What’s e-learning?

Author: Catalina Constantin

SC EDUFOR SRL

Web-site: www.edu-for.eu

The shortest definition it’s “education delivered electronically”. That been said many readers unfamiliar with the term considers that e-learning must be some resources embracing .doc or pdf. form embedded into a web-site. If, this affirmation can be true, there is not representing at all the complexity and functions of e-learning which I will try to make deepen understood into the following lines.

The e-learning it’s supported by a learning management system means a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting or delivering of educational courses. At this moment there are a large pallet of e-learning software. Some of them are offered for free and can be installed on the own servers by the IT specialists. The other modality to use LMS it’s to access cloud solutions offered by different providers. You can read clicking HERE, one top for 2019 year considering cloud and free/open source solutions for LMS made from one of the known web-site dedicated to e-learning subject.

The main e-learning characteristics are the following:

• Atemporal and asynchronous, meaning that e-learning can happen at any time and at any speed
• Interactive, meaning that learners actions for discovering information, like: click or mouse over the scree, turns dials, make choices, drag content, etc.
• Media reach: the most appreciated into on-line environment are animations and audio-video files

One of known e-learning designer Daniel Keckan, CEO at Cinécraft Productions, a custom content learning company from Ohio state – USA, names 7 better learning principles for custom e-learning:

“1) AUTHENTIC – Design is genuine, real, life-like, accurate and offers an opportunity for reflection and exploration;

2) TIMELY – Convenient, made available at a favorable or useful time;

3) RELEVANT – Learning is closely connected to the business needs and learning objectives;

4) EFFICIENT – Content is streamlined, well organized and minimizes learners’ effort;

5) ENGAGING – Create learning that activates learners’ curiosity rather than providing meaningless clicks;

6) FUN – Delivery is entertaining, amusing and enjoyable;

7) ACCESIBLE – Content is easy to understand without obstacles and is attainable.”

The e-learning content can be created using exclusively the features offered by the learning management systems or can be done using external software and then embedded into e-learning platform. The external software producing e-learning package transform the whole content into SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) format.

Quoting the web-site www.scorm.com: “SCORM is a set of technical standards for eLearning products. It provides the communication method and data models that allow eLearning content and LMSs to work together. It tells programmers how to write code so that what they build will “play well” with other eLearning software. SCORM is the most widely used eLearning standard available”

The e-learning content created into SCORM format it’s highly interactive and media reach and can comply with all 7 learning principles described above.

Too see some practical examples of SCORM e-learning content you can access our web-page: http://www.edu-for.eu/servicii-elearning/continut-e-learning/

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