New ways of teaching and learning for kids

New ways of teaching and learning for kids, Such as- E-books have been recognized as having great potential to be an effective and efﬁcient educational tool. The combination of text with animations, graphics, simulations and sounds can be very useful in explaining abstract theories and concepts. E-book features such as hyperlinks, combustibility of text size and the ability to convert text to audio also have beneﬁts in education. The previous chapter has shown that the use of e-books in academic institutions is closely related to the academic year and that they are used to locate speciﬁc information rather than for linear reading. That indicates that e-books are well suited for research purposes. This chapter will look further into e-books as learning objects and their potential in modern education.

The face of learning is rapidly changing as digital technology is employed in an ever-increasing range of roles. Information technology now supports virtually every aspect of higher education, including ﬁ nances, security and sustainability, as well as teaching and research. Computers and computer assisted instruction are becoming indispensable. The great majority of universities now have a course management system (CMS) or a virtual learning environment (VLE) of some kind, designed to support teaching and learning. The extensive use of computers and the Internet in educational institutions is reﬂ ected in the growth of online learning. The development of smartphones has enabled mobile learning, i.e. learning with mobile devices. Nowadays there are hardly any traditional classrooms without at least some kind of electronic tools to support learning. A survey done at three universities in Glasgow in 2003 on the use of computer-based learning materials among teaching staff found that 67 per cent of lecturers delivered course material electronically, and 63 per cent included electronic material on reading lists. The study also found that undergraduate teachers were more likely than postgraduate or evening class tutors to deliver electronic course material and to recommend electronic material to students.

1 The Sloan Consortium

2. has run an annual survey on online education in the United States since 2003. The survey attempts to answer questions about the nature and extent of online education. Allen and Seaman, who compiled the 2009 report, deﬁ ne online courses as those in which at least 80 per cent of the course content is delivered online. The survey conﬁ rmed that online course enrolments have continued to grow at rates far in excess of the total higher education student population, and this growth shows no signs of slowing. According to the survey, over 4.6 million higher education students (over 25 per cent of the total) were taking at least one online course during the fall 2008 term, which was a 17 per cent increase over 2007. Attitudes to online learning have become more positive since they were ﬁ rst measured in 2003, with the percentage of chief academic ofﬁ cers in the United States who rated learning outcomes for online courses compared to face-to-face as ‘Same’, ‘Somewhat Superior’, or ‘Superior’ having increased from 57 per cent to 68 per cent.

3. The most frequently mentioned advantages of computer based courses over traditional lectures and tutorials are:

■ Convenience and ﬂ exibility. Learners do not have to physically attend classes. With learning sessions available 24×7 they can work through modules at their own pace.

■ Personalized learning experience. Learning can be tailored to suit individual learning needs.

■ Time-saving. Instructions delivered electronically reduce the amount of time that learners spend on tasks.

The Global Digital Economy – E-Government, E-Health and E-Education Trends for 2009 report, produced by Paul Budde Communication, predicts further growth in e-learning, giving as the reason the fact that more educational institutions will be encouraged to explore e-learning as a cheaper alternative to classroom-style training.

4. In line with the ideal of free access to knowledge, many universities allow free access to their classroom materials. Sharing classroom materials allows students to engage with eminent experts in their ﬁ elds, and experts to have the opportunity of promoting their ideas to the whole world. For example, the MIT Open CourseWare site makes virtually all MIT course content available on the web, free of charge.

5. Applications of e-learning technologies in formal education are continually evolving. A multitude of e-learning tools are now available. Some are speciﬁcally designed to create a shell in which to organise instructional content. Virtual learning environments (VLE), described as online classrooms, allow students to access relevant information easily and quickly. Just about any computer application can be an e-learning delivery or collaboration tool. Web 2.0 tools, also called social software, are used with increasing frequency, and blogs and wikis are becoming quite common. The most popular tools are electronic library databases and websites. As part of the new and exciting electronic world, e-books also encourage students to be more engaged in learning tasks. E-books have been highly valued for their promises of enhancing e-learning and distance education. Shiratuddin et al. explored e-book technology in relation to its applications in distance education.