CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This section contains a concept, studies, and literature that have significant

bearing to the study at hand.

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. (Sander Tamm, 2020)

Growing importance of E-learning globally

The concept of e-leaning is not new to the education sector. However, the

outbreak of COVID-19 has fuelled school’s need to leverage the technology platforms to

drive learning initiatives. There is heightened demand for schools to provide learning

solutions to students using online platforms as the advantages far outweigh the demerits.

In simple terms, e learning is the act of learning or educating via digital resources such as

software programs, mobile devices and the internet.

The use of digital platforms for learning is vividly changing our education system.

Traditional classroom training days are slowly coming to an end due to high speed

internet and technology advancement. The pandemic has grown the importance of

learning globally.

Any crisis makes room for experimentation, and it is time to realize the full

potential of technology for learning. In the wake of the medical emergency, school
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stakeholders are endorsing online learning for student’s safety and enhancing the quality

of education.

As part of the coordinated worldwide education response to the COVID-19

pandemic, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Bank had surveyed National Education

responses to school closures. The first round of the survey conducted in 118 countries

and the second in 149 countries revealed that almost every country included online

learning in its education response to the ongoing crisis. 89% of the countries introduced

at least one measure to enhance access to online learning devices and connectivity. The

survey is enough to indicate the significance of e learning, specifically after 2020. As per

a World Bank study, the school closure has led a shift e-learning, with about 700million

students still studying from home. E-learning is so ubiquitous and massive that is difficult

to articulate a brief outline that indeed does justice to it. Unlike the conventional chalk

and board teaching method, online learning makes learning convenient, where lessons

can be accessed remotely from anywhere. (Manjiri Shete, 2021)

The Challenges of Online Learning

There are, however, challenges to overcome. Some students without reliable

internet access and/or technology struggle to participate in digital learning; this gap is

seen across countries and between income brackets within countries. For example, whilst

95% of students in Switzerland, Norway, Austria have a computer to use their

schoolwork, only 34% in Indonesia do, according to OECD data.

In the US there is a significant gap between those from privileged and

disadvantaged backgrounds: whilst virtually all 15-year-olds from privileged background

said they had a computer to work on, nearly 25% of those from disadvantaged
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backgrounds did not. While some schools and governments have been providing digital

equipment.

To students in need, such as in New South Wales, Australia, many are still

concerned that the pandemic will widen the digital divide. (Cathy Li & Farah Lalani,

2020)

Common E-Learning Challenges to be Aware of

Online learning has already been experiencing rapid growth during the last few

years. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, made distance learning the only option

available for educators and students. As a result, eLearning started to get even more

attention. New eLearning webinars and courses appear all the time. You can also find

more and more tutorials on YouTube. While people have lost many opportunities to get

the necessary education and training in a traditional way, thanks to eLearning, education

has become more accessible than ever.

Perhaps, accessibility is the main advantage of online education. When students

are not tied to a particular place and moment, education becomes more flexible so

students can adjust the pace of their studies. Education can also become more effective

because students can revisit the necessary materials to better memorize information. As

eLearning becomes more and more common, we might learn about other effects of this

approach and discover new benefits.

For example, when used along with gamification, eLearning can make the

learning process much more engaging. To create effective course content, educators need

to understand the process, with all its key concepts and skills involved. They should also

understand the limitations of eLearning and its possible downsides. Some features of
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students’ perception and psychology may also have an impact on the effectiveness of the

school’s eLearning program.

E-Learning has introduced some challenges and it certainly has its weak sides. It

doesn’t mean, however, that educators shouldn’t focus their effort on eLearning. To make

sure that all the effort will bring the best results, educators just should take into account

the differences between traditional education and eLearning so that they can plan the

learning process in detail. Here are the 6 most common eLearning challenges you should

be aware of.

Adjustment: First of all, switching to online learning itself can be difficult. Many

people are used to studying in a classroom, co-working space, or library. Online learning

is accessible from everywhere, it doesn’t require any specific physical space, but many

students might need to get used to it.

One of the main aspects that influence the transition to online learning is

communication. The traditional model of education enables students and teachers to

interact freely. Educators should do their best to ensure the same effectiveness of

communication when it comes to eLearning as well. Of course, real-time communication

may be impossible when students take classes at a different time. However, it’s important

to make sure that they can always get answers to any of their questions.

Visual Learning: Many people are visual learners, and traditional education isn’t

quite optimized for the needs of such students. The reason is that most types of media

were designed for textual content. E-learning, however, can change the situation

dramatically, with visual materials becoming the main type of educational content.
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The reason why eLearning puts focus on visual content is that educators want to

improve knowledge retention, and using visuals turns out to be the best approach.

According to research, people only retain about 10% of the information presented

verbally. When they see an image, however, they can remember up to 65% of the

material. Such a phenomenon is called the pictorial superiority effect.

Most educators who work on their e-learning programs are aware of this effect,

and they can use it to their advantage everywhere. For instance, they can simply replace

text on slides with images. Some educators might find it challenging to adapt to a

completely new approach, but the truth is that it’s more effective and it can improve the

audience’s learning abilities.

Lack of Clarity: The internet contains lots of information on any topic. E-

learning enables students to explore different areas of knowledge, having access to all

kinds of sources. The abundance of information, however, also has its negative side.

According to research, eLearning can cause a negative effect which is often called “lost

on the internet.” When having too much information available, students can lose direction

and get disoriented by lots of irrelevant information.

The main reason why students may deal with this problem is not the abundance of

information itself but the lack of clarity when it comes to instructions. Without real-time

interaction with the instructor, students may not be sure about what is expected of them,

and what exactly their task is. Therefore, it’s important to provide students with clear

instructions and to make them as detailed as possible.

Lack of Motivation: One of the challenges associated with e-learning is a lack of

motivation. Students’ motivation directly depends on how engaging their online courses
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are. If a course is boring, they will likely feel not motivated enough. When in class,

students can get additional motivation from their peers and teachers, but this is

impossible when studying online.

On the one hand, eLearning is a great solution for well-motivated students who

can adjust the pace of their studies and learn more material at the same time. On the other

hand, students that are used to getting additional motivation in class may feel isolated.

The solution to this problem, as well as many other problems associated with e-Learning,

is ensuring effective communication. We also recommend that educators put more effort

into recognition so that students can see that their efforts don’t remain unnoticed by

teachers.

Decreased Knowledge Retention: Most e-learning courses are designed in a

condensed way: big chunks of information are separated into digestible portions that can

be learned within short periods of time. Educators may find out that their efforts don’t

bring the desired results if they fail to incorporate micro learning into their online

courses. Micro learning is very effective because it enables students to memorize bite-

sized chunks of information, making their studies focused and efficient.

At the same time, students should be able to evaluate their knowledge and to

determine the gaps in it. Therefore, we recommend that educators also give more online

assessments. Usually, online courses include an online test at the end of the training.

However, educators can also include additional tests at the end of each module or topic.

Weakened Logical and Intellectual Abilities: Many modern students are used to

technology doing a lot of work for them. Various apps and online tools help students

collect information and perform problem-solving tasks. For instance, modern students
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don’t need to analyze the context to understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word. "e-

learning can make students lose their ability to reflect on a problem and to think

abstractly," adds Adam Simon, educator and chief editor at Legit Writing Services. "They

may rely heavily on a linear presentation of information, without organizing their

knowledge on their own."

This issue can be addressed by using quizzes. Quizzes stimulate abstract thinking

and encourage the brain to think hard, especially when a certain task should be completed

within a limited time. Quizzes can work not only as tools for testing the knowledge but

also as learning tools. For example, educators can present some processes or concepts in

a form of drag-and-drop exercises that are not graded. (Rhonda Martinez, 2020)

Distance Learning in the Philippine

Aside from the school system being unprepared for the shift, remote education

also posed a major challenge for students who did not have anyone to facilitate learning

at home, or whose parents were not capable of guiding them due lack of knowledge .An

online survey conducted by the multisectoral group Movement for Safe, Equitable,

Quality and relevant Education (SEQuRE) found that 86.7% of students under modular

learning, 66% under online learning, and 74% under blended learning said they “learned

less” under the alternative modes of learning compared with the traditional face to face

setup.

The survey also found that only 5.4% under the blended learning 5.7%under

modular learning, and 9.1% under online learning “learned more”.

The survey was conducted from June 25 to July 12 among 1,278 teachers, 1,299

Grades 4 to 12 students, and 3,172 parents. (Bonz Magsambol, 2021)

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Synthesis of the Study

Most of the related literature and studies gathered by the researchers are all about

the importance, challenges and implementation of the e–learning while the present study

focused in the Reducing the barriers to e-learning for maximized learning experience.

The related literature and studies and the present study is similar because they are both

related to the problems in implementing E-learning that the respondents facing in today’s

new normal education.

This related literature would help the researchers to improve their study and

would guide them for making a better insight about reducing the barriers to e-learning for

maximized learning experience.