E-learning solution for distance learning

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Choosing Your e-Learning Solution

July 21, 2008 | 1 comment

More and more companies are seeking to offer their employees the benefits of training programmes known as “e-learning”.  However, with so many offers out there how do you go about zeroing in on the right one? What technical features are needed to guarantee that the solution meets your teams’ requirements and fits in with your company’s e-learning strategy?

There are three main categories of e-learning solutions:
- “Off-the-shelf” solutions
- Customised solutions
- Internal solutions.

In general, Off-the-shelf e-learning solutions are designed for office automation, foreign language and computer training. The solutions are standardized and can be used by learners on their own or with the help of a trainer, either in a presential mode or at a distance.

Customised e-learning solutions are accompanied by a services offer intended to ensure the success of the distance learning project.
A customised e-learning solution provider should be able to provide support in the following areas:
- Development of the communications plan
- Drafting of the e-tutoring plan
- Development of a customised e-learning programme
- Implementation of the graphical and technical aspects of the e-learning content
- Creation of detailed teaching and financial reporting systems
- Support in the integration of the e-learning module in the LMS platform

Internal e-learning solutions now come with authoring tools that enable users to create e-learning content internally. These types of solutions are well adapted to long-term e-learning strategies and require an in-house staff with the skills needed for scripting the interactive modules.

Hosting the solution
- External hosting by a service provider, in ASP (Application Service Provider) mode.
- Internally, on the corporate Intranet, for example.

The e-learning solution selected should include an e-learning module management platform, commonly called a LMS (Learning Management System) platform. These platforms are particularly well suited for training programmes that involve sensitive or confidential data. When you integrate a LMS platform, pay special attention to the standards (AICC, IMS or SCORM ) used; these determine the format in which the content will be updated and the data transferred from one LMS platform to another.

E-learning market players:
- Consulting, integration and implementation of the overall solution, platform and content
- Platform providers only
- Content providers: standardized or customised content
- Providers of content creation tools: e-learning programmes or for evaluation purposes

However, a number of providers combine several of these features in their offer and provide a wide range of services (educational and technical engineering), along with flexible and robust software solutions.

Post by : ILT | under Trends, soltend-accueil 

The E-Twinning Programme: Collaborating on the Internet with Partner Schools in other European Countries

July 21, 2008 | Leave a comment

eTwinning is part of the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme. The programme enables individuals at all stages of their lives to pursue stimulating learning opportunities across Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The eTwinning programme is designed exclusively for schools in primary and secondary education.

Teachers interested in the programme are asked to give details about their project idea and the type of school(s) within the EU countries with which they would like to put in contact. Teachers can then share and exchange ideas on an online collaborative workspace. Grants can be obtained from the EU or from the local government authorities concerned to subsidize the purchasing or upgrading of IT equipment, if required.

There are communicating classroom solutions available that enable schools at a distance to communicate with each other and to participate in interactive learning sessions. Audio and videoconferencing tools boost the value of these exchanges, which can be further enhanced by real-time collaborative work and the sharing of documents.

For more:
School partnerships in Europe: http://www.etwinning.fr/
European Commission / Education & Trainig: http://ec.europa.eu/

Post by : ILT | under Trends, soltend-accueil 

Serious Gaming: An Interactive Education Track Well Worth Exploring

July 21, 2008 | 1 comment

The term serious gaming combines two apparently incompatible notions: that of introducing an entertaining aspect into a project with a serious purpose. Although it started by making use of video game codes, serious gaming has substantially extended its reach and is now being applied to viral advertising campaigns as well as to e-learning programmes for the business world.

Serious gaming places learners right at the heart of the teaching strategy. The learners are actors in the learning process and their role is to carry out a mission by overcoming the different obstacles in their path. By entering and adapting to a specific virtual world, learners find themselves having to deal with situations they may encounter in their professional lives. There is software available that enables users to create serious gaming e-learning programmes; these can be used for local distribution or for distribution via an LMS platform.

This e-learning format offers the advantage of presenting the learning experience in an enjoyable way and its innovative aspect appeals to audiences already familiar with e-learning environments.

For more:
- Serious gaming in the U.S. Army: http://www.americasarmy.com
- Serious gaming blog: http://seriousgamesblog.blogspot.com/

Post by : ILT | under Trends, soltend-accueil 

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