ERIC Number: EJ872751
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Mar
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0007-1013
EISSN: N/A
The Myths about E-Learning in Higher Education
Njenga, James Kariuki; Fourie, Louis Cyril Henry
British Journal of Educational Technology, v41 n2 p199-212 Mar 2010
Proponents have marketed e-learning by focusing on its adoption as the right thing to do while disregarding, among other things, the concerns of the potential users, the adverse effects on users and the existing research on the use of e-learning or related innovations. In this paper, the e-learning-adoption proponents are referred to as the "technopositivists". It is argued that most of the "technopositivists" in the higher education context are driven by a personal agenda, with the aim of propagating a "technopositivist ideology" to stakeholders. The "technopositivist ideology" is defined as a "compulsive enthusiasm" about e-learning in higher education that is being created, propagated and channelled repeatedly by the people who are set to gain without giving the educators the time and opportunity to explore the dangers and rewards of e-learning on teaching and learning. Ten myths on e-learning that the "technopositivists" have used are presented with the aim of initiating effective and constructive dialogue, rather than merely criticising the efforts being made.
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, Higher Education, Ideology, Misconceptions, Educational Trends, Instructional Effectiveness, Program Implementation, Educational Policy, Educational Technology
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A