ABSTRACT
E-learning educators cannot afford to be seduced by the adoption of trivial social media masquerading as relevant and worthwhile educational experiences. Much of what we have experienced during the first decade of the 21st century is an infatuation with personal information and communication made possible by ubiquitous and inexpensive technologies. We have seen unimagined developments in interpersonal connections and the ability to express our opinions anytime and anywhere. However, the educational challenge is to understand how information and communication technologies can be used in the service of a worthwhile educational experience. The reduced cost of storage and bandwidth were the significant technological
advances at the beginning of this century. This provided instantaneous access to virtually unlimited information and the unprecedented sharing of personal information. However, these advances have largely been in the service of social communication and entertainment. While there were a select few who were using new communication technologies to reflect, share ideas and engage in discourse, most were not engaged in knowledge creation-they were largely consumers of selfies and titillating bits of information made possible by social networks. It was a period of turmoil as communication technologies were transforming society. As a result, the early part of this century has seen a period of confusion for educational institutions in terms of what to make of these technological developments. From an educational perspective, the crucial insight is that society has
come to accept the reality of being connected 24/7. Technology adoption no longer brings with it the resistance it once had. While many are frustrated by new technologies, we have come to accept their pervasive influence in society. This is certainly true in business and the home but its influence in the educational sector is only in its infancy. In the past, the problem was that educators focused too much on the technology and not enough on examining the quality of pedagogical practices in terms of deficiencies, limitations and learner dissatisfaction. The first task in this regard is an analysis of pressing educational needs and then an informed assessment of technological capabilities to achieve desired goals.
