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What is the definition of the term "e-Learning?

Oct 15, 2023

There's a good chance people who are completing their training modules online or maybe done an online training course or two on your own previously! Making use of digital tools and programs will surely increase in popularity. There are many benefits to making use of technology in order to accelerate and enhance education goals.

There are numerous tools to use that can be used, however not all cases will be the same. In this article, we'll discuss the basics of what "e-learning" actually means and will look at some of the most common techniques to utilize it for classrooms in schools or corporate training programs!

Skip ahead:

What is eLearning?

The term "eLearning" can be a reference to a myriad of words including digital Learning, Virtual Learning and remote learning. Each of these terms basically means the same thing, which is that the students receive the majority of their education through an electronic or digital channel. However, there are some distinctive differences between the most important concepts of eLearning:

eLearning term The definition of the term eLearning
on-line learning HTML0Every way in which students are able to be able to access a part of their learning via a digital or electronic way, regardless of distance that the school has to those student.
Electronic learning The same definition applies to"eLearning. This was, however, the first term that was utilized prior to the emergence of eLearning in importance.
Virtual learning HTML0Education that is provided for students mostly through digital media.
Remote education A student's education is given to students from another area, and may use technology, either digital or physical, for the purpose of facilitating the learning process. Also referred to as distance learning.

The advantages of e-learning

  • Easy accessibility since anyone who has access to an Internet connection can access and study the information provided by the tools. Additionally, they provide a variety of formats which allow the interpretation of newly created resources.
  • It is cheaper to purchase the one or more tools needed for eLearning is less expensive than hiring more employees. This is true especially for digital learning software, which aids to automatize repetitive administrative tasks that take a lot of time.
  • Monitoring progress may be required for compliance, organizational reporting as well as student reports. It's fast to generate reports that are created automatically by the software and since they're online and shareable, they can be easily shared to colleagues or teachers as well.

Important eLearning concepts to be aware of

For help to get a better understanding of the wide area of eLearning You can refer to this chart, which provides the definitions of other commonly used concepts!

The term The definition of HTML0
Instructor-led A method of teaching that involves at least one person (the instructor) who teaches the class. They could be in person in the classroom or communicating with students online.
Self-sufficient An approach to teaching in which students are required to maintain track of their own progress. The course content is presented in a structured manner and the students are required to use this information and complete homework without the need of instructors.
Synchronous learning Learning occurs in the exactly the same manner as teachers instruct them. This is the type of learning that takes place in class.
Asynchronous method of learning The students learn about information in a different way from what the teacher teaches. This is the type of process to learn that happens when students need to review an article prior to the class, for example.

The latest rise of online learning

Though it's existed for quite some period of time but it wasn't always so well-known as it is today. Before the introduction of eLearning, it was more common to see techniques for remote learning, particularly in remote areas. Communities without the resources to offer a greater variety of educational programs or to provide help for delayed learners could rely on remote learning programs to meet those requirements. In 2012 however, 21.4% of higher education students were taking an online course.

The year 2020 witnessed the highest growth in the use of online learning as the pandemic forced most students to take online courses instead of attending in-person classes. Utilizing tools such as Zoom made it easy for learners and teachers to collaborate remotely so 60% of the higher education students were taking online classes often. The market for investing in new tools then increased 6X when comparing 2017 to 2021 and is already projected to reach US$166.60bn by 2023.

Fundamental eLearning principles

There are some important principles that the majority of digital tools for learning depend on. They are crucial because they are the basis of creating a powerful program or software that can make eLearning easier to access and be more efficient.

Interactivity

In classrooms that are physically accessible, students can ask questions about their experiences, try hands-on with various labs and labs and receive instant feedback from fellow students or teachers. An effective eLearning programme should try to offer the same level of interaction to the learner. If there is no interaction students may lose interest, disengage or even get bored of the material, or have difficulty comprehending the basic concepts.

Learner-centered

Engagement

Keeping students interested over the course of time is a huge issue that teachers must confront. To address this the study proved that students would like teachers to utilize a variety of methods to teach for keeping their interest in the classroom. The use of e-learning tools could to increase engagement through discovering innovative methods to maintain students' enthusiasm, increase retention and comprehension of the lessons, as well as inspire creative ways of thinking in order to boost the students' performance in the course.

Accessibility

Students should be able be able to comprehend the content within the class to make sure that they effectively learn. The program used to teach eLearning must be flexible to accommodate different needs for learning. There is a plethora of accessibility rules that apply to the online learning platform that is helpful for teachers and students to keep in mind.

eLearning is an extensive and all-encompassing term for any sort of digital device or software that assists students to gain knowledge effectively. There are a myriad of gadgets available there are some essential categories to be aware of:

Systems to manage learning (LMS)

 Examples of LMS tools:

Virtual engagement tools

Virtual engagement tools are excellent for allowing students to interact with each with their peers and the course. There are many methods to accomplish this, such as creating group projects, taking surveys, conducting pop-quizzes in class and collecting feedback, creating video games or gamifying your students' achievement of assignments.

 Examples of tools for virtual engagement:

Software for tracking student progress

Even though some LMS platforms allow you to keep track of student progress, you might want to consider an option to track it separately in case you don't want to utilize eLearning software to complete your courses. Being able to monitor scores and progress online makes it easy to provide performance information to your supervisors and parents.

Progression tracking software examples employed in eLearning:

3 challenges that are common as well as solutions to digital tools for teaching

1. Learning online in areas with limited or no Internet connection

Digital gap is a concern which is commonplace when integrating eLearning tools in a mass scale. It is more typical for rural areas or developing nations not to have access to the Internet that can make it hard for students from the areas that are not connected to take part in online courses for learning.

Solution: Educators working in these fields can use a mix of both traditional and eLearning methods. The eLearning methods used must be less dependent on Internet connectivity, and should focus on the fundamental eLearning principal of learner-centricity and also being more accessible to students or access.

One example of an e-learning tool for areas with access to Internet access is an e-reader. These will allow students to explore a range of texts on one device, keep track of the way they read, change the layout of their screen to make it easier for usage, and also view challenging vocabulary in the integrated dictionary.

Challenge 2. Onboarding students to the e-learning tools

It's not easy learning to read and write and create documents or converse via the internet. It's particularly difficult especially for children in groups or students who don't have a lot of technological expertise.

Solution: Check the eLearning program you use offers any educational materials that can be shared with your students. Try to create the materials in a way that is easy for students to grasp like creating a print-ready duplicate of an instructional guide.

Additionally, be sure you have a step-by-step training program for your classes to learn making use of education tools. It is important to present benefits that eLearning tools will provide to your pupils, so as to help them comprehend the reasons to use the latest technology. While doing this, make sure you are ready and available to answer all questions your learners might have about the application that you decide to employ and also be patient as they have to learn to it.

Challenge 3. Integrating your eLearning tool with your other technology stack

One commonly forgotten aspect about working with eLearning tools is the fact that they'll need to integrate with other programs or equipment being utilized.

Solution: Talk to the eLearning vendors that you are purchasing from to confirm that the technology works before you commit to the purchase. It is often possible to check through the website of the vendor or contact the sales rep.

If you're a tech expert with the capability to create customized software, it's possible to develop your own integration. Talk to your supplier about APIs that are available as well as open-source components to the platform that can allow you to get your technology stack more compatible.

How can I make use of eLearning in schools?

eLearning is primarily known for its use in schools. There are specific applications designed for middle school, high schools, and students at the university level. You can also opt to utilize more or less electronic learning supplements, contingent upon the type of program and how much involvement required by the material.

Contacting parents and guardians

At the elementary school level Parents and guardians have been actively involved in their children's learning. E-Learning software can generate and distribute reports in a timely manner which saves time for teachers having to create the messages on their own. Some tools can also collect comments or feedback from parents to aid the development of your child.

If your school's board of directors or advisors need to review the progress of a student in time, they can utilize eLearning tools to present historic data. The report will be an overview of the subject matter which students are learning as well as their progress, along with any problems or issues students are experiencing. This will be more specific than using notes made in handwriting, which could have no context to the particular situation.

Facilitating assignments

Anywhere in the educational system Teachers must make sure that the content they provide is available to students of all levels. There are eLearning platforms that offer customized features for students which allow users to reduce the volume of audio, review content multiple times, change color or size, or even employ text-to-speech. A few tools are equipped to automatically translate, delineate, or to write out the content that can help students who do not have instant access to their teachers for this kind of support.

If you're a teacher, there's a good chance that you're responsible for the education of a class that has more than 20 students concurrently. Professors teaching in universities, classes may be anywhere from 100-300 students concurrently! It can be hard to monitor each student's progress and be aware of the exact needs of each student. However it is possible that it is impossible to view the whole picture on the level of your students ' progress in the class.

When you review the total reports from your class through your eLearning software, make certain to examine patterns and outliers. These trends can help you find out what subjects students master fastest or least and help you discern what's interesting and challenging. These outliers could identify specific students who are excelling or lagging in understanding ideas. You can also team your top academic performers to become a mentor to those students in need of extra support!

Offering further educational support

Based on the information you get through eLearning tools from the teacher's viewpoint, you can discern which students require additional assistance. Then, you can connect these students with a teacher or offer additional support tools directly through the program. This is a great way to make sure your students receive assistance they need without drawing the issue on the notice of your class. This is also a great option when teaching a distance learning class in the event that you cannot provide support to your students face-to-face.

Can you make use of the power of eLearning in order to educate corporate employees?

Lower costs associated with the training program

Programs for training to ensure Onboarding and compliance have traditionally been taught by instructors. Costs of hiring an instructor to teach your staff includes the cost of travel, accommodation and also the expense for hiring an instructor, as well. If you are training to earn a certificate You may also have add certification fees as well as required textbooks and even equipment.

By using eLearning platforms the price of running training programs drops considerably. If you decide to have instructors conduct the training it is no longer necessary to arrange travel or physical classrooms. The content could instead be delivered via an online videoconferencing tool. Additionally, you can capture and replay the session at a later time!

The ability to increase the understanding of the product

The LMS tool is an incredibly very well-known type of eLearning technology as it allows organizations to create product knowledge databases. Employees within the company could create videos that explain most recent features and policies of the product along with additional training required. As new employees come in and start their careers, they'll be able use the knowledge centre to assist them in gaining understanding of the products. The same is true for existing employees. it can be great for any existing employee or client that requires an update on their product and/or service. It's easy and fast to keep your LMS updated with fresh content and videos whenever a brand new feature or product comes out. The centralization of information for product knowledge also reduces the chance of inaccurate information being spread all over the business.

Making sales programs more effective

Sales specialists perform an intricate job that requires them to understand every feature that is new and present it to of customers to show that the product can be used to satisfy the requirements of each customer. On a larger scale, it could be challenging and exhausting to create material that is tailored to every lead.

The software for E-Learning can help in making sales campaigns more successful by coordinating the hosting and distribution of content. Sales managers must then select the chosen products as well as information sheets that they wish to disseminate and then send it to the future customer. It's simple to monitor the progress to see how much of the material that the client has used. Sales managers are able to be informed that the details have not been completed or lost, which triggers them to reach out the lead directly to seek additional assistance.

New hires are on the way to boarding programs

If you're a part of an expanding group, you're likely to discover that you have limited time to educate all those new hires. E-learning tools can be a valuable source for employees newly hired to the organization. They can learn about the company's policies, product, processes, and the company's goals. Human resources leaders can access the application to keep track of the development of courses which are mandatory. It also makes sure that all new employees receive exactly the same information to get started so nobody is left out of the loop or misinformed within their initial few days!

Ensure compliance with regulations are met

The regulations on compliance usually include the element of education or learning. As an example, employees might have to refresh the CPR or security knowledge every several years. Training programs that are designed and managed in a central eLearning platform allows team managers and compliance auditors to demonstrate the date when training was completed. E-Learning software will provide precise data on which employees has completed particular training sessions and at what moment in the moment. Even better, you will also get notified when compliance training has been renewed!

Making it easier to access the work place

Similar to eLearning within the educational system, it's possible to utilize the technology to improve the accessibility of information at your workplace! For employees, for example individuals who require additional time to review the information they need can use an eLearning platform that can help improve motivation, engagement as well as alignment with project objectives.

     Conclusion    

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