What is e-learning?
- It is learning with the help of virtual mediums rather than via personal contact or learning in a physical classroom environment. One can make use of electronic gadgets, applications and softwares to access e-learning. A laptop or a smartphone and a good internet connection are the needs for boarding onto the process.
- E-learning, also referred to as online learning or electronic learning, is the acquisition of knowledge that takes place through electronic technologies and media. In simple language, e-learning is defined as “learning that is enabled electronically”. Typically, e-learning is conducted on the Internet, where students can access their learning materials online at any place and time. E-Learning most often takes place in the form of online courses, online degrees, or online programs. There are many e-learning examples out there, and we’ve covered those in greater detail in our previous articles.
“E-Learning” is one of the words we use most in Avanzo. Some terms that surely sound like you and that many times mean the same thing as e-learning are the following:
- Teleformation
- Distance training
- Virtual education
- Teaching or online training
Although all of them have nuances, most of the time we are referring to the same thing: to train (workers, students)
Advantages of E-Learning
1. Reduction of the cost of the training
While the investment is initial and maintenance, we avoid the expenses of transfer, accommodation, or educational material that are required when the practice is face-to-face. It is especially important when we talk about large organizations with different locations across the globe.
2. Immediacy
Once connected, any communication gets carried out quickly and both by students and students with tutors.
3. Flexibility
While the face-to-face training requires closed calendars, the online one enjoys the flexibility that allows us to connect at any time, provided the Internet is available.
4. More Fun
Designing a course in a way that makes it interactive and fun through the use of multimedia or the more recently developed methods of gamification (further discussed in later chapters) enhances not only your engagement factor but also the relative lifetime of the course material in question.
5. No Boundaries, No Restrictions
Along with locational restrictions, time is one of the issues that learners and teachers both have to face in learning. In the case of face-to-face learning, the location limits attendance to a group of learners who have the ability to participate in the area, and in the case of time, it limits the crowd to those who can attend at a specific time. E-learning, on the other hand, facilitates learning without having to organize when and where everyone who is interested in a course can be present.
Drawbacks of E-learning
1. Isolation
Though e-learning offers ease, flexibility, and the ability to remotely access a classroom in the student’s own time, learners may feel a sense of isolation. This is because learning online is a solo act for the most part, which may give the learner the feeling that they are acting completely alone. As technology progresses and e-learning benefits from the advancements being made, learners can now engage more actively with professors or other students using tools such as video conferencing, social media, and discussion forums amongst others.
2. Health-Related Concerns
E-learning requires the use of a computer and other such devices; this means that eyestrain, bad posture, and other physical problems may affect the learner. When running an online course it’s a good practice to send out guidelines about correct sitting posture, desk height, and recommendations for regular breaks.
