E-learning is relatively new, which means that a lot of misconceptions about it have popped up over the years, which could be a disservice to both teachers and students.

Fortunately, many are easy to clear up. Here are some of the main ones.

1. No or less interaction between students and teachers

Many people think e-learning is about sitting at the computer and merely reading or watching videos. But this is not the case.

Many e-learning programmes involve interacting with various people online throughout the day.

This could include extensive back-and-forth via an email chain or a full video chat with many different participants through one of the more popular platforms for that.

It could also mean participating in forums, phone calls and many other options.

2. Perceived as cheat sheet

This misconception is based on the idea that using the internet to learn makes it easy to skirt the rules and cheat one’s way through education.

Obviously, students have more of a connection to the internet and less direct visual supervision in some cases than they would otherwise, but there are many ways of preventing cheating that do not necessarily exist in traditional classrooms.

For example, there are computer programmes that can monitor students via their webcams to keep a close eye on what they are doing.

There are also different mechanisms to prevent plagiarism to stop students from copying sources from the internet for their answers.

3. No real difference between online classes

Some people believe that classes delivered online is going to lack any kind of differentiating characteristic. The idea is that the character of a course is created only by a professor delivering a lecture in person.

Many online courses make much more use of media than traditional classes, making the potential for differentiation even greater than it would be normally.

4. Employers ignore e-learning certificates

This may have been the case in the past, but it certainly is not any longer. The internet is everywhere now and everyone uses it so there is a lot more acceptance.

The truth is, a number of top colleges provide e-learning options. No one is going to look down on a degree or certificate from an Ivy League school just because it came via e-learning.

For example, Janison is a one-stop solution for training programmes and assessment that provides engaging content.

It is also worth noting that there are so many e-learning programmes now and so many people are taking them that it would be foolish for employers to ignore what someone has learnt because it was done on the internet. In no time flat, they would get beaten by the competition, which would not be in their best interests.

5. E-learning institutions are unscrupulous

There is a tendency to associate online institutions and programmes with the scams on the internet.

Again, many Ivy League schools are offering e-learning courses so there is no direct correlation. Every organisation is different and needs to be evaluated with that in mind.

E-learning is quickly gaining as a field of academic study due to its popularity. Reams of paper are devoted to different options, such as problem-based e-learning.

There is no doubt that e-learning is well-established as a legitimate approach.

This article first appeared in The New Savvy

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