What is e-learning?

what is learning

E-learning: An introduction

E-learning is a medium for engaging learners in an online training course. E-learning courses can exist in many forms, using different types of technologies. Commonly used in organizations and corporations, e-learning can help learners complete training and education objectives with ease and flexibility as compared to traditional classroom-based learning.

E-learning courses can use a variety of content, including audio and video lectures, presentations, assessment, assignments, polls, surveys, reading materials, multiple choice question answers and more.

A learning management system (LMS) is used to publish the e-learning courses online. An LMS allows course instructors to streamline their e-learning content allowing learners to access the course material in one easy-to-access location.

A variety of studies have evaluated the impact of eLearning and concluded that— supported by holistic approaches that include appropriate policies, infrastructure, professional development, and curri- cula—eLearning can help produce positive outcomes. Research also seems to indicate that a more technology-rich environment delivers greater impacts.

The Benefits of E-Learning

E-learning helps make learning more accessible for learners around the globe. In education, it brings learning opportunities to previously disadvantaged groups. In business, it helps unite and train an increasingly global workforce. When learning materials are available online, learners can access their course material from anywhere and at any time using any device. A good quality LMS allows users to participate in e-learning courses from desktop computers, smart phones, and tablets. This means that users can learn any time of day, whenever it’s most convenient for them—something classroom and face to face learning can’t compete with. Learners can also start a learning session on one device (say a smartphone while they are traveling) and continue the same course on another device (say a tablet or laptop at home in the evening), making it easier to fit learning into busy lives.

Course authoring

For course instructors, an effective LMS offers easy course authoring tools for quickly creating and updating content. Course instructors can streamline their e-learning content allowing learners to access the course material in one easy-to-access location. Perhaps the most important aspect of a well implemented Learning Management System (LMS) is that, it makes it easy to track and prove progress of learners. This can be essential for E-Learning courses where proof of mandatory training is required.

Course Administrators and Managers

For administrators and managers, e-learning is a more affordable and efficient way to conduct learning and training. E-learning helps save time, money, materials, and resources by keeping everything online. A larger number of learners and employees can participate in learning or training initiatives at the same time as it is available online. As technology continues to push e-learning forward, education, training, and professional development will reach wider audiences and impact more learners.

It’s discreet

Some learners don’t feel comfortable learning in a large group, especially if they find something difficult to understand that their co-workers do not have any problem with. E-learning allows each learner to tackle the subject at their own pace, with interactive tasks being set in place to ensure a thorough understanding throughout each chapter or module.