E-learning -- also called electronic learning or web-based training -- is anywhere, anytime instruction delivered over the internet or a corporate intranet to students and other learners via a browser. Contrary to traditional learning methods, e-learning lets students, employees in training and casual learners participate in an organized learning experience regardless of their physical location.
In its formative years, e-learning tools primarily enabled the delivery of learning material directly from a teacher to a learner. Now, the e-learning experience has evolved to enable more multidirectional communication using increasingly interactive tools. Learners have greater freedom in choosing how they receive and respond to e-learning content, and any number of peers can be involved.
E-learning methods and technology are important both for educating students and for the professional development of employees in the workforce.
The rapid evolution of technology has made it increasingly important for employees to have the right skills and training. For example, it's expected that the emergence of quantum computing capabilities will create a massive shift in the way modern businesses operate that will affect coders, hardware developers and online security professionals. Learning environments, such as e-learning, will play a key role in retraining and reskilling many of these people.
In addition, companies are increasingly turning to online learning for ongoing training and upskilling employees. Learning management systems (LMSes) are particularly popular in corporate settings. Higher education institutions also use online learning methods along with internet-capable electronic devices, both inside and outside of traditional classrooms. According to McKinsey & Company's 2022 survey of 7,000 students in 17 countries, 65% of higher education students want schools to retain aspects of online learning in the post-pandemic world.
Online education is delivered using a combination of static and interactive methods. Static approaches include learning portals, hyperlinked pages, screen cam tutorials, streamed audio and video and live web broadcasts. Interactive methods are approaches such as discussion forums, chats and desktop video conferencing.
There are three main criteria an enterprise should follow to ensure an effective e-learning program:
There are two primary models of web-based learning systems: synchronous, also known as instructor-led, and asynchronous or self-directed and self-paced. Basically, synchronous e-learning requires participants to be present, albeit virtually, at the same time, whereas asynchronous e-learning does not.
Examples of synchronous e-learning methods include the use of scheduled and timed online tests, virtual classrooms, web conferencing technology and interactive shared whiteboards that learners can use to collaborate. Examples of asynchronous e-learning methods include the use of discussion boards, discussion groups and self-paced learning courses.
There are many benefits of e-learning, which proponents believe outweigh the disadvantages. They include the following:
Critics point out the following disadvantages related to e-learning:
There are a variety of e-learning platforms, both synchronous and asynchronous, that users can use in education, business and independent environments. These powerful software suites enable digital learning and online training, providing courses, presentation capabilities like PowerPoint, online examinations and analyzing student performance data. A few examples of these platforms are Anthology for Business, Canvas, Moodle, Sakai and Schoology.
Learning management systems are also prevalent in the enterprise for onboarding and employee training programs. The best types of corporate LMSes are scalable, customizable, goal-oriented and user-friendly. Some enterprise-level LMSes, all with varying pricing plans, include Adobe Learning Manager, Docebo, eFront, iSpring Learn, Looop by 360Learning, Northpass and TalentLMS.
Social media provides useful tools for e-learning. These platforms bring communities of learners together and let them share e-learning content. The following are examples of how they can be useful:
Independent learners can also take advantage of massive open online courses (MOOCs) on the web. MOOCs are made available through popular platforms like Coursera and edX to large groups of people over the internet, usually for free. Often, these courses are modeled on ones taught by top-tier universities, which is great for learners who want quality training content for free. Users can log into a MOOC's website and sign up for a given course. Certain MOOC programs, such as edX's certificate programs, charge a student looking to earn a specific certificate for the completion of their coursework.
Other platforms, such as Udemy and Skillshare, are similar to MOOCs in that they are available online and can accommodate large groups of learners. However, they are different in that they charge the user and focus on practical engagement with material as opposed to passive learning methods, such as the lectures that come with more university-centric MOOCs. No matter the platform, e-learning is a flexible, adaptable way for professionals and students alike to learn new skills and bolster existing ones.
The idea of e-learning predates both the internet and the coining of the term e-learning. In 1983, Ron Gordon, former president of Atari and founder of TeleLearning Systems, launched an effort to create an Electronic University Network. EUN was an early online educational network aimed at helping universities and colleges provide and use online courses. EUN was bought by KnowledgeNet in 1987 and incorporated into its offerings.
When the World Wide Web was created in 1989, it was initially seen as a means of exchanging information among academic institutions more rapidly and easily, before it became what it is today.
The term e-learning was first coined in 1999. Around the same time, various online course implementations were launched, such as MIT's OpenCourseWare project in 2002. In the late 2000s, these types of courses and the technology they used advanced enough to accommodate large groups of learners, and MOOCs appeared. In recent years, most companies and higher education institutions have embraced e-learning after discovering its benefits, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
E-learning is now a market of its own with many different providers that cater to business training needs. Find out about e-learning providers that might be useful for your business.
31 Oct 2023