e-Learning in the e-World: What is Electronic Learning or e-Learning?

After hearing about the Digital Age in the 90’s, e-Commerce, e-Business, e-Shopping and other terms beginning with the letter ‘e’ to refer to the electronic world and the Internet, when we talk today about e-Learning, we think of a site in the Internet or Intranet that is available to everybody, an illustrated encyclopedia in electronic format, or even a multimedia-based presentation. In fact, all these ideas are far beyond an e-Learning definition.

Electronic learning is a kind of virtual or distance education to deliver content by electronic means through the use of the Internet, Intranet, or CD-ROM, and is aimed at effective learning in real time.

Studies have shown that the average learning retention rate resulting from traditional approaches is about 58%; however, this was improved with e-Learning and resulted in a learning retention of about 72.5 or 92.8%, which is quite high.

This enhanced e-Learning capacity to deliver content is due to a combination of several factors, among them: it delivers relevant information in a dynamic and module-like way, is highly interactive not only with the program but also with other people (in the case of online e-Learning or web-based training), exposes the individual to ordinary experiences and decisions, is a safe and controlled approach based on the trial and error method, and rewards success with positive feedback. Moreover, it provides status reports and allows people to be trained any time and anywhere.

Formerly known as Computer Based Training (CBT), e-Learning is increasingly oriented to real-time learning, that is, activities facilitating simultaneous interaction between learners and instructors. What we mean is the use of tools such as Internet chatting, teleconference, videoconference (together with power-point presentations), virtual boards to share content, discussion forums or newsgroups, and other tools that can be shared.

To this regard, it is important to analyze people’s needs and the groups that will require an e-Learning solution to find the best technology for different learning objectives. These objectives are aimed at students who are able to comprehend the contents by analyzing information the same way traditional learning does it but in a more productive way and through the use of the most suitable tools.

In short, e-Learning is a new delivery system of old training programs though the use of the Internet rather than CDs. It is not an Internet portal to find training contents. It is a comprehensive, fast, efficient, and effective training solution that combines excellent information management with the best technology.

Therefore, in the Internet Age when knowledge is essential for survival, companies seek tools such as e-Learning, for a fast response to changing market demands. On the other hand, traditional training lags behind the economy because it is time consuming and due to logistics requirements and related expenses.

Furthermore, for adult learning, e-Learning has proven to be the best tool: it provides the learner with material he/she is interested in, knows his/her expectations, and uses the best learning practice. With an expanded e-Learning, documents, schedules, and long hours of instructor-aided learning are being replaced with a cooperative, easy, and fast system entailing a new learning approach closely related to real business and individual needs.