Identifying and resolving disorientation in e-learning systems

Web-based learning has been one of the most researched areas for the past two decades. Among different problems encountered in e-learning research, an important phenomenon is disorientation. It is the event which results in learners losing their sense of direction in hyperspace or unknowingly deviating from their learning goal. In this paper we review some e-learning systems and their support for identifying or resolving disorientation. We then present architecture of proposed system with an embedded Disorientation Module (DM). DM consists of sub components namely Sensing Module, Resolution Module and Evaluation Module with subsequent techniques for identifying and resolving various types of disorientation. The paper concludes with suggestions regarding future research directions.