What is e-learning ?

Distance and E- Learning A type of education where students work on their own at home or at the office and communicate with faculty and other students via e-mail, electronic forums, videoconferencing and other forms of computer-based communication. Distance learning is becoming especially popular with companies that need to regularly re-train their employees because it is less expensive than bringing all the students together in a traditional classroom setting. Most but not all distance learning programs include a computer-based training (CBT) system and communications tools to produce a virtual classroom. Because the Internet and World Wide Web are accessible from virtually all computer platforms, they serve as the foundation for many distance-learning systems. Before we get into the subject of Distance and E- Learning. Let us look at the heart of why people need to learn, the obstacles to learning and who benefits best from distance and E- Learning. Then you can decide if it is right for you. The persons who benefit most from Distance and E-Learning are Mature, or not so mature students who are now out of the conventional education system. Such as: - Unemployed seeking employment Those Employed that desire stable employment Employed but need to improve future prospects and prosperity Employed but needs accelerate technology adoption. Those that left the education system before gaining qualifications Those that desire advancement Those that require knowledge to pursue recreational and general interests This is not an exhaustive list but it gives you the general idea as to the direction we are headed. Basically for many reasons, all people, from all walks of life, can benefit from learning. But usually there are conventional obstacles that prevent them from doing so. EG? The Knowledge that is required is not being delivered where it is easy for a particular person to get to. Courses are not available at the time a person needs the knowledge. An individual cannot get the time off work to undertake the courses. Domestic logistics such as lack of child minding facilities not available. Personal circumstances are such that no commitment to fixed times and places can be made. Fatigue from employment activities hinder commitment and ability to learn. Conventional learning methods don't work for a person because they learn at a slower speed than most. And of course, those World Cup matches, holidays and entertainment events, that clash with the course schedules. We experienced that classroom training is susceptible to the above problems and was flawed by its inability to scale. How does a company or training organization get 1,000 to 50,000 employees or delegates into a class 6-10 times a year to keep up with technology and their job skills? Unless a company wants to employ professional students, the answer is: distance and e- learning. The Benefits of Distance Learning After all haven't we all been to school (well most of us anyway)? Isn't the classroom the right place to learn? Well sure, it's a great place to learn history, geography, science, maths and all that great solid foundation stuff. But distance and E- learning is the great equalizer of this century. By eliminating barriers of time, distance, and socio-economic status, individuals can now take charge of their own lifelong learning. Today 47% of all colleges in the United States provide distance and E-Learning; this is expected to reach 90% by 2004. 76% of all ICT training is done at a distance online. By 2005 53% of all business skills are expected to be delivered by Distance and E-Learning. Here in the United Kingdom we are following the same trend. The BBC, and Open University are just two examples of which organizations have grasped this. In the information age, learning opportunities truly span a lifetime-from childhood through adulthood. Skills and knowledge need to be continually updated and refreshed to keep up with today's fast-paced culture. It's convenient: People will be able to access Broadband Careers training courses at their desks, or at home, through their computer's web browser. For 24-7 business operations, online learning is a particularly effective way to provide shift workers access to needed training courses. It's flexible: UKOT training courses are broken into sections that can be completed whenever schedules permit. Course information is thoroughly indexed so it is easy to navigate and refer back to topics you may want to review. It's cost effective: Instead of paying for travel to send people to a distant site for a three-day seminar, and then paying again in terms of work not done while they're gone, organisations can have employees access Broadband Careers training courses right at their desks during regular work hours. It's self paced: In the classroom those who may not quickly grasp a concept can hold up the class. Or worse, they get left behind when the instructor is forced by time constraints to move on. With Broadband Careers training courses, each student can move at his or her own pace. A worker can repeat a training module to gain better comprehension of its objectives.