E-learning Technology Expands U.S. Enrollment

New technology has allowed educational institutions to take the distance out of distance learning, which has made online degree programs more popular than ever. "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the US, 2005", a report published last year by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, gives a very positive outlook on the future of online education. The report indicates that online enrollment in the US increased from 1.98m in 2003 to 2.35m a year later, a growth rate more than 10 times that predicted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the general post-secondary student population.

Keywords:

Search for classes, search for colleges, education online, online education, get a career online, get a career at home

Article Body:

New technology has allowed educational institutions to take the distance out of distance learning, which has made online degree programs more popular than ever. "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the US, 2005", a report published last year by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, gives a very positive outlook on the future of online education. The report indicates that online enrollment in the US increased from 1.98m in 2003 to 2.35m a year later, a growth rate more than 10 times that predicted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the general post-secondary student population.

The earliest inception of e-learning closely resembled a classroom on a CD-ROM, and was structured in such a way as to present students with a rigid format that offered little in the way of a flexible learning environment. Most recently, however, e-learning has evolved from a formal presentation of information to a much more fluid and integrated type of learning. As technology has improved by leaps and bounds, demand for high quality online educational programs has steadily increased. The flexibility of current technology now available has allowed many institutions to offer a multitude of ways for students to interact with not only faculty, but with each other as well. The end result has been the creation of a more community inspired experience that leaves students feeling they are part of a greater whole instead of an island unto themselves.

Investing in an integrated learning curriculum is not cheap, though the institutions who have made the effort to stay abreast of the newest technology have certainly reaped rewards from their efforts. With the most current formats available being favored by many students, it is an investment that is likely to yield favorable results for years to come. With each new student that graduates from an online university, the public acceptance of this form of learning will continue to grow. Though it's likely that online degree programs will never surpass traditional university programs, there is a good chance that in the near future, most graduates who enter the workforce will have gained a level of experience with an online learning format within some point along their educational journey.

E-learning - Singing from the same hymn sheet

E-Learning - its not about technology, Its about communicating your ideas and procedures and getting it into the heads of the recipients, after all, it is they who will put it into action. Say it once, loud and clear and then let them test themselves on their understanding of your message.

Keywords:

elearning,E-learning, e-Learning

Article Body:

Copyright 2006 Anthony Fallon

E-learning gives you the opportunity to deliver and measure whether or not, you are achieving your goals. But the term E-learning has a certain internet geeky stigma attached to it. It sounds complicated and technical. But the truth of the matter is it's neither. Take the E out of E-learning and everyone becomes more comfortable.

I was listening to an online SEO seminar the other day, during which, the host was explaining how if he had to tell one more newbie what page rank was he would consider putting a gun to his own head. Amusing as the remark was, you could easily identify with the frustration of him having to repeat the same old message. All educators and that includes business owners and managers have the same problem.

There are only so many things you have to do to acheive a succesful outcome in any business task. By documenting those tasks just once means that the procedure can be repeated to all members of staff over and over again. Ray Kroc took the procedures for the McDonald brothers restaurant and duplicated it globally so that every member of staff within the restaurant was aware of thier procedures and responsiblities no matter what their position or where they were in the world.

If Ray Kroc had access to the internet and E-learning when he was building the McDonalds empire he could have achieved his targets and educated the workforce more rapidly.

Now you may not have a global fast food restaraunt chain but the principles apply to all businesses. You may operate from a single unit or be geographically spread, either way its important for everyone concerned with the business to be fully aware of their duties and responsibilities and what the company is trying to achieve, It's mission Statement.

The most efficient way to make that happen is to use an E-learning program. How many instances have there been in your business where things don't go to plan because you assumed everybody knew what they were doing?

Singing from the same hymn sheet If only we could get everyone to sing from the same hymn sheet. A common cry across all organisations I have had the opportunity to work with over the years The following is a list of cries for help broken down into the problem (Pain) What needs to be done (vision) and how E-learning can help (the solution) Do any of these sound familiar?

The Pain: We provide professional advice to our clients - We don’t know if the advice given is consistent with updates in legislation. The Vision: I need to make sure our staff’s gives reliable information to our clients. The Solution: Using E-learning will test the knowledge of your staff on critical information updates

The Pain: My only form of education is to hope they read the manuals. The Vision: If I had a system where I could offer different training courses and achievement levels and with a testing method I would know that they are comprehending what is required for their job. The Solution: E-learning will track each learner based on modules
• which module they are on
• Length of time per module
• Test score per module
• Number of retakes
• Benchmark your employees
• Measure your employees
• Improve your employees

The Pain: My customers and site visitors keep asking the same questions The Vision: If I could set up an online training, testing and certifying system for customers thus helping them get the answers they need without the burden on our time The Solution: E-learning will benefit all companies wanting to educate customers it will also be seen an added value to the business relationship .

The one thing you need to know about E-learning is this - It's not about technology. It's about communicating your idea's and procedures and getting it into the heads of the recipients, after all, it is they who will put it into action.

There are many ready made E-learning programs available, some better than others. The benefit of ready made E-learning solutions is that you can be educating your staff within weeks But if you must have a bespoke E-learning program made and you need it up and running soon then try and keep it away from your IT department. Leave the pyrotechnics for another day.

Use video and audio where you can - People using E-learning learn better using a combination of tools. There aren't many people that can master something just by reading it.

Time Out You, as the business owner or manager will know what is it that you want to communicate to your staff. Of course solving all these problems does take time and you will need to take time out from all that selling to achieve your goals but remember with E-learning you should only have to do it once. Say it once, loud and clear and then test them on their understanding of your message.

Gary Blum E-Learning: Effective Employee Training

Gary Blum elearning is all about wirk training. Training an employee is essential for any business, whether it be a fast food establishment or a multi-million dollar software company.

Keywords:

gary blum elearning, online education

Article Body:

Training is essential to any employee and provides not only a benefit to them but also to the company in increased productivity and employee job satisfaction. The high costs of travel combined with increasing strained budgets have meant that training can sometimes be the first thing to be cut when focusing on the bottom line. Companies are turning to a more cost-effective solution through online education and e-learning.

Training an employee is essential for any business, whether it be a fast food establishment or a multi-million dollar software company. One of the most effective ways to train employees is to let them get education at their own pace through e-learning training programs. Not only does this eliminate costly travel expenses but it also allows the employee to take the training on their own schedule as they are available. If an employee cannot finish the online education is one sitting they can easily come back to where they left off next time. Furthermore, if there is a question or a concept the employee does not understand the e-learning system lets them review and go over materials as often as they desire.

One of the foremost designers of e-learning software is Gary Blum Designs. They have developed online education systems for a number of major companies including Charles Schwab, Cygent and Sybase. If your company does not have an internal training department then hiring an outside contractor such as Gary Blum Designs can be the best solution for getting quality e-learning materials delivered right to your employees.

Most online education includes quiz and performance evaluation software at the end of the course. This information can be stored for use by management to see training weak-spots in the company or judge individual performance. Many times employees can re-take missed quizzes or evaluations and never be asked the same question twice thanks to the technology behind the e-learning application.