English e-learning & distance learning
According to the European Union, e-learning is the 'use of new, online multimedia technologies to improve the quality of learning by making it easier to both access resources and services as well as remotely participate in discussions and collaborate with others'.
According to Wikipedia, the word e-learning is unites concepts such as 'Open and Distance Learning ', 'Computer-Mediated Communication' (communication technologies applied to training ) and 'Web-Based Training '.
E-learning refers to online learning.
E-learning: Learning and innovation
The internet has paved the way for genuine revolutions in many areas of economic and social life. Education is one of these areas. During the 'bubble' of 1998-1999, education was frequently pointed to as an example of a sector on the verge of a profound transformation, and e-learning was considered a market with a potential for explosive growth. Technological innovation and the rise of online networks made it possible to create a large number of multimedia online learning solutions that are interactive and easy to access for a large number of people, no matter where they are, any time of day or night.
E-learning: Trends, cost and democratisation of education
It is interesting to note that despite the abundance of new solutions currently available, the e-learning market has grown but not really 'exploded'. This fact has not gone unnoticed by the business world. So is professional online training truly a smart investment? It certainly is, for two reasons. First, this investment is not a large one. The internet is not simply a vector for educational innovation, it is also a vector for lowering costs. In a context of globalization, the 'industrial' era has made way for the 'knowledge' era: to stay competitive, companies must focus on goods and services with the highest added value. The challenge is to develop the skills of an increased number of employees with budgets that have changed very little! For companies, e-learning is a concrete solution to this problem: the courses are easy to deploy, no matter the location, and unlike what some companies did during the internet bubble, it is not always necessary to invest heavily in a specific IT infrastructure or 'comprehensive' training management software. While it cannot replace the added value of a human teacher, e-learning is cost effective and provides access to education for a wide number of people.
E-learning: Motivation and participation, the keys to success
The key players in the e-learning sector are getting better at defining the causes of users' reticence with regard to following online courses. These causes include lack of concentration and motivation when stuck in front of a screen, which lowers participation rates. While research and innovation initially focused on increasing the number of multimedia platforms for existing learning methods, they now focus increasingly on the proven links between motivation and learning. Our brains still work the same way, even with multimedia tools, and we have the same long-term capacities for concentration, memorization and discipline. E-learning is starting to take off. A new wave of solutions has appeared, and technological innovation is no longer imposing new ways of learning on us. Instead, it is adapting to our (very human) ways of learning and retaining information. Investing in online learning, therefore, makes perfect sense for companies, and there is no reason to break the bank while doing so.
English e-learning and English training
They say that in today's world, everyone needs to speak English. But how are you supposed to find room for English lessons in your busy schedule? A meeting at 10 am, a lunch meeting, an appointment across town, e-mails, telephone calls...is there any time left for improving your English? It's a real challenge to make true progress in English when you have little free time and are rarely exposed to this language in your daily life. And English is difficult...you have to find the motivation, and an English course from time to time doesn't change much... as soon as you hear someone speaking English on the other end of the telephone, you start to panic! Here's the first good news (and part of the answer): the more often you practise a language, the better you become at it. Even the shortest lessons, if continued over the long term, will help you improve your memorization skills better than the occasional intensive course. In other words, there's no need to spend four hours practising English every day for a month. Regularity and continuity are what matter. Intensive workshops do help you improve your skills quickly, but they are only effective when you continue to use the language on a regular basis, such as when working in a foreign country. Out of all the methods available, e-learning and new information technologies in general have several advantages: they are easy to access and are available all the time. Courses online, over the telephone or through e-mail do not have the same added value as the authority and charm of a live teacher, but they can be accessed from anywhere: at the office or at home, any time of day or night. Therefore, it is important to choose a method that you will continue to use nearly every day, even if only for fifteen minutes. All that's left to do is to stick with it and take advantage of every opportunity to review, revise, and consolidate your acquired knowledge over time. Staying motivated is the key, so be sure to choose fun e-learning English lessons !