Dr. Michael Shaw asked:


E-learning is not a new phenomenon; however, its use has evolved. E-learning originally gained popularity in higher education because of its flexibility. During this phase, Learning Management Systems like Moodle, Blackboard, and WebCT were developed. This allowed flash based SCORM content to be uploaded and shared. Students, especially working adults, could take courses asynchronously from the comfort of their homes, sacrificing little in terms of managing work and school schedules.

As e-learning evolved, a second phase began to take hold within the corporate sector. This phase was marked by increased use of e-learning among corporations in order to reduce training cost and manage large scale training initiatives quickly. E-learning also helped organizations manage content and understanding through standardized curriculum and graded quizzes.

In the third phase of e-learning maturation, schools and organizations began to realize the value of e-learning to geographically isolated students. Schools realized that they were no longer restricted to enrolling local students. They slowly began to look far outside state and country borders enrolling students in every corner of the earth. This was a particularly popular idea in growing markets like Nigeria were education needs were high.

Organizations also learned that they could now offer training to telecommuters and geographically separated work teams. With telecommuting increasing in popularity, e-learning became the perfect solution to a unique and new issue.

E-learning is at the beginning of a fourth stage. The future of e-learning is customization. With off-the-shelf e-learning solutions blanketing the industry, organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the value of a custom solution that pinpoints the needs and situation of the organization. Schools use custom e-learning solutions to match existing ground content. Organizations use off-the-shelf e-learning courses combined with custom e-learning courses to effectively delivery the right learning content cost effectively. Only a select few e-learning organization’s like SilkWeb Consulting & Development www.silkwebconsulting.com have the capability and experience to develop and deliver both custom and off-the-shelf e-learning solutions to schools and businesses. For more information on SilkWeb, email info@silkwebconsulting.com



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