Interactive Communication Systems and Technologies for Effective E-Learning

Introduction

E-learning is one of the most preferred systems of learning nowadays (Rosenberg 2001). Web-based learning or in other words online learning has the same meaning as e-learning since they all refer to the same point, which is using technology platforms to study or improve in the area of interest. e-Learning endorses active and independent learning and it links various resources in several formats. The growth of the 2020 e-learning market is incredible. It has been estimated that the market will grow at a 5% compound annual growth rate between now and the year 2024, at which point it will likely exceed $200 billion (Hamed 2012). It was also predicted that the market will climb to $325 billion by the year 2025 (Kennoel 2013).

The world is being exposed to innovative technologies, and curiosity around them is blooming. In addition, people who have passion and are eager to learn and develop are constantly searching for new styles of learning. One example of these new styles of learning is blended learning (Anthony 2013), (Paul 2007), (Mehmet 2011), which is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods (Sung 2009).

Over the past few years, e-learning systems have made an innovative transformation for learning that attracted the attention of researchers. “Providing rapid access to specific knowledge and information, it offers online instruction that can be delivered anytime and anywhere through a wide range of electronic learning solutions such as Web-based courseware, online discussion groups, live virtual classes, video and audio streaming, Web chat, online simulations, and virtual mentoring” (Ebru 2009).

But, in the current world of academia where traditional learning occurs, there are certain studying barriers like lack of information sources, accessibility to books, time consuming search for information, low quality and un-updated information, which are fiscally draining for schools and busy classrooms. Therefore, the e-learning field is becoming one of the most attractive ways to people who would like to learn and stay away from these kinds of boundaries. What we are trying to do is seek the alignment of building an e-Learning system where learning keeps up with rapid technologies changes (Jean-Francois 2018).

Unfortunately, in the State of Kuwait, some of the learning programs are not meeting demand which caused a stability in the learning curve. Currently, Kuwait is behind other countries who are utilizing technology and applying e-learning such as the United States of America, India, China and South Korea (Hallberg 2017). The gap between Kuwait and those countries here is that they are meeting the needs of the user mostly and people are able to adopt the new innovation and transition faster.

It is a common practice today that the teaching community directs students online to do their various educational assignments and tasks. This exposes the tracking of online behavior. This also, because of digital technologies, exposes opportunities to the private world. Hence, an element of digital surveillance, through e-learning, will help to have better control in the education (Faith 2016).

Consequently, this chapter will study the effect of e-learning on our lives where rapid transformations in learning environment and rapid shifts in technology are the biggest challenges we face today. We aim to create awareness for people to dig more into web-based learning and change mindsets and systems to think about designing a better future for our upcoming generations.