Designing Digitally
09/24/2019
What is eLearning exactly and what does it have to do with web-based learning? The answer to this is "everything." Those who participate in any type of learning that requires the use of online coursework will generally fall into the category of learning through the process of eLearning. If you are working with learners of any age, they will likely be utilizing the benefits of electronic technology for one reason or another. Electronic devices, such as tablets or laptops, can be used by students over the duration of their eLearning experience. Devices like these are not only helpful, they are essential to taking full advantage of the eLearning process from start to finish both inside and outside of the classroom.
The exact definition of eLearning can best be described as training through educational means that is provided to an individual via digital means. Elearning is used widely as a way for employers to teach new hires. It is also used by other types of professionals to get a better grasp on their ever-evolving industry. Students who partake in eLearning range in age. It is not limited only as a training tool for those who are currently working in their chosen profession, but is also used as a means for students who have yet to graduate to improve in their own studies.
Since eLearning is defined as a type of learning that is predominantly performed through digital means, it may be fairly obvious that it does not possess a very long history. The term "eLearning" was originally conceptualized back in 1999. That was the very first year that the term had been used on a professional scale. Ever since then, business owners have been incorporating the term into their everyday language when training new staff.
When you really think about it, 1999 was not all that long ago. However, we have come a long way in terms of our digital technologically evolution in such a short amount of time. It seems that with the passing of each year, a brand new product is introduced to the market to trump anything that was sold only a year prior.
The evolution of eLearning first began even before the internet was widely used. In the years prior to utilizing the power of the internet, most eLearning was distributed on CD-ROM discs or through executable files administrators would load onto computers.
With the rise of the internet, training through online platforms became possible. The internet expanded the possibilities beyond the limited information-carrying forms of the past. Along with the flexibility gained through the use of the internet as an eLearning tool, the integration of multimedia expanded the capabilities even further. Multimedia usage includes videos, images, sounds, and other elements that can be applied to help improve learning for individuals through visual means or by way of other sensory stimulation.
Training through online learning is an invaluable tool for small business owners as much as it is for established corporations.Expert or beginner, the use of eLearning has become a necessity for employers to provide all of the necessary tools for new employees. Elearning is completely customizable and it allows management to provide everything to a new hire that they need in order to find success in the workplace.
Distance or remote learning is one way that eLearning can be utilized by business professionals and students alike. Let's say that you are working as an independent contractor and live two hours from the headquarters of your current employer. You may not be able to make the commute to work every day for training purposes. In order to make things more viable for a new hire, most training may be able to be performed before you step into work for your first day of on-the-job training. Even though you cannot expect to complete all of the training online, there are still certain tasks and videos that employees can watch through an online portal in order to get a bulk of their necessary work done before starting the job.
Since a lot of the materials a new hire needs to study before starting their job can be completed digitally, this saves time for the employer to perform other tasks. By having new employees perform eLearning training either at home or at work on their own, it ensures that the employee will have most of the knowledge they need before performing their necessary duties. Customer training, compliance training, and new or ongoing employee training are a few examples of the specific types of training for which eLearning is a perfect delivery tool.
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