Is There a Best Way to Teach? Evaluating the Traditional and E-Learning Pedagogies from the Promise and Perils Perspectives

Abstract

This review reveals that there is no instructional method that is inherently bad; misuse rather than use is the culprit. The question whether there is a "best" teaching option between lecturing and technology-enhanced learning is fundamental, but a somewhat challenging undertaking, more so at a time when e-learning pedagogies are still undergoing negotiations in pursuit of full development. At this particular bend, the focus should shift from deciding the "best" teaching option to aligning instructional methods (whether fully developed or underdeveloped) to specific educational contexts, with much attention to answering questions like; what implications do the existing instructional strategies have on varying educational contexts? How effectively can individual students learn while using these methods as modes of instruction? How can e-learning instructional strategies produce learning outcomes that are similar or superior to the lecture method, and vice versa? And what unique features of these instructional methods best align with students learning needs? If these concerns are given priority, then the journey to creating an effective learning environment that empowers students to engage meaningfully and productively just got much smoother.