In recent years, online learning has become increasingly relevant as the emergence of new technologies has enhanced the speed, accessibility, and convenience for students during the learning process. Many institutions now offer e-learning courses in addition to traditional in-person classes.
However, the growing number of online courses presents unique challenges for academic institutions. These challenges include training instructors to teach courses online, managing tasks such as grading, and providing access to e-learning resource content.
Automation of these tasks offers many benefits for online students and instructors. In this article, we will explore what e-learning automation is and its five key advantages.
What is e-learning automation?
E-learning automation refers to the automation of tasks related to online learning. These tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Assessment and feedback
- Peer assessment and communication
- Administration and instructor support
- Online learning activities
Technologies such as machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) make automation easy and cost-effective. They enable instructors to generate automated assessments and create personalized learning goals for individual students. They also allow administrative staff to set up automated notifications.
Advantages of e-learning automation.
Automation provides benefits for both online learners and e-learning professionals. For instance, automation allows instructors to spend more time on active student mentorship, assessing work on a larger scale, focusing on key activities such as moderating discussion forums, and building meaningful relationships with students.
Five key advantages of automated e-learning:
- E-learning automation improves access to course materials and important information. It allows instructors to create online learning without the need to search for and purchase physical textbooks. Instead, instructors can provide students with electronic learning content, which they can instantly access from any device. When course materials for online classes change, automation can share updated information with students currently enrolled in the class. This automated process ensures that all students receive the latest version of any notes, reading materials, videos, and other content. Similarly, automation can notify students of upcoming class deadlines and assignment submission dates. This ensures that students are aware of and can meet the current course requirements.
- E-learning automation makes the learning process more engaging. Automation does not mean reducing human interaction; on the contrary, it enhances it. Instructors can automate the creation of groups for peer interaction, allowing students to ask questions or collaborate on class projects without the need for manual organization by the instructor. This helps increase student engagement and fosters collaboration among peers, creating a more effective e-learning experience.
- E-learning automation facilitates quick assessments and feedback. Two common areas where automation excels in online education are assessments and feedback. It helps instructors evaluate assignments, exams, and tasks more quickly than if they were done manually. Instructors can provide immediate feedback to students and allow them to progress at their own pace once they have mastered a certain area of knowledge. Additionally, automation provides students with consistent standards for evaluating their work.
- E-learning automation enhances the efficiency of administration and instructor support. Automation tools can manage everyday tasks related to supporting instructors, such as updating course materials or responding to the majority of student inquiries. For example, automation allows instructors to update or modify their online courses without needing access to multiple accounts or remembering long reference codes. When colleges and universities implement automation, they can improve data collection for student satisfaction metrics. For instance, automation can send student satisfaction surveys after they complete their e-learning courses. The automation process ensures that students receive surveys on time, making it more likely that they will respond quickly. Automation tools can also send follow-up messages to students who do not respond to the initial request.
- E-learning automation supports personalized learning opportunities. Automation tools can help customize courses according to each student’s unique learning needs. For example, automation can gather information about students’ learning styles and abilities.
This allows instructors to use automation tools, such as adaptive testing or automated essay grading, to personalize the material they provide based on how well each student responds to specific learning methods (e.g., video lectures or text-based instructions). They can also use automation to offer personalized content based on students’ achievements, knowledge gaps, or interests. If a student is struggling with a subject, automation can provide individualized instructions in that area, helping them improve their performance.
