intrinsically synchronous training involves the collaboration of participants with E-mentor via the
virtual platform in real time. In other words, synchronous training provides facilities to the
participations to discuss with the mentor and also among themselves via the e-classroom with the
use/help of tools such as the videoconference and/or chat rooms.

2. Asynchronous (not at the same time):

The asynchronous mode gives the opportunity to the participations to discuss with the instructors or
teachers/mentor as well as among themselves over the internet on his/her own pace without live
interaction with the instructor. In this way students are able to learn at a time that suits them the most.
However, immediate feedback from instructors, their colleague learners is not receivable.

3. Blended learning (the mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning):

This kind of training combine aspects of online and face-to-face instruction, so the course materials and
explanations are shared between traditional learning method and e-learning method in the classroom
setting.

Blended learning allows for personalized education as a result student can work at their own pace,
making sure they have mastered the curriculum before moving on.

Using e-learning at university classrooms give to instructors the multiplicity of their lectures, displaying
more information, and enhancing student learning. Also, e-learning system can help lecturers to save
time and allow for more attention to be paid to the content of course.

With e-learning system students don’t have to come to class in person and feel uncomfortable answering
their teacher’s questions in class. Therefore, students can study at home, work or even on the street by using
multi-electronic devices as computers, laptops, or smart phones. As follows, students can easily read or
download the materials or reference books online when and wherever they want.

There are numbers of advantages for using this technology and learning materials in the university
classroom:
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a. More active learning class

b. Diversified teaching method
c. Better student attention and realization
d. Effective time management for lecturers
e. Visual stimulation

The major advantage of e-learning lies in its flexibility and ability to cover distances. The curriculum can
be repeated until it is understood by the trainee. Hence full time and part time undergraduates can take part
in their degree courses selected from any place or location so students can gain multiple learning ways
depending on their needs.

Just as a glass may be half full, it may also be half empty. There are also disadvantages for using e-learning.

despite the statements that e-Learning can improve the education quality, e-learning is still a support device
for existing methods of learning. Also, e-learning cannot solve the problems created by the absence of vital
personal interactions, not only between learners and instructors, but also among undergraduates.

Since e-learning is based on Internet technology and it creates a virtual “class room” for the students;
therefore, it depends on Internet connection. Also, this technology requires students to have a massive
technical skills and Internet connection with high bandwidth to download the materials from the courses
and upload their tasks or work with e-system.

Therefore, the disadvantages of e-learning might be the followings:

a. E-learning may possibly deteriorate institutions’ role of socialization, and also the role of
instructors as the directors of the process of education.
b. Since tests for assessments in e-learning are possibly done with the use of proxy, it will be
difficult to regulate bad activities like cheating.
c. Equipment failures.

All in all, e-learning could offer learning-on-demand opportunities for students in order to reduce costs and
time, while improving their products (Kranz, 2008). On the other hand, we have to take notice of the reason
why students would use this technology.

Social Support. Social support covers the exchange of resources between at least two parties, with
an intention of enhancing the well-being of the recipient. The exchange of empathy, care, love or trust
provides actual aid in time, money, advice, information and suggestions.
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Kim’s study showed that social support from different sources is positively associated with learner’s well-
being and plays role in determining student’s satisfaction and decisions as to whether to participate in HEI’s
e-learning programs.

The scientific literature distinguishes several forms of social support. These are Informational Support,
Instrumental Support, Emotional Support and Affirmational Support.

1. Informational Support: As the name implies, Informational support includes the provision of
helpful information, advice, or suggestions on how to deal with certain issues. Support could come
from different people.
For example: sophomore students offer information to freshman on how best to deal with school
concerns. Although information’s pertain to immaterial goods, on various occasions it can be
expressed in monetary value, that is why it is rarely found in its pure form.
2. Instrumental support: All of tangible aid that provide practical help and resources falls into the
category of instrumental support.
For example, undergraduates received support in the form of guidance from classmates or
instructors on how to find the information’s which could help them solve their homework.
3. Emotional support: This kind of social support usually manifests as expressions of love and
caring, providing emotional support can help individual know that he or she is valued.
For example: Students share experiences and support each other through life events such as family
illness, final examination, looking for work, or adjusting to new place, it leads individuals to a sense
of community.
4. Appraisal support: This kind of social support happen when individual offers information that
allows someone to make an informed decision on their own.
For example: The compliance like "I trust your judgment" or "You are doing the right thing" could
generate appraisal support.

According to the mentioned theories it can be said that e-learning concept is based on self-efficacy and
belief that one can be successful in e-learning activities. However, social support is also needed to keep
users’ intentions to continue using a technology. in this case e-learning. With this object I’m wondering
whether social support could influence students’ evaluation of e-learning.
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Chapter 2 – Effective Learning

Q1: Significant factors in learning: wanting, doing, digesting, feedback.
Ans: This great graphic about the learning process is shown below. It shows that feedback is one of the
essential links in the process!

The Learning Process

Want

Feedback
Learning Doing
Process

Digesting

1. Want
a. Input (often called cues)
b. Learner perceives or develops an idea of what has to be done depending on what he wants
2. Doing / Deciding
a. Processing and deciding in the brain
b. How do we put the info into a response?
3. Digesting
a. Learn
b. Output
c. Move or movement
4. Feedback
a. External or internal
b. Coach important here
c. Asked to practice further
d. Cycle starts again
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Q2: Experimental Learning

Ans: Experiential learning is an engaged learning process whereby students “learn by doing” and by
reflecting on the experience. Experiential learning activities can include, but are not limited to, hands-on
laboratory experiments, internships, practicums, field exercises, study abroad, undergraduate research and
studio performances.

Well-planned, supervised and assessed experiential learning programs can stimulate academic inquiry by
promoting interdisciplinary learning, civic engagement, career development, cultural awareness,
leadership, and other professional and intellectual skills.

Learning that is considered “experiential” contain all the following elements:

1. Reflection, critical analysis and synthesis.

2. Opportunities for students to take initiative, make decisions, and be accountable for
the results.
3. Opportunities for students to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially, or
physically.
4. A designed learning experience that includes the possibility to learn from natural
consequences, mistakes, and successes.
How does it work?

Kolb’s (1984) cycle of learning depicts the experiential learning process (see figure below). This process
includes the integration of:

1. knowledge—the concepts, facts, and information acquired through formal learning and past
experience;
2. activity—the application of knowledge to a “real world” setting; and
3. reflection—the analysis and synthesis of knowledge and activity to create new knowledge”
(Indiana University, 2006, n.p.).
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Q3: Deep and Surface Learning

Ans: Deep learning.

Deep learning is a committed approach to learning that involves consideration rumination on the part of the
student. There are several different ways to approach and engage students to allow them to think and learn
critically and accomplish complex tasks at hand. The deep approach encourages students to interact
vigorously and critically with the content in order to understand new ideas and integrate these ideas with
what they learned and test them on reality. Deep approach often includes applying critical thinking skills
to devise a solution to a posed problem. Deep learners seek to understand meaning and can apply what they
learn to new situations and contexts. They enjoy learning new stuffs and subjects, and discussing different
points of view. The deep learners construct their own knowledge by making connections between existing
and new findings.

Deep learning Involves things like extending ideas, detecting patterns, applying knowledge and skills in
new contexts or in creative ways, and being critical of arguments and evidence.” (Merrilyn goos). Deep
learning:

1. Links previous knowledge to new one.

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2. Critical analysis of new ideas.

3. Relates evidence to conclusions.

4. Leads to long term retention.

5. Integrates ideas using organizing principles.

6. Promotes understanding & application for life.

Characteristics of Deep learning. Deep learners are more focused and determined and they always
look for meaning; interact vigorously and critically with the content; focus on the concepts needed to solve
a complex task; seek to understand new ideas; relate ideas to previous knowledge and experience; and
thoroughly examine the logic of the argument.

Goals of Deep learning. Deep learners seek to construct their own knowledge by making
connections between existing and new knowledge. Deep learners are intrinsically motivated and very
curious about the subject, as opposed to surface learners who are not interested in the subject and who see
learning tasks as forced work. Deep learners learn to use higher-order cognitive skills to master academic
content.

Surface Learning.

Surface learning, as the name suggests, is a rather passive approach to learning where the students tend to
learn only what is required and nothing more. It is a superficial approach to learning which simply involves
scraping the surface of the material being studied and concentrating only on the assessment requirements
without getting into the details. The surface learners tend to work in isolation and see learning as coping
with tasks, as opposed to deep learners who seek to understand meaning. The surface learners concentrate
only on assessment requirements with the only intention of passing the exams or test. The surface approach
is totally the opposite of the deep approach, with students showing only a little or no personal engagement
with the subject matter. They are unable to understand the subject matter and distinguish guiding principles
or patterns in learning.

Surface learning is the more factual information or surface knowledge that is often a prerequisite for deep
learning. Surface learning also known as rote learning is:

1. Accepts information & ideas passively.

2. Memorization of unlinked facts.

3. Short-term retention of contents.

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4. Fails to distinguish guiding patterns.

5. Focus on coverage rather than depth.

Characteristics of Surface learning. Surface learners, on the other hand, rely on rote learning and learn
only what is required and nothing more; concentrate only on assessment requirement; study what is needed
for the exams and no more; receive information passively; and fail to distinguish guiding principles or
patterns.

Surface learning refers to a rather monotonous approach to learning new facts and ideas uncritically and
relies on rote learning. It is essentially about reproducing knowledge or skills without much understanding.

Goals of Surface learning. The surface approach is totally opposite of the deep approach, with
students focusing on reproducing only those parts of the content required to complete assessments with
little or no personal interest in the subject matter.

Q4: Accelerated Learning.

Ans: Accelerated learning is:

1. deeper learning through complex and meaningful problems and projects

2. moving forward into grade-level content, with support
3. prioritizing high-level skills and content and creating teaching and learning pathways
4. determining the most efficient and effective way to help students experience grade-level learning
based on where they are today
5. access to grade-level content despite the absence of some knowledge and skills from previous
grades
6. identifying the most crucial knowledge and skills that students need and integrating those into
lessons
7. a long-range plan, building on a foundation of assets, not deficiencies
8. assuming all students can learn literally anything with the right instruction and support
9. scaffolding up, not down

How to Implement Accelerated Learning Successfully

1. Adopt an acceleration strategy. Convene representatives of all key stakeholder groups to build,
execute, and communicate the system or school acceleration plan. Review available data to identify
greatest needs and goals. Establish priority standards and content for each course and grade level.
Implement a continuous monitoring and improvement cycle to inform next actions.
2. Invest in essential resources for effective acceleration. Allocate federal and state-level recovery
funding toward the acceleration strategy. Ensure that high-quality instructional materials,
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embedded assessments, and prerequisite skill guidance are available for all grade levels and
courses. Develop flexible schedules that give grade-level and subject-matter teams substantive time
each week to study the curriculum, practice selected lessons, plan for their students, and reflect on
their progress. Deploy coaches and facilitators to support implementation of the acceleration
strategy. Partner with organizations with demonstrated expertise with your curricula and
acceleration.
3. Focus on the whole child. Effective acceleration is a student-centered strategy. Relationships and
trust are central. Leverage the guidance within high-quality instructional materials to increase
relevancy and meaning for students. Adapt lessons to students’ culture and communities. A
commitment to equity means attending to the social-emotional as well as the academic needs of
students.
4. Support educators as they implement acceleration. Review essential elements of curriculum-
based professional learning and align professional learning plans to them. Use high-quality
instructional materials to focus planning and prioritize learning. Give teachers opportunities to
experience, observe, and practice those skills deemed most essential to acceleration.
5. Engage families and other stakeholders in the acceleration process. Recent studies affirm the
critical role families play in students’ instructional progress. Engage families and other community
stakeholders in the acceleration strategy. Leverage guidance available through high-quality
instructional materials to identify meaningful tasks for parents and caregivers. Learn ways to
increase cultural relevance and meaning for students from their families and community.

Q5: Multiple intelligence.

Ans: Multiple intelligences is a theory first posited by Harvard developmental psychologist Howard
Gardner in 1983 that suggests human intelligence can be differentiated into eight modalities: visual-spatial,
verbal-linguistic, musical-rhythmic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic and
bodily-kinesthetic. In contrast to other notions of learning capabilities (for example, the concept of a single
IQ), the idea behind the theory of multiple intelligences is that people learn in a variety of different ways.

Multiple intelligences refer to a theory describing the different ways students learn and acquire
information. These multiple intelligences range from the use of words, numbers, pictures and music, to the
importance of social interactions, introspection, physical movement and being in tune with nature. The
theory posits that an understanding of which type(s) of intelligence a student may possess can help teachers
adjust learning styles, and suggest certain career paths for learners. The theory has come under criticism
from both psychologists and educators, where many believe that the eight “intelligences” represent innate
talents and abilities. Cognitive psychologists have further stated that there is no empirical evidence to
support the validity of this theory.
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Chapter 3 - eLearning technologies and tools

Q1: Proven characteristics of good eLearning.
Ans: Now, most companies train their employees on core professional skills via e-learning, it makes
learning simpler, easier, and more effective. really, it has completely transformed the way in which learning
is imparted to students.
Characteristics of E-learning

1- Anywhere, anytime, anyone.

The growth of the World Wide Web, high-capacity corporate networks and high-speed desktop computers
will make learning available to people 24 hours a day, seven days a week around the globe. This will enable
businesses to distribute training and critical information to multiple locations easily and conveniently.
Employees can then access training when it is convenient for them, at home or in the office.
2- Provides reflection opportunities
Learner-centered eLearning provides opportunities for learners to relate content to their role or personal
situation through thought-provoking self-reflective learning checks.
3- Effective learning
eLearning has a positive influence, it makes it easy to grasp the content. that give results in improved scores
on certifications, tests, and evaluation. it enhances the ability to learn and implement the new processes or
knowledge at the workplace. by help in retaining information for a longer time.
4- friendly, easy using
Learner-centered eLearning is easy to use and enables learners to take control and find what they need
quickly. Learners should be able to navigate the course intuitively through course design that implements
sound user experience principles.
5- personalized learning
In learner-centered eLearning, the content speaks directly to the learner as an individual rather than
addressing the learning audience as a group. this helps create the feeling of a personalized learning
experience and generates an emotional connection with the content.
6- Less Impact on Environment
As eLearning is a paperless way of learning, it protects the environment to a lot of extents, there is no need
to cut trees for obtaining paper. As per a study done on eLearning courses, it has been found that distance-
based learning programs consumed around 90% less power and generated 85% less amount of CO2
emissions as compared to traditional campus-based educational courses. With eLearning Thus, eLearning
is a highly eco-friendly way of learning.
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Q2: Virtual learning environment

Ans: A virtual learning environment (VLE) in educational technology is a web-based platform for the
digital aspects of courses of study, usually within educational institutions. They present resources, activities,
and interactions within a course structure and provide for the different stages of assessment. VLEs also
usually report on participation and have some level of integration with other institutional systems. In North
America, VLE's are often referred to as Learning Management Systems (LMS).

For teachers and instructors who edit them, VLEs may be used as authoring and design environments. VLEs
have been adopted by almost all higher education institutions in the English-speaking world.

The following are the main components required for the best virtual learning environment or online
education curriculum to take place.

VLE learning platforms commonly allow:

1. Content management – creation, storage, access to and use of learning resources

2. Curriculum mapping and planning – lesson planning, assessment and personalisation of the
learning experience
3. Learner engagement and administration – managed access to learner information, resources, and
tracking of progress and achievement
4. Communication and collaboration – emails, notices, chat, wikis, blogs
5. Real time communication – live video conferencing or audio conferencing

A VLE may include some or all of the following elements:

1. The course syllabus

2. Administrative information about the course: prerequisites, credits, registration, payments, physical
sessions, and contact information for the instructor.
3. A notice board for current information about the ongoing course
4. The basic content of some or all of the course; the complete course for distance
learning applications, or some part of it, when used as a portion of a conventional course. This
normally includes material such as copies of lecture in the form of text, audio, or video
presentations, and the supporting visual presentations
5. Additional resources, either integrated or as links to outside resources. This typically consists of
supplementary reading, or innovative equivalents for it.
6. Self-assessment quizzes or analogous devices, normally scored automatically
 20

7. Formal assessment functions, such as examinations, essay submission, or presentation of projects.

This now frequently includes components to support peer assessment
8. Support for communications, including e-mail, threaded discussions, chat rooms, Twitter and other
media, sometimes with the instructor or an assistant acting as moderator. Additional elements
include wikis, blogs, RSS and 3D virtual learning spaces.
9. Links to outside sources – pathways to all other online learning spaces are linked via the VLE
(Virtual Learning Environment).
10. Management of access rights for instructors, their assistants, course support staff, and students

11. Documentation and statistics as required for institutional administration and quality control

12. Authoring tools for creating the necessary documents by the instructor, and, usually, submissions
by the students
13. Provision for the necessary hyperlinks to create a unified presentation to the students.

14. Interactive online whiteboard for live virtual classes

A VLE is normally not designed for a specific course or subject, but is capable of supporting multiple
courses over the full range of the academic program, giving a consistent interface within the institution
and—to some degree—with other institutions using the system. The virtual learning environment supports
the worldwide exchange of information between a user and the learning institute he or she is currently
enrolled in through digital mediums like e-mail, chat rooms, web 2.0 sites or a forum.

Q3: Managed Learning Environment

Ans: Managed learning environments, or MLEs, are software systems that are configured to help a
facilitator manage the education process. This is in contrast to a virtual learning environment, where the
focus is on the tools used in the process of teaching in an online setting. Essentially, a managed learning
environment helps to set the perimeters of the learning experience, and makes it possible to standardize the
resources used in learning in a manner that results in measured results.

In many ways, it is helpful to see a VLE as a component or subsystem of the broader application of the
managed learning environment. The work of the MLE directly relates to the features included in a virtual
learning environment, in that the managed learning environment focuses on the proper usage of those
features or tools by persons who are participating in the class or seminar. The managed learning
environment allows the teacher or facilitator to indicate when chat sessions are available, determine the
time periods for actively taking an exam, and how long lessons and materials for a given section of the
course are available for viewing.

Managed learning environment software can be utilized in a number of settings. Corporations can make use
of the software in developing programs for new employee orientation, or customer education. Managed
 21

learning environment software is also helpful in designing and implementing sessions for one- and two-day
seminars. Motivational speakers who make use of web and video conferencing to off hour-long seminars
to paying guests can make use of both MLE and VLE software to structure and conduct the sessions. Online
universities also make extensive use of both managed learning environment software and virtual learning
environment software.

While originally envisioned as the framework for bringing the distance learning concept to the Internet,
the managed learning environment software of today has become increasingly versatile and suited for use
in offline applications as well. At the same time, the software has become more sophisticated and user
friendly, making it a viable tool for use in a number of different learning situations.

Q4: eLearning technologies

Ans: For over a decade educational technology are emerging at exponential rates, but many schools and
educational institutes fall short on understanding and utilizing these technologies. Today we are
introducing 10 emerging technologies in e-learning that educators and school management must
know/understand for providing quality education for the children.

1. Augmented reality. Augmented reality is an exciting topic that educators need to know.
According to Wikipedia, augmented reality defined as “an interactive experience of a real-world
environment whereby the objects that reside in the real-world are “augmented” by computer-
generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities.”
The use of augmented reality visual content is able to catch student’s attention. It ensures you the
engagement and interaction of the students in lessons, as they are seeing and experiencing what
they are learning. The use augmented reality to learn abstract and complex concepts because it
helps students to visually see complex 3D models rather than imagining it in mind.
Anatomy 4D, Elements 4D, Aug That are some of the most popular and useful augmented reality
apps that students and teachers can use for effective learning.
2. Artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is one of the most discussed topics in the educational
industry. Artificial intelligence in education is a significant technology which helps education in a
number of ways.
Personalized learning is one of the most important area of education that has used artificial
intelligence. In personalized learning, AI helps you to find the best course material for you based
on your identity, interests and your way of learning. Artificial intelligence replaced the old-
fashioned classroom study with a more personalized and student-centered approach. Artificial
intelligence can monitor overall performance by identifying the strength and weakness of a learner.
It can rank learners based on their performance and give real-time suggestions to improve the
 22

overall performance of their studies. Artificial intelligence is very important so as to keep track,
report and monitor the performance of the learners.
3. Student data privacy and security. In the era of online education, the student data should be
handled safely. In digital learning students may be required to share their personal information with
many online services. This data sometimes gets compromised and misused if not handled securely.
Data security can be defined as the protection of data, usually in digital form, from unauthorized
or unwanted access, use, and dissemination.
Hacking into an online learning portal makes it possible to extract all the student data including
their personal details. It can be shared online for malicious purposes. A secure e-learning portal
helps protect the student data from being hacked and ensures their security. It includes host security,
network security, malware prevention etc.
4. Internet of things (IOT). Many of you people are wondering what is internet of
things or simply IOT. In layman’s terms internet of things is taking all the things in the real world
(for ex: a light bulb, a car or any material thing) and connecting them to the Internet. Now you may
be wondering how IOT will be useful in e-learning.
IOT helps to create a global network among educators and students. This helps learners to interact
with their peers worldwide.
5. Learning Management systems. A learning management system is a software that
is used to deliver courses or training programs for students. It helps to manage the courses
efficiently. By using a custom e-learning development, anybody can create, change and assign
courses for students.
Using a learning management system, you can give personalized courses to each student. You can
identify the weakness and strengths of the student, and create customized courses that will help
students to concentrate more on their weakest part to improve it. Many LMS support live chats with
educators also, this will help shy students to ask their doubt and clarify it.
6. School management systems. School Management Systems are software that helps educational
institutions to manage their daily academic and administrative activities easily and effectively.
School management systems are the most popular emerging technology in educational niche.
The education industry is undoubtedly one of the sectors that have found the best use of technology.
This has helped education industry to save time and money to a great extent by avoiding manual
paperwork and taking many shortcuts in their daily academic and administrative activities.
Software like EduXpert School Management System, Fedena, etc are changed the way of how a
modern school operates.
7. Cloud computing. Cloud computing is simply the group of computing resources located at
various places in the world. The system can be shared and accessed from anywhere in the world.
 23

Cloud computing guarantees the access to basic data to anyone utilizing any gadgets from the
workplace.
8. Mobile learning. Mobile learning or M-Learning is the method of learning through your
personal mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets or even a laptop. The study materials are
either downloaded into the device or accessed online. Mobile learning allows flexibility, allowing
students access to education anywhere, anytime.
9. Virtual and remote laboratories. Virtual laboratories are web applications that emulate the
operations of real laboratories. Virtual laboratories can be accessed anywhere without the need for
a physical system, and it enables students to practice in a “safe” environment before using real,
physical components.
More than 80% of students who used virtual laboratories scored higher in examinations compared
to a control group. With 386 students, 80% suggested adapted to self-learning using virtual
laboratories. 82% of university teachers who employ virtual laboratories indicated using them to
complement teaching material and reduce teaching time.
10. 3-D printing. 3-D printing is another helpful technology student using these days. It helps
students print out 3-D prototypes. Learners can also take 3-D printouts of difficult to visualize
structures to help understand easily. Such as 3-D structures of molecules for chemistry students, 3-
D structures of cells, viruses, organs for biology students, topography, demographic, or population
maps for geography students, etc.

Q5: Software and Hardware

Ans: Basic Hardware You May Need for Online Learning

1. Recent Computer. You'll need a computer that has plenty of memory and hard drive. There's
no official quota when it comes to RAM (random access memory) or CPU speed, but experts say
that a post-2000 processor (e.g. Pentium IV or Celeron II) would be sufficient, along with at least
512 megabytes of memory. Most computers purchased within the last 7 or 8 years will meet these
requirements.
2. Monitor. A large screen (15 inches or more) is also helpful. Mini-laptops are great, but you
may find that they don't easily accommodate most learning management systems (Blackboard,
D2L, etc.) In order to fit everything in the screen, mini-laptop owners may have to reduce the
viewing size to an eye-straining degree.
3. Mobile Device (Smartphone, iTouch, iPad, MP3 player). Mobile devices allow you to
receive tweets, e-mail, instant messages, and updates to your social networks. They can also help
you download MP3 files of course lectures. Many of today's devices can also snap photos, which
are useful supplements to blog posts, presentations, and e-portfolios.
 24

4. Microphone/Speakers/Headset. You'll need to have speakers and a sound card installed in

your computer, in order to hear audio clips and files. If you already have speakers, it's worthwhile
to invest in a good headset, so you can listen privately. A microphone lets you participate in audio
chats via Skype, etc. Microphones also allow you to record audio files and post them using Wimba
(in your learning management system).
5. Printer / Scanner. It's a good idea to purchase a printer and/or a scanner, even though you
may not use these items for every course. Some of the larger online schools – like the University
of Phoenix, for one example – offer student resources at local campus sites. If you live nearby one
of these locations, you may find that it's convenient to use their printing/scanning equipment.

Basic Software You May Need for Online Learning

1. Operating System. An up-to-date operating system is a requirement for many online

programs. Windows XP, 2000, NT, or 98 are usually acceptable. For Mac users, you will need
System 8.1 or higher. If you're not sure which operating system you have, or whether it's
compatible, contact your enrollment advisor.
2. E-mail Address. E-mail is one tech component that's free. Most students have their own
private e-mail account through Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or otherwise. If you don't, set one up. You
may also need to set up a school-based e-mail account at your new college.
3. Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access). For word processing and
data analysis projects, you'll need programs that can create text documents and spreadsheets.
Microsoft Office is the most common suite for this purpose. If you don't have these programs
installed on your computer, check with your school before you purchase them. They may be
supplied as part of your course materials.
4. Adobe Acrobat (Professional). This software allows you to create PDF files.
5. Plug-ins (Flash, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, Real Player, etc.). Some version of
a media player or flash player is necessary for streaming videos. And Adobe Reader is necessary
for opening PDF files. These programs are usually free and easy to download.

Q6: Tools for traditional and rapid e-course

Ans: A rapid eLearning development process allows the creation of eLearning solutions in weeks instead
of months without compromising quality. It requires a smaller team of people and technology that’s easy
to use even by team members and subject matter experts who may not be technologically savvy. The rapid
eLearning development doesn’t neglect any part of traditional eLearning development— putting a spotlight
on learning activities and assessments. However, rapid eLearning development sets itself apart by following
a different process.
 25

Best Rapid eLearning Development Tools

Authoring tools used to be complex and required special training. Also, integrating them with learning
management systems could be difficult.

Both those factors made the entire process lack efficiency. Only trained instructional designers were able
to use those old versions of authoring tools.

But nowadays, anyone can use rapid authoring tools after a brief introduction. And that doesn’t mean that
interactive modules, multimedia content, or mobile compatibility is out the window—on the contrary.

Whatever rapid authoring tool you choose, make sure that they have:

1. The libraries and templates for your eLearning solutions to look good and be easy to navigate
2. Powerful drag-and-drop features to replace the hard programming of interactive modules for
learning activities, assessments, and communication (synchronous and asynchronous)

Q7: Communication tools

Ans: The Online Communication Tools That Can Help You Collaborate in eLearning Teams.

Technology is offering an abundance of options today for everything from communication to project
management. Every growing industry, whether standard education sector or corporate sector, is considering
eLearning process in order to support modern learning principles. For companies that provide eLearning
and training, it is an effective way of making revenue per trained employee.

The whole process requires a team of people with different roles. But at times, the eLearning course has to
face failure mainly due to lack of collaboration in a team and ineffective communication.

1. ProofHub. ProofHub is an online project management software and collaboration tool, that
will give you full control over your tasks and enhance an organization in learning projects. It has
some great features like discussion, proofing and chat that will also improve communication among
remote teams undergoing eLearning course.
The team can communicate quickly through group chat and discuss important issues for quick
replies. Online discussions and proofing tool of ProofHub will also enable effortlessly sharing files,
documents, and information. When the team is effectively communicating with other members,
there are a fewer chances of any missing tasks or delay of tasks.
2. Skype. Skype is another popular communication tool that is in use for some time now and is free
for all. It allows audio and video calls, no matter on any devices either mobile or laptop.
 26

Other features that you can use on Skype for eLearning are instant messaging, group video calls,
Skype to Skype calls and screen sharing. Make your eLearning process easy and stay in touch with
the team always with Skype. The overall experience that users get from Skype is great.
3. TinyLetter. Now you can create a personal newsletter very easily and conveniently with
TinyLetter. For professionals, TinyLetter is a free way to share content by email. eLearners can
send their content to their audience and grow their readership over time by signing up on this tool.
You can communicate with others and show them what you are reading, watching and listening to.
You can even use emails to keep learners updated on courses that you have created.
4. Dropbox. Dropbox is another simpler way for eLearners to work together. It helps in sharing,
creating and collaboration among eLearners team. For instance, you can write a lesson plan on your
computer and share it on drop box and it will get synced to your other computer.
Moreover, you can create a folder for other eLearners and make information available to everyone
by sharing the folder. Also, it allows to easily work on files on multiple devices.
5. Flowdock. Flowdock is a team collaboration app that will integrate your team’s workflow and
offers chat option that makes up a flow. Across eLearners, it is one of the primary communication
tools, where your daily conversations will be live and you can discuss, notify and share files on the
desktop and on the go.
6. HipChat. HipChat has made communication simpler. In order to help your team collaborate
more efficiently, HipChat is a privately hosted chat service that is very successful in serving all
eLearners. You can set a group chat among a team and avoid any miscommunication and
redundancies.
When there is no possibility of virtual meetings, you can save the conversation that includes
important documents and collaborates with them at their own convenience. You can also converse
with your team through video chat on any device.
7. GoToMeeting. GoToMeeting is a powerful way to collaborate in real time for clear
communication with remote teams like eLearners. You all can stay connected anywhere with
anyone and schedule meetings and build relationships. Whether it is sales demo, external
presentations or collaborative meetings, GoToMeeting will let your best work shine through.
Use these above tools to make your eLearning collaboration easy and functional and will make it
convenient to manage the courses and access the resources. Using eLearning can give the teams
freedom to learn at their convenience but these tools should be an ongoing part of your eLearning
strategy to boost collaboration within your Team.
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Chapter 4 – Professional development framework for eLearning

Q1: Online tutoring

Ans: Online tutoring is the process of tutoring in an online, virtual, or networked, environment, in
which teachers and learners participate from separate physical locations. Aside from space, literature also
states that participants can be separated by time.

Online tutoring is practiced using many different approaches for distinct sets of users. The distinctions are
in content and user interface, as well as in tutoring styles and tutor-training methodologies. Definitions
associated with online tutoring vary widely, reflecting the ongoing evolution of the technology, the
refinement and variation in online learning methodology, and the interactions of the organizations that
deliver online tutoring services with the institutions, individuals, and learners that employ the services.
This Internet-based service is a form of micropublishing.

Online tutors typically follow one of two formats:

1. Asynchronous tutoring relies on offline coursework.

a. The tutor emails the pupil their assignments, and the pupil then completes their work and
submits online.
b. Although most asynchronous tools allow students to reach out to instructors for extra help
or clarification, both parties don't need to be online at the same time in order for that help
to happen.
2. Synchronous tutoring involves real-time interaction between the tutor and the pupil.
a. It requires software that allows both parties to communicate directly via video, audio, or
text.

When compared to its traditional counterpart, it's clear online tutoring has some unique benefits. Most
online modules allow students to complete coursework at their own pace – an incredibly convenient perk
for anyone with a hectic schedule. And web-based learning indirectly – sometimes directly, depending on
the subject – refines computing, word processing, and web-based competencies; all of which will be coveted
by future employers.

Benefits of online tutoring. Following are the main benefits of online tutoring:

1. Flexibility
2. Tailored tuition
3. One-on-one support
4. Expert tuition, wherever you are
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5. Learning at your own pace

6. Easily accessible
7. Synchronous tutoring
8. Tutorial learning
9. Focus on a subject that interests you
10. Variety of learning packages

Q2: Development of material

Ans: The key features of the cross-campus curriculum innovation is the use of Blackboard to facilitate
course content organization and delivery in order to assist students in understanding the rapid development
technologies/concepts for software design using a state of the art programming language. Blackboard is
used in mixed mode to complement face-to-face teaching and to encourage students to use the Internet and
understand the user requirements for software development. It enables the provision of links and facilities
that aid the learning of national and international students with diverse backgrounds.

Blackboard is also used to integrate the learning activities of the course. Blackboard tools, such as Syllabus,
Course Content, Calendar, Self-Test, Quiz and Assignments, are used to support different e-Learning
activities as listed in Table.
 29

Q3: ICT Skills, Housekeeping skills, health and safety

Ans: ICT Skills. Computing and IT is required by all businesses and jobs in today’s world.
Information and Communication technology (ICT) has the potential to transform teaching and learning
processes. According to a recent study in OECD countries, students are more sophisticated in their use of
technology than teachers; an inherent discrepancy between student-learning knowledge and usage of ICTs
with the abilities of teacher to use ICTs. This suggest that teacher inexperience and skill deficiencies may
often be a fundamental factor which prevents the effectiveness of ICT use in education. The same study
reveals that the most effective uses of ICT are those in which the teacher, aided by ICTs, may challenge
understanding and thinking of pupils, and this can be done through whole-class discussions and/or
individual/small group workshops using ICTs. Nowadays, it is widely accepted that the use of ICTs should
not aim at completely transforming teacher practices in and of itself but rather enabling and supporting the
move from traditional ‘teacher-centric’ teaching styles to more ‘learner-centric’ methods. In other words,
making each one of the students active and fully engaged. Improving ICT skills using tools, such as smart
boards, web conferencing and webinars, among others, thus, creating a professional development
framework for e-learning. The use of advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) are
now regarded as the future direction of innovative educational institutions.
Housekeeping Skills. The learning outcomes of housekeeping skills through e-learning include
improving awareness of responsibilities, increasing practical skills to minimize risks, explaining how to log
injuries and foundational protection methods. Learning all the housekeeping tools and techniques through
e-learning is very beneficial and important for a healthy lifestyle. You will go over every room of the house,
and what different types of techniques it requires to clean and keep up. Practically, you will learn all about
difficult stain removal from challenging fabrics and areas. And also, laundry, and how to care for different
types of fine garments. Even special surface care, such as enamel, brass, marble, and wood will be included.
And you also get to learn about mending of clothes, wardrobe management, flower arranging, and pet care.
Health and Safety Skills. The Basic Health and Safety e-learning modules are suitable for any
trainee. While some professions may be more at risk of health and safety incidents, the truth is everyone in
all types of roles have a role to play in ensuring health and safety practices are a normal part of day to day
work. Health and safety is the responsibility of everyone within an organization. In order for employees
and companies to be protected, we recommend this health and safety e-learning becomes a part of each
employee’s induction. The e-learning is very flexible and can be added to an organization’s intranet or
learning management system, ready to be used by their employees. The benefits are huge, and you only
ever pay once for the package making it extremely cost effective. Health and safety is about preventing
people from being harmed while at work, or becoming ill through work. The e-learning provides a clear
overview of the important elements of health and safety and is a great introduction to more specific health
and safety topics.
 30

Technical Skills. Online learners need basic technical skills to succeed in the development of
professional framework development for e-learning. These include the ability to create new documents, use
a word processing program, navigate the Internet, and download software. Most online schools have new
student orientation programs. These teach students how to use the school's learning management system
and other online tools. Technology is in a constant cycle of growth and change. While it may seem
impossible to keep up, eLearning provides an ideal space to grow right along with it. What better platform
to increase your technical skills than in a digital space? In an effort to share in the changing of time, many
employers expect their employees to acquire new skills or improve their existing ones on a continual basis
through training and coursework. While the standard of yesteryear may have mandated that these lessons
take place in a traditional classroom, today’s norms see more and more people utilizing eLearning
alternatives.
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Chapter 5 - E-learning Resources

Q1: World Wide Web

Ans: What is World Wide Web. The World Wide Web -- also known as the web, WWW or W3 --
refers to all the public websites or pages that users can access on their local computers and other devices
through the internet. These pages and documents are interconnected by means of hyperlinks that users click
on for information. This information can be in different formats, including text, images, audio and video.
The term World Wide Web isn't synonymous with the internet. Rather, the World Wide Web is part of the
internet.
How the World Wide Web works. Paving the way for an internet revolution that has transformed
the world in only three decades, the World Wide Web consists of multiple components that enable users
to access various resources, documents and web pages on the internet. Thus, the WWW is like a vast
electronic book whose pages are stored or hosted on different servers worldwide.

These pages are the primary component or building blocks of the WWW and are linked through hyperlinks,
which provide access from one specific spot in a hypertext or hypermedia document to another spot within
that document or a different one. Hyperlinks are another defining concept of the WWW and provide its
identity as a collection of interconnected documents.

World Wide Web to enhance teaching and learning. Nothing before has captured the imagination and
interest of educators simultaneously around the globe more than the World Wide Web. The Web is now
causing educators, from pre-school to graduate school, to re-think the very nature of teaching, learning, and
schooling. Claims have been made that the Web can free teaching and learning from the physical boundaries
of classrooms and time restraints of class schedules. Traditional lectures and demonstrations can become
Web based multimedia learning experiences for students. Learning resources of the college and university
can be augmented by learning resources of the world via the Web. Moreover, the Web can help us re-focus
our institutions from teaching to learning, from teacher to student.
How World Wide Web makes learning more accessible. Each of us likely has a different
interpretation of what "access to learning" means, although most will agree that it means making education
more attainable by more people. That is, providing educational opportunities in the workplace, community,
or the home, for those unable to attend school or college because of cultural, economic, or social barriers.
Dedicated distant learning institutions and traditional colleges and universities have provided opportunities
to students unable to attend campus for some time. Until recently, they relied mainly on correspondence,
traditional print instructional materials, and, perhaps, audio and video cassettes, or television. That is
starting to change now as educators devise new ways to capitalize on Web based technology. An inviting,
graphical screen layout, interactive multimedia learning materials, simplified access and searching of
 32

databases, exponential growth of new resources around the world, and open technical standards that allow
any brand of modern computer to access the Web are some of the advantages institutions see in the Web to
make learning more accessible.

E-learning and World Wide Web. Some of the newest methods of e-learning use the Internet and the
World Wide Web. E-learning on the Internet usually takes one of the following forms: electronic mail;
bulletin boards/newsgroups; downloading of course materials or tutorials; interactive tutorials on the Web;
real-time, interactive conferencing; "intranets" (internal, limited-access websites); or informatics.
Advantages of delivering e-learning on the Internet include the following: time and place flexibility;
potential to reach a global audience; no concern about compatibility of computer equipment and operating
systems; quick development time; easy updating of content; and usually lower development and operating
costs. Some disadvantages are limited bandwidth and slow modems that hamper delivery of sound, video,
and graphics; reliance on learner initiative; information overload; access; and social isolation.
Multimedia/hypermedia contexts support constructivist approaches to learning. Computer discussion also
requires and facilitates learning-how-to-learn skills. Social isolation can be a drawback, but learning
communities are developing in cyberspace. Online courses often feature consensus building and group
projects, through which learners can develop skills in collaborating with distant colleagues and cooperating
with diverse individuals--skills increasingly needed in the global workplace. To help learners make
effective use of e-learning methods, skilled facilitation by teachers is essential.

Q2: Evaluating information found

Ans: Introduction. All websites should be evaluated for a number of different criteria,
especially if you are planning to use the information found there in a course assignment or other scholarly
research.

In evaluating content on the web, you will look for many of the same characteristics that you look for in
other resources, and evaluate based on some additional criteria, such as the host of the website and
functionality of the website.

Evaluation is especially important for using web sources for research assignments, but it is also important
to view websites critically even if your research is only for personal purposes.

Online Sources. The term 'online sources' refers to any materials you find online. An online source
could be a blog post, a newspaper article published online, a journal article you have read online or an
online video

Evaluating online sources. The Internet is a valuable source of information, which can be added to or
accessed by people across the globe. While this means that we have free access to a diverse range of sources,
 33

it also means that the information published may not always be credible or accurate, as anyone could have
written it.

When searching for sources to use in your assessments, you may come across materials that seem suitable.
However, you should never take an online source, or an offline one, at face value. You should always
critically evaluate a source to test its credibility and accuracy before using it an assessment to ensure you
are supporting your arguments with correct and credible information.

Criteria for Evaluating Information

Currency. Is the information up-to-date? Remember that just because the webpage has been updated
recently, that doesn't mean that all of the information on the webpage has necessarily been updated. Cross
check the information with other sources.

Accuracy. Current information is more likely to be accurate, but not always. Even if it is current, be
sure to cross check the information with other sources.

Coverage. Does the website cover the topic thoroughly, and is it comprehensive? If not, do you have
other sources you can use to fill in the gaps in coverage? Be sure the source has the kind of coverage of the
topic that you want before you decide to use it.

Authority. Who authored the content on the web page? What are their credentials? Are they an expert
in the field? Depending upon how you are using this information, you want to be sure that the author is a
credible and reliable source of information in the field. One way to determine this is to look at what kinds
of websites link to the website you are evaluating. The more credible and authoritative those websites are,
the more credible and authoritative the one you are evaluating is likely to be.

Host. Is the host a reputable organization or individual? Remember, the author is not always the host of
the website. The author could have some sort of sponsor, and that could mean that there were terms that
he/she had to agree to in order to publish on that site. When evaluating for authority, pay attention to the
website host or sponsor in addition to the actual author. For example, it is usually best to stay away from
information hosted on corporate websites, because for-profit companies can have a hidden agenda that
serves their bottom line of profit. On the other hand, the information on a corporate website might meet all
of the other criteria here. If the corporation's mission is to spread accurate and objective information, and
you can corroborate the information with other sources, it may be acceptable to use. Use your best judgment.

Objectivity. Does the information reflect an author's bias? If the author has a position, is it well reasoned
and argued and supported by empirical evidence? If you are going to use a source that is biased, you want
to make sure that the position reflected is supported by ample evidence. You also want to acknowledge any
bias in your paper or article.
 34

Relevancy. Is the information related to the topic you are researching? You may find something to be
interesting, but make sure it has a place in your main argument

Functionality. Is the website easy to navigate and use? You may find good information on a website, but
if it's very messy and difficult to find that information, it would make it difficult for your readers to later
trace those citations and figure out the exact source and location of the information that you used.

Ads. If the website has a lot of ads (especially if they are particularly prominent or distracting), you may
not want to use it as a source. The information may be accurate and authoritative, but the appearance may
undermine its credibility. Remember, what will your lecturer or readers think of this website? What does it
say about a source of information if it contains advertisements for commercial products and services, for
example? Many people might think the information is biased, even if it is not.

Q3: Copyright

Ans: Copyright (or author’s right) is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their
literary and artistic works. Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture, and
films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps, and technical drawings. Copyright is a type
of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a
tangible form of expression. In copyright law, there are a lot of different types of works, including paintings,
photographs, illustrations, musical compositions, sound recordings, computer programs, books, poems,
blog posts, movies, architectural works, plays, and so much more.

Copyright Protection in e-Learning Design. When eLearning content designers create material for
their courses, they invest considerable amount of time, skill, effort, and money into its production. If you
are an independent designer, or running your own eLearning consulting business, you have much more at
stake in your creations. As a result, there is often an implied understanding of “ownership” for the content.
However, oftentimes content created through your toil and labor can be surreptitiously copied and used by
someone else; depriving you not only of acknowledgement of ownership, but also of potential material and
financial benefits that may have accrued to you. Copyright aims to put an end to such “misappropriation”
of content that lawfully belongs to you. In most cases (though there are limitations and exemptions) such
protection grants the original creator the right to own the content, and decide who can use, share or
disseminate it.

Policies for E-learning developers. E-Learning course development requires you to borrow artifacts
and intellectual material from the Internet all the time. This includes linking to external resources. As
subject matter experts in our departments or as training managers, we have a substantial amount of
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knowledge to share. With the passage of time we accumulate a lot of working knowledge as well as passive
knowledge that needs to be shared within the organization.

A course is a series of statements that need to be valid, accurate and current. Simply developing a course
using content from different resources is not enough. And if you do use multiple resources, you need to
practice legal citing and attributing practices for all copyrighted works. This includes images, graphics,
content, audio and every imaginable multimedia that supports your course. As an eLearning developer, you
need to know about the various copyright and public domain intellectual works available for your use in
your courses.

Needless to say, these resources will not only save your time and money (you won’t need to hire graphic
artists to create images and photographs to support your eLearning content) you will also be able to earn
trust and credibility as an eLearning developer. The key is to be able to integrate the relevant intellectual
property in your eLearning course using appropriate citation and attribution methods. According to
Burgunder (2011), “Intellectual Property can be defined as something owned by a person or an entity. There
is both tangible (physical) and intangible (intellectual) property and both are just as important and legally
binding.” Using intellectual property without the correct permissions and attributions will get you and your
organization into a lot of legal trouble. Copyright holders reserve the right to sue you with hefty penalties
for using their intellectual property without their permission.

Most organizations do not have memberships with stock-free image websites so that multimedia avid
eLearning developers like you can integrate elements in your lessons and assignments without worries. For
these reasons, you need to educate yourself and your learners about copyright restrictions and rules when
using them within your eLearning environment. Many educators and eLearning developers naively think
that as long as they are not “selling” any intellectual property, they are not infringing any intellectual
property boundaries. The use of an online element is truly a situational decision. It has a lot of variables
that need to be figured out before using the artifact appropriately.
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Chapter 6 – Types of E-learning

Q1: Synchronous E-learning
Ans: Set time (phone/Internet classroom sessions). Synchronous eLearning is real-time
learning. In synchronous learning, the learners and the teacher are online and interact at the same time from
different locations. They deliver and receive the learning resources via mobile, video conference, Internet
or chat. In this type of learning the participants can share their ideas during the session and interact with
each other and they get detailed queries and solutions. Synchronous eLearning is gaining popularity because
of improved technology and Internet bandwidth capabilities.

Learning from the sources of:

1. Virtual Classroom
2. Audio and Video Conferencing
3. Chat
4. Webinars
5. Application Sharing
6. Messaging instantly

To leverage effective instructional methods, tips to drive motivation and learner engagement in the virtual
classroom, and other tips check this eLearning course on maximizing impact in the virtual classroom.

Q2: A Synchronous E-learning

Ans: Learner directed, self-paced learning. Asynchronous eLearning is pause-and-resume kind of
learning. In this type of eLearning the learner and the teacher cannot be online at same time. Asynchronous
eLearning may use technologies such as email, blogs, discussion forums, eBook’s CDs, DVDs, etc.
Learners may learn at any time, download documents, and chat with teachers & also with co-learners. In
fact, many learners prefer asynchronous instead of synchronous learning because learners can take online
courses to learn at their preferable time by not effecting their daily commitments.

Learning from the sources of:

1. Self-paced online courses

2. Discussion forums & groups
3. Message boards
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Chapter 7 – Leadership, learning and improvement

Q1: Ideas and tasks of learning focused leaders

Ans: Setting direction. A leader must be able to set the direction, create a sense of shared
purpose and guide behavior. This requires developing your own clear vision of where you want to
go, describing this future to others in simple language and providing meaningful guidance
regarding on how to move forward. Successful leaders are able to paint a compelling and inspiring
picture of what future will look like. Establishing a coherent future direction for an enterprise is
essential. If the leader does not articulate in a clear way, each person can interpret the message
differently.

The message must also be clear and consistent to be believable. People need context to as why
certain priorities are important and an explanation of not only how the organization will benefit
but also how they will personally benefit. Setting direction is an important step for leaders to make
at any level. It does not matter if you are the CEO or leading the small team at the coal face, setting
direction is a critical action to take.

Setting direction helps leader create one of the most important factors in his team- accountability.
It is important for motivation and performance. To hold people accountable, clear expectations
need to be set by the leader. These expectations are very useful to set boundaries for performance
standards or the goal that the leader wants for his team. Directions is the far-away destination to
which you are heading and the route that you are going to take to get there. provide details about
executing a task. A great leader allows people to choose their own path when getting a task
completed. A great leader announces direction in which they want to head in, then allows their
employees to find their own way of getting there.

Developing people. Think about the leader that has helped his employees develop and grow the
most. They care about them as person before they care about the kind of work they are submitting.
That care led them to care about the employees professionally and help them learn, grow and
develop.

A primary way that led the leaders develop their team members is through coaching. Coaching is
the ability to guide and challenge an individual to achieve improved performance through self-
discovery, feedback, encouragement and skill development. Coaching helps build a person’s
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strengths and identifies ways to manage personal opportunities. Some practical ways of coaching
are the following:

1. Matching employee ability and attitude with assignments

2. Providing regular and in-the-moment feedback
3. Supporting the individual to own their developments and performance
4. Creating an environment of support and discovery
5. Creating or investing in leadership development opportunities

Refining and aligning the school. The specific practices that a leader should follow are
concerned with establishing work conditions, which, for example, allow teachers to make the most
of their motivations, commitments and capacities. School leadership practices explain significant
variations in teacher’s beliefs and responses to their working conditions. Specific practices are
building collaborative cultures, restructuring and reculturing the organization, building productive
relations with parents and the community and connecting the school with its wider environment.
Comparable practices in the managerial taxonomy include managing conflict and team building,
delegating, consulting and networking.

Improving teaching and learning process. A leader can take the following steps for the
improvement of teaching and learning process:

1. Creating a positive culture of challenge and support

2. Enabling effective teaching that promotes enthusiastic, independent learners, committed to
lifelong learning
3. Developing a culture of effective teaching
4. Leading, designing and managing the quality of teaching and learning
5. Setting high expectations for the whole school through careful collaborative planning,
monitoring and reviewing
6. Setting high standards of behavior and attendance, encouraging active engagement and a
strong student voice.
7. Building a professional learning community focused on continuous improvement of
teaching and learning.
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Chapter 8 - Leadership for effective school

Q1: Skills and competencies of effective principal

Ans: The job of a principal can get out of hand fast, but skilled principals around the world all
share some common traits.

1. Managing Risk. Principals must make split-second decisions while weighing the costs and
benefits. They have to calculate differing possibilities and prospective outcomes. Successful
Principals are always looking ahead for both risks and opportunities that affect their schools.
2. Active Listening. This means being able to hear/see things beyond your point of view
and checking your own understanding of things. Successful Principals intentionally focus on
listening and understanding things from another person’s perspective. Active listening is one
of the best skills that a principal can cultivate and use.
3. Priority Management. It is easy to spend significant amounts of time and energy on tasks
that are unimportant if you do not have clear priorities. The better a principal can prioritize
the things that have to be done, the better they can focus their efforts on the things that matter
to their students and faculty most.
4. Empower Others. Successful principals see the greatness in others and do what they
can to bring that greatness out of them. Faculty and staff grow as leaders when they get
ownership of their decisions, hold themselves accountable for the decisions they make and
outcomes that result, and have firsthand experience on the consequences of their actions. Ask
a strong principal and s/he will tell you that it is part of their job as a leader to help their people
develop into top performers.
5. Delegate More Tasks. By nature, strong leaders tend to lead by example, with a tendency
of wanting to do things by themselves, but it is important to learn how to delegate. The benefits
of delegating include better controlling your workload, develop your staff’s core skills, and
enables your team to meet their goals faster, produce the best results, and help you accomplish
more tasks than you would on your own.
6. Act Decisively. Effective principals take time to ensure that they have a complete
understanding of the problems that they face and respond by taking strong decisive action
without over questioning themselves. This skill can be achieved by balancing a) impulses that
come from being impatient (reacting without thinking) and b) overthinking and delaying
action.
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7. Motivate Change. The fastest way to create a school where faculty and staff are
stagnant and stuck is by fostering an environment that believes in the mantra “If it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it”. A key role in the life of a principal is to be persistent in constantly motivating
change. This means change for the school, faculty, students, parents, and neighboring
communities.
8. Communicate Clearly. Nothing makes performance suffer more than unclear
communication. It doesn’t matter if it’s a staff member, faculty, parent, or student, they will
not be able to do what you need them to do if they don’t know what you are trying to
communicate. Strong communication is one of the top foundational elements to being a
successful principal.
9. Promote Your Vision. School Principal skills are unique. Make your vision clear, not only
to your staff, parents, and students but also to yourself. Create and promote a clear and defined
vision for where you want your school to go and have it presented to your team daily. When
this is achieved, not only is everyone more motivated, but also more effective since their
responsibilities stay connected with your strategic goals and vision.
10. Educator First / Administrator Second. It’s easy to focus on career goals, day to day
responsibilities, school budgets, and much, much more. As a principal, you are responsible
for many things but don’t forget, you are an educator first. Successful principals keep their
focus on their student success. Students depend on you, their parents depend on you, and the
community (both inside and outside the school) depend on you. You cannot grow into a strong
principal if you do not keep your focus on your students.

Q2: Leadership and vision

Ans: The role of the principal has shifted from that of a manager to a visionary of instruction
and curriculum. If the school is a high-achieving school, it is the principal who sets goals for the
instructional staff. The instructional leader (principal) develops clearly articulated goals that
ensure the success of all students who attend school. The goals are clearly communicated to all
students and staff. It is these goals that help to develop a shared vision between leadership and
staff. These goals ensure that all stakeholders know the expectations and their role in achieving
these aspirations.

Once a clear vision has been set and school goals have been clearly articulated, the principal can
then spend time on various tasks related to instruction. The effective leader spends time coaching
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staff and developing educational programming. These two actions improve student learning.
Effective principals are consistently mindful of best practice while instructing and encouraging the
teaching staff to adopt these learning techniques in the classroom. Ineffective principals are
unaware of new approaches and do not keep current on research.

Despite the “tried and true” methods that many teachers practice within their classrooms, the
principal insists on keeping current with the changing research on student learning. Taking risks
and trying something new is common for the instructional leader. With student learning at the
center of any school, all effective leaders think that more can be done to improve outcomes.
Spending time on best practice and keeping current with research translate into improved student
learning.

Leadership vision is an essential means for focusing attention on what matters most; what you
want to accomplish in your life and what kind of leader you wish to be. A useful vision has to be
rooted in your past, address the future, and deal with today’s realities. It represents who you are
and what you stand for.

Let’s look a bit more closely at the four key components:

1. A compelling story of the future is engaging; it captures the heart, forces you to pay
attention. Those who hear it want to be a part of it somehow. And they are moved.
2. What does your future look like – what’s the image? If others could travel into the future
with you, what would they find? A well-crafted leadership vision is described in concrete
terms that are easy to visualize and remember.
3. The story of your future should be a stretch, but it must be achievable, too. If it were not
achievable, you would have little motivation to even bother trying.
4. Finally, future simply means out there – some time from this moment forward, but not so
far away that’s it’s out of reach.

The vision of leadership permeates the workplace and is manifested in the actions, beliefs, values,
and goals of your organization’s leaders. This vision attracts and affects every employee who is
engaged in living this set of actions, beliefs, values, and goals. They want to share your vision.
True leaders have a vision, that is, they have a potential to view the present as it is and to invent a
 42

future culminating out of the present. A leader with a vision can foresees the future and can remain
in the present.

Vision must be:

1. Rational
2. Reasonable
3. Innovative
4. Credible
5. Clear
6. Motivating and stimulating
7. Challenging
8. Reflective of organizational beliefs, values and culture
9. Concrete

Q3: Leadership and school climate

Ans: School Climate- refers to the quality and character of school life. It reflects the norms,
goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices and organizational
structure.

There are numerous and various definitions and descriptions of school climate. Some words used
to describe school climate are “atmosphere” and “environment”. Pinkas and Bulic defines school
climate as “the invisible dimension of school life.” To further complicate matters, some authors
use the term “school culture” interchangeably with “school climate,” yet some authors make a
clear distinction between the two. The main dimensions of school climate are identified differently,
yet overlap. Thapa, Cohen, Guffey and Higgins-D’Alessandro identify five dimensions of school
climate. Those dimensions are safety, relationships, teaching and learning, environment and school
improvement process. Johnson, Stevens and Zvoch identify the five dimensions of school climate
as collaboration, decision-making, instructional innovation, student relations and school resources.
Regardless of which framework is used, all the identified dimensions are fundamental pieces in to
the development of a positive school climate.

School climate matters. Sustained positive school climate is associated with positive child and
youth development, effective risk prevention and health promotion efforts, student learning and
academic achievement, increased student graduation rates, and teacher retention.
 43

There is an overwhelming amount of research and evidence to suggest the importance school
climate has on student success. It has been observed that student academic achievement, student
mental health and student physical health are directly correlated to a positive school climate.
Schools which foster mutual respect and hold high standards increase the motivation of learners
and school climate has a substantial impact on the success of a schools’ teachers and students.

For instructional leadership to positively impact teaching and learning, as well as the school’s
climate, it is important that organizational trust and communication are strong. A study on the
relationship between leadership, teacher job satisfaction, school climate and student outcomes with
306 schools in India found that the effect of school leadership on student outcomes is mediated
through the social and affective climate, the physical environment and teachers’ job satisfaction.

Transformational leadership of principals is a fundamental component in the establishment of a

positive school climate. A positive school climate is vital in student achievement, teacher retention
and teacher motivation as well as the success of a school. Research has shown that transformational
leadership is conducive to a positive school climate. A positive school climate has a significant
impact on motivation, retention and happiness of teachers which ultimately impacts the academic
success of students. There is lack of information in the literature which isolates, ranks and
prioritizes importance of specific characteristics or traits a transformational leader exhibits helping
to establish a positive school climate through which the entire school community benefits.

A principal’s leadership style has a major impact on school climate and the learning environment.
A principal can lead in a way which promotes a positive school climate thus increasing student
achievement. On the contrary, a principal can also lead, or manage, in a way unconducive to a
positive school climate and can negatively impact student achievement. It is important that we
continue to research educational leadership in an effort to continue to raise effective leaders for
today’s learners.

Challenges. One of the greatest challenges school administrators face is developing and
maintaining a positive school climate. School administrators are taxed with leading in a way that
creates, develops and sustains a positive school climate. The transformational leadership style
appears to be a major influence in developing and maintaining a positive school climate.
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Q4: Leadership and assessment of student’s progress

Ans: If change and trying new things is a pillar of an instruction leader, another pillar is the need
to monitor student progress. Instructional leaders need to be specialists in assessment. Top
principals track the progress of all students in relation to student goals and outcomes. Principals
may develop common assessment strategies with staff and note how students are progressing in
their learning. These data are then analyzed and charted to look at weakness or areas that need to
be improved upon. Data can come from a variety of sources and address a variety of areas that
range from academics to social/emotional well-being.

Principals use data effectively and efficiently. When data are used effectively, the principal will
manage instruction through funding of budgets. Essentially, money will be put toward resources
that will help a school to improve weaknesses or help staff and students to reach collective goals.
Tracking student progress and channeling monetary funds to address weaknesses are other
indicators of an effective leader. Investing funds to nurture improvement can mean many different
things. For example, principals could plan professional development activities for staff, fund
resources to implement professional development, or develop teacher capacity.

Effective educational leaders know that investing in professional development is good for
achievement and staff development. Investing in staff development connects with the notion of
letting teachers be informed with current educational research and best practice. Principals invest
in staff development and ensure that leaders keep current.

Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement

The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Information
gathered through assessment and evaluations helps teachers to identify students’ difficulties as
well as to detect weaknesses in programs. Assessment and evaluations are important tools for
adapting curriculum and instructional approaches to students’ needs and for determining the
overall effectiveness of programs and classroom practices. Assessment is the process of gathering
information from a variety of sources (including assignments, projects, and a midterm) that
accurately reflect how well students are achieving the curriculum expectations. As part of
assessment, teachers provide students with descriptive feedback that guides their effort towards
improvement.
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Assessment and evaluation strategies are based on the provincial curriculum expectations and on
the achievement level descriptions and categories in the achievement chart. Assessment and
evaluation strategies are varied in nature, administered over a period of time and designed to
provide opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning. In addition,
teachers will use both their professional judgment and student observations in evaluating specific
criteria and achievement.

Educational leaders use assessment to determine whether or not the goals of education are being
met. As explained by Edutopia, assessment inspires us to ask hard questions: “Are we teaching
what we think we are teaching? Are students learning what they are supposed to be learning? Is
there a way to teach the subject better, thereby promoting better learning?” Assessment is more
than just testing students. Tests provide data that can help assess student learning, but testing is
just one element. When planning lessons or projects, all end goals need to be considered.

In order to ensure that assessment and evaluation are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the
improvement of student learning, teachers must use assessment and evaluation strategies which:

1. Address both what students learn and how well they learn;
2. Are appropriate for the learning activities used, the purposes of instruction, and the needs
and experiences of the students;
3. Are fair and transparent to all students;
4. Ensure that each student is given clear directions for improvement;
5. Promote students’ ability to assess their own learning and to set specific goals;
6. Are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course.

Q5: Leadership and involvement of parents in school program

Ans: When parents get involved in their child’s education, children do better at school.
According to education researchers, families can improve their children’s academic performance
in school and have a major impact on attendance and behaviour. So, how can schools form
effective parental partnerships, and get parents to commit to their child’s education beyond
volunteering at the school fete? It starts with educational leadership.

Create a parent-friendly environment

Starting with the premise that parents are a child’s first teacher, it’s important to welcome the
parents’ perspective when it comes to deciding what’s best for the child. So, request feedback and
 46

listen to what they have to say. To do this, engage the parents through various tactics – ask them
to fill in a questionnaire, provide a daily diary that bounces between the teacher and parent or invite
parents into the classroom. Also, consider connecting with parents in other creative ways such as
workshops and other school-based programs like parent-student cooking classes.

Use effective communication channels

Parents are often busy and juggling multiple commitments, so it’s important to communicate with
them efficiently. Gone are the days of simply stuffing a newsletter into the child’s backpack and
sending it home in the hope that it will be read. Schools now need to ensure that any news and
updates – whether it’s about the curriculum, excursions, special events, carnivals, workshops,
summer programs or any other school-wide issues – are communicated in various ways. There
are several channels that can be used to reach parents, from text messaging and emailing to using
postcards, or conducting parent-teacher conferences.

Additional techie tools that educational leaders can use to their advantage include videos, podcasts
and several education-specific apps. Through targeted communication, schools can achieve high
levels of engagement. In the U.S., a high school that implemented an interactive voicemail saw
parental attendance at orientation jump from 50 to 1,000. However, it’s important to provide
parents with options, as not everyone communicates in the same way or is tech-savvy. So, ask
parents about their preferred communication methods and invite responses from them.

Cultivate involvement with action steps

To foster family-led learning, schools need to put processes and practices in place to help parents
“reinforce the importance of school, homework, and activities that build student skills and feelings
of success.” This thinking adheres to Epstein’s model of overlapping spheres of influence – a
comprehensive framework on school, family and community partnerships.

According to Epstein’s model, effective partnership programs establish a base of respect and trust
to build upon. Success comes from programs that consider a student’s individual needs and
interests, their talent and age and how well they are doing at school, along with the capability of
their parents. The framework outlines several practices schools can adopt including:

1. Family support programs to assist with health, nutrition, and other services
2. Courses and training for parents, alongside yearly conferences
 47

3. Home visits at transition points

4. Sending student work home for review and comments on a weekly or monthly basis
5. Providing information on all school policies (including homework) and reforms
6. Information on how parents can assist students in setting yearly goals and improving skills
7. Creating a calendar with activities for parents to do with their child at home or in the
community
8. Linking all families with parent representatives or parent groups at school

Value diversity across families

When developing and implementing programs and practices, schools need to consider cultural,
religious and socio-economic differences. The behavior, actions and attitudes of parents and
students will vary depending on their background and level of education. The onus is on schools
to find common ground and eliminate any barriers to effective communication.

At the most basic level, schools are required to provide cultural awareness training for school staff
and parents. And where language is a barrier, schools must deliver information in the language
that parents are fluent in, so there’s no room for miscommunication. Alongside this, providing
translators will enable parents to fully participate in their child’s education.
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Chapter 9 - Continuous improvement

Q1: Quality in education

Ans: Quality education includes:

1. Learners who are healthy, well-nourished and ready to participate and learn, and supported
in learning by their families and communities;
2. Environments that are healthy, safe, protective and gender-sensitive, and provide adequate
resources and facilities;
3. Content that is reflected in relevant curricula and materials for the acquisition of basic
skills, especially in the areas of literacy, numeracy and skills for life, and knowledge in
such areas as gender, health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS prevention and peace.
4. Processes through which trained teachers use child-centered teaching approaches in well-
managed classrooms and schools and skillful assessment to facilitate learning and reduce
disparities.
5. Outcomes that encompass knowledge, skills and attitudes, and are linked to national goals
for education and positive participation in society.

Systems that embrace change through data generation, use and self-assessment are more likely to
offer quality education to students. Continuous assessment and improvement can focus on any or
all dimensions of system quality: learners, learning environments, content, process and outcomes.
Each of these are discussed below:

1. Quality Learners: School systems work with the children who come into them. The
quality of children’s lives before beginning formal education greatly influences the kind of
learners they can be. Many elements go into making a quality learner, including health,
early childhood experiences and home support.
2. Quality Learning Environments: Learning can occur anywhere, but the positive learning
outcomes generally sought by educational systems happen in quality learning
environments. Learning environments are made up of physical, psychosocial and service
delivery elements.
3. Quality Content: Quality content refers to the intended and taught curriculum of schools.
National goals for education, and outcome statements that translate those goals into
 49

measurable objectives, should provide the starting point for the development and
implementation of curriculum (UNICEF, 2000).
4. Quality Processes: Until recently, much discussion of educational quality centered on
system inputs, such as infrastructure and pupil-teacher ratios, and on curricular content. In
recent years, however, more attention has been paid to educational processes — how
teachers and administrators use inputs to frame meaningful learning experiences for
students. Their work represents a key factor in ensuring quality school processes.
5. Quality Outcomes: The environment, content and processes that learners encounter in
school lead to diverse results, some intended and others unintended. Quality learner
outcomes are intentional, expected effects of the educational system. They include what
children know and can do, as well as the attitudes and expectations they have for
themselves and their societies.

Quality improvement is the disciplined use of evidence-based quantitative and qualitative methods
to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, equity, timeliness or safety of service delivery processes
and systems toward the pursuit of better services or outcomes for ‘users’ or customers of the
system. Quality improvement focuses on system outcomes for a defined population of
beneficiaries, as well as the processes that lead to these results: it requires both: a problem- and
user-centered design. That is, the work should center on engaging relevant actors in co-developing
testable hypotheses for the specific problem the organization is attempting to solve. Variation in
system performance, inclusive of processes and outcomes, is essential to improvement work.
Indeed, improvement cannot occur in the absence of standard practices since variation makes it
difficult to determine what has been improved and what is due to random noise.
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Q2: Quality tools and action research

Ans: Quality Tools. The ability to identify and resolve quality-related issues quickly
and efficiently is essential to anyone working in quality assurance or concerned with process
improvement. With the seven basic tools of quality in your arsenal, you can easily manage the
quality of your product or process, no matter what industry you serve.
1. Stratification. Stratification analysis is a quality assurance tool used to sort data, objects,
and people into separate and distinct groups. Separating your data using stratification can help
you determine its meaning, revealing patterns that might not otherwise be visible when it’s
been lumped together.
2. Histogram. Quality professionals are often tasked with analyzing and interpreting the
behavior of different groups of data in an effort to manage quality. This is where quality control
tools like the histogram come into play.
3. Check sheet (or tally sheet). Check sheets can be used to collect quantitative or
qualitative data. When used to collect quantitative data, they can be called a tally sheet. A
check sheet collects data in the form of check or tally marks that indicate how many times a
particular value has occurred, allowing you to quickly zero in on defects or errors within your
process or product, defect patterns, and even causes of specific defects.
4. Cause-and-effect diagram (also known as a fishbone or Ishikawa diagram).
Introduced by Kaoru Ishikawa, the fishbone diagram helps users identify the various factors
(or causes) leading to an effect, usually depicted as a problem to be solved. Named for its
resemblance to a fishbone, this quality management tool works by defining a quality-related
problem on the right-hand side of the diagram, with individual root causes and sub causes
branching off to its left.
5. Pareto chart (80-20 rule). As a quality control tool, the Pareto chart operates according
to the 80-20 rule. This rule assumes that in any process, 80% of a process’s or system’s
problems are caused by 20% of major factors, often referred to as the “vital few.” The
remaining 20% of problems are caused by 80% of minor factors.
6. Scatter diagram. Out of the seven quality tools, the scatter diagram is most useful in depicting
the relationship between two variables, which is ideal for quality assurance professionals trying
to identify cause and effect relationships.

Action Research. Action research is an approach to educational research that is commonly

used by educational practitioners and professionals to examine, and ultimately improve, their
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pedagogy and practice. In this way, action research represents an extension of the reflection and
critical self-reflection that an educator employs on a daily basis in their classroom. When
students are actively engaged in learning, the classroom can be dynamic and uncertain,
demanding the constant attention of the educator.

1. Action research is a process for improving educational practice. Its methods involve action,
evaluation, and reflection. It is a process to gather evidence to implement change in
practices.
2. Action research is participative and collaborative. It is undertaken by individuals with a
common purpose.
3. Action research is situation and context-based.
4. Action research develops reflection practices based on the interpretations made by
participants.
5. Knowledge is created through action and application.
6. Action research can be based in problem-solving, if the solution to the problem results in
the improvement of practice.
7. Action research is iterative; plans are created, implemented, revised, then implemented,
lending itself to an ongoing process of reflection and revision.
8. In action research, findings emerge as action develops and takes place; however, they are
not conclusive or absolute, but ongoing.

When an individual engages in reflection on their actions or experiences, it is typically for the
purpose of better understanding those experiences, or the consequences of those actions to improve
related action and experiences in the future. Reflection in this way develops knowledge around
these actions and experiences to help us better regulate those actions in the future. The reflective
process generates new knowledge regularly for classroom teachers and informs their classroom
actions.

Q3: Tools/ technique to generate innovative ideas

Ans: Idea creation tools are defined as tools that encourage thinking and organization of new
ideas around issues or opportunities, either individually or with other people. Examples are
brainstorming, the Delphi method, role-playing, TRIZ, and visioning.
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Tools for Idea Creation & Generation

Use tools like these when you want to create new ideas or organize many ideas:

1. Affinity diagram: Organizes a large number of ideas into their natural relationships.
2. Benchmarking: A structured process for comparing your organization’s work practices to
the best similar practices you can identify in other organizations, and then incorporating
the best ideas into your own processes.
3. Brainstorming: A method for generating a large number of creative ideas in a short period
of time.
4. Nine windows technique: When you’re looking for ways to break out of a mindset and
spark innovation, use nine windows.
5. Nominal group technique: A structured method for group brainstorming that encourages
contributions from everyone.
6. Mind Mapping: It is a technique of presenting information. Here we show the links
between the different elements or the pieces of information. The links or connection is
usually shown with the help of lines and arrows. It’s a visual way of presenting the
information.
7. Reverse Thinking: As is very clear from the name itself this technique asks us to think
oppositely. Instead of working on the problem in front of us, we work on the exact opposite
of it.
8. SCAMPER: Bob Eberle developed this technique. Each part of the acronym helps us think
and ask questions, which results in generating ideas.
9. Synectic: George M. Prince and Willian J. J. Gordon developed this technique. In this
technique, we take apart a thing and then put it back together. This helps us get a better
understanding of how things work.
10. Role-Playing: In this technique, the participants take up roles to play. These roles are
different from the ones they usually play. It adds an element of fun and helps get innovative
ideas.
11. Storyboarding: This technique refers to the process of making storyboards to generate
ideas. Storyboards use pictures, illustrations, and other information to better present the
ideas.
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12. Forced Relationship: This technique helps to come up with unique ideas. Here you take
two unrelated things and imagine putting them together to see what new thing you can
come up with.
13. Collaboration: This technique is self-explanatory. Here you collaborate with others to
come up with ideas. If you collaborate with a diverse group of people your ideas will be
more unique.
14. The 5 W’s: Who, What, Where, When, and Why are the five W’s. Answering these five
W’s helps us achieve a very holistic view of the topic under discussion. And it is an efficient
way to come up with solutions and ideas.
15. Listening: People prove to be a very good resource when you are trying to generate ideas.
Even those who aren’t your employees and customers can be very resourceful.
16. Accidental Genius: This idea generation technique believes that writing can help you
come up with good ideas. Here writing is believed to be a trigger for ideas. This technique
asks you to write freely without any editing.
17. Visualization: In this technique, we approach the problem visually. This is because
visualization makes things easy to understand. And as a result, we can come up with ideas
and solutions easily. For example, suppose you want a new setup for your production unit.
18. Removing Assumptions: There are a lot of assumptions about how things work. This
technique requires us to list all the assumptions and then start removing them one by one.

Q4: Brainstorming, brainwriting, benchmarking

Ans: Brainstorming. Brainstorming is a method design teams use to generate ideas to

solve clearly defined design problems. In controlled conditions and a free-thinking environment,
teams approach a problem by such means as “How Might We” questions. They produce a vast
array of ideas and draw links between them to find potential solutions.

Brainstorming is part of design thinking. You use it in the ideation phase. It’s extremely popular
for design teams because they can expand in all directions. Although teams have rules and a
facilitator to keep them on track, they are free to use out-of-the-box and lateral thinking to seek
the most effective solutions to any design problem. By brainstorming, they can take a vast number
of approaches—the more, the better—instead of just exploring conventional means and running
into the associated obstacles.
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Brainstorming may seem to lack constraints, but everyone must observe eight house rules and have
someone acting as facilitator.

1. Set a time limit – Depending on the problem’s complexity, 15–60 minutes is normal.
2. Begin with a target problem/brief – Members should approach this sharply defined
question, plan or goal and stay on topic.
3. Refrain from judgment/criticism – No-one should be negative (including via body
language) about any idea.
4. Encourage weird and wacky ideas – Further to the ban on killer phrases like “too
expensive”, keep the floodgates open so everyone feels free to blurt out ideas (provided
they’re on topic).
5. Aim for quantity – Remember, “quantity breeds quality”. The sifting-and-sorting process
comes later.
6. Build on others’ ideas – It’s a process of association where members expand on others’
notions and reach new insights, allowing these ideas to trigger their own. Say “and”—
rather than discourage with “but”—to get ideas closer to the problem.
7. Stay visual – Diagrams and Post-Its help bring ideas to life and help others see things in
different ways.
8. Allow one conversation at a time – To arrive at concrete results, it’s essential to keep on
track this way and show respect for everyone’s ideas.

Brainwriting. Like brainstorming, brainwriting is a great way to share new ideas, encourage
creativity, and develop innovative ideas. It was designed by German marketing expert Bernd
Rohrbach in 1969. Shy or introverted team members may be reluctant to speak up in group
brainstorming sessions. Brainwriting overcomes these limitations by allowing them to write down
their ideas instead, giving everyone an equal opportunity to participate. It also encourages people
to take more time to formulate their thoughts, and enables them to develop ideas offered up by
others.

Brainwriting is an alternative method to brainstorming. It is a technique for rapid idea generation

that eliminates many of the pitfalls of traditional brainstorming meetings. There are a few different
ways to approach brainwriting, but the basic method is as follows:

1. Each person writes down their ideas in response to a question or problem.

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2. When finished, they pass their paper to the next person who then reviews the ideas and
adds to them.
3. Once the papers have made a full round, the team shares all the ideas (usually on a
whiteboard).

Benchmarking. Benchmarking is defined as the process of measuring products, services,

and processes against those of organizations known to be leaders in one or more aspects of their
operations. Benchmarking provides necessary insights to help you understand how your
organization compares with similar organizations, even if they are in a different business or have
a different group of customers.

Benchmarking can also help organizations identify areas, systems, or processes for
improvements—either incremental (continuous) improvements or dramatic (business process re-
engineering) improvements. Benchmarking has been classified into two distinct categories:
technical and competitive. The House of Quality matrix and Gantt charts are often used to plot the
benchmarking evaluation.