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The term ‘e-learning’ is an odd one. No-one can really define it as a solid entity and depending on which institution you go to, chances are they will see it differently. So, in the interests of getting your opinions I thought I’d have a stab at defining it myself…

To me, e-learning is not the same thing as distance learning. I once had the opportunity to do a distance learning course at my sixth form college, but due to the difficulty of the course and lack of interaction with a real tutor, I decided against it. This is the major failing of distance learning – for all the learning materials, videos, websites, tests and all the rest, none of them can replace the guidance of a human being entirely.

No, e-learning is all about one thing: using technology to assist in learning. The internet, computer programs, video, audio and tests are all a part of this but more important is the combination of them all with your regular learning schedule. Online testing is all well and good, but only if it comes at the right point in your learning development. Sure, you could repeatedly complete the test until you get a pass mark you are happy with but you aren’t really learning anything – a more measured approach may well help here.

Likewise, if you were to rely solely on online tutorials and documents relating to the topic, you could develop a lopsided understanding of the subject matter. Combining this with real, hands-on tuition with a lecturer (who doesn’t have to be in the same physical area as you – video conferencing of course!) may well pay dividends down the road.

This is why I think the way you combine the technological aspect of learning with everything else is the true definition of e-learning. If you do it well then the road ahead will be much smoother and you may well out-do your own expectations.

Finally, a few tips.

• Use video and audio content wisely. Do not ever treat it as verbatim truth as more often than not it will be a single person’s viewpoint on a topic. Research papers and books are usually written by multiple authors and a lot of the time are peer reviewed, so can be trusted to a greater level. Video and audio are great and an engaging method for learning, but do not rely on them too much.
• Read a wide variety of news sites and blogs on your chosen topic. While this may be more related to industry news and new developments, it gives you an insight into some of the aspects of your subject which may not be written in books. For instance, keeping up with new developments in the computing industry will be a great help when it comes to actually working in it – books, for all their best effort, are quite often at least one step behind the curve.
• If your subject is one where there are tools available for computers where you can play around with things, try them out! Computing is again a subject where this is very useful, but any scientific field can benefit, along with a variety of arts subjects. You’d be amazed by how it can help stoke your enthusiasm and ambition once you have done something cool while simply messing about.

While they are by no means a definitive list, it could set you off in the right direction. Good luck!

Tags: distance learning, e-learning