The speed of growth of internet has been very fast since the time when it has been created, December 1969, and it is expected to spread out by further %1000 in the next few years. Over the same 4 decades of development, there has been a great deal of increase in level of available information, scale of available data, number of accessible eBooks and journals. The World Wide Web (www) and the internet has generated considerable advancement in many fields including health care systems, security systems, police data base and many more; education is one of the fields in which this development has introduced major advancement by introducing new technologies and methods. Various available information and immediate access to all scientific literature was like a dream for students and learners.
Definition of e-learning:
Importation of internet in educational field leads to modification of traditional classroom with the gradually developing high technology for an improved tutoring. E-learning utilizes internet to transfer information, learning and data.
E-learning is an innovative term in the world of education technologies and there are diversity descriptions for this phrase, for instance: Horton describe e-learning as "...the use of internet and digital technologies to create experiences that educate fellow human beings"(Horton, 2001); moreover, Urdan and Weggen cite e-learning as:"... a set of applications and processes, including computer based learning, web based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration"(Urdan and Weggen, 2002).
In fact, e-learning could be known as a web-based educational mechanism, which supplies presented information to learners without paying attention to time or place limitation. Internet and IT play fundamental roles in e-learning system. There are two conventional types of e-learning categories:
Computer assisted instructor
Distance learning
Computer assisted instructor helps in transmission of learning and teaching by means of stand-alone multimedia packages through computers. On the other hand, distance learning employs ITs (information technologies) to transfer instruction to trainees who are located in remote area far from main site. In fact, these two modes have become available under e-learning as the internet became integrating technology. The advantage of internet existence is multimedia learning which is combined with e-learning. Multimedia uses several types of media such as audio, text, video and animation. These technologies facilitate creating a motivating content which will be available through computer to students.
To illustrate the use of internet in education through computer assisted instructor technique of e-learning, M0LE is the e-learning system in use in university of Sheffield, UK, which is currently supplying students with the latest information- data related to their modules and also providing them access to online library which enables students to access the most recent journals and articles at any time they require without a need to use the hard copies; this facility also provide information about available books in the library. Discussion rooms available under MOLE's modules enable students to get in touch their other colleagues and their supervisors-lecturers to discuss over different aspects of their studies and carry out brain storming over problems related to their modules. This capability of this system enables students to raise their issues in a virtual environment with no time-location limits. Provided that in this virtual world there is no time or location limit, students can take part in a course of study without a need to be present in university. This also enables lecturers to provide their supports to students studying remotely from the campus .as an example e-learning system for university of Surrey, UK, ULearn offers similar services of above mentioned mole's team distance learning student from all around the world; students can access all the module materials from UAE or all the way from South Africa and also get the support they need in a reasonable time scale. This also facilitate opportunity of further studies in the university of student's choice while they are working far away from the university campus and not being able to accommodate time in line with university's attendance requirement.
Advantages of e-learning:
It could be said e-learning is a successful model because; it has several positive points. E-learning is creating the means for many outstanding opportunities to learners and teachers, for example: e-learning helps students to obtain learning materials which are available online to meet their needs, additionally teachers and students can communicate with each other remote from the classrooms. The most cited advantages of e-learning is in its application; learning delivery which could be considered in terms of different aspects; counting:
Getting better and updating information through e-learning
Also updating procedure of the modules is very simple and fast
Comprehensive available resources which lets students whenever or wherever to access the materials.
In reality, education system development materialises students' enthusiasm and interactivity; and eventually the most significant point is that style of education grow to be more flexible. E-learning helps students to achieve mentioned factor by engaging them to be more active contributor which leads to more attractive modules, to the students. Interactive learning changes the style of learning from the teacher-centred to a more active one by learner's participation. This type of education promotes students to reinforce their individual participation, in the same time keep learners' eagerness up in the content. Due to above mentioned flexibilities in e-learning, students can achieve skills, learn information and knowledge faster than traditional learning method. Variety of multimedia option available under this style of learning provides students number of divers option to choose from to suit this method of study.
Disadvantage of e-learning:
The drawback in presenting modules online through e-learning mode may be in a social outcome by possible propagation of solitary between students due to the nature of the method; although it also promotes students engagement in the learning process, in this sort of online method, because of students working alone in different time and location, student individual inputs are likely to outstand more than any of their group input. To be truthful, this drawback would depends on individual's psychology; for instance an individual with dynamic social personality would always find his/her own method of engagement into the module discussion and therefore solitary would not become a risk to the individual; however to clarified the danger of individuality we should note the apparent difference between interactive student involvement through emails and discussion world within the virtual environment of e-learning and face-to-face contact within conventional classrooms in the traditional methods of the education.
Some argues that in the e-learning method of study due to the time differences in individual use of the system there will be a time delay in receiving responses to individual question; however it should be noted that the same time delay would be applicable to the traditional system due to the fact an individual must wait to take his/her question to the classroom or his/her tutor within time frame available in university/place of study.
Conclusion:
To sum up, it can be said, e-learning enables transfer and delivery of information to students by the help of internet and telecommunication systems. E-learning is introduced as the new step of modern education through communication technology development. The great benefit about e-learning which becomes its distinction from other systems is in its no restriction policy over time and location for students' and instructor's interactive involvement in discussions and knowledge exchange. Different types of study supports in this system lead the e-learning to become more and more attractive for learners; learners can choose the types of study supports that they are interested in whilst they have the choice over time and location for their studies. Moreover ever increasing number of available journals, books and level of relevant information available in relation to any topics of interest through e-learning facilities is adding up to the e-learning privilege over other systems. Being cost-effective to both side parties in an education system, trainees and organization's trainers, is one of the many advantages for e-learning system. In this style of education learners or trainees are centred in replacement for more conventional teacher-centred systems and yet promote students to be much more active. On the other hand, in fact each new innovation besides its advantages has disadvantages. The function of this system causes learners to push toward isolation; so reduced social interactions and therefore reduction in student's social characteristic improvements is inevitable and added to this drawback lack of immediate feedback is considered to redeem some of credits been given to e-learning system, however the developing technology in communications is aiming to resolve any disputes over loss of face to face interactions. Over all, further developments in technology seem to add up to the value of e-learning system and reveal its added values to the education system and consequently future of societies worldwide.
