E-Learning in Theory, Practice, and Research

Maria Janelli - Senior Manager of Online Teacher Education Programs at the American Museum of Natural History; Ph. D. Fellow at the City University of New York. E-mail: mjanelli@amnh.orgThe article begins by defining e-learning as the use of technology for teaching and learning. Noting that there is no unified theory of e-learning, this article reviews the major theoretical frameworks to date-behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, digital media theory, and active learning theory-to suggest a common sphere of interests and a common vocabulary that differentiates it from traditional modes of learning. The article then turns to a practical case study of e-learning, a MOOC on the Coursera platform created by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The case study demonstrates both how learning theory afford a template to guide MOOC creation, and how testing can reach beyond content assessment mastery to offer a laboratory for e-learning study.