A paradigm competences and library services for e-learning: a proposal for librarians in developing countries

Abstract

Education has metamorphosed from the traditional physical environment to virtual platforms. The later is designed to provide the learner with learning opportunities in synchronous or asynchronous forms. Both opportunities involve little or no physical contact. All activities are performed within the comfort zone of the learner. Though developing countries have not fully embraced this mode of learning , it is gradually taking roots especially in universities. The consequence of e-learning is that community of teachers and learners are virtually connected. Thus, there is a gradual decline in the communities call for learning resources in physical forms. For them, the walls of physical libraries should be collapsed for cable or wireless networks through which information resources could be relayed to users’ comfort zones. Accordingly, physical libraries and services provided therein will tend to be less relevant as e-learning advances in developing countries except if a paradigm shift is made from the traditional library services to those which will support e-learning. Hence a conceptual frame of library services is proposed to act as a pedestal service to support e-learning in developing countries. The framework is based on observations and experience on what e-learning platform represents, the basic competencies required to work on the platform and the mode of information resources as well as services needed by university community in developing countries. The paper locates, describes and present the...