E-Learning

What is E-learning?

E-learning is the unifying term to describe the fields of online learning, Web-based training, and technology-delivered instruction.
E-learning standards are constantly evolving, like it or not you have to be geared up to educate yourself about developments among the standards organizations that create the guidelines as well the suppliers that use them to develop their products to be successful in the e-learning world
there may be other definitions, but I define e-learning (also called e-learning or e-Learning) as:
The delivery of a learning, training or education program by electronic means. E-learning involves the use of a computer or electronic device (e.g. a mobile phone) in some way to provide training, educational or learning material. (Derek Stockley 2003)
E-learning can involve a greater variety of equipment than online training or education, for as the name implies, "online" involves using the Internet or an Intranet. CD-ROM and DVD can be used to provide learning materials.
Distance education provided the base for e-learning's development. E-learning can be "on demand". It overcomes timing, attendance and travel difficulties.
An e-journey is one type of e-learning or online training. Blended learning is e-learning combined with other training methods

E Learning Courses

In the present day scenario we see more and more institutes worldwide starting their e learning programs. The students or learners for that purpose can come in direct touch or across the best institutes and professors in specialized field and gain knowledge from them. There is a large list of the various courses which are attracting millions across the globe from north to south and east to west. These are:

1. Auto Cad
2. Animation
3. Ubuntu Guide
4. Computer Aided Drafting
5. Engineering Management Courses
6. System Analysis and Design
7. Network Security
8. Design etc

The world's most reputed and known institutes are offering these courses all over the world and India. The government of India is planning to start short duration certificate courses through e-learning mode in selected colleges across the country which will be more job oriented. The courses will hone the technical as well as soft skills. The Government hopes that the course will make a candidate more industry oriented and will help him get a job after completing the course.

Advantages of E Learning

The e Learning is gaining momentum in today’s' world. There are certain key advantages of e Learning. The major advantage with this process is flexibility, convenience and the ability to work at any time and at any place. The only requirement is an internet connection which is easily available and at one's own place. E-classes are free from any compulsions and allows learner to participate and complete coursework according to his will and free time. This advantage of E-learning has made this education media is a viable option for those that have to carry on with the certain other commitments as well. These commitments may vary from family to work to other and hence cannot participate easily. example depending on a disability. The other advantage is that one need not to commute to and from campus and thus saving transportation cost and time.
There are numerous other advantages as well. These are the ability to communicate with fellow learners, a greater adaptability to learner's needs or requirement. It provides more variety in the experience of learning with the use of multimedia and the non-verbal presentation of teaching stuff. When required video recorded lectures and MP3 files can be provided for visual and audio learning. E learning has many benefits compared to organizing classroom program for organization where there is no learning every time. (e.g. restaurant staff).

Problems in E Learning

The process of E learning is not a perfect one. It encounters several problems pertaining to e-learning. There are plenty of them but the two issues stand out. The first is that the course material used in e-learning sometimes is unattractive and non-compelling. Secondly, is the poverty of pedagogies for e-learning? The pedagogies refers to the ‘teachers' teaching the various chapters of a course via the e-learning process. These two issues are related to each other as well. What is perhaps surprising is that a very limited heed is being paid to the issue of pedagogies required for e-learning. There are many criteria that should be considered while evaluating the e-learning course. The two most important criteria for evaluating application and quality in e-Learning are that it should ‘Function technically without problems across all users' and have ‘clearly explicit pedagogical design principles appropriate to learner type, needs and context'. Many researches that were conducted to know the efficacy of the process and effective e Learning indicates that online communities must be build to collect knowledge together as they work on interesting and realistic projects and problems that we come across in the life. Even to learn the robust "soft skills" (such as negotiation or sales techniques, leadership) people must compile and build their existing knowledge by using the new knowledge in various ways.
The people involved in the process must actively try to bring new ideas and skills. They must try to get a feedback on a project or performance of individual or organization. They need to reflect what they have learnt or done in the particular time period. Major companies in the world today have embraced e-learning as a cost-effective method of delivering learning to an enterprise learners and employees. However, business divisions who have special and particular needs and mid-size and small companies continue to face stiff challenges and financial crunch to implement e-learning program and solutions to fit their scale.

Once starting with the e learning course, the following points must be kept in mind. The important criteria for evaluating quality in e-learning are:

The course should be free from any technical aberration and user should be comfortable while using the same.
The course should be designed explicitly and follow a pedagogical design principles suitable to particular learner type, his needs and context of learning.

The subject of the course is state of art and thus should be up dated regularly.
There should be high level of interaction as well.

E Learning Is Future?

So what is the future of E Learning? This question is now being asked to one who advocate the process or provide it. Nobody has the exact answer to this question, but it is an important one to consider. We are in transition phase and very soon technology and education will soon become mutually interdependent. In order to enhance the knowledge base and expand opportunities for future every person will need to learn how to use technology to improve their education. The world is shrinking rapidly. With the Internet the world has come together in ways that nobody would have expected few decades ago. E-learning has become a widely accepted method of training and education within schools, colleges and organizations.

The experts say that E-learning is here to stay and one should have no doubts regarding that. It will increasingly become popular in the training portfolio. But we must learn how and when to use this process and facility to its best advantage. Organizations are becoming more sophisticated with their use of training delivery and over time it is believed that the new approaches would be used. Emerging technologies such as wireless and 3G will further enhance the penetration and flexibility of the medium. If the quality of the content provided is maintained and overhauled it will definitely emerge as an exciting industry and the one to keep watching!

Technology has changed and is increasingly changing our lives today as well. It started with the emergence of the desktop computer and now it is the Internet. The internet has enabled the ordinary person to access the never-ending volumes of information and knowledge. Technology and the Internet facilitate a more active role in the educational process and empower the individual. The all indications are that the education over the Internet is going to be very big. As more and more people get connected, the Internet will penetrate deeper and will influence our everyday activities, including the way we learn.
E-learning is becoming a mature market and thus you can learn a great deal and increase your knowledge about almost everything. The cost of enrolling into an e Learning program has also reduced. In the last five years various technology platforms, tools, and course ware have evolved significantly and this attracts you into the e-learning space.

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