Page 7 - The Managed Learning Environment Strategic Gain_

Diagram 2

Educational institutions are thus trying to provide their students (customers)
with a single-point access to a range of course content, multimedia
applications, and tools for asynchronous and real-time communication
between students and tutors. The objective being the fabrication of a
motivational and interactive environment geared to creatively engaging
students in deeper and better learning (Gallagher, 1). However,

Encouraging independent learning is the backbone of e-learning. The
institution is facing a situation that sees students having scheduling
constraints that prohibit an over-reliance on time-dependent forms of
education. It really does not matter whether these students are full-time
undergraduate with part-time jobs or part-time or distance learning students
with full-time jobs their needs are more similar than dissimilar. As Tony Bates
of Canada's Open Learning Agency said, "There is an even greater myth that
students in conventional institutions are engaged for the greater part of their
time in meaningful, face-to-face interaction. The fact is that for both
conventional and distance education students, by far the largest part of their
studying is done alone, interacting with textbooks or other learning materials."
The lesson to be taken from this is that e-learning is for all students not simply
for distance or remote students and as such institutions should gear
themselves to changing their attitude towards student needs.

At present the institution is developing the portal of Web CT and Web CT
Vista (See quote 3). Although, this is a vital communication and control
component in itself it is deficient if it is not complemented with content and
associated evaluation elements. To address this, the institution must not only
provide the milieu through which ideas and solutions are generated but also
materials that motivate students within an online classroom.