E-Learning

What is E-learning?

E-learning may the solution you are looking for. To find out read the guide we have put in place for you that covers the main points of e-learning and how it can help increase your value to employers and/or continue your education online.

It’s Available to you Anywhere and at Anytime!

Easily learn about thousands of topics and applications from the comfort of your own PC, wearing your bathrobe and slippers. E-learning allows you to spend your time learning and skips the non-essentials. You want learning tools that keep you engaged in what you are studying.

It’’s Easy to Use and Can be Done at your own pace!

Lots of times when you're in a training, learning something new or taking courses you may ask yourself, "How exactly does that work again?!" With e-Learning courses, you can browse through a course again or search for a particular topic or concept to get a brief overview. You can easily get in and out of a course, find the information you need, and then move on!

It is Affordable!

Today, individuals and companies need an affordable alternative to costly training seminars, instructor-led trainings and College courses. E-Learning provides interactive, high quality training typically less than half the cost of other educational options.

How Do E-learning Courses Work

More about the Background of Online Learning

E-learning encompasses a variety of types of education, each one suited for different topics, people, timelines, prices, companies, and so on. Choosing the right mode for your personal purposes or for your company could mean the difference between success and failure.

Here are the basic education practices that make up of a typical elearning course and tests:

Tutorials

Tutorials use a linear presentation of information that can be controlled at the users pace. These are often in a guided format that gives opportunity for learning and interaction. A good tutorial helps the learner truly understand the concepts presented with a pace that allows user the time to remember and take in the information presented to them. Tutorials always include a practice session.

Assessments

Most assessment based elearning courses begin or end with online assessments to judge or comprehension level, skill, or knowledge of a particular subject. These tests can be used for self-assessment or can be graded by the system or manually by an instructor.

Simulations

Simulations provide a life-like experience to help to learning that helps participants learn more efficiently. For example, some programs offer role-playing exercises to help participants learn how to handle certain situations essential to their job, life skills or portraying to the subject they are studying. A good simulation helps the participant reveal how he or she would react in a real-life situation, such as sales calls.

Different Instruction Methods

Courses can also be offered in several environments. Educational material can be instructor-led, self-study, performance management, knowledge based or completely automated. Each course is set up differently to meet the best possible standards for that particular subject.

About E-learning Degree Programs

In addition to online learning educators like CNDLP; a growing number of Universities, online Colleges and High School’s offer a select set of academic degrees, equivalency diplomas and certificate programs via the Internet. These programs range from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in Business Administration to getting Certified in Microsoft Office.

While some programs requires students to attend some campus classes or orientations, many are delivered completely online. In addition, several schools offer online student support services, such as online advising and registration, e-counseling, online textbook purchasing and job placement assistance.

A further Background of Online learning ( courtesy of Wikipeida.org)

Online learning descends from computer-based training, interactive multimedia (dating from laser discs and more recently, CDs with online learning) and integrated learning centers. With the internet boom since the mid 1990s, the concept of online learning has spread broadly. Online courses generally require a computer with an internet connection. Online Learning can be thought of as a subset of the broader e-learning category because it refers specifically to content delivered via the Internet or Intranet.

For the younger children, there are free learning sites ranging from those that provide worksheets such as to those with interactive exercises. But, it is left to the parent to provide continuity, determine progress, and to assemble an overall program.

There are online subscription services for children that track the children and provide assessment, placement, continuity, and reports.

There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills.

Businesses use online learning to provide cost-effective training to their employees, partners, and customers.

As the number of students taking online classes continues to grow at a quick pace, the second wave of online college students is different: they are students who know the ingredients of a good online class, who are picky about which ones they sign up for and who will drop a class if the teacher turns out to be a dud. They are the new, savvy consumers of online education. In response to their higher expectations, providers of online education are incorporating increasingly sophisticated teaching approaches such as educational animation that address the challenges of presenting dynamic content to learners.

Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year, according to a report from the Sloan Consortium, an authoritative source of information about online higher education. The explosive rate of growth -- now about 25 percent a year -- has made hard numbers a moving target. But according to Sloan, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. (By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them.) Sloan tracks degree-granting institutions, but no one's keeping tabs on the thousands of corporate and vocational e-learning programs.

Fuelling this growth is the convenience that online classes are much more convenient, particularly for people who work full time or have families. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes -- and financial aid is equally available -- while the cost to the institution can be much less. And the Sloan report, based on a poll of academic leaders, says that students generally appear to be at least as satisfied with their online classes as they are with traditional ones. In addition, the academic leaders say they believe the quality of online learning is equal to or superior to face-to-face instruction. The K-12 online learning space has grown recently from a spate of virtual schools and virtual charter schools.

What does all this mean?

It means, if you are looking to further your education, increase your value to employers or just continuing to grow as a person e-learning can be an affordable and flexible solution for you.

CNDLP is dedicated to helping it’s students not only take our courses but truly gain something from them. If you are considering e-learning we hope this short guide was a help to informing you and encouraging you to make the plunge into E-learning!

With questions or comments about this guide please contact us.