DOI: 10.5176/2251-1814_EeL12.76
Authors: Eiman Tamah Al-Shammari
Abstract: The distance education delivery systems deployed today use different technologies and models that mainly focus on the content and instructor side of the system. However, most of them often fail to address the concerns of an online learner. The delicate working relationship between the instructor and learner assumes a lot of importance, as an over-emphasis on content delivery and robot-type system management may eventually lead to the failure of the entire system. A majority of distance education delivery systems use a fourth generation type of dispatching course content. Tools like interactive multimedia and Internet-based virtual resources form the integral parts of fourth generation delivery systems, also known as blended learning systems. Even with their innumerable advantages and benefits to the learner community, it is clear that some glaring pitfalls may affect the learning outcome of the program. This paper attempts to discuss some of the significant weaknesses of these systems and later suggests Learner-Initiated On-Demand Online Learning (LOOL), which is an alternative system that can make the blended learning program more effective and result-oriented.
Keywords: blended learning, face-to-face meetings, distance learning, e-learning, virtual learning, asynchronous learning, synchronous learning
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