tarynshae

What is the current status of eLearning?

The status of eLearning is continuing to increase in organisations. With more tools and technologies becoming available that reduce the cost of implementing and maintaining eLearning initiatives, the uptake of eLearning is becoming increasingly more rapid. Organisations are beginning to see the success and benefit from eLearning so are finding new and more effective ways to implement eLearning tools. The many benefits of eLearning in organisations, such as flexibility, the engaging nature of eLearning and the rapid and large spread of information it offers, is becoming more attractive to organisations in their attempt to train, upskill, educated and essentially retain employees.

Relate the general findings and comments to your industry

I work within a global financial services organisation who has been using eLearning tools as a form of training and education for a while now. Recently however, more and more training is now available on-line, and with a large number of staff constantly at client sites, this increased flexibility has allowed for the spread of mesages and information to reach them offsite while also allowing them to undertake training modules while offsite. The fact that the spread of eLearning is increasing is evidenced by a number of things within my organisation, such as the use of ‘learning centres’, an area designated for a group of people to ‘log-on’ and complete training programs and courses together in an environment that fosters interaction and collaboration. The introduction of a new LMS system also highlights the increased use of eLearning. The new LMS system gives users complete ownership of their learning, allowing them to search, book and even complete courses online, pre-book and waitlist themselves on upcoming courses and view and manage their training history. eLearning is contstantly evolving and the dynamic nature of eLearning can be seen in many organisations.

During the second block class we brainstormed and explored both the advantages and disadvantages associated with eLearning.

I personally believe that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, and this was reflected in the amount of points we had under the advantages heading compared with the disadvantages.

 Here are some of the things we came up with:

Advantages

• engaging
• rich media resources
• diversity of access – anywhere anytime
• flexibility
• information spread – ability to transfer large amounts of information quickly and easily
• consistency in information and messages being transmitted
• emergence of a learning community
• can be tailorable to suit learner – self-paced/directed, on-demand availability

Disadvantages

• motivation
• isolation
• possibility of inappropriate content / negative learning experiences
• technology issues
• decreased social interaction

A simple easy-to-read article that reflected many of the ideas and concepts we discussed in class is good as it discusses not only advantages and disadvantages associated with learners but also with organisations – http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_3.htm

So while some of the disadvantages of eLearning are completely valid and are relevant in a range of situations, the fact that the spread of eLearning is increasing and it more and more individuals and organisations are adopting eLearning technologies is evident that the advantages and benefits outweigh the drawbacks and limitations.

Before beginning the subject ELearning Experiences, I had a definitition in my head of what I thought it was all about. During the first class of this subject, I was asked to write this definition down. This is what I had….

                     A form of learning that is conducted using a variety of technological means including on line tools, activities and courses,
                            self-study modules allowing self-directed learning, pre-course and post-course online assessments and virtual classrooms. 
                            eLearning is generally highly interactive and self-paced and is a widely used tool in organizations. 

 I guess my definition was based on the previous experiences I had had with eLearning. These experiences consisted of experiences at school, uni and work. At uni, the only experiences I have had with eLearning have been tools to aid and enhance learning, such as the use of Blackboard, or UTS Online, online tests and virtual classroom discussions. At work however, I have seen the implementation of various eLearning modules, reactions and feedback as to how they were received and their ultimate success. So from both an elearner and someone who has witnessed others learning, I am looking forward to learning more about it and hopefully improving on my initial definititon!