Electronic learning (e- learning)
E-learning is any type of learning that
takes place through or with a computer. E-learning is primarily facilitated
through the Internet but can also be accomplished with CD-ROMs and DVDs,
streaming audio or video and other media (according to By Ashley Brooks in eHow). In his opinion, the purpose of
e-learning is to allow people to learn something for personal accomplishment or
to achieve degree of studying without physically attending the class. Because
the only requirements for e-learning (in most cases) requires a computer with
Internet access or a CD/DVD-ROM drive, e-learning students can learn from home,
libraries, Internet cafes or any other location that has Internet access. We do
not have to attend the traditional lecturer in a class, we do not have to go
somewhere with its distance to reach any class, therefore we just have to sit
in front of computer turning on the computer and do the learning process.
In the previous era, e-learning type
happened without any face to face contact. The material for the learning
process was usually send by e-mail, website, online, or any other media such as
CDs or DVD-ROMs.
In
the fast-paced world of e-learning the available technologies to make a course
new and exciting are always changing, and course content can and should be
updated quickly to give students the very latest information. This is
especially important if the e-learning training is being given to employees in
a sector where keeping up-to-date on industry developments is of the utmost
importance. This is one of the reasons why many businesses are now offering
training via e-learning - other reasons includes low costs and the ability for employees
to study in their own time and place.
Overall, traditional learning is expensive,
takes a long time and the results can vary. E-learning offers an alternative
that is faster, cheaper and potentially better.
Some people may think whether training and
learning is the same, but actually they are different. There are some
differentiation between training and learning. http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/learning_vs_training)
According to (
v
Training is the giving
of information and knowledge, through speech, the written word or other methods
of demonstration in a manner that instructs the trainee whereas Learning is the
process of absorbing that information in order to increase skills and abilities
and make use of it under a variety of contexts.
v
Whatever the goals, the quality of the learning
will rely largely on the quality of the training, and so the role of trainer is
very important as it can have a huge effect on the outcome of a course for the
learner.
E-learning is not
only used in educational field but also corporation. Because it allows both students
and business executive to be able to learn anywhere and everywhere.
In
corporate environment the role of corporate
training is to ensure an employee has the knowledge and skills to undertake a
specific operation to enable an organization to continue to operate.
Fundamentally, corporate training is centered on knowledge transfer. For
example, conferences and workshops are an essential yet expensive part of
business and e-learning makes it affordable and efficient - sales people, for
instance, can receive their training on new products and sales strategies
online. E-learning can be translated to lower costs to deliver training in a shorter period of time, especially when employees are spread worldwide. (http://www.talentlms.com/elearning/educations_vs_corporate_learning)
