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In many ways electronic learning uses the same methods of learning as traditional forms of learning; it is the tools that are used that are very different. The key difference about e-learning is that you, the student, have far more control over the resources that can be accessed and the order in which those materials are used. This is generally a positive thing, but it can also lead to feelings of being lost out there in cyberspace and in need of some form of guidance. This guidance is provided on the course website by your module tutor, particularly through the use of navigation aids.
Increasingly though the responsibility for learning is being shifted towards the learner learning, rather than the teacher teaching. Online learning is playing a significant part in this shift and many learners are now expected to work with others online to learn collaboratively via discussion rooms.
Email is perhaps the most common form of e-learning used. It provides a very fast and relatively cheap way in which students can receive support and information both from their tutors and from -other students on their course – their peers.
Mailing lists are typically used to discuss work with colleagues / students at other institutions, share news, collaborate on projects and publications, announce jobs and conferences, and keep in touch with current developments in your subject area.
There are a number of different services you can use for finding out about what mailing lists exist and how to join them. JiscMail hosts a wide number of different mailing lists for the academic community in the UK. You can search their website (http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk) for mailing lists on a subject of interest to you, but you will need to keep your search term fairly broad, for example, ‘literature’, rather than ‘Dickens’. You will find instructions for joining and leaving lists. There is also a link from their website to lots of other directories of lists.
There are now several commercially available VLEs: WebCT and Blackboard are just two examples. Some universities, including the University of Leeds, have developed their own in-house virtual learning environments. Put simply, VLEs are electronic equivalents of the resources available in real university or college buildings. You are likely to be asked to access information and / or study materials and to contribute to discussions within one. Most VLEs can be accessed from anywhere in the world via the Internet, using a web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. Most VLEs, including WebCT and Blackboard, have the following facilities:
 Access to web-based learning materials
Structured gateways to other internal and external electronic resources
Discussion rooms of defined membership
Self-assessment multiple-choice questions with feedback
Short answer tests
Secure delivery of essay material
Satisfaction questionnaires
You will need a username and password to access specific materials for your course. As a registered student at your institution you may well have already received information on how to obtain your username and password for this resource.
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