E-learning phenomenon: Should you buy into it?

E-learning is a buzzword in 2020. Let’s have a look into depth what it really is and find out if it is just a temporary substitute of a conventional education or a massive replacement of the brick-and-mortar one.

The term E-learning is relatively new and means a learning system based on teaching with the help of electronic resources such as computers and the internet. During the COVID-19 pandemic the world is experiencing the rocket rise of online learning and most people regard it as something outlandish. However, you might be surprised that the concept of e-learning is not the newest one. In fact, the first examples of it goes back much further in time.

The first step in the automation of education was the invention of the teaching machine by Sidney Pressey in 1924. At the same time, distance education started providing teletraining through radio and later through television. Over ten percent of all broadcast radio stations were owned by educational institutions that delivered educational programming. Over 55 million students have studied at home.

A few decades later, in 1959, the very first computer-based training program, PLATO was created. PLATO functioned for four decades, offering courses to local schools and different universities.

In the beginning of the 1980s, computers in dozens of institutions have been connected in the network. Time magazine named ‘the computer’ its ‘Man of the Year.’,  Apple announced the Macintosh. Australia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom join the Internet. This breakthrough served as a fertile ground for the rapid development of e-learning. In 1989 the University of Phoenix became the first institution to launch a fully online university program that offered bachelors and masters degrees.

In the 1990s the virtual world was already well-established and offered varied learning management systems (LMS).

Finally, in 2012 the new era of online education began – MOOCs! Massive open online courses have captured my interest and fired me with enthusiasm the same year. That seemed like a real adventure to take courses provided by famous universities, be taught by professors who consult big corporations and even NASA! Not to mention the fact that students are learning from their peers as well, who are of different countries and backgrounds. That was a really mind-blowing way of learning that year.

Nowadays, in addition to MOOCs, e-learning is entering the world of business. More than 40% of the largest companies now use e-learning to train their employees. In the future, e-learning will be an essential component of training.

Do you still feel like e-learning is a half-baked idea or a form of education that still lacks credibility?

People are always reluctant and cautious about trying something new. That is absolutely normal but we should push our boundaries, be ready to shift our viewpoints and explore more. That is what is called evolution.