For briefing, let us use the expression of "e-education" in the sense of "information-oriented, asynchronous and web-based education".
In detail :
Web-based, asynchronous
[We are not concerned to consider synchronous remote education (such as TV meeting/conferencing device is used).]
Instructor serves students the contents for self-teaching/training in the form of homepage.
Students access the homepage and self-teach/train by it.
E-mail and "chat/notice" web-page are available as means of the communications between instructor and students.
Nurturing/training/raising system
An e-education is located somewhere between the following two opposite poles -- we are to consider the "nurturing/training/raising system" :
Nurturing/training/raising system
Responsible to raise visitors/users (students) to the goal.
Yielding dropouts means that the system is defective.
Therefore, in particular,
It starts with motivating visitors/users to study.
Evaluaion of students' results is indispensable.
Knowledge storehouse
Motivated visitors look for what may suit their concerns.
Enriched education
We are concerned to consider "e-education" as a solution for enhancing the quality of a given education.
The reason of this "solution"is the power of "digital". ( Reason of Web-based Instruction)
"E-education" as a solution for wide/remote distribution of a given education, or "e-learning" as substitute for attending school, is not what we are concerned to consider here.
For example, it is introduced :
As extention of onsite instruction, where students can self-teach to the full understanding without being pressed for time.
As a method of "problem-solving"-type instruction, where tasks are assigned to students, and students endeavor to make their own solutions, with taking time satisfactorily, and referring to information/hint provided online by the instructor.
Remark:
"E-education" is not in opposition to "school education". It can be a component of real school education.
Result of an optimization from the viewpoint of "instructor's capacity" (trade-off between "students' satisfaction" and "instructors' capacity")
That a convenience for students, or an obligation of instructor, is lacking means that it is intentionally cut off by the reason of "economy". ]
Best use of e-education
"E-education" we sujbect here is such is employed in combination with school education, from the standpoint of "best use of e-education". Each of school education and e-education has its own strong points and weak points.
For example, in most cases, it is difficult for inexperienced person to master physical skill (such as swimming) web-basedly. But, for experienced one, there is definitely a place where web-based instruction becomes effective. What is learnable by web-based instruction depends on learner's readiness.
Generally speaking, self-teaching by web instruction material works well for those who know the issue and want it to be developed thoroughly, minutely, or in an easy style.
Remark: Whether a web-based self-teaching works for initiating a learner into an inexperienced subject depends on the subject.
Reason of Web-based Instruction)