At its simplest....

E-learning can mean whatever you like! There is no definitive statement that can be made to describe e-learning, so, perhaps we should forget the term and describe that which we refer to as e-learning in just a few more words.

At ICUC....

We think of e-learning (or online learning) as just another delivery and administration mechanism for helping individuals to understand or 'make sense of'.

It can have many elements combined in order to support the 'learner'.

Learning, or 'making sense of', involves individuals having access to resources that enable them to achieve objectives, either their own or those set by others who set individuals on paths of learning.

So rather than e-learning, why not think of ME-LEARNING! Where the Learner is at the centre and concentrates on "what is good for ME".

Computer technology, primarily the internet these days, can play an important role in giving individuals access to a wide range of resources, point them to resources that are not actually online and give them a management mechanism within which to work and which will support them in terms of helping them to understand what they have achieved and advise them on what might be appropriate.

However, like all learning, that which we put online requires significant initial investment in the learning design - identifying what the learner needs to 'make sense of' and describing how best to present that to the learner.

However, with so much information now available in the public domain via the internet, in a number of areas, it no longer necessary to create new content - the job is to signpost the most appropriate content within an overall course/information framework - something like our own Learning Management System.

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Last updated: 3 February 2010