E-Learning: An Inevitable Approach to Education in the Information Era

Abstract

Dear Editor, With the advent of information technology, all aspects of human life have changed, and processing of the affairs has significantly changed both qualitatively and quantitatively. As a result of these alterations, universities and educational centers are faced with a new phenomenon known as e-learning, leading the educational processes to be introduced in a new way and shifting from the traditional mode. With the development of the World Wide Web, extensive developments have been observed in various aspects of human social life. Terms such as e-books, e-commerce, e-business, and e-learning are now widely used, causing rapid changes in numerous aspects of human life. Due to the increasing growth of technology and the use of modern methods of teaching-learning, the use of e-learning and virtual learning seems to be inevitable. Nowadays, information technology with all its developments and impacts on all areas of science is considered as one of the most essential tools in the education scene. The advent of technology and its development have led to the increased production of science and ease of spreading information to all people. E-learning in the present form was created in the early 1990s. With the emergence of the World Wide Web and its features, e-learning has grown rapidly and has become established in the educational structure of many countries. Distance learning is rooted in ancient times, and in the opinion of some experts, it dates back to the time of Plato, but based on evidence, distance learning was first actualized via mail and exchange of educational materials, questions and answers by mail. The history of e-learning has been investigated by many researchers, indicating that e-learning was first in a way that data was stored on mainframes, and access to them was possible through primary terminals, but with the invention of the first personal computers, and along with production and development of web browsers, a huge change was made in educational technology. Khan has defined e-learning as an innovative approach for delivering well-designed, learner-centered, interactive, and facilitated learning environments to anyone at any place and any time by utilizing the attributes and resources of various digital technologies along with other forms of learning materials suited for an open and distributed learning environment (1). Four different models of e-learning are predicted, and familiarity with a variety of models allows the user to choose them correctly according to their performance. These include education through network, education in future classes, knowledge education and ability to solve problems, and community-based education. The basic concepts in e-learning are computer-based training (CBT), distance learning, and online learning. Some advantages of e-learning are reported by researchers, including provision of independent education in terms of time, location, distance, language and culture, speed of conveying information, cost-efficiency, promotion of relations and foreign language skills, coordination of the process of education with the learner, preparation of the ground for innovation and creativity, creation of equal opportunities for education, and provision of the possibility for doing work and training simultaneously. On the other hand, the disadvantages of e-learning include damaging the social relations of learners and eradication of the communication-training dimension of education while the teaching-learning process has not been fully implemented in this regard (2), high initial costs,