Online learning in the Higher Education evidence from the experience in USA.)

E-Learning : The US . Perspective

Student 's name

Course Code , Semester , Class

Tutor

14 August , 2008

Introduction

A device that manipulates data according to some predefined instructions is commonly referred to as a computer (Bullen Janes , 2006 . Though this definition is lacking on the technical aspects it serves as a right of what a computer is . The first device that in any way resembles a computer was in use in the mid 40 's although the concepts applied by many intelligent devices were already in place . The growth of

the computing industry has also gone in line with the growth in its area of application . The large computers of the past that could only perform a limited number of services have been replaced by small personal computers that can run a number of programs simultaneous . One aspect that distinguishes computers from other intelligent devices is its ability to store and execute programs (IEEE , 2006 . This ability makes the versatile and is therefore applicable in many areas of in the daily business environment and production areas

As computer technology improved the uses of computers found their way into various areas . The internet and the worldwide web are some of the greatest inventions of the 20th century , they made it possible for quick communication across distances data transfer was never the same and information accessibility has never been this good in the entire history of humanity (EBSCO , 2003 . The availability and access to information is an aspect that is relevant to all areas of human existence in the current world , access to information and education has become the basis for development . The conventional mode of education that require a student and teacher to interact physically has been replaced by e-learning where the teacher and the student interact over a global platform the internet . E-learning as a major application of the internet and computers , is an area of education that is growing rapidly in both the developed and developing nations . Governments have realised its potential and have put in place systems and policies to aid its growth and thus achieve the best out of it . The USA has not been left behind as the application of e-learning especially in the higher education sector has been on the increase , and the government has played a great part in this

Internet E-Learning

The internet is a platform through which computer users can communicate over the web . The internet is thus the platform through which the tutor and the students communicate in an E-session . There have been a number of key developments in the internet technology that paved way for e-learning , e- commerce and other electronic means of conducting daily activities . The internet as it is now is different from what it was a number of decades back , though the protocols employed have not changed that much (Salmon , 2002 . Some of the notable development in the internet that has made it possible to learn through the use of this electronic medium is

The rate of data...