eLearning's Unexpected Perk: How Online Classes Boost Teacher Training
"Discover how Australian teacher education students are finding enjoyment and enhanced learning through eLearning, particularly with online discussion boards."
In today's higher education landscape, students need a dynamic blend of assessments, discussions, and lectures, all enriched by technology. This approach, combining pedagogy and innovative design, leads to more effective learning outcomes. For university educators, eLearning provides a way to meet the needs of 21st-century students while modeling effective teaching practices.
Many university administrators are strategically enhancing eLearning environments because evidence suggests students prefer technology-driven learning. Teacher training institutions face increasing enrollments and a growing expectation to deliver cutting-edge pedagogy. Integrating eLearning into teacher education is essential, enabling new teachers to implement similar strategies in their own classrooms.
Recognizing the importance of eLearning, educators understand that graduates require experience with digital tools and strategies to prepare them for modern classrooms. This article explores how teacher education undergraduates perceive eLearning, focusing on their experiences with online discussion boards, based on a study conducted in Australia.
Digital Learning at Scale
NCES, the federal statistical agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on U.S. education, has tracked education conditions since 1867. Research.com reports that 65% of K-12 teachers already use digital learning tools every day, while 25% notice improved learning outcomes. Devlin Peck reports that in fall 2022, 58% of students at two-year schools and 53% at four-year schools took at least one online course.
Designed Learning, Not Emergency Substitution
The EDUCAUSE Review distinguishes well-planned online learning experiences from courses moved online in response to a crisis or disaster. Research on innovative e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic examined both its advantages and disadvantages in higher education. UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning warns that online programs have often escaped evaluation and oversight when formal assessment mechanisms and institutions are absent.
From Teaching Machines to eLearning
One account traces eLearning's beginnings to 1924, when Ohio State professor Sidney Pressey invented the first teaching machine. Research.com identifies Isaac Pitman's instructional technologies among eLearning's roots and reports that the term "eLearning" was first used in 1999. Another historical account notes that "eLearning" became a popular term in 2000 and that Moodle emerged as an open-source platform in 2001.
Unpacking the Benefits: How eLearning Enhances Teacher Education
A study was conducted at the University of Sydney, Australia, involving undergraduate teacher education students. The research aimed to understand how these students perceive the enhancement of their learning through eLearning. Focus groups, open-ended written responses, and thematic analysis of transcripts were used to investigate student perceptions.
- Facilitates broader and deeper learning experiences.
- Provides a robust resource management and organization system.
- Offers 24-hour access and flexibility.
- Enhances interaction and communication with peers.
- Enables students to learn at their own pace.
- Provides a platform for advice, tips, and assistance.
- Creates a space for anonymous study-related and social interaction.
A Growing Evidence Base
Matete's 2023 review examined the use of eLearning in teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Rodrigues's 2019 study approached the field through published papers and aimed to synthesize the cumulative findings on e-learning in education. Azukas's 2024 action research study examined a K-12 online learning curriculum integrated into a graduate instructional technology course.
Where Online Learning Breaks Down
The University of Illinois Springfield identifies user-friendly, reliable technology as critical to a successful online program and notes that breakdowns can occur at any point. Emerald Publishing describes e-learning as polarizing: some view it as improving access to education, while others argue that it hinders access. These concerns show why online learning's benefits cannot be separated from the reliability of its technology or the conditions in which learners participate.
Online and Traditional Outcomes
A 2025 scoping review reports that some reviews find online education more effective than, or at least equivalent to, traditional methods for improving cognitive outcomes. Tony Bates's review presents a conflicting conclusion, reporting that online coursework generally produces worse student performance than in-person coursework and that disadvantaged students may be especially affected. The available sources therefore do not support a single universal winner; outcomes vary across reviews and learner groups.
eLearning: Shaping the Future of Teacher Training
The study's findings highlight that eLearning helps students expand their learning, facilitates engagement before class, tests knowledge, and provides resources for the present and future. It also offers a platform for instant feedback from peers and teachers.
Aligning Training With Classroom Needs
A study of teachers' and students' perspectives reports weaknesses in current teaching and learning strategies used in e-learning environments. Australia's Teacher Education Expert Panel produced a report containing 14 recommendations intended to improve teacher training and better prepare teachers for the classroom. A profile analysis of teacher educators describes a continuing responsibility for higher education-based teacher education to address the gap between research and teaching and bring them into closer alignment.
Personalized and Immersive Learning
The Peabody Blog identifies integrating AI and technology in the classroom and replacing one-size-fits-all teaching among the trends shaping education's future. The Digital Learning Institute lists AI-driven personalized learning systems, gamification, immersive VR/AR learning, and expanded microcredentials and digital credentials among its 2026 education technology trends. ViewSonic emphasizes that new learning technologies are not expected to replace teachers anytime soon.
Infrastructure Determines Access
A 2025 Frontiers in Education study reports that many institutions face inadequate technological infrastructure and insufficient resources to support e-learning initiatives. The National University article identifies time management, unclear or delayed communication, and slow or vague instructor feedback as challenges for teachers in distance learning. Other reviews frame these difficulties as problems encountered by both students and educators, making e-learning a system-wide issue rather than a purely technical one.
Reflection, Experience, and Teacher Influence
The Annenberg Institute's paired case studies present real-world examples of organizations developing innovative, practical, and equity-focused approaches to measuring teacher professional learning. Research from Penn State found that combining case studies with field experience enables student teachers to reflect on their practice and build self-awareness. A 2022 study of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes that teachers are among the most influential factors in student learning in online classrooms.
The most valued aspects of eLearning were discussion boards, high-quality online lecture notes, and access to online learning materials. Students appreciated the asynchronous nature of these tools, enabling them to interact and collaborate at their convenience.
These insights align with recommendations from researchers who advocate for better utilization of technology in education. By embracing eLearning strategies, teacher educators can create shared teaching and learning goals relevant for the 21st century, fostering a culture of inquiry and experimentation with new media technologies.