KM & E-learning: How to optimize online learning?

Since 2020, online education has almost become a norm, whether it is in schools, universities or workplaces. With the sudden impact of COVID-19 as well as the consequent necessity of social distance, e-learning has further revealed its advantages. Nevertheless, born about thirty years ago, there are still some immaturities in this field. This article is dedicated to exploring, from the perspective of knowledge management, how online education/e-learning can be carried out more effectively. Moreover, we will focus on higher education, because it is closer to our current state and easier to understand.

What is E-learning?

In fact, there is no accepted definition of the term "e-learning" (Hargitai, D. M., Pinzaru, F., & Veres, Z., 2021).

Generally speaking, E-learning refers to any form of learning delivered electronically, including various forms of educational material such as various computerized educational platforms, methods of sharing educational material, multimedia educational material, simulations, games, etc.

At present, when it comes to e-learning, it refers more to all non-physical learning. Especially in the covid-19 environment, when it comes to e-learning, we think of online classes for the first time.

Mastering the pros and cons can help us better evaluate and improve e-learning. After referencing the literature, we can draw the following conclusions.

Advantages：

• flexible time and place interaction
• Ÿ cost-effectiveness
• Ÿ smaller learning units
• Ÿ a longer-lasting learning effect

Disadvantages

• negative effects on social skills
• increased possibility of cheating on exams
• expensive technology investment
• expensive new digital skills

Relationship between KM & E-learning

Actually, the strong connection between e-learning and knowledge management is not a difficult topic to understand. As we are all familiar with, the library is almost a must-have building, or a kind of resource, for every university. A dazzling array of bookshelves, well-organized categories, and knowledgeable staff are standard features, all of which are a concrete manifestation of knowledge. However, recently, the more commonly considered the carrier of knowledge that needs to be managed is the electronic library, which may be placed on the school's official website.

In addition, what is unexpected is that there are other non-physical things on campus that are closely related to knowledge management.

Firstly, the ranking of universities actually involves a certain degree of knowledge management. Each world-renowned ranking mechanism requires a good university to be excellent in multiple dimensions at the same time, including but not limited to academic ability, material conditions, student feedback and employment quality. As the main body of learning, universities will think about how to weigh the competitiveness and the cost of knowledge.

Secondly, another interesting thing is that not only e-learning itself is related to knowledge management, the ability to shift from offline learning to online learning is also a kind of knowledge management. In fact, this is a reintegration of information and channels. Some students find themselves forced to quickly transition to online distance learning without preparation. The transition from classroom teaching to online platforms requires both specific abilities and solid knowledge of students’ learning and Internet usage habits.

Thirdly, online learning communities are also currently popular knowledge systems, which will involve more complex knowledge transfer. People fully play the role of expresser and receiver in it, which also means a higher frequency of knowledge interaction.

Besides, there are many examples of this. However, from an academic point of view, Hargitai, D. M., Pinzaru, F., and Veres, Z. (2021) explained the relationship between KM and e-learning in this way.

The relationship between knowledge management and e-learning systems can be understood from two perspectives.

KM ideas can help develop robust e-learning systems, at the same time, e-learning systems can help KM development provides an appropriate framework.

A learning grid(Lau, A., & Tsui, E. ,2009) is also given to help learners determine the correct learning object based on the learner's background and personal preferences. It is also a reasonable way to interpret the relationship between the two.

How KM can effectively optimize e-learning？

Actually, the ultimate goal of this article is not to discuss the pros and cons of e-learning, but to share how to use knowledge management tools or concepts to optimize online learning that has to be carried out. I believe this is also one of the voices of a majority of our participants of online courses.

In summary, I think there are the following suggestions for reference.

1. The application of multimedia is crucial, including video, audio and so on. Even some virtual games, like kahoot!.
2. Make a balance between tangible and electronic resources. The ratio of the combination can be determined according to the characteristics of the students and different preferences.
3. Every level in the organization, including the Academic Affairs Office, class teachers, and students, must be familiar with knowledge management methods and online learning techniques.
4. A clear timetable and course schedule is very helpful. Virtual time and space need to be divided responsibly.
5. The authenticity and fairness of the online mutual monitoring system must be guaranteed. While the teacher evaluates the students, the students can also evaluate the teacher, and the results obtained are credible.
6. Make good use of the online stage to allow students to personally arrange their own courses and learning directions. Students should have the autonomy to manage self-learning.
7. Establish and improve the university's cloud knowledge base. If conditions permit, the sharing of resources among multiple education networks can be realized.

To conclude, although e-learning has some signs and foundations in the past few decades, COVID-19 has indeed greatly catalyzed the digital transformation of education and accelerated the transition from face-to-face learning to online learning (Hargitai, D. M., Pinzaru, F., & Veres, Z., 2021). As the old Chinese saying goes, crises are also opportunities. Based on the analysis of the above three dimensions, KM is an excellent tool to optimize this active transformation.

The entire society, education practitioners, and current or future students hope that on the day when covid-19 disappears, e-learning has become a good habit, but not a last resort. In the future, when physical distance is no longer needed, online and offline education will complement each other and achieve better linkage.

References

Lau, A., & Tsui, E. (2009). Knowledge management perspective on e-learning effectiveness. Knowledge-Based Systems, 22(4), 324–325.

Hargitai, D. M., Pinzaru, F., & Veres, Z. (2021). Integrating Business Students’ E-Learning Preferences into Knowledge Management of Universities after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 13(5), 2478–.

Almaiah, M.A.; Al-Khasawneh, A.; Althunibat, A. Exploring the critical challenges and factors influencing the E-learning systemusage during COVID-19 pandemic. Educ. Inf. T echnol. 2020, 25, 5261–5280. [CrossRef]

Arkorful, V .; Abaidoo, N. The role of e-learning, advantages and disadvantages of its adoption in higher education. Int. J. Instr.Technol. Distance Learn. 2015, 12, 29–42.

Cantoni, V .; Cellario, M.; Porta, M. Perspectives and challenges in e-learning: Towards natural interaction paradigms. J. Vis. Lang.Comput. 2004, 15, 333–345. [CrossRef]