E-Learning – Today’s Education

The idea of eLearning is to popularise an indepth, convenient, interactive mode of education through the Internet.

Scientific research reveals that the best way of learning methodologies are the mix and match of 3 modes namely Instructor Led, Web Based and Computer Based. The popular terms are ILT, WBT and CBT. The more demand of career orientation in this highly competitive professional world and the simultaneous problems of routine study system through the formal mode of education (ILT) have left us with the only option of eLearning. The reach of the Internet to the furthest corner of the world has really eliminated the geographical distance. The forums and online helps have made eLearning real time. The laptop has given one the flexibility to enhance his skills even while traveling.

The time-bound schedule of ILT has put it slightly below in the common mode of learning. The lack of updations and upgradability in case of CBT has not allowed it to top the list even having the flexibility of carrying heavier graphics and movies. Rather now the people are becoming aware of even today’s updates through Internet. The convenience factor in eLearning has been fueled by the factor of “learning at one’s own pace”. The dollops of at his own residence has made eLearning more dependable way of education.

Now, what are taught in eLearning? The answer in one word is “Infinity”. Some may teach Computers, some management, some again cooking and mixing. There are sites today, who are teaching even plantation and e-security. Lets assume, you are tired at the end of the day and your strain has become a stress on you, which has started affecting your personal life badly. Don’t you feel to get a course in Stress Management? If you think of the cost, it may be at a price of $100, that too on the higher side.

The prometric certifications have been continuing for long. Sun, Oracle and Microsoft have been continuing their online certifications for years. Many educational portals have come up in the recent past including some top shots coming up with their eLearning mode. eLearning caters to the need of the age group between 6 and 65. If a housewife does not find time or a senior executive of a multi-national firm feels shaky for attending courses with the junior people, eLearning is the only solution for him or her to accomplish further education and enhance the knowledge base.

New technology has allowed educational institutions to take the distance out of distance learning, which has made online degree programs more popular than ever. “Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the US, 2005”, a report published last year by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, gives a very positive outlook on the future of online education. The report indicates that online enrollment in the US increased from 1.98m in 2003 to 2.35m a year later, a growth rate more than 10 times that predicted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the general post-secondary student population.

The earliest inception of e-learning closely resembled a classroom on a CD-ROM, and was structured in such a way as to present students with a rigid format that offered little in the way of a flexible learning environment. Most recently, however, e-learning has evolved from a formal presentation of information to a much more fluid and integrated type of learning. As technology has improved by leaps and bounds, demand for high quality online educational programs has steadily increased. The flexibility of current technology now available has allowed many institutions to offer a multitude of ways for students to interact with not only faculty, but with each other as well. The end result has been the creation of a more community inspired experience that leaves students feeling they are part of a greater whole instead of an island unto themselves.

Investing in an integrated learning curriculum is not cheap, though the institutions who have made the effort to stay abreast of the newest technology have certainly reaped rewards from their efforts. With the most current formats available being favored by many students, it is an investment that is likely to yield favorable results for years to come. With each new student that graduates from an online university, the public acceptance of this form of learning will continue to grow. Though it’s likely that online degree programs will never surpass traditional university programs, there is a good chance that in the near future, most graduates who enter the workforce will have gained a level of experience with an online learning format within some point along their educational journey.

From various sources