LITERATURE REVIEW 2.
0 CHAPTER INTRODUCTION
The literature on the usefulness of e-learning in the teaching of Biology is examined in this chapter. The
findings of published and unpublished research, as well as expert perspectives and opinions, will be
discussed.
2.1. Online and Classroom Instruction
Online learning comes in many forms.
Several terms linked with online learning are employed as online learning and relevant technology tools
continue to emerge. E-learning, online learning, distant learning, blended learning, and hybrid learning
are some of the options. Each of these terms refers to the act of employing technology in the classroom,
but how students participate in that process differs slightly. We looked through some relevant literature
to discover the definitions, characteristics, and distinctions of these terminologies in an attempt to
distinguish them. Online learning (also known as e-learning) is a term that is frequently used
interchangeably with e-learning.
Online learning (also known as e-learning) is a type of distant education in which the learning process is
mediated by technology, and the instruction is delivered fully over the internet (Siemens et al., 2015).
Students may be required to attend regularly scheduled online lectures/presentations and/or debates,
depending on individual educational institutions/instructors. Furthermore, students typically use the
offered platform to access learning materials such as recorded lectures/presentations, reading lists,
exercises, assignments, and so on. Students submit their work and receive feedback online through
online learning. Students can also connect and communicate with their peers online, and they can
occasionally be in an online class with an instructor while working on digital lessons, materials, or
evaluations (Stauffer, 2020).
Distance learning/education has the same structure as online learning and shares many of the same
characteristics. It can be synchronous (all happening at once) or asynchronous (all happening at different
times) (Offir et al., 2008). Distance learning, according to Siemens et al. (2015, p. 99), is "instruction and
planned learning in which the teaching takes place in a different location than the learning, requiring
communication through technologies and unique institutional organization." Distance learning is merely
an attempt to provide learning opportunities to those who are geographically separated from the
classroom (Moore et al., 2011).
Blended learning (also known as hybrid learning) is the process of combining (or blending) traditional
face-to-face classroom instruction with online learning (Siemens et al., 2015).
Blended learning, as comparison to other forms of online learning, provides students with more fruitful
channels for connecting with their peers and instructors (Park & Shea, 2020). Due to the assistance of
social interactions, academic research also reveals that blended learning gives students a better
understanding of course content (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). 4
Online learning and blended learning are distinct, although not wholly so, as the definitions above show.
Online learning, according to Pearson (2020), is a learning environment that exists entirely online,
whereas blended learning is a combination of both face-to-face and online learning.
In the twenty-first century, online learning has become a hot topic. The delivery of instruction via digital
materials is known as online learning. This type of instruction is given via the internet. In the twenty-first
century, online learning has become a hot topic. The delivery of instruction via digital materials is known
as online learning. The utilization of technological gadgets is used to give this type of learning. Online
learning is also known as distance education, computerized electronic learning, and internet learning.
Students can now access their learning materials online and at any time since the introduction of online
learning. Over the last two decades, the advancement of technology has made education more readily
available at all levels. According to Hurlbut, A.R. (2018), access to print materials that were emailed or
sent to students and/or teachers was required in the early stages of distance or online education.
However, according to Finger, G., McGlasson, M., and Finger, P. (2007), the growth of e-learning
management systems and web resources as a result of technology innovation has altered online
education by speeding up the dissemination and digestion of knowledge. Videos and live broadcasting
have been very popular in current online learning trends. This is in line with Kaltura (2019), who claims
that video is a better option for online learning than documents because it is more dynamic and
engaging. As a result, with online learning, there is always a teacher who engages with students, grades
their participation in class activities, as well as their assignments and tests.
J. Bransford, et al (2007) More visual technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality
(AR), are expected to enter the e-learning market in the future, according to Learning. Many researchers
and institutes throughout the world have studied the effectiveness of online learning in recent years.
Traditional or offline learning is another term for classroom learning. Learning is the process of gaining
new abilities, information, behaviors, and preferences. It is a process of actively engaging with and
manipulating events in order to construct mental models of the world. Learners gain knowledge through
exploring, observing, and interacting with their surroundings. As a result, it necessitates the use of past
information.
Learning is a social activity that involves people interacting with the learning environment, according to
University of Cape Coast (2020). Formal education necessitates students and teachers meeting in a
physical location, commonly referred to as a classroom. This is due to the fact that the tools available at
the birth of civilization or formal education did not allow for online instruction. As a result, most
instructional publications created prior to the twenty-first century focused on classroom learning.
Although online learning has grown in popularity in recent years, it is important to remember that
classroom learning still reigns supreme, especially in modern countries like the United Kingdom.
Classroom learning occurs in a school setting, where a calendar or timetable, as well as rules and
regulations, govern how teaching and learning should be conducted. Learning in the classroom
necessitates students' participation in the learning environment. For teaching and learning to take place,
both students and teachers must be physically present in the classroom. As a result, the class teacher
controls and moderates the flow of information and knowledge. Classroom learning provides a forum
for open discussion and face-to-face interaction between students and teachers, promoting socialization
among both teachers and students. To enhance learning, every teacher should be concerned with
creating a favorable classroom environment for students.
In the end, though, each student's social and psychological behaviors and responses define what they
learn.
2.2. E-Learning at the University of Cape Coast during the closure of schools due to COVID-19 cases on
the rise
As alerts sounded about the rising number of coronavirus infections in Ghana, numerous healthcare
specialists, educational experts, and the general public called for the government to temporarily close all
schools to help prevent the virus's spread. On March 16, the administration stated that all schools will
be closed indefinitely, according to Eyewitness News (2020).More schools were closed around the world
to help contain the virus’s spread. According to a UNESCO assessment from 2020, the pandemic forced
almost 1.2 billion children from 186 countries to miss school. When compared to the alternative of not
going to school, online learning has become a must. As a result, certain countries, particularly those in
the developed and developing worlds, have adopted e-learning as a new teaching and learning method.
It should be highlighted that due to financial constraints and other obstacles, not all countries will be
able to completely embrace online education.
To aid in the containment of the virus's spread, additional schools were closed around the world.
According to a UNESCO assessment from 2020, the pandemic forced nearly 1.2 billion children from 186
countries out of school. When compared to the alternative of not going to school, online learning
became a necessity. As a result, certain countries, particularly the developed and developing worlds,
have adopted e-learning as a new teaching and learning method. It should be highlighted that, due to
financial constraints and other factors, not all countries will be able to completely implement online
education.
As a result, technology, change, pace, finance, and competencies were identified as significant barriers
to implementing digital transformation in education by Kopp, M., Gröblinger, O., and Adams, S. (2019).
Following the shutdown of schools in Ghana, the University of Cape Coast announced the adoption of
online learning on their official Facebook page on April 1, 2020. In order to facilitate online learning,
instructors were directed to upload their teaching and learning resources for the second semester of the
2019/2020 academic year to the university's online learning portal (2020). To make the e-learning
process easier, the school used third-party e-learning platforms or video conferencing platforms like
Zoom, Google Classroom, and Recorded Lessons.
It's worth noting that, despite the fact that the University of Cape Coast began offering online courses in
the fall semester of the 2019/2020 academic year, no online examinations were offered during that
time. All of the evaluations were completed using the traditional method of writing exams, in which
students were required to come to campus in groups to take the end-of-semester exam.
2.3. Classroom and Online Learning Effectiveness
Course content, pedagogical approaches, lesson interactivity and assessment, feedback, and evaluation
were all used to evaluate the effectiveness of online and classroom learning. The aforementioned
criteria were utilized to assess the effectiveness of classroom instruction.
2.3.1. Course Materials
Facts, concepts, generalizations, principles, and theories are all examples of content that students are
supposed to acquire in school. It can be text-based or audio-visual, and it has the ability to educate,
enlighten, or entertain those who interact with it. The content of a subject matter, according to
Madadlou, G. and Gharaaini, K.R. (2014), includes organized knowledge, terms, information, facts, rules,
principles, methods, concepts, decisions, phenomena, and related issues. The course content is an
important part of any school's curriculum that requires a lot of attention.
The course content is an important part of any school's curriculum that requires a lot of attention. The
first category of [31] knowledge-based for teaching is content knowledge, which refers to understanding
the subject topic. A classroom teacher is required to have a broad and current mastery of the primary
content areas of the subject matter. Teachers teach content in the context of education. In the teaching
and learning environment, every teacher's goal is to offer a lesson that the students like. For pupils to
properly comprehend a lesson, the information of the lesson should be given in a clear and
understandable manner. In addition, the lesson should include a sequence of exercises that encourage
pupils to participate in the class. Students' grasp of subject can be improved by practice in activity-based
sessions.
2.3.2. Pedagogical Methodologies
The numerous tactics and abilities employed by teachers in the classroom to translate the material of a
lesson into a learnable chunk for students' simple assimilation are referred to as pedagogical
approaches. In Zimbabwe, lecturers employ a variety of methods to teach various subjects. 32]
highlighted three teaching approaches: 1) "transfer of knowledge" (p. 51), 2) "student-centered
teaching" (p. 51), and 3) "question and answer technique" (p. 52). Some teachers employ the
brainstorming technique, the customized method, the project method, and the problem-solving method
in the teaching and learning process. Role-playing, demonstrations, and educational outdoor
experiences are also used by teachers in the classroom, according to a study by [33]. Expository
instruction, drills, teacher-led debate, and case studies are among the various pedagogies used in the
teaching and learning environment, according to the study. Despite the variety of pedagogies available
to teachers in the classroom, the mainstream pedagogical perspective continues to treat students as
"empty vessels" with no knowledge or experience [34].
Interactivity is 2.3.3.
In classroom learning, interactions between students, teachers, and students are critical. A key learning
activity is a student's ability to ask a question, offer an opinion, or disagree with a point of view [35].
New concepts are explained and old preconceptions are challenged through interaction, discourse,
discussion, and debate among students and between teachers and students. Classroom interactions give
a platform for students to practice skills while also improving their confidence and communicative
abilities. Both online and classroom learning necessitate interaction between students and teachers
during the teaching and learning process. Because of the instructor's and students' physical presence in
the classroom, interaction is often easy and without or minimal interference.
The exchange in an e-learning class takes the form of live or pre-recorded video, electronic bulletin
boards, emails, synchronous chat, and so on. The efficiency of learning engagement in an online setting
has been debated extensively in the past. Some authors suggest that online contact fosters participation
and promotes student-centered learning more than classroom learning [36] [37]. According to [38], the
typical classroom setting is more intimidating and puts pressure on pupils, causing them to
underperform in class. As a result, students who find it difficult to engage in learning activities may feel
alone, which might damage their performance. In light of this, [39] discovered that the more
involvement students have in an online learning environment, the better their performance. 2.3.4.
Evaluation, feedback, and assessment
Assessment is an important element of the teaching and learning process, and it requires teachers to
examine a number of assessment approaches to suit the subject's learning requirements [40]. Teachers
utilize assessment to collect data that they can use to make judgments about their students, curriculum,
and educational policies. Different evaluation processes can be used in the classroom to examine
students' knowledge and determine whether the subject delivered has been grasped. Student learning
quality should be assessed not simply in terms of achievement or success, but also in terms of the
effectiveness of classroom instruction [41]. According to [41], developing an effective formative
assessment system is a necessary component in teaching.
Through continuous feedback, assessment must uncover shortcomings and strengths in the student
learning process (p. 9). Student assessments keep track of students' progress and determine whether or
not learning objectives have been met. Formative assessment, according to [42], allows teachers to
make key daily instructional decisions. A teacher can use this type of evaluation to track and interpret
students' progress as well as provide constructive feedback to assist improve students' learning and
teaching methods. Teachers in Ghana support formative evaluation at all levels of education [43] [44]. In
the classroom, formative assessment is used to improve instruction. As a result, teachers and students
use formatively generated assessment data to inform subsequent teaching and learning.
2.4. Student Performance as a Concept
Student performance is a multi-dimensional term that includes factors such as student grade, course or
study program completion, skill development, and knowledge acquisition [16]. However, the focus of
this study is on students' academic achievement in both online and classroom settings. The performance
of students in both modes of learning is critical in determining whether a lesson, a course, or a program
that they read was successful. As a result, the pupils' performance would assist a teacher in determining
whether or not the lesson was successful. The course substance acquired, the teacher's educational
practices, and the students' readiness to learn, among other factors, can all influence their performance.
The academic performance of students can be used to assess a teacher's abilities. Many studies have
discovered a difference in student performance between online and classroom learning. According to a
survey from the [45] comparing online and offline learning, students who did all or the bulk of their
courses online performed better on average than students who took the same course in a more
traditional, face-to-face or classroom style.
Also, for a variety of learning contents and student characteristics, online learning proved beneficial.
[46] discovered that students who studied online outperformed classmates who studied offline.
Students in online and hybrid formats did better than students in traditional versions of equivalent
courses, according to a study done by [47]. [48] discovered substantial variations in persistence between
the two instructional styles, but no significant differences in final grade achievement. However, [49]
discovered that the efficiency of online and classroom learning is the same.
In terms of effectiveness, e learning and classroom learning are identical.
2.5. Research Issues
The study aims to answer two research questions based on the literature review:
1) Are there any variations in the efficiency of classroom learning prior to the coronavirus pandemic
versus online learning during the coronavirus pandemic?
2) Are there any academic disparities between students' performance in the classroom before the
coronavirus and online learning during the coronavirus pandemic?