Introduction to the evolution of teaching and learning paradigms

Abstract

The increasing popularity of the move to e-learning or webbased education throughout the world has not only accompanied advances in information technology, but has brought about a recognition of the importance of the need for teachers to keep pace with changes in teaching and learning in areas of organisation, curriculum, infrastructure and pedagogy. Constructivism has been an underlying pedagogy that has influenced education since the middle of the twentieth century and continues to form an important foundation for e-learning. It continues to guide the move to help students acquire the higher level cognitive abilities of comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation and hypothesis creation. This chapter provides a brief overview of the changes in teaching and learning including the latest ideas, theories and technologies being applied in web-based education world-wide. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.