What is eLearning? Definition and Importance

The prevalence and importance of eLearning have skyrocketed over the past few years. Increasingly, adults of all ages are setting their sights on flexible and accessible online courses to further their education.

But what exactly is eLearning, and who is contemporary distance learning suitable for? What are the advantages of eLearning, and what does the future hold for the online education landscape?

What is eLearning: Definition

By definition, eLearning refers to any educational model that utilises digital resources to deliver training and education. It is based on the same formalised learning as conventional classroom studies, but all learning materials, assignments, assessments, and communications are handled digitally.

What does e-Learning stand for? Electronic Learning.

Today, most online colleges have their own native digital platforms, which learners can access with their own unique login credentials. This is where all study aids, learning materials, assignments and so on can be accessed, and requests for tutor support submitted.

What is eLearning in Education: Relevance

The relevance of eLearning is tied to growing demand for flexible and accessible educational opportunities among adults of all ages. Increasingly, ambitious individuals are acknowledging and accepting that their past educational achievements are simply not enough to get ahead in today’s competitive job market. eLearning answers this call and this issue, with a broad range of flexible training opportunities that can be taken from any location.

Importantly, the flexibility of eLearning appeals to those who cannot commit to traditional classroom-based studies. Most online courses are self-paced, meaning there are no deadlines or time restrictions imposed. Learners are free to progress through their courses at their preferred time and pace, making it easy for them to study alongside their existing responsibilities.

What Are the Advantages of eLearning?

A good online course provides the opportunity to access a high-quality education with the benefits of accessibility, scalability, and affordability.

More specifically, some of the advantages online courses have over their conventional classroom-based counterparts are as follows:

eLearning accommodates the needs of all learners, irrespective of how busy or demanding their lifestyle may be.
The learning resources provided as part of an eLearning course can be studied as many times as necessary to ensure the best possible understanding of their content (as opposed to one-time-only classes and lectures).
With eLearning, students are able to progress through their courses at a time and pace that suits both their preferences and their learning style.
Online courses can often be completed much quicker than traditional classroom courses – anything from 25% to 60% faster.
Along with being much cheaper to take in the first place, eLearning course eliminate a wide variety of costs associated with traditional education (commuting, textbooks, equipment, accommodation, etc.)
Some studies have also shown that information absorption can be more efficient with eLearning than with traditional group-based sessions or lectures.

Despite often being considered something of a secondary option to conventional education, eLearning has the potential to be more effective a comparable classroom-based program.

Though of course, the result of any given distance learning course will be determined by the quality of the programme, how it is delivered, and the effort put in by the learner.

Who is the Main Target Audience for eLearning?

Once a fairly niche concept with a comparatively compact audience, eLearning has become much more mainstream in nature. The main target audience for eLearning is anyone looking to enhance their education and improve their career prospects, who has access to a computer and an Internet connection.

This includes existing students looking to broaden their knowledge, people who work fulltime, parents, jobseekers, business owners, prospective entrepreneurs, and so on. If conventional classroom-based education is not a viable option, eLearning could be just the thing.

Who Can Benefit from Online Classes?

Polls conducted on eLearning students have found that some types of students can benefit significantly from online classes. For example, some adults lack the confidence to return to education in a traditional classroom setting, and may find the classroom environment too intimidating to enjoy a beneficial educational experience.

Similarly, those who already have a basic knowledge of a subject and simply want to ‘top up’ their skills could be better suited to online courses. With eLearning, you can effectively skip over the topics you already know, and spent the majority of your time focusing on topics you are not as familiar with.

Is eLearning Expensive?

Costs vary significantly from one course and provider to the next. Degree-level qualifications pursued online can be quite costly, but are still nowhere near as expensive as attending a conventional college or university. Endorsed certificates and diploma-level courses can cost anything from £10 to more than £500 to take, again depending on the type of course and the provider.

Here at eLearning College, all of our certificate and diploma courses are 100% free of charge. You can take as many of our courses as you like for free, with the option of claiming an endorsed certificate or diploma upon completion for a small fee.

How Long Does an eLearning Course Take?

The beauty of eLearning lies in its flexibility. Learners are free to complete their courses as quickly or as gradually as they like, in accordance with their preferred learning style and their other commitments.

Some eLearning courses can be completed in a few hours, while others have a recommended study time of one or more years.

With no deadlines or time restrictions imposed, there is no pressure to study at a pace you are not comfortable with. This is one of the main points of appeal with online learning – a flexible and accommodating alternative to classroom-based studies.

How to Enrol On An eLearning Course?

In order to enrol at eLearning College, we simply need a few basic details to register you in our system. After which, you will be provided with your unique login credentials, and can access your course materials via our dynamic online platform.

As all of our courses are offered 100% free of charge, no payment information is required to enrol or get started.

Check out our full range of free online courses and find your perfect program today, or contact a member of the team at eLearning college anytime for more information.