Benefits and Challenges of eLearning in Central Asia

Abstract

The importance of Geoinformatics (GI) is well established across natural and social science disciplines. This has led to a high demand for GI experts worldwide. Particularly, in developing countries the number of trained staff and students in this domain is very limited compared to current demand. To address this, eLearning is gaining increasing interest. This is particularly true for Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). But, what are the benefits and challenges of using eLearning in this region? Which recommendations can be given to foster the benefits and to meet the challenges of eLearning? To answer these questions, a survey directed towards teachers working at Central Asian universities was conducted. The results show that eLearning is seen to bring both advantages and disadvantages. Recommendations to increase the use of eLearning in these countries range from awareness-raising on the wide range of web-based tools available for this, to foster further education of teachers regarding the use of eLearning (concepts, tools, s and materials), to focus on local topics to motivate self-study, and to pay attention to required computer resources and Internet connectivity as an essential basis for eLearning.