E-LEARNING
What is e-learning?
E-learning (also called electronic learning)
is any type of learning that takes place through or with a computer. E-learning
is primarily facilitated through the Internet but can also be accomplished with
CD-ROMs and DVDs, streaming audio or video and other media.
What Is the Purpose of eLearning?
The purpose
of e-learning is to allow people to learn for personal accomplishment or to
earn a professional degree, without physically attending a traditional
university or academic setting. E-learning can be applied for all levels of
schooling from grade school to graduate degrees, and is versatile enough to
accommodate all learning styles.
The
Advantages of eLearning training includes:
1.
More Flexible – eLearning can be done in short chunks of time that
can fit around your daily schedule.
2.
Mobile – As eLearning can be done on laptops, tablets and phones – it is a very
mobile method.
3.
No Travel– As just mentioned, eLearning can be done wherever you have a device
capable of doing so.
4.
Lower cost – As you aren’t using a trainer’s time or any room or
equipment, eLearning tends to be the much cheaper option
5.
Tailor it to you – eLearning courses aren’t confined to be fixed to try
and suit the needs of the majority.
6.
Technological Possibilities – eLearning is fast becoming a more
and more popular method and with it, so has the investment into how to improve
it further.
7.
Global – With
very few restrictions companies can be confident that their staff can receive
the same content regardless of their location, and in many cases, their
nationality.
(Source: http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning)
The
Disadvantages of eLearning Training includes:
1.
Lack of Control– Learners
with low motivation tend to fall behind when using eLearning as there are no
set times to be doing it and they are responsible for the organisation
themselves.
2.
Learning Approach – It doesn’t appeal to all learning styles so some
learners will not enjoy the experience – especially strong activists and
pragmatists.
3.
Isolated – A lot of
questions are a lot easily answered when face to face with someone when you can
guarantee an instant answer.
4.
Technology Issues –
With heavy reliance on computers that eLearning brings, comes the potential
risks that comes with it.
5.
Computer Competency –
Some employees might not be too comfortable using computers, especially if
their jobs don’t require them to.
(source: http://www.optimussourcing.com/learninghintsandtips/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-elearning)
Best practices of online training :
1.
A supportive community
: Teachers and e-learning establishments should encourage a strong sense of
community amongst their online students.
2.
Clear
expectations : Students should be aware
of what they will be receiving from the virtual class instruction, and both
parties should know the preferred method of communication and delivery of the
core curriculum.
3.
Asynchronous and
synchronous activities: It’s important to incorporate activities that are more
interactive, as well as those that require the student to brainstorm and
research a topic in depth.
4.
Effective usage
of available resources: To get the most out of the e-learning experience both
the teacher and the student should take full advantage of the vast amount of
resources that are available online.
How to make e-learning effective
Here are some tips that can help you create a highly effective e-learning
course regardless of the material or curriculum:
1.
Know your subject
material well
2.
Online courses
provided should appeal to all learning styles
3.
Facilitate
Contact
4.
Platform should
be easy to navigate and fully functional
5.
Course documents
should be available to every student enrolled
6.
Set and
communicate clear goals
The future of e-learning
E-learning is here to stay. As computer ownership grows across the globe
e-learning becomes increasingly viable and accessible. Internet connection
speeds are increasing, and with that, opportunities for more multimedia
training methods arise. With the immense improvement of mobile networks in the
past few years and the increase in telecommuting, taking all the awesome
features of e-learning on the road is a reality with smartphones and other
portable devices. Technologies such as social media are also transforming
education constantly.Generally speaking, learning is expensive, takes a long time and the results can vary. E-learning has been trying for years now to complement the way we learn to make it more effective and measurable. The result now being that there are a number of tools that help create interactive courses, standardize the learning process and/or inject informal elements to otherwise formal learning processes. Several e-learning trends give us a view to how e-learning and learning tools will be shaped in the future:
E-Learning Trends
Blended learning
Blended learning is a combination of offline
(face-to-face, traditional learning) and online learning in a way that the one
compliments the other. It provides individuals with the opportunity to enjoy
the best of both worlds.
Social and collaborative learning
Collaborative
learning is an e-learning approach where students are able to socially interact
with other students, as well as instructors. In essence, learners work together
in order to expand their knowledge of a particular subject or skill. In
e-learning environments, this is typically done through live chats, message
boards, or instant messaging.
Gamification
Gamification is the use of game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game
thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning and solve
problems. Basically it's the use of gaming technology to solve problems outside
of the games sector. Games are created to draw people in, to keep them playing,
to keep them interested, entertained and involved. And it's much more than just
adding rewards, points, and badges to processes to motivate people - it's the
instructional method, and not just the delivery system, that provides the
elements for learning in a game situation i.e. we must ask what pieces in games
makes them engaging such as interactivity, content, story.
Micro-learning
Micro-learning involves learning in smaller steps, and goes hand-in-hand
with traditional e-learning. Activities that are micro-learning based usually
feature short term lessons, projects, or coursework that is designed to provide
the student with ‘bits’ of information. For example, rather than trying to
teach a student about a broad subject all at once, aspects of the topic will be
broken down into smaller lesson plans or projects.
Video learning
Video brings a whole new dimension to teaching methods. If your course
content involves a level of practical skill, this can be demonstrated. Whether
it's building a PC or conducting a chemistry experiment, these aspects of the
course will most definitely benefit from being seen rather than simply
explained in text and static images.
Rapid e-learning
While rapid e-learning can pertain to a
number of things, it is generally used to describe the pace at which an
e-learning course is developed.
Personalization and e-learning
Personalized Learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning
environments to meet the needs and learning styles of individual learners.
Personalization is broader than just individualization or differentiation
in that it affords the learner a degree of choice about what is learned, when
it is learned and how it is learned.
Continuous learning
On a personal level, continuous learning is about the constant
expansion of skills and skill-sets through learning and increasing knowledge.
As life changes the need to adapt both professionally and personally is as real
as the changes themselves.
Applications of Online Training
Customer service training
Customer service training is in fact the blueprint for a company’s entire
support process. A solid training program ensures that a team operates to
consistently deliver good service to customers, with or without a game plan.
Training
programs yield several benefits for the organization, employees and customers:
1.
Increased engagement
2.
Improved customer service skills
3.
Increased customer satisfaction
4.
Increased profit
Sales training
Effective
sales training develops the individual’s skills and builds on existing
abilities to ultimately improve business performance through increased
productivity and profitability.
Some
benefits of online sales training:
- Ease of use: ny salesperson, no matter what their level of
experience, can learn from an online sales training programs
- Interactivity: questions can be asked and answered in real time.
With online sales training programs anyone can be trained at any location,
in most any language.
- Instant access: training programs are available to learners all
day, every day, throughout the year. Employees can log in and start
learning whenever they have the time and from wherever they are located!
- Customization of training process: online sales training programs allow for material
to be created and added to customize training for the individual,
particular company branches, localities and/or specific requirements etc.
- Flexibility: online sales training programs should be
accessible from a variety of devices wherever and whenever employees want
to learn on the go. They should be able to log in and learn any time.
- Accountability: he most effective online training programs have
comprehensive tracking and reporting tools, allowing management to see how
their employees are progressing at a glance. General statistics can also
be viewed and broken down.
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