Designing Interactive and Collaborative E-Learning Environments

Despite the increasing numbers of online courses, there have been several concerns and criticisms related to teaching and learning in e-learning. Previous research has suggested that students are often dissatisfied and frustrated with their elearning courses. A more important issue is that e-learning has not led to pedagogical changes. A large percentage of e-learning courses have been developed to deliver simple factual knowledge through tutorial-based instruction. In seeking a paradigm shift from information delivery-centered to learner-centered e-learning approaches, this chapter suggests that theoretically and empirically grounded design frameworks are required, and that strategies for interactive and collaborative learning should be considered and incorporated in designing learner-centered environments. To identify instructional design strategies, the author critically reviewed and analyzed relevant case studies. Three design guidelines are presented with specific strategies and examples: (1) meaningful opportunities for online collaboration, (2) minimization of communication barriers and maximization of idea sharing, and (3) increasing perceived levels of social presence.