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Introduction: |
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The advantages of e-Learning have
been recognized all over the world by Industry, Non Government Organizations
(NGOs) and Government organizations. More than 90 percent of Cisco's training
is online. According to IDC estimates, worldwide, e-learning revenues
will graduate beyond the 23 billion dollars mark by 2004 from less than
two billion dollar in 1999. In the US, e-learning will account for 45
per cent of all training by 2004, up from three per cent in 1999 and it
will account for two-third of worldwide revenues in 2004. NASSCOM says,
"The softening economy has had a sustained impact on e-learning market
in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in India, as price-sensitive
companies have cut back on their training investments".
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| 2.0 What is eLearning?
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ELearning is any virtual act or
process used to acquire data, information, skills or knowledge. In the
context of this virtual toolkit, eLearning is enabled learning, learning
in a virtual world where technology merges with human creativity to accelerate
and leverage the rapid development and application of deep knowledge.
For the purposes of the report, we use Brandon Hall's most recent definition
of e-Learning: "Use of Internet technology for learning outside of the
classroom."
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| 3.0 Why eLearning? |
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Shorter technology & product and
business cycles, availability of broadband, internet, falling cost of
communications, the need for constant upgrading of skills and combined
with increasing regulations in both the education and corporate sector
are combining in a way to drive growth in the demand for eLearning solutions
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In the knowledge economy of today,
what empowers any organization is the quality of its staff & employees-who
interact with customers, suppliers, manage internal business process,
manufacture products or implement support processes.
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Some of the main benefits of eLearning
is summarized below:
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Anywhere-Anytime-Anyone:
Learning is accessible to all 24X7 through out the world. This unique
feature makes eLearning convenient for candidates (viz. members, employees,
students, clients, customers or any one who is willing to learn) to learn
at any time, any place.
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Saving in Cost and Time:With
eLearning travel to specific locations for the purpose of education
is totally eliminated. This brings about savings on the time and
cost of travel that would otherwise have been incurred in conventional
learning models.
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| Benefits to Educators |
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BPR of Learning Processes: With Re-engineering of time
and paper intensive processes, such as student registration, and
fragmented information silos, into easily and securely accessible
integrated on-line services
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Increased ROI "Return on Investment": By integrating existing
Learning courses into a Web-based services environment, educators
can get value out of an investment already made in development of
that intellectual property.
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Faster & Higher Quality Deployment: By using the work ?ow
driven approach to content production in the Learning Content Management
Service to streamline the signoff and quality procedures, faster
deployment is achieved.
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| Benefits to Learners |
| Easy Access to Web-based Services: Web-based services are available
anytime, anywhere, from any device. Single sign-on means only one
password to remember, improved productivity, quick and easy transfer
from one e-learning service to another, and increased satisfaction. |
| Increased Security and Privacy: Personal information, learning
patterns, and test data are encrypted and securely stored and transmitted
through the network, ensuring complete privacy for the user. |
| Personalized learning: With smarter content layout & presentation
means that the learner, anywhere in the world, can focus on learning,
because it is tailored to the pro?le and learning style that they
themselves determine, not some arbitrary default. Also candidates
can learn at a speed that suits them. Students can also take up studies
and practice tests as many times as needed to perform better in examinations. |
| Career Oriented: E-Learners acquire skills required in the job
market. Thus, jobseekers get jobs quickly, while employed students
get empowered to rise in their career, or even change careers if interested.
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| Career Oriented: E-Learners acquire skills required in the job
market. Thus, jobseekers get jobs quickly, while employed students
get empowered to rise in their career, or even change careers if interested.
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| Uniformity of content: Instructional quality in eLearning is consistent
to all learners irrespective of their location anywhere in the world,
thus eliminating disparities arising from different teaching standards
that are commonplace in conventional learning. |
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