Research on Negative Effect on E-Learning

International Journal of Mobile Network Communications & Telematics ( IJMNCT) Vol. 3, No.2, April 2013
DOI : 10.5121/ijmnct.2013.3202 11
Research on Negative Effect on E-Learning
MORTAZA MOKHTARI NAZARLOU
Computer group, Islamic Azad University, Maku Branch, Maku, Iran
mortezamokhtari@ymail.com
ABSTRACT
This paper expounds the negative effect of E-learning in respect that E-learning commits harm to learners'
health, results in "lost in internet", strengthens learners' separation from real world, weakens learners'
logical ability and eases face- to- face interactive relationship. It points E-learning is not the perfect
solution to studying, for the hope of arousing people's focus on negative effective of E- learning so as to
evade misuse in practice.
KEYWORDS
E-learning; Negative effect; Studying; learners; internet
1. INTRODUCTION
Bill Gates' dream in childhood is "there is a computer on each desk in each house". When
technology of computer becomes prevalent and complicated, he designs another era "people all
over the world can study best subjects, study any subject by the best teachers in their own home".
Since 21century various information technologies especially the modern information technology
based on computer and network communication create new educational culture. With the
advancement of world- wide educational information waves, more and more people believe E-
learning will become the main ways of people's studying, which will be advanced constantly in
theory and practice.
However, people have zeal for exploring how computer and network technology optimize
studying, ignoring negative effect resulting in many theoretical avocations but a few successful
cases. Will E-leaning become the main ways of people's studying? Is it evitable or just people's
wishful dream? This essay expounds some negative effect of E- learning to illuminate E- leaning
is not the perfect solution to studying for the hope of arousing people's emphasis on negative
effect of E-learning so as to evade misuse of E- learning in practice.
2. E-LEARNING AND ITS CHARACTERS
To be simple, so- called E- leaning is the on- line studying or network studying. That establishes
network in the field of education. The students can be on- line by PC, which is the new studying
way by network. [1] it makes full use of studying environment of newly communicative
institution and profound resources provided by IT technology, such as computer network, multi-
media, professional content network, information search, digital library, distanced studying, on-
line class and so on to realize newly studying ways.[2]
People believe E- learning will become the main studying ways in the future accounting of
following characters of E- learning:

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2.1. Multi-medialization of Studying Material
Studying information covering words and images to present sound, cartoon and video and even
three-dimensional scene largely enriches the expressive ways of studying material; so as to realize
multi- tunnel transmission of information, improve transmissive efficiency and quality to improve
effect of study.
2.2. Autonomous learning
E-learning can provide profound and diverse studying resource and be presented by hyper- text.
Students have broad choice of teaching material, teachers teaching tool. consultant material and
etc so as to realize free exploration of knowledge" E- learning can reverse the traditional,
institutional subordination of studying subject which is controlled by study to express automation
to largest extent from studying content and type, studying steps and schedule to studying time and
place.
2.3. Virtualization of Study
Educational activity can separate from physical space and time limitation. Human makes use of
computer and communicative technology to create virtual library, virtual class, virtual
community, virtual city and even virtual country virtual objects created in virtual spaced world
improve largely studying subjects' ability of cognition, enlarge space of cognition. The
restrictions in real world on human's practical activities disappear in the world of network, virtual
object is not restricted to attribute, state and regulation any 'longer, practical activity set free from
restrictions of space, climate and some other outer restrictions. Resorting to technology of virtual
world, we can construct any real object even to our content and even can image fantastic object.'
For example, studying medical science can repeat operation on virtual body; studying chemistry
can observe molecular structure exploring into the inner of substance. [3]
2.4. Contact of space- time out limit Relationship
On the one hand the contact of E- learning eliminates the space- time barricade of people's
contact to realize communication wherever and whenever without personal attendance, on the
other hand, to some extent, it overcomes interpersonal barricade in real world so as to make
people freely and equally communication getting away from various differences, such as social
status, life style, cultural background. This kind of study can help contact more efficient,
convenient, equal and broad" At present people practice about community of network study is
based on this character of E- learning.
Obviously, people have confidence in applicative perspective of E-learning with strong
expectation. In ED-media of World Conference of 201A, on statistic analysis of frequency of key
words exacted from content and topic of 630 essays advanced by conference, we discover
"conference puts focus on how to utilized technology of information communication to develop
study and teach, this kind of focus is on how to develop on- line study better, instead not merely
on how to utilize information technology to enlarge class in traditional face- to.- face
teaching."[4] In group speech of conference, many participators use the same pictures that
hundreds of students is having class with a laptop on their knees to prove our class cannot
proceed without technology of information. [4]

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3. NEGATIVE EFFECT OF E-LEARNING
However, the essence of technology is doubled by impartment and requirement. Computer
technology, especially the development of network technology exerts both great convenience to
human's production, life and education and negative influence. So far, if E-learning is considered
as main studying ways, it will exert following negative influence:
3.1. Harm to Learners' Health
More and more evidences prove that long- time usage of computer can do harm to people's health.
It mainly includes electromagnetic radiation, harm to eyesight and damage of organs and so on.
3.1.1. Electromagnetic radiation
On operating, computer will emit electromagnetic wave, which pollutes surrounding environment
harmful to health. Although people stipulate strictly the radiation of electronic products (such as
3c certification forcefully fulfilled in domestic), it is impossible to eradicate radiation in computer
design. According to survey in British, radiation and magnetic field of low frequency emitted by
computer will conduced to7 to 19 kinds of diseases covering running nose, itch on eyes, pain on
neck and back, temporary laptop memories, short- temper, and gloom and so on. Related convey
discovered electromagnetic radiation also will conduce to cancer. The number of accumulation of
electromagnetic radiation has direct ratio to product between intensity of radiation and time of
radiation. If people takes long time to study in front of computer, their health will face huge
threat. Especially in studying environment of centered- computer, it is difficult to keep secure
distance from radiation resource, which will be hurtful to learners.
3.1.2. Harm to eyesight
E-learning is a kind of studying way based on screen, which presents series of changing and
rolling up and down signals and figures will be harmful to eyes, which is vulnerable to conduce to
teenagers' shortsightedness and ciliary spasm. The so- called computer vision syndrome is a kind
of forced disease, resulted from long- time staring at one place; the time of blink is just one third
of that normally so that decrease secretion of lubricant. It lasts for a long time will result in
fatigue of eye, ghost image, and blurred vision in addition to other syndrome.
3.1.3. Damage to organs.
It is difficult to change figure, on operating computer. Speedy, singular, repeated manipulation
and enduring forced position are easy to conduce to disease of musculoskeletal system. Main hurt
positions are waist, neck, shoulder, elbow, and wrist and so on. The survey of American Cornell
University shows 4Opercent students of primary schools fall into improper setting position due to
work station of school's ignoring students' musculoskeletal growth.
3.1.4 .Decrease of outer activity will results in decrease of functional capacity.
"media is the extension of body"[5], but relying on technical means, media intensifies some sense
organ, meanwhile restricting potential ability of some human's organs, E- learning help people to
break out the limitations of time and space, microcosmic and macrocosmic. The exploration into
real world and face- to - face interpersonal contact will be replaced by contact of human and
computer. The cost of contact of human and computer will cut down the opportunities of people's
outer activities leading to reduction of people's functional capacity in comfortable time.

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3.2. Autonomous learning is Easy to conduce to "Lost in internet"
E-learning can help students realize free exploration of knowledge; satisfy the need of learners,
timely study and just in case, on contrary, it is apt to result in learners' aimless state following
information unreasonably due to lost in sea of information. So- called "lost in internet" is lost
head in face of sea of information just like navigating on the sea. "Network magical consists in a
large number of random information: it is possible to fail to wanted information, but inevitable to
encounter unexpected information. Network can transform easily from aimed quest to aimless
wander.[6] Informational lost not only take learners' attention but also their precious time leading
to low efficient teaching. There is a lot of useful information, but due to informational lost, a few
of which exert influence. Some of people fall into aimless state in network activity, following
information sightless. The well- known "addict to network" is a kind of abnormal reliance on
network.
3.3. Virtual Studies is Easy to Alienate Learners from Real world
In reliance on nature, object and people to obtain free and higher subjectivity, [3] However, study
by Virtual technology is just a part of practice of human, cannot be replaced by effect of real
practice. For example, "on- line the world expo" is free and easy, but can be experienced
profound feeling just like in person. People obtain knowledge of world from network information
for lack of profound sense of reality different from specific reality. If we recognize the world
relying on network, it is bound to take shape one- sidedness. Even on line feeling communication
with less rationality is different communication from feeling in reality.
Meanwhile supposed someone is addicted to on- line life, they will gradually weaken ability of
adapt ion to complication of reality. Due to wide-scale of network, high speed of high
transmission, high efficiency of collection of information, human's-activity is constrained to
limitation of time and space will be reduced. They usually do not aware or unnecessary to aware
what their location is to blur definition of reality and virtual world. They tend to imitate virtual
reality by real life who is induced too far away from real world so as to lose human's real feeling
and value resulting in separating from real world. But human's substantial need and spiritual need
finally be satisfied by real society, anyone should return to society problems in reality. For
example, "one-line dinner" is various, line but it cannot feed up; one-line shopping can save time
and sale section, but it is finally consumed when commodity is sent to customers. Therefore,
learners cannot transform role of real world to virtual world, which leads to addiction to network,
psychological conflict and action disorders.
3.4. Multi-medialization of studying Material will weaken Learners' Logical Ability
Intellectualization of computer is the extension of human's intelligence, which can substitute
some human's logical function, and even surpass some respects of human's intelligence. Due to
replacement of computer when people solve complicated object, they tend to transfer logical
thinking to machine. For a long time, human's brain is not accustomed to consider carefully. For
example, people discover from the effect of electro- dictionary on English teaching that students
are easy to bring reliance on electro-dictionary. Conferring the meaning of new words in the light
of context is an important reading skill in the process of reading, the increasing frequency of
consulting words will result in decrease of guess meaning. Therefore it will decrease interaction
between students and textual context to frequently consult electro-dictionary [7].
On the other hand, media relies on technology to strengthen function of some organs, meanwhile
restricts potential ability of human's some organs. When students are attracted to various
information of multimedia, they do human and computer of interaction in accordance with some

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model and way of thought and clues predetermined, they have no enough time to consider
problems deeply.[8] Especially, prevalence of network information, vivid and dynamic
knowledge and information leave less room to learner's consideration. In such information
environment, it will depress development of learners' abstract logical ability and cultivate logical
inertial ness so that people lack ability of rational consideration. Simultaneously, presentation of
non- linear knowledge has divergent influence on learners' logical thinking. However imperfect
system of knowledge will lead to barricade to systematizing knowledge and taking shape of
picture in brain in the process of collection information, sort out information.
3.5. Ultra- space and time of Contact Decrease face-to-face Interactive Action
Contact is the indispensable part of studying, efficient study has direct ratio to efficient contact,
and efficient contact is based on signal system.tg] E- learning can get rid of direction of face- to-
face interpersonal contact in society and limitation of activity within physical tome and space to
present free, initial, equality and so on of studying contact. However, in E-learning interpersonal
action completely depends on development of internet, the learners who join contact study firstly
face computer and network, then the object of contact. Due to absence of body, anonymity, and
lacking in language clues (such as tone, facial expression, body language) it is difficult to
accomplish efficient communication. Linguists come to conclusion that language action only
occupies 35 percent of the whole of interaction from investigation on language action and non-
language action of interaction. Psychologists also invented a interesting formula that an
expression of a information= 7 percent of language + 38 percent of sound + 55 percent body
movement.
Meanwhile, E-learning encourage interaction of network will lead weak of practical interpersonal
action. Consequently interpersonal feeling will become faint, making the degree of personal
socialization low. The scholar called No many of Stanford University claimed the time that
people spend on network has inverse ratio with time of people spend on realizing interpersonal
contact. Thus he doubted whether international internet will create a world of loneliness. Other
professional pointed that even if teenagers have information communication with more people by
network, but which cannot substitute direct interpersonal life experience, because the way of
direct communication is more complicated and warmer than on- line communication.
It is conspicuous that E- learning is not like the image initial designed by people. For example
since 2003 the construction of featured courses of nation, province and school are taken into
practice, educational institution of each level devote support and fund and plenty of teachers and
educational institutions also spend a large number of time and experience which cannot support
education and satisfy students' efficient study.[l0]
4. CONCLUSIONS
Above all, although E-learning has huge influence on promoting study, it is still not a perfect
educational means there are still a lot of intractable problems. It does not matter E- learning
import advanced technology, it cannot substitute face-to-face communication between teacher
and students and students and practical activity, mention less education of thousand- year of
human' history. [11] We should take it into consideration of the effect of E- learning on
education, in addition, pay attention to the negative effect of it in order to avoid strange circle of
educational technology claimed by Richard E' Mayer enormous anticipation on educational
revolution that is fulfilled frontier technology large- scale proved come to dead end after tens of
years. [12] Of course, aim of this paper is not ignore positive effect of E- learning on educational

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field by pointing the negative effect of E-learning cannot deny. It just objects the radical favor
and unpractical proposal.
REFERENCES
[1] Zhen Shiliang.(2001). "The Analysis on Integral character of E-learning". Educational Technology
communication.
[2] He Kekang. (2002), "Deeply Reformation of E- learning and Education of college (first). China
Educational Technology.
[3] Liu Xuelan, Liu Ming.(2004), "Network Study and Subjective development of Human. South china
Normal university journal vol.28, issue 2.
[4] Chen Bin.(2010), "Developmental Prospective of Technology in Educational application". Comment
on ED- India World Conference.
[5] Marshall Mcluhan. "Survey on Media: Extension of Body"
[6] Wu Weimin.(200l), "Initial Analysis on lots of Information in Network Study". China Educational
Technology.
[7] Kobalashi, c. (2006) "The use of Pocket Electronic Dictionaries as Compared with Printed
Dictionaries by Japanese learners of English Columbus". Ohio State University.
[8] Zhang Jinshun, Lu Huiju. (2006), "Psychological problem in network study", Academic forum, vol.7
[9] Meng Qingjun.(2008) "Research on Cost of Study in era of Network Data base of Chinese Doctor
Essay , Doctor Essay.
[10] Wang youmei. (2010), "Research on efficiency of Network Resources Education of Featured Subjects
in college". Research on open Education, vol. 5.
[11] Luo Zhongmin, chen chujun. (2005). "The definition of characters of E-learning Foreign language
Education.
[12] Mayer.R.E.(2005). "Introduction to Multimedia learning". Cambridge university press.
AUTHOR
Mortaza Mokhtari Nazarlou received his B.Sc. from Islamic Azad University, Tabriz
Branch in software engineering and currently he receives M.Sc. from Islamic Azad
University, Shabestar Branch in Computer science. Also, he is lecturer at Islamic Azad
University, Urmia and Maku Branch. His main research interests are Petri net, software
testing, Colour Petri nets, verification and validation, E-Commerce and E-Learning.

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