Research
Social-Constructivism: Futuristic Sphere for eLearning in HEIs
Under the theory of ‘objectivism’ a teacher is ‘sage-on-the-stage’ where student is passive while teacher is active and whatever is delivered by the teacher is accepted by the student unquestionably. However, in ‘constructivism’ learning environment a teacher is supposed to play the role of ‘guide-on-theside’ thereby giving more space and place to the students for learning by themselves and on their own. There is mushrooming research on the mundane roles of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the learning environments. Research reveals that networking technologies and social software has created the opportunities to shift from traditional and biblical models of teaching through objectivism to the new styles of learning under the models of cognitive and social constructivism. This paper is effort to trace the milestones on the way from objectivism to constructivism particularly in the higher education institutions (HEIs).
Usersa Training: The Predictor of Successful eLearning in HEIs
Research reveals over and over that the successful development and use of eLearning systems in higher education institutions (HEIs) are squarely anchored on the roles of users in the development and use phases of an eLearning project. At the development level, researchers suggest that all decisions and implementation must be user-centric by constantly scanning the diversity of ever-changing user-needs. While use level requires effective user-training and then sustained technical support that is available 24/7. However, user training is central issue for the project and organizational (university) management in terms of its contents, processes and followup. This paper aims at unfolding the nature and implications of user-training in the background of eLearning practices in HEIs particularly, in developing countries like Pakistan. Extensive literature have been surveyed to bring together diverse ideas, findings and comments of researchers about the nature, problems and solutions of user-training in the background of higher education thereby reducing it into a theoretical model of user-training.
