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Training in key business and professional skills in todays competitive environment cannot be ignored if you want your employees to develop and help drive the growth of your company.

Need for e-learning

New values In the old days, corporate value and value creation were defined principally through material and financial assets. Nowadays a premium is put on intellectual capital. To retain their competitive edge, organizations have started to investigate which training techniques and delivery methods enhance motivation, performance, collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to life-long learning.

New technologies The life of knowledge and human skills today is shorter than ever, mounting the pressure to remain up to date with ones education and training throughout a career. In the age of globalization and technological revolution, four-year degrees are just the start of a forty-year continuing education. Life-long learning is quickly becoming an imperative in todays world. Competitive Edge Corporations view learning as a competitive weapon rather than a bothersome cost factor. Business success depends increasingly on top-quality employee performance, which in turn requires top-quality training. Corporate executives now understand that developing employee skills is the key to creating a sustainable competitive lead.

Cost Effective In the run to remain competitive in todays labor-tight market, companies are exploiting advances in technology to train employees rapidly, effectively, and at less expense.

Globalization As trade borders become less significant, global competition intensifies. International expansion has led to larger and more complex corporations. Todays businesses have more locations in different countries and employ larger numbers of workers with diverse backgrounds and educational levels.

Abundance of information More information has to be delivered in increasingly bigger organizations, testing internal planning, logistics, and distribution. Corporations worldwide are now in search of more innovative and competent ways to deliver training to their geographically dispersed workforce.

Types of e- learning

There are fundamentally two types of e-learning: synchronous training and asynchronous training.

Synchronous, means "at the same time," involves interaction of participants with an instructor via the Web in real time. Asynchronous, which means "not at the same time," allows the participant to complete the WBT at his own pace, without live interaction with the instructor. A new form of learning known as blended learning is emerging. As the name suggests it is an amalgamation of synchronous and asynchronous learning methods.

Asynchronous Methods

Embedded learning Embedded learning is information that is accessible on a self-help basis, 24/7. It can be delivered to the place of work, or to mobile learners. Electronic performance support system (EPSS) is a type of embedded learning. The advantage is that embedded learning offers learners the information they need whenever they need it.

Courses The clear advantage of a self-paced course is convenience. Participants can get the training they need at any time. This can include just-in-time training where a participant gets exactly the training he or she needs to perform a task.

Discussion groups A discussion group is a gathering of conversations that occur over time. They are also called message boards, bulletin boards and discussion forums. Discussion groups can be used to support a group of participants taking the same class or can be used to support participants performing related tasks. A discussion group is a very competent way to supply expert answers to a large group people. A single answer to a common question can help many.

Synchronous Methods

Virtual classroom Virtual classroom duplicates the features of a real classroom online. Participants interact with each other and instructors online .instant messaging, chat, audio and video conferencing etc.

Blended Method Most companies prefer to use a mix of both synchronous and asynchronous e-learning methods according to their requirement.

Conclusion

All in all e- learning is here to stay and only you can decide the degree of involvement in e- learning your company may require and the best methods applicable to you and your employees.

Rajesh rastogi has been managing and maintaining various e-learning softwares e-learning for the past decade and a half. A storehouse of knowledge about LMS (Learning Management Systems) He has been working in close co-ordination with web development experts to develop user friendly distance learning programs.