7.2.1 E-Learning
E-learning (Electronic Learning) is the delivery of learning materials over the Web whereby the storage, maintenance and administration of the materials are on the Web server. By having course materials online, learner effectiveness can be increased. Thousands of learners can simultaneously take part in the learning at their own pace.
Delivering the study content online has changed the nature of knowledge dissemination. It makes the learning process more convenient and cost effective.
It is a great way of providing lifelong learning especially for distance and open learning students such as those from Open University Malaysia (OUM). In the development of web-based learning tutorials and other educational applications, the ultimate goal is to help students raise their performance in the learning process.
However, the evaluation of e-learning applications needs special attention from content experts as well as educators. It is equally important to assess not only how students use the e-learning portal, but also the quality of the e-learning contents. One of the other issues that have been raised is whether e-learning can be as effective as face-to-face classroom interaction.
E-learning can significantly save precious time for both educators and studentsÊ.
But do you think that e-learning can also produce better results than classroom meetings? Increasing the effectiveness of e-learning has also become a main issue in online educational content delivery (Lee & Lee, 2008).
Figure 7.9 shows the OUM Learning Management System (LMS).
Figure 7.9: OUM LMS
7.2.2 E-Commerce
The vast advancement of the Internet has rapidly transformed the way companies conduct their business. It has become an important medium to connect businesses worldwide. Companies therefore are no longer prohibited from doing business for the reason that they are located away from their targeted consumers or potential business partners. It is not only opening wide and new opportunities but has also tremendously changed the business process involved.
The mushrooming growth and popularity of WWW has motivated companies to use it as a medium to promote and sell their products virtually. Companies begin having an online existence through the use of electronic catalogues on their websites. These electronic catalogues offer, as a marketing and advertising medium, a range of new ways to reach the customer. They allow customers to obtain related product information, and if they wish they may order through the online store. Business is then conducted through electronic commerce (e-commerce).
As electronic shopping grows, it becomes an important part of our contemporary culture. For instance a Virtual Reality (VR) shopping mall enables customers to be engaged in an „immersion‰ in a 3D-mediated environment providing virtual sensory experiences of a shopping mall.
Figure 7.10 shows one of the Malaysian e-commerce portals for online shopping, e-bay.
Figure 7.10: www.ebay.com.my
7.2.3 E-Government
Since the term e-government (EG) covers such an extensive range, it is difficult to find one standard definition that sums up exactly what e-government really stands for. EG is basically the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) by a governmental organisation to support their services to the citizens through electronic or digital systems and virtually through the internet. EG is a way through which citizens can access public services that has traditionally been done manually. This activity thus helps them accomplish government-related transactions and activity through electronics means. EG is basically a digital bridge linking people and/or businesses to government and vice-versa.
Governments around the world, including in Malaysia have acknowledged the potential applications presented by information and communication technologies (ICT) especially the Internet. New ways to distribute services and to interact with citizens are continually being explored through the existence of EG. It optimises government working procedures without time and space restrictions. Successful e-government application improves working efficiency and thus offers highly efficient service to the society. The migration from paper-based services to the electronic version has opened wide the potential of e-government applications.
An electronic communications system for example is very useful when millions of citizen queries need to be replied immediately (Sagheb-Tehrani, 2007).
Table 7.1 lists several e-government website addresses.
Table 7.1: E-Government website addresses
Country/Government URL
Malaysia www.gov.my
Australia www.australia.gov.au
Canada www.canada.gc.ca
Singapore www.ecitizen.gov.sg United Kingdom www.direct.gov.uk
Indonesia www.indonesia.go.id
Brunei www.brunei.gov.bn
New Zealand www.newzealand.govt.nz
Philippines www.gov.ph
7.2.4 E-Entertainment
The astonishing spread of the Internet has also given the opportunity for online entertainment. The field of e-entertainment has aroused great interest among users. It has shown great promises bringing exciting new forms of human computer interactions (Cheok & Yu, 2006). I think perhaps the most important effect of the Internet is that it presents new forms of leisure and entertainment.
For example, you can collectively share music and video on the internet as it is the greatest platform that provides forums for you to participate in such activities. The most popular site that you probably hear everyday now is YouTube.com.
Other than that you can share MP3 files that you have with others through peer-to-peer applications. For example with Piolet (www.piolet.com) you can share or download MP3 files easily.
In addition you can play games and interact with someone else from an unknown corner of the earth. Do you still remember playing board games such as Checkers during your childhood? Now you can play it for free -- not alone, but with an opponent whom you can pick from another country.
Figure 7.11 shows a screenshot of a Yahoo Checkers online game.
Figure 7.11: Yahoo Games - Checkers
Source: .http://www.playbuddy.com/images/screenshots/ssCheY2.gif
As traditional media makes the transition to the web, the need for a systematic way of delivering entertainment online becomes increasingly important.
Electronic entertainment (e-entertainment) services are deployed and delivered through the Internet and there is a great demand for rich 3D e-entertainment content. However, the challenge is to render very large 3D models and environments on the network. Therefore you need to be aware that here the issue of network quality becomes the main factor to be considered.
SELF-CHECK 7.2
1. What are the advantages of e-learning?
2. Do you think that virtual shopping will be very popular in the near future?
3. What is your comment on the performance of the Malaysian e-government portal?