Frameworks for Pedagogy, Methodologies, and Technologies in Distance Learning Processes

Introduction

The adoption of a new teaching–learning environment known as e-learning has been made possible by the digital transformation of educational institutions at all levels. The COVID-19 epidemic drove students and educators (The World Bank, 2020; UNESCO, 2020) to abruptly change their face-to-face teaching techniques, as soon as possible. As a result of spread of the Corona virus, the need for online learning has skyrocketed. The internet medium's pervasiveness produces a one-of-a-kind environment for teaching and learning. The ability to change the time and place of educational interactions is the most attractive characteristic of this environment. Moreover, because of the Internet's ability to access massive databases of information on almost any subject, learning and study resources are now available in practically every house or office. The ability to facilitate human-machine interaction in a number of formats (e.g., text, audio, video, etc.) in both asynchronous and synchronous modes offers a communications-rich learning environment.

As a result, e-learning plays an important part in current learning strategies. However, with more resources available, the excessive volume of e-learning data makes it difficult for learners to find relevant information to meet their requirements (Ghauth and Abdullah, 2010). Learning is impacted by the content and instructional strategy in learning materials than by the type of technology used only to give instruction (Schramm, 1977). Online learning, on the other hand, requires the development of challenging tasks that allow learners to correlate new information with old, build significant knowledge, and use their higher cognitive capacities (Bonk and Reynolds, 1997). It is the design of real-life models and simulations, as well as the learners' interaction with such models and simulations that helps learners to learn more. The computer is just the platform that facilitates processing and provides instruction to students (Clark, 2001). Learning materials must be well-designed to captivate learners and encourage them to learn. It must be appropriately developed with the learners and their learning in consideration, as well as enough supervision must be granted. High authenticity, high interaction, and high collaboration should all be characteristics of online learning (Ring & Mathieux, 2002).

Various studies have shown the importance of different didactic concepts, instructional design, and learning theories for online learning (Arghode et al., 2017). A framework to assist educators develop online courses is therefore urgently needed, especially in light of advanced technologies. The development of successful online learning materials should be based mostly on learning theories. Theory is the basis for instructional design and technology. The visible representation of theory is good instruction that is well-designed. Ignorance or misinterpretation of theory, particularly human learning theory, can lead to ineffective course development and media selection, therefore impeding learning. (Clark & Mayer, 2008). A learning theory is an ensemble of principles that describe how a learner can efficiently acquire, retain, and recall knowledge. (Sahin, 2018). Theories on how learning occurs and frameworks that clarify how to apply these theories should drive instruction. More qualitative research is needed to better understand how an instructor's capacity to utilize theoretical notions to enhance instruction can improve learning. (Arghode et al., 2017). Theory is needed to imagine how education can benefit from the Internet's advanced communication and learning technology. In order to address continuously changing learning environments, existing learning theories should be able to be adapted for the digital era by instructors. As the importance of distance learning grows, researchers are exploring new theories for effective online learning. This chapter primarily gives readers an overview of learning theories relevant to epistemological and pedagogical aspects, as well as their application to distance learning. Moreover, the current state-of-the-art in instructional design frameworks for distance learning based on pedagogical purpose is provided and explained. It also discusses a number of open research challenges and future research directions to design online courses to enhance creativity thought processes.