E-learning is an organized course or learning experience that is given electronically; it may also contain content for performance support. Additionally, an e-learning program can include a variety of various features, including live or pre-recorded lecture content, video, quizzes, simulations, games, activities, and other interactive elements.
Bear in mind that the word e-learning may also be used more widely to refer to any learning content supplied electronically. While ATD style calls for the inclusion of a hyphen in the spelling, you may also see learning or eLearning. Typically, e-learning courses are managed and administered by a learning management system (LMS). As Steven D. Foreman points out in his book The LMS Guidebook, a learning management system is “a software application that supports many users and is often accessed via a web browser. It enables enterprises to manage in-person training, self-paced courses, and blended learning initiatives. It helps you to manage your content, data, and learners through automation that eliminates tedious and costly manual labor, saves time, and enables you to organize your content, data, and learners. It keeps track of training activities and results and reports on them.”
Online education continues to grow in popularity. According to ATD’s 2020 State of the Industry report, technology-enhanced learning techniques, such as e-learning, accounted for 56% of total learning hours in 2019.
E-learning may be broadly classified into two types: asynchronous and synchronous.
Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Online Education
Asynchronous e-learning is self-paced; students complete the course independently, typically on a laptop. Asynchronous e-learning programs may incorporate pre-recorded lecture content and video, as well as images and/or text, knowledge quizzes, simulations, and games.
Synchronous e-learning, also known as live-online training, online education, synchronous online education, or virtual classroom education, is instructor-led and delivered concurrently with other learners — everyone is merely geographically scattered. This training is often conducted by web conferencing or a virtual classroom platform (such as Adobe Connect or GoToTraining) that includes features like slide or screen sharing, as well as engagement tools like chat, polling, and screen annotation.
E-learning has plenty of advantages, we have gathered the most useful ones in our blog, take a look and find out more.
