Oct 30 2007
In the three jobs I have worked in, only my current job has had any form of learning or training online.
Rebel Sport has their online training program called Rebel Uni, however, it is only e-Learning in the broadest sense as it does not allow for any interaction with the material (it is purely reading only, apart from the quizzes at the end of each module).
Oct 30 2007
Taylor seems to be very cynical about the term e-Learning and its use. He admits that he himself used the term, but feels its outdated and overused.
He also feels the “e” in e-Learning puts off some learners, especially those who consider themselves Luddites, because, as Taylor says “Luddites are learners, too.”
This article was very interesting, and makes you think about e-Learning in different ways, and from different points of view, which is what makes it such a great article.
Oct 30 2007
This article brings up many interesting points. It provides a fairly detailed and comprehensive timeline of where e-Learning has come from, and where it could go to.
One quote which I find very interesting on Web 2.0 was this:
“Here’s my take on it: Web 2.0 is an attitude not a technology. It’s about enabling and encouraging participation through open applications and services. By open I mean technically open with appropriate APIs but also, more importantly, socially open, with rights granted to use the content in new and exciting contexts”
The article brings in a lot of information about the different types of e-Learning tools (such as Blackboard, which we use at UTS) and their possible applications.
It is also interesting to note the author’s views on the changing nature of internet users and the emergence of “digital natives” or the “n-gen”. While majority of the points about this generation do apply to me, I am definitely aware that I am not part of this generation, and it amazes me to know that there will be a generation after mine which will be even more at home on the web than we are. It’s also kind of scary…
Oct 19 2007
Lim (2001) put forward a very interesting article about e-Learning.
They first describe the corporate motivation for e-Learning, essentially cost-effectiveness and a well-trained workforce that gives the organisation a competitive advantage.
Lim then goes on do debunk what they feel are myths about e-Learning, which include:
By debunking these myths, Lim feels corporations will be able to better evaluate their e-Learning courses.
However, their last comment is most poignant:
“E-learning is a double-edged sword; it can be used either to enhance the corporations’ competitive advantages or to amplify their disadvantages. E-learning can foster a learning community of ‘knowledge workers,’ or it can cause abstraction and individualism among employees.” (Lim, 2001, para. 11)
This is possibly the most important point Lim makes in this article because it highlights not only the advantages of e-Learning, but also its disadvantages. The way it is written makes it simple enough for any member of an organisation to understand, and yet is worded in such a way that it forces people to take it into account when designing their e-Learning program.
