What Is E-learning?

E-learning or electronic learning is a convenient, time-efficient, powerful learning system or experience, that has been used for ages by companies to deliver formalized learning electronically, using digital resources to train their employees, partners and customers. It can also include performance support content. There are also many different elements that can make up an e-learning program, such as live or pre-recorded lecture content, video, quizzes, simulations, games, activities, and other interactive elements.

Synchronous e-learning, more commonly referred to as live-online training, online learning, synchronous online training, or virtual classroom training, is instructor-led training where the learners and instructors interact with each other in real-time, from different locations. This training typically uses a web-conferencing or virtual classroom platform (such as Adobe Connect, GoToTraining, Zoom, Zoho) that offers features such as slide or screen sharing, as well as interactive tools such as chat, polling, and screen annotation.

Asynchronous e-learning is self-paced learning where the learner and the instructor are not online at the same time; the learners are taking the course on their own, usually on a laptop. Asynchronous e-learning programs may include pre-recorded lecture content and video, visuals, and/or text, knowledge quizzes, simulations, games, and other interactive elements.

In 1999, Elliott Maisie, in a first, coined the term “eLearning” and the term has ever since been used for all online learnings.

To deliver online training, E-Learning uses a learning management system (LMS, a software application) that can be cloud-based, open-source, commercial, or installation-based. Cloud-based LMS is, however, the preferred method for online learning as it allows quick course creation, easy user enrollment, and provides accurate reports on learner’s progress. A good cloud-based LMS allows you to easily scale your training delivery and be backed by a superb customer success team.

To standardize the way of creating and launching E-Learning courses and to provide guidelines for its content, E-Learning uses a set of technical specifications called SCORM, Sharable Content Object Reference Model. SCORM(that are developed using popular authoring tools and follow a similar structure), and to benefit, a SCORM-compliant LMS must be used. On the flip side, SCORM adds extra expense to eLearning delivery but that’s totally worth the investment. Often interpreted as a nextgen SCORM is the xAPI, which adds extra performance to SCORM, redefining some of the fundamental practices of tracking ad storing learning experiences (whether they happen within an LMS or not, in one simple, consistent format), offering a great level of flexibility by doing away with a lot of the restrictions from previous SCORN versions! It’s however,  important to note that xAPI neither improves UX or UI nor will modify the design of a course in any way! 

The Internet

The rise of the internet gave organizations the flexibility to do away with printed manuals, CD-ROMS and other rigid methods of learning and training. 

Introduction of Multimedia

The ability to integrate elements such as images, videos, audio and graphics in E-Learning, ensured keeping learners more engaged in E-learning.

Affordable Digital Devices 

Affordability of digital devices and Mobile learning facilitated further growth of eLearning.

Flexible Reliable Learning Management Systems – Sophisticated cloud-based LMS’s gained more popularity, since they moved from locally due to the flexibility and benefits they brought along!

Saved costs to a company 

As opposed to traditional training that was expensive and frustrating to maintain, E-Learning eliminated costs for on-site instructors, travel and accommodation of both, learners and instructors, venue, as well as printed training materials, giving the flexibility to change modules within your content. save a substantial amount on the and materials.

Saved Time

E-Learning allowed automation of manual tasks, besides easy implementation and addition of changes/ updates to their training content or company policies in their LMSs. This saved time and money for the organization. Learners could also save time by accessing content on the go. 

Improved Performance and Productivity

E-Learning extended flexibility to learners to learn at their own pace, from a convenient location, besides allowing them to quickly and more easily complete their training, resulting in improved performance and greater productivity. 

Carbon Footprint

Empowered companies to reduce their carbon footprint. It offered an alternative to paper-based learning and contributed to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly workplace.

While E-learning was not accepted wholeheartedly for decades, due to ‘assumed’ lack of the human element required in learning, but with the rapid progress in technology and the advancement in learning systems, it has now been embraced by the masses! This is especially true in times such as today, where the COVID-19, the pandemic has pushed one and all inside their homes! 

Whether it is language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, or online learning software, there has been a significant surge in usage since COVID-19, as knowledge/ information could also be shared via the Internet, which is accessible 24/7, anywhere, anytime! This has also led to a rise in prices and the development of better smartphones, tablets, etc, that now have an important place in the classrooms, while the books are gradually getting replaced by online/ electronic educational materials(optical discs or pen drives). 

The COVID-19 pandemic not only affected the educational systems, worldwide, leading to the near-total closures of schools, universities and colleges but also created various operational and financial challenges for businesses worldwide. As a result, governments worldwide decided to temporarily close educational institutions, and workspaces, in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This led to over 1.2 billion children out of the classrooms globally and the workforce operating out of home!

To resume learning for students, education systems switched over to E-learning resulting in a distinctive rise of E-learning! E-learning is slowly settling in the DNA of every household owing to reasons such as no clarity in future of pandemic control, proven increased retention of information, more convenience, focused approach, need for lesser training time, suggesting, it might be here to stay! While some believe that the unplanned and rapid move to online learning – with no training, insufficient bandwidth, and little preparation – will result in a poor user experience that is unconducive to sustained growth, others believe that a new hybrid model of education will emerge, after the pandemic with significant benefits.

It’s interesting to know that even before COVID-19, there already was, high growth and adoption in education technology, with global Edtech investments reaching US$18.66 billion in 2019 and the overall market for online education projected to reach $350 Billion by 2025!