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What exactly is the term "eLearning?

Oct 12, 2023

You're likely to hear that someone is completing their courses online. And most likely, you've already taken an online class or two by yourself in the past! The use of online software and equipment is sure to continue to trend upwards. The benefits of the use of technology in order to speed up and increase the effectiveness of learning.

However, not all software and use cases are the same. So in this article, we'll break down what eLearning really means and dive into a few methods that are commonly used to apply it to school classrooms or corporate training programs!

Skip ahead:

What exactly is the term "e-learning?

E-Learning can be described by many different phrases, such as electronic Learning, Virtual Learning or remote educational. They all refer to the same concept: that a student is accessing some aspect of their learning through a digital or electronic channel. But, there are distinct differences among the most important concepts of eLearning:

eLearning Term Definition of eLearning Term
E-Learning Every way students can gain access to an aspect of their education through a digital or electronic channel regardless of distance between the educational institution and the student.
Digital learning Same definition is used for eLearning. This was, however, the first term that was used prior to that eLearning gained popularity.
Virtual learning Education that is provided for the students almost completely via digital media.
Remote education The education provided to students from a different place, using the use of physical or digital tools to help facilitate learning. It is also referred to as distance learning.

The benefits of the e-learning

  • Accessibility: Anyone who has access to an Internet connection has the ability to browse and read the data provided by the tools. They also offer a range of formats to interpret the new information sources.
  • Cost-efficiency is generally a factor in determining whether the expense for setting up one or more E-Learning tools remains cheaper than hiring more staff. This is especially true as digital learning tools can help in automatizing repetitive, administrative and time-consuming chores.
  • Trackability of progress which may be needed to ensure compliance, organization reporting and student reports. Reports are quick to create that are automatically created by the software and since they're already on the internet and shareable, they can be easily shared to teachers or colleagues too.

Other important eLearning terminology to understand

To help you understand the broad field of eLearning, you can reference this quick chart with the definitions of some other talked about terms!

The term Definition
Instructor-led Teaching methods that ensure there is at least one individual (the teacher) who is the instructor of the class. The instructor could be present with the class or connecting with students virtually.
Self-sufficient An approach to teaching where students are required to keep track of their own development. The course content is presented within a framework and students are required to use the system and work on assignments with no need to be required to do so by an instructor.
Synchronous learning If students learn at the same time that teachers are instructing. This is the kind of learning that happens during class time.
Asynchronous learning When students learn the content at a different time from when the teacher instructs it. This is the kind of learning that happens in the case of students who need to study a resource before class, for example.

The recent rise of electronic learning

Though it's existed for quite some duration, eLearning wasn't always as prevalent as it is today. Before eLearning, it was more typical to observe remote learning techniques particularly in rural regions. Communities without the resources to offer a greater variety of classes or offer support for students who are delayed would rely on remote learning programs to fill those gaps. However, in 2012, 21.4% of higher education students were registered in at minimum one online class.

The year 2020 witnessed a record increase in learning online as the pandemic forced most students to take online courses instead of attending in-person classes. The availability of tools like Zoom helped learners and teachers to collaborate via the internet, so that 60% of university students took online classes often. The market for investing in new tools then increased 6X when comparing 2017 to 2021 and is already projected to reach US$166.60bn by 2023.

Fundamental eLearning principles

There are some important principles on which the vast majority of online learning software rely on. These fundamentals are crucial because they form the basis of creating a powerful software or tool that will help make eLearning easier to access and more beneficial.

Interactivity

In physical classrooms, students are able to inquire, gain practical experience using various labs or exercises, as well as receive real-time feedback from peers or teachers. Effective eLearning software must also attempt to offer the same level of interaction for the students. In the absence of interactivity the students will disengage, lose interest in the content of the class and may have trouble understanding core concepts.

Learner-centered

Engagement

In order to keep students engaged in the long run is a huge struggle that teachers confront. To overcome this problem research has shown that students want teachers to employ a range techniques for teaching as a way to help retain their interest in the classroom. The use of e-learning tools could facilitate increased engagement by finding new ways to maintain student interest, improve lesson retention, inspire creativity, or to improve the student's performance in the course.

Accessibility

Students must be able access and interpret the information in the course to ensure that they can learn effectively. eLearning software needs to be flexible to meet different demands for learning. There's even an abundance of accessibility regulations relevant to online learning which are beneficial for users and facilitators to be aware of.

The most common types of eLearning tools

eLearning is an expansive word that encompasses every kind of electronic tool or system that somehow aids students to study more efficiently. There are a lot of devices available but we'll be focusing on a couple of key categories to be aware of:

Systems for learning management (LMS)

  Examples of LMS tools:  

Virtual engagement tools

Virtual engagement tools are great for allowing students to interact with other students and the courses. There are many ways to accomplish this, including facilitating group projects, taking surveys, conducting class pop-quizzes, collecting feedback, enabling video collaboration or gaming the completion of tasks.

  Examples of tools for virtual engagement:  

Software for tracking student progress

While certain LMS platforms let you monitor student progress but you may want to choose a platform to do this separately if you don't want to employ eLearning software for most of your lessons. The ability to keep track of grades and progress digitally also makes it easy to communicate performance data with parents or supervisors.

  Progression tracking examples software to track eLearning  

3 challenges that are common and ways to overcome them when utilizing digital tools for learning

  Challenge 1: Accessing online learning in areas with little to any Internet connection  

The digital gap is an issue that's common to the integration of eLearning tools at size. The most common scenario is for areas in the rural and developing countries to lack access to the Internet and this makes it difficult for students in those locations to access or participate in online learning courses.

Solution: Educators in these areas can employ an array of both traditional and eLearning methods. The eLearning methods used should be less reliant on Internet connectivity, but should focus on the fundamental eLearning principle of learner-centricity, as well as making it easier to engage or access.

A good example of an online learning tool for areas with restricted Internet access is an electronic reader. This will enable students to browse a wide selection of books from one device, track how they read, alter the screen for ease of use and also view difficult terms in the integrated dictionary.

  Challenge 2: Onboarding students to the e-learning tools  

It's a struggle to master the art of reading, write, document, or communicate virtually. It is particularly challenging in the case of young students or teams that don't have a lot of technological skill.

Solution: Check the eLearning program you use has any learning materials which you can share to your class. Ideally, try to make the materials in a way that's easy for your students to digest for example, printing a hard copy of an instruction sheet.

Furthermore, make sure that you have an easy-to-follow training plan that will guide your students into using educational tools. It's important to explain advantages that eLearning tools will provide to your students, in order for them to understand why it's worth it to take on the latest technology. During this process, ensure that you are available and ready to answer any questions that your learners may have about the program you select and to be patient as they take time to adjust to the new technology.

  Challenge 3: Aligning eLearning tools with the rest of your technology stack  

The most frequently overlooked aspect of working with eLearning tools is that they'll actually need to be technologically compatible with other software or hardware that you're using.

Solution: Talk to the vendor you're purchasing from to ensure technical compatibility before committing to the purchase. Check frequently through the website of the vendor, or as a sales representative.

If you're a tech expert with the abilities to write custom code it is possible to build your own integration. Ask your vendor regarding APIs available and open source components to the platform, which will enable the user to have their tech stack aligned.

How to use eLearning within schools

eLearning is most widely known as a tool used in schools. It has unique use cases specifically for middle school, high school as well as university students. There is the option to use more or less eLearning supplements, depending on the kind of course as well as the amount of interaction the content requires.

Connecting with guardians and parents

In the primary school levels, parents and guardians are active in their children's learning. E-Learning software can generate and distribute reports automatically which saves time for teachers having to create those messages themselves. Some tools can also collect comments or feedback from parents which will help further facilitate the child's development.

In case school boards or academic advisors are required to look over the progress of a student in time, they can also leverage eLearning tools to create an historical record. This report can then include the topics that a student has learned as well as their progress, along with any issues or delays the student has displayed. It is much more accurate as opposed to relying on memories or notes written in handwriting that could not be able to provide the complete context of the particular situation.

The ability to access assignments is improved

In any educational level Teachers must make sure that their content is accessible to a diverse array of learning capabilities. Some eLearning platforms have customizable options for students that permit them to slow down audio and review the content several times, alter font size or colour, and even conduct text-to-speech. Some tools might also be capable of automatically translating and define or spell out content which can assist students who do not be able to immediately contact an instructor for that type of help.

If you're teaching in a classroom then you're likely to be responsible for overseeing the progress of 20 or more students at the same time. For professors who teach at university, class sizes can even range from 100 to 300 students simultaneously! It is difficult to manually review each student's progress and keep track of the specific learning requirements for each unique student. In the meantime you might not have the entire picture of how your class is actually doing in the duration of the course.

In looking at the overall reports of your class in your eLearning tools, be sure to look at trends and outliers. The trends will help you figure out what topics your students are completing the fastest or least, which lets you know the topics that are interesting or difficult. The outliers can help you identify students who excel or struggle in understanding the concepts of their course. There is even a possibility to pair your academic superstars as mentors with students who need extra help!

Providing additional educational assistance

Based on the information gained from eLearning tools, from a teacher's point of view, you'll be able to identify the students who require extra assistance. Then, you can provide these students with an educational assistant or share additional support resources to them directly through the tool. This is a great way to make sure your students have the support they require, without having to draw attention to it in front of their classmates. It's also ideal for any distance learning courses in the event that you are unable to provide support to your student in person.

How to use eLearning to train corporate employees

Reduced costs for the training program

The training programs required for compliance and onboarding have historically been run by instructors. The cost of bringing in an instructor to train your employees includes travel expenses as well as the cost of rooms and cost of hiring the instructor, as well. If your training is intended in preparation for certification, you might also need include certification costs along with the required books and other equipment.

Through eLearning platforms, the price of running training programs drops considerably. Even if you opt to have an instructor in charge of the course, you no longer need to plan travel arrangements or physical classrooms. Instead, the content could be delivered via a video conferencing tool. Additionally, you can capture and replay the course to a different time!

Enhancing product knowledge

LMS tools are a popular type of eLearning technology since they permit companies to create product knowledge databases. The internal teams are able to create videos that present new products, features, policies and other necessary training. As new employees come in, they will be able to use this center of information to build product knowledge. In the same way, it's great for existing employees or client who requires refresher on the product! It's simple and quick to refresh the LMS by adding more videos or content every time a new feature or product is launched. Having a centralized information base for product knowledge also reduces the risk of misinformation spread throughout the company.

Making sales programs more effective

Sales professionals play an intricate role which requires them to understand every new product feature and present it to the customer to show how it is able to meet the needs of each customer. At scale, it can be challenging and time consuming to continuously produce new content that is specific to each lead.

Software for e-learning can be a great aid in making sales campaigns more effective through creating, hosting and sharing content. Sales managers then need to select the chosen products and information sheets that they'd like to distribute and send it to the future customers. Then, it's straightforward to keep track of the progress to know how much information the lead has consumed. Sales managers can be notified when the information has been deleted or not completed that triggers them to reach out to the lead directly for more help.

New hires onboarding programs

If you're part a rapidly growing team, it's likely that you're not able to train all of the new employees who are joining. E-Learning platforms can be a go-to destination for newly hired employees to gain knowledge about policies of the organization, product, processes, and objectives. Human resource managers have access to the system to monitor how training is progressing on the required programs. This also ensures that every new hire is provided with the same amount of details to help them begin their training, so that nobody gets left uninformed or forgot within their first couple of days!

Ensuring compliance regulations are met

Most compliance rules contain a learning or education component. As an example, employees could have to refresh their CPR or security knowledge every several years. Training programs that are designed and monitored in a centralized eLearning platform allows team managers as well as compliance auditors to demonstrate when training was last done. eLearning platforms can pinpoint precisely what employees completed certain training segments and at what point in time. Even better, you will be informed when compliance training has to be renewed!

Enhancing accessibility at the work place

Like eLearning used in the school system, you can also leverage the technology to enhance access to information in your workplace! In the case of team members, for instance, those needing more time to study details can do so via an eLearning platform that will to increase participation, motivation and alignment to project goals.

Conclusion