e-Learning Theories in Practice: A Comparison of three Methods

As e-learning and distance learning tend to get more and more important for all kind of organisations, researchers and practitioners are becoming aware of the fact that a simple technology-focussed approach does not guarantee successful teaching and learning. Thus, a shift to pedagogy-based initiatives can be observed within the field of e-learning. This paper examines the implications of commonly known learning theories on online courses. Therefore, a case study was carried out within the field of adult education aiming at the implementation of different e-learning strategies with respect to the behaviouristic, cognitive, and constructivistic school of learning. Furthermore, these instructional approaches are compared with each other in order to examine aspects such as the effort for the teacher and the students, the effectiveness of each method, the students’ workload or collaborative and social aspects of e-learning.