Understanding the type of elearning methods will help you choose the option that will suit your requirements best. All of your choices will utilize technology to make your learning process very convenient.
Since technology is broad, you would think that you have a lot of options. The truth is, there are only two methods to choose from: asynchronous and synchronous eLearning. The difference in the two is the freedom of the student to choose their learning schedules.
In this article, we will discuss asynchronous eLearning.
Of the two eLearning options, this is the most convenient of them all. This option gives the student total control over their learning schedules. There are two ways to do this.
Self-paced learning.
This method allows the student to choose when they will learn because they will be getting their source of information from archives. It can be delivered through the Internet or Intranet. It can also be accessed through a CD or DVD that they can view anytime. This will give the student freedom to access the learning materials when and as they need it.
The popular way to present the course is through multimedia. It can also be bookmarked so that the student can stop and resume their lessons as they please. These self-paced courses are usually accompanied by tracking systems or learning management systems (LMS) to allow the creators of the course to gauge the performance of the students. Since there is no real-time interaction, the courses can be assessed through the LMS that will gather data about the behavior of the student. It will help them determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the eLearning materials.
The biggest downside of asynchronous elearning is the fact that students are more tempted to skip through other parts of the course or fail to complete it altogether. There may also be questions along the way that cannot be answered because there is no instructor present to deal with on the spot queries.
Discussion groups.
These are defined as archived conversations that are collected over time. It can be found in community forums and message boards. There are sites that serves as the portal for people to ask questions, answer them and share ideas. This is another way for people to learn. It can be a great way to socialize online as you interact with people who have the same interest as you.
It usually begins with someone posting a thought or idea. Then, someone else will come in to comment on that idea or answer the question. As people leave their thoughts and ideas in reaction to what was posted in the past, the thread lengthens and the eLearning material grows.
Unlike the self-paced course however, this type of eLearning does not have any form at all. People come and go and there is no way for the student to know which idea or advice is credible or not. In truth, relying on this type of learning may not be the best way to learn. It is best to combine this with something else.
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