e-Learning News Weblog

Canadians Ready for E-Learning

Robyn Greenspan | CyberAtlas

"Canadians are furthering their educational efforts through online courses, an Ipsos-Reid report reveals. Based on 2,000 interviews via telephone and Internet, the survey indicated that 59 percent of the Canadian respondents were likely to take an online course in the future. "The level of interest in online education is significant when compared to more traditional online activities such as online banking, downloading music, e-commerce, and online travel," says Marcie Sayiner, senior research manager at Ipsos-Reid.

"The survey revealed that 26 percent have already searched the Internet for online courses, and have either taken an online course (8 percent), or have taken an in-person course that includes a significant online component (7 percent). Furthermore, 90 percent of the group that have already taken courses online said that they would recommend it to others mainly because it saved them a significant amount of time, it improved their employability, and it provided them with a means to take courses they likely wouldn't have taken otherwise."

Pointing out that fully a quarter of the Internet population has searched the Web for information on e-learning courses, Robyn Greenspan highlights the growth of likely learners in contrast to other spheres of Internet and Web activity. Significantly, a virtual doubling of the the number of broadband subscribers coincides with the surge of interest in e-learning. more...
posted by Laragh at 12:57 PM

Are You Blogging Yet?

"What's more, and this is key, there's built-in motivation for people to participate in blogging: They get credit for their ideas. A blog is essentially a repository of a person's intellectual capital--a record of their thoughts, observations, contributions. People may switch employers, but they'll take with them electronic journals of their best ideas. Blogging is a way to protect the most important brand of all: yourself."

Are You Blogging Yet? | Informationweek

But when the same tools are put to productive use, weblogs can trigger a rich chain reaction of ideas and possibilities, which is why they hold such great potential for the workplace. Give individual employees within a company their own weblogs, encourage them to document their best ideas and personal experiences, link them, add search capabilities, and it's easy to imagine that at least some innovation will arise from the ordinary. "Blogging is a train-of-thought technology," says Scott Dinsdale, executive VP of digital strategy at the Motion Picture Association and a blog reader. "In corporate environments that are creatively oriented, there's probably some use for it." A potential application, he says, would be for newly hired employees to come quickly up to speed by reading the blogs of colleagues.

We can see how weblogging has expanded the influence of the individual and envision the transformational effect it can have on the employees of a company and the company itself. Put those three dynamics together--the empowered consumer, the connected professional, and the collaborative business--and it's easy to see why there's so much buzz about weblogging. What professional wouldn't benefit from being part of a loose-knit virtual community that helps people share ideas and experiences? Already, the software-development community provides a model. more...

posted by Laragh at 12:32 PM

Learning Circuits Blog a Must Read

Besides the wonderfully simple but comprehensive glossary for those new to e-learning, Learning Circuits' collaborative blog is a necessary daily stop for all involved in the e-learning industry. It has been up and running since the end of April. Featuring posts by Jay Cross, Margaret Driscoll, Clark Aldrich, Tom Barron, Ellen Wagner, Kevin Wheeler, Peter Isackson, and Clark Quinn, Learning Circuits points to a recent interview with Evan Williams of Blogger [scroll to the foot of the page to view an exerpt from the interview or select the link provided here and run a search on "evan williams"].

Two small gripes. In fact, mere quibbles. Learning Circuits' template is set for those with a screen resolution of 1024x768 and does not include permalinks, which would make it easier for visitors to refer others to specific posts. A comment feature would be an added bonus. Otherwise, a great blog proving the value of online synergy.
posted by Laragh at 9:44 AM

A Blended E-Learning Approach Ensures Success

Madelise Grobler, Director, CS Holdings

While Web-based e-learning has proven largely successful, effective knowledge transfer can only be achieved if e-learning is blended with instructor-led training. This is the view of CS Holdings director Madelise Grobler, who believes that the key to mixing and matching these two approaches to training is to identify those that are best handled by e-learning technology and those that can be maximised using more traditional methods.

"E-learning has its roots in computer-based training (CBT), which appeared in the early 1980s and used CD-ROMs to teach mostly technical skills to technically-minded people," Grobler explains.

"CBT showed limited success, however, primarily because it didn't address the psychology of learning. Firstly, all the work was left in the hands of the learner and secondly, people learn best when placed in a stimulating environment where they are encouraged to learn and ask questions. Similarly, e-learning on its own is questionable and should be combined with instructor-led training, workshops, and even on-the-job training to ensure that the required business outcomes are delivered."

Today, e-learning has evolved into a tool that is widely used in both the corporate and academic worlds. According to Online Learning Magazine, the percentage of companies using e-learning to train employees jumped from 16% in 2000 to 24% in 2001. Traditional instruction still leads as it is used in 57% of organisations in 2001, down from 65% last year.

Additionally, research done by IDC shows that as late as 1997, US companies were spending virtually nothing on online training. By 2004, however, IDC predicts that corporate spending on e-learning will increase dramatically to $14.5 billion.

"E-learning is convenient in that learning can be done any time, anywhere and at the learner's own pace," says Grobler. "Consequently, course completion rates are generally higher."

more...


posted by Laragh at 1:57 PM

e-Learning - Does It Face A Bleak Future?

"Is e-learning as we know it a failure? According to Forrester Research (www.forrester.com), 70 percent of those who start an e-learning course never complete it."

Kaliym Islam | Is E-learning Floundering?

"From customer to analyst to investor, the consensus is that E-learning still has a few things of its own to learn."

Elisabeth Goodridge | E-Learning Struggles To Make The Grade

posted by Laragh at 1:52 PM