According to the wikipedia, E-education is an all-encompassing term generally used to refer to computer-enhanced learning. It may include the use of web-based teaching materials and hypermedia in general, multimedia CD-ROMs or web sites, discussion boards, collaborative software, e-mail, blogs, wikis, computer aided assessment, educational animation, simulations, games, learning management software, electronic voting systems and more, with possibly a combination of different methods being used.

This teaching system is basically designed for those who are not capable of receiving the traditional form of education. In western countries, especially US, e-education has already fully developed, and has become an industry in the education field. In China, e-education started in 1998. Through eight years of development, nearly all high-ranking universities have their own e-education department and internet-based educational companies spring up.

Doubtlessly, e-education has a bright prospect in China, a country where education is always put in the prior place. Some even believe e-education will bring a reformation. It will take the place of traditional education in the future, since the advantages of e-education is very obvious comparing to the traditional way of education. First the restriction of time and space is completely lifted. Second, the limited teaching resources can be shared by a much larger population. Third, the learning is carried out on one's initiative, thus the effectiveness of e-education is better than the traditional way.

I admit its great advantages, but still, e-education would serve like a decoration instead of causing an educational reformation. One of the biggest restrictions of e-education is the money and facility. China is still a developing country. The popularization of computer, especially in those poverty-stricken areas, is much worse than the western countries. The public network is still under construction. For the people in the west part who are yearning for e-education, they still have a long way to go. Besides, the launch of courses is also very costly. Statistics show that the average cost of a standardized e-course (according to the standard of the ministry of education) is 200000 to 300000 yuan. If a university decided to start an on-line education program with 100 courses, the total cost of the course alone will reach to nearly 30,000,000 yuan, not to mention the cost of building large databases, and the expenses of service maintenance. Such an investment is not a small amount for an ordinary university to bear. But, if the university spends only a much smaller amount of money, the e-education materials would not be of high quality.

The effect of e-education is also in doubt. The face-to-face communication is necessary for effective teachings. Scientific studies show that when the teachers are lecturing to the students in a traditional face-to-face way, a certain magnetic field is created, which stimulates the students to remember and to understand what the teacher has said better. The isolation of e-education is also worth noticing, since studying in a group form can encourage you to study more effectively. My personal experiences of taking an on-line accounting course also prove this point. Comparing to the traditional accounting courses I take in People's University of China, the effect of on-line courses is truly inferior.

E-education cannot be a replacement of traditional education. Another reason for this is the difference between the focuses of these two forms of educations. In China, 69.8% of the people claim they take the e-courses to enhance their ability. And another 34.6% take the e-courses to meet the requirements of the job. In this sense, the e-courses are generally more practical and hot ones. But as to the traditional education, it is generally called education for the elite. It focuses more on preparing you for further study, teaching you more basic science and liberal arts subjects, and how to be a all-rounded men.

These are two different types of education; neither one will take the place of the other. Nowadays, the e-education in China has not fully developed yet. Most of the e-courses are carried out under names of famous universities. This is a necessary step, because it has to depend on the traditional education to survive. Currently e-education could only be taken as decoration for the traditional education. But its future is bright. In the future, it will become an integral part of the education industry. As to the traditional education, it is still the major form of education. And so it will be in foreseeable future.