proceedings of Student Mobility and ICT: Can E-LEARNING

programmes on learning theory, pedagogy, technology and other aspects of online learning - arise (Curran,
2001; Rienties, Tempelaar, Van den Bossche, Gijselaers, & Segers, n.d.).
We define online remedial education as an instruction method using ICT which helps students to
provide knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in university. This way, foreign students can study in
their home country, which reduces their costs while at the same time offering flexibility to develop their
knowledge and skills. ICT has the power to support independent learning as well as to learn irrespective of
time and geographical constraints with the wide-spread implementation of internet (Bromme, Hesse, &
Spada, 2005; Jonassen & Kwon, 2001). In addition, recent research findings indicate that ICT has some a
powerful tool for learning in collaborative settings where students work and learn together (Bryant, Khale,
& Schafer, 2005; Schellens & Valcke, 2005). Hereafter, we persue the advantages and disadvantages of
online courses in greater depth.
Advantages and possibilities of online education and learning
According to Curran (2001), online learning is already a substantive actitvity in universities and
other tertiary teaching institutions, with significant potential further growth. The author defines different
potential advantages of online education and learning. The absence of temporal and spatial constraints
means greater flexibility for teachers and students. The easy accessible, fast and low-cost means of
communication allow students to contact their tutors easily and often receive an early response.
Furthermore, students can access materials for directive study, browse the web, search and retrieve
information from online databases, download simulations, interact with case materials, and conduct virtual
experiments. Besides all these advantages, course materials can be presented in different forms, such as
text, sound, graphics, moving images or computer simulations. Audio or video streaming can be used to
deliver presentations by academic staff. Students can work individually or can participate with peers in
different forms of collaborative learning. They can access web-based resources and communicate with
specialists and experts in the wider world. The author labels the phenomenon of online learning as
pedagogically effective, cost efficient and socially beneficient (Curran, 2001).
According to research (El Mansour & Mupinga, 2007; Yang & Cornelius, 2004) students’ positive
experiences with online education are:
• Flexible instructional pace and flexible class participation
• Elimination of barriers of time and space
• Cost-effectiveness of online courses
• Electronic research availability (digital libraries and online databases)
• A well-designed online course makes it easy for students to navigate and find the adequate
information
Disadvantages and problems of online education and learning
On the other hand, the new opportunities offered by ICT also create new barriers (Mac Keogh,
2001). Research (El Mansour & Mupinga, 2007; Yang & Cornelius, 2004) claim that students’ negative
experiences are caused by:
• Delayed feedback from the instructor
• Unavailable technical support from the instructor
• Lack of self-regulation and self-motivation
• Sense of isolation, caused by the lack of interpersonal communication and interaction among
students or between students and the instructor, or caused by the use of monotonous
instructional methods
• A poorly designed course interface makes students feel lost in seeking information
Moreover, the potential of ICT is also leading to fears of the ‘digital devide’ where ICT will
enhance further social exclusion, creating a society of technological haves and have nots. The dominance of
the English language on the internet also causes concern (Mac Keogh, 2001).
Conference proceedings of Student Mobility and ICT: Can E-LEARNING overcome barriers of Life-Long learning?” 152