Introduction to Courseware Design and Digital Technology
Welcome to the wonderful world of e- learning ! You ’ ve joined an industry that ’ s changing in exciting ways all the time , which makes it both fascinating and daunting .
When people started using the term “ e- learning ” in the 1990s , most e-learning consisted of Flash versions of PowerPoint presentations . In many cases , these were the same PowerPoint presentations that trainers and teachers delivered in traditional classrooms . But now , employees and students could view them online .
While rudimentary , these PowerPoint-to- Flash courses planted important seeds for the industry . And when bandwidth availability grew and technology matured , the e-learning industry exploded . Now a complex industry with a dizzying number of tools , technologies , players , and terms , it can be hard to navigate .
3 Main Categories of E-Learning
Self- _______
One of the most convenient characteristics of e-learning is that it ’ s self- paced and asynchronous . This means there ’ s no set time for the learning to take place . Unlike traditional learning , where students must learn at a set time and pace of the instructor ’ s choosing , e-learning can happen at any time , at any speed .
Note that while there ’ s typically some degree of freedom to learn at one ’ s own pace , some organizations will set
deadlines for completing e-learning . For instance , salespeople might be required to complete sales training for new products before a product launch , or a student might have to finish a course before the end of the school term . And while e-learning is typically asynchronous , it can also be a synchronous activity , such as a web conference or internet chat .
Interactive
Typically , the most engaging e-learning is interactive .
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