E-learning has gained great importance due to its many advantages that contribute to supporting the educational process and giving it great flexibility. Due to the rapid technological development, and as a result of the changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of direct social communication, the world has witnessed in recent years a major transformation of the e-learning system, helped by the improvement of global communications technology and the availability of the Internet at high speeds.

E-learning concept
E - Learning is virtual education over the Internet, using modern technological means, such as: computers, smartphones, and tablets.
E-learning depends on a digital electronic environment, in which technology is employed and technological media are used in communication between the learner and the teacher or educational institution.

Types of e- learning

Asynchronous E-Learning
In it, the educational process takes place between students and the teacher at the same time, meaning that learning is direct, which allows interaction between the teacher and students. This type is applied through many means, such as: chat rooms, virtual classrooms, voice calls, and others.

Asynchronous E-Learning
Unlike the previous type, in this type the education process is indirect, as the student and teacher are not required to be present at the same time, as lectures and courses are provided, and the student can access them at the time that suits him, and interaction takes place via electronic discussion forums.

Blended Learning
It is a type that combines synchronous and asynchronous e-learning , and blended learning refers to that type of education that combines traditional education and e-learning.

Advantages of e- Learning

• Temporal and spatial flexibility
• E-learning learners can access educational content anytime, anywhere.
• relatively low cost
• E-learning is less expensive than traditional education, which requires many costs, such as transportation and travel expenses.
• Subjectivity and individuality in learning
• E-learning enhances the self-learning process, and the student's access to study materials on his own when he needs or desires to do so.
• Multiple and diverse educational media and methods
• E-learning media vary between video, audio, images, written texts, and digital interactions. Teaching methods also vary, such as explanation in more than one way, direct interaction, and others. These methods can be adapted to suit the student.
• Achieving equal access to education
• E-learning is a suitable alternative for individuals who have difficulty receiving education in schools or universities due to geographical, social or economic factors.

Disadvantages and challenges of e- learning

• Poor social interaction
• E-learning may lack direct interaction between learners and teachers, as it weakens dialogue, discussion, and the exchange of opinions and ideas between them; this negatively affects the learning experience, as the human factor is absent in the educational process.
• Technical challenges
• Despite the technological development that the world is currently witnessing, some regions still suffer from the lack of an appropriate infrastructure for e-learning. Some students may also face problems in using educational platforms, and they will need to develop their technical skills to benefit from e-learning.
• Low motivation to learn
• E-learning can cause poor motivation to learn, low levels of enthusiasm, difficulty maintaining self-discipline, increased distraction and poor concentration, and boredom from spending too much time in front of the screen.
• Difficulties in assessment, quality assurance and academic accreditation
• E-learning faces several difficulties, including evaluating student performance in the digital environment, ensuring the quality of e-learning content, and the lack or scarcity of sound mechanisms for evaluating and accrediting e-learning programmes.

Fundamentals of improving e- learning

• Developing the digital infrastructure needed for e-learning.
• Improving the skills of teachers and students in the field of e-learning, and qualifying them for the optimal use of e-learning platforms.
• Developing and diversifying e-learning content, presenting it in interactive and attractive ways, and linking it to students' needs and goals, ensuring effective learning and achieving educational goals.
• Evaluation, quality control, linking the evaluation process to educational objectives, as well as linking e-learning to global quality control and accreditation systems.

The pioneering experience of the University of Science and Technology in e- learning

In recent years, many universities around the world have turned to the e-learning system, and the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to universities' trend towards e-learning. The University of Science and Technology is credited with having achieved a precedent in this field, as its move towards e-learning was early, not only locally, as it is the first Yemeni university to enter the e-learning system , but it was also ahead of many universities regionally and globally, whether in terms of antiquity or precedence in applying modern practices in e-learning. The first seed was represented by the university's establishment of the Affiliation Department in the College of Administrative and Human Sciences in 1994, then the establishment of the Distance Learning Center in 2002, which was transformed in 2008 into a deanship called the Deanship of Open Education and Distance Learning. In 2017, the services provided by the deanship were developed to include e-learning according to regional and international standards, and the name of the deanship was changed to the Deanship of E-Learning and Open Education, to be changed in 2021 to the Deanship of E-Learning and Distance Education.

The University of Science and Technology has provided a distinguished model to be emulated in the field of e-learning, as it has opened many academic specializations that meet the market requirements and students' inclinations, diversified teaching methods and approaches, and provided various services and sources for e-learning, including writing university books according to academic standards and self-learning specifications, providing audio-visual aids, audio, visual, and text lectures, virtual classes, in addition to electronic radio, as well as the educational radio and television production center, and provided a service for live educational meetings between students and teachers.

The University of Science and Technology's experience in this field has expanded to establish an electronic alumni club , an electronic learning system (LMS) between students and supervisors or teachers, as well as an electronic portal system (ISSS) developed entirely internally according to academic and scientific standards. The portal has proven successful in improving and accelerating academic and administrative services, as it contains many services for students, academics and administrators, including an automated academic advisor that guides students in choosing study materials.

The achievements of the University of Science and Technology in the field of e-learning have contributed to the growth and increase in the number of students enrolled in this type of education. The university's efforts were crowned by obtaining first place among the Arab universities participating in the Creativity and Excellence in Distance Learning Competition, which was held by the Arab Network for Open Education and Distance Learning, headquartered in the Jordanian capital, Amman, in 2011.

As the University of Science and Technology believes in the loftiness of its educational mission, and is keen to serve the community in various fields, the university has presented several community initiatives within the framework of serving the community in the field of e-learning, including: providing electronic copies in PDF format of authored books, and providing educational resources and materials to those interested by displaying them on the Deanship of E-Learning and Distance Education channel on the YouTube platform, where thousands of visual lectures are available on the channel in the various academic disciplines offered by the university.