What Is eLearning and What Are the Benefits of eLearning

Technology has not only revolutionized the way corporate businesses operate but has also impacted the learning processes in the education sector. eLearning is slowly replacing the traditional methods of teaching. That's simply because people are discovering the numerous benefits that come with this mode of learning. While the most obvious ones are flexibility and cost savings, there are many other benefits aligned to eLearning programs. In this article, we are going to take a look at the meaning of eLearning and explore some of the key benefits that come with it.

What Is eLearning?

eLearning or online education can be defined as form of learning that utilizes electronic technologies to gain access to educational curriculum, usually outside the brick-and-mortar classroom. It may refer to a course, degree or program that's completely delivered on an online-based platform. With online education, learning is not disseminated via pre-built videos or television channels. But rather it involves a situation where students can interact with instructors online in real-time. Students are allowed to raise hands electronically during a class session to ask questions or contribute to topics of discussion.

eLearning can be delivered through a Learning Management System (LMS) or over video conference software. Using these platforms, instructors can interact with their students, evaluate their participation and grade their assignments or tests. A good example of video conference software that can be used in eLearning is ezTalks Cloud Meeting. This software offers a number of interactive features like innovative whiteboards, instant screen & content sharing and cross-platform chat. Using these tools, students and instructors can interact and collaborate effectively for even better delivery of classes.

What Are The Benefits of eLearning?

eLearning has really done much in transforming the landscape of learning and curriculum development. Online education has surpassed the traditional education in a number of aspects. Those who are actively involved in eLearning programs can testify of the many advantages that come with it.

Here is a list of the key benefits of eLearning:

1. Allows Students to Learn From Anywhere at Anytime

One of the greatest benefits of eLearning is that students can enroll, study and complete their desired courses from anywhere in the world. There's no need to travel to the brick-and-mortar institutions to enroll, organize for accommodation or cover long distances to find class venues. Every aspect of learning takes place online. This is a huge benefit, particularly to students who working or taking care of family while learning at the same time. They can simply attend classes at their own convenient time and complete assignments and/or tests hassle-free. eLearning simplifies learning by offering flexible and convenient methods of training in online-based platforms.

2. Leads to Substantial Cost Savings

eLearning tends to be less expensive compared to traditional education because only a few trainers and consultants are involved in delivering courses and programs. That eliminates high salaries for these workers while increasing student outreach. The institution will save more on operation costs while delivering high quality education online at cheaper rates.

On the other hand, students can benefit by paying less fees for programs similar to those offered in traditional schools or institutions. In addition, they'll avoid added expenses like house rent, commuting costs and purchasing learning materials. Generally, a student taking an eLearning program can make substantial savings right from course enrollment up to the time of completion.

3. Makes Access to Just-In-Time Information on Curriculum Easier

With eLearning platforms, instructors can update lessons and learning materials before sharing to students who are signed up to the network. In most cases, the updated materials are simply uploaded to a server, where students can have access to the relevant study information. Alternatively, instructors can share just-in-time information with students over a video conference system.

With such software as ezTalks Cloud Meeting, instructors can disseminate updated info to students to through screen sharing feature. Students can also save these files for later review or playback. That ensures the content in the education curricular is fresh, consistent and at par with the current trends。

4. Promotes More Focused and Effective Learning

Most of the online teaching platforms tend to offer personalized learning to students with different learning abilities. With online-based allowing 24/7 access to lessons, students can learn and review course materials at their own pace while still meeting the curriculum requirements. Instructors can also help students better understand the topics by reinforcing the message using audio, videos, quizzes among other materials. When instruction is delivered through such platform as ezTalks Cloud Meeting, students can record real-time lessons for later playback or revision to understand something that wasn't clear at first.

Numerous studies have shown that eLearning programs affect students positively by improving on their:

-Attitude towards learning and training

-Long-term content retention

-Mastery levels

-Scores on assignments, tests and other evaluations

-Knowledge application in the real job setting

5. Makes the Learning Process Less Intimidating

Online-based education and online training courses gives students the freedom to explore new things and make mistakes without the fear of being intimidated. Unlike the instructor-led programs in traditional colleges, which sometimes name and shame students who have performed poorly, eLearning programs are more focused on improving the students'weaker areas. With learning materials and instruction solely based online, even the shiest students can find it interesting to pursue a given course. It simply gives students of all learning abilities the chance to get both practical knowledge and hands-one experience on their area of interest.

6. Allows People of All Ages and Experiences to Access Education

eLearning education platforms provide equal opportunities to all people interested in acquiring new skills or furthering their studies. There are absolutely no harsh restrictions as witnessed in traditional academic institutions. In fact, enrolling for an online education program takes a few steps that can be done in a single day. Both fresh and working students can simply enroll, pursue and complete their desired courses in hassle-free manner.

Conclusion

These are some of the key benefits that students and instructors can enjoy from eLearning. With enrollment for online courses increasing day by day, it seems the idea of eLearning slowly is gaining some solid ground. Compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar education, online education offers more flexibility, greater convenience and improved performance. And since eLearning programs are reasonably priced, students can enjoy even greater value for their money.