Virtual Classrooms and E -Learning: The Changing Pedagogy

Media Convergence and new communication technologies have created the new learning environment. The traditional approach of teaching is being replaced with online courses. Media Convergence and new communication technologies have created the new learning environment. Online courses with audio –visual tools such as colorful text, sound, images not only enhance learning but it has also turned the whole world into global village. There is need to revise the present pedagogies so that the use of ICT tools not only enhance the teachers basic skills and learning but should also play an important role on the student’s employment and economic growth of the country. Virtual classrooms are an emerging trend which allows active participation, interactive discussions and information with blended techniques and skills thus replacing interpersonal communications. Communities of practice can also use blended techniques, leveraging both face-to-face interactions and online tools and discussions (Means et al. 2010; Bakia et al., 2011). Today, with digitalization it has become very easy and convenient for the teachers to share and connect with the larger global community of educators but at the same time it has also created Rural-Urban Divide not only at the national level but also among develop and developing countries. In most of the developing countries there is lack of ICT infrastructure or the digital divide is because of geographic proximity to internet access and internetcafes. Luke (1993) agrees with Campbell that this expansion of technology will create a 'new class' of information-elite, which will be unreachable to the information poor. Some learners will undoubtedly thrive in the new liberating on-line learning situation, while others will flounder (Lynch & Bishop 1998). Effective learning is closely related to context delivery and medium. The present chapter through review of literature will try to explore the pros and cons of virtual learning, effecting the education system, community and society at the large.