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Learning is on a path of change. The traditional learning methods that we are more acquainted with is becoming bulky, slow, expensive and less effective if we compare it with the new methods that are emerging and might one day completely replace it. The emergence of e-learning has drastically changed the scenario of education. Education as we know of is a process where learning takes place within the fixed boundaries of a classroom and has little room for flexibility. But with e-learning, numerous avenues for experimenting with learning have opened up. E-learning has made it possible for students from distant places to get the best education without making the effort to be physically present. It is lead to measure your performances and save a lot of time because of its flexibility to learn anywhere. As computer ownership and the popularity of smartphones along with growth of internet speed and reach, it can be said without doubt that e-learning is here to stay. Even social media has complemented e-learning to transform the way students communicate with their teachers. It is expected that in the future e-learning is going to further evolve and combine with advanced technology and engagement tools to completely transform the way we learn. Based on the technological trends and future development that will take place, here are 5 predictions how e-learning is going to evolve.
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Micro-learning
Through this process, learning is aimed to be made a continuous process which can be accessed anywhere and anytime. It is generally for those who want quick knowledge or understanding of a certain topic in brief. Unlike the traditional e-learning methods, micro-learning is more based upon the push technology and will be delivered through push media. This type of learning is perfect for those who cannot dedicate enough time for learning. With focussed learning, short videos and one page documents, micro-learning gives a condensed idea of subject matters. It is gaining in popularity among working professionals who want to increase their skills and knowledge on other verticals. It is expected to be a big thing in the future of the corporate learning. Whether you are an engineering fresher or a newly promoted manager, micro-learning is going to help you learn and do your jobs at the same.
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Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC)
MOOCs is based on the simple, but effective thought of disseminating videos of real-life lectures from top universities to an unlimited audience. Some of the colleges and universities have already collaborated with such learning platforms or made their own to make their lectures accessible by anyone who wants to learn. Though most MOOC platforms nowadays are free for students, they are expected to ask for fees when it becomes mainstream. But, it is surely be a lot more affordable than the traditional courses. There are already a number of global MOOC providers like Khan Academy, https://www.udacity.com and Coursera, which have their own educational content or lectures from reputed universities and colleges. In the future you can obtain a degree in one-third of the tuition fees that is required for traditional degrees.
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Virtual technology
Virtual technology is not something totally new, but its utilisation in the field of education is going to become popular in the future. It has already been applied to in fields of medical for better and easy practical learning in medicine. Recently in the news, I have read about how interactive holograms are helping medical students to get a better grasp of their anatomy lessons. Even surgeons are using virtual toolkits to make precision surgery. The possibilities of learning through virtual technology are unimaginable and in the future sensory experiences will be combined to create a complete real-life situation.
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Personalised learning
The process of learning is different for different individuals and one method does not apply to all. In traditional methods, all students are forced to undergo the same type of training irrespective of their strengths and weaknesses. E-learning solves this problem with personalised learning experiences. This way the efficiency of learning increases as the curse is modified to suit the habit and abilities of the students. Tin Can API (also known as xAPI) is a new term in learning technology which makes it possible to collect data about wide range of experiences of a (person offline or online). This will help course curators or in the distant future, automatically, create person-specific courses.
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Gamification
In the future learning will take in the form of games for providing better interactive learning experience to the students. Games are engaging for different age groups and the usual resistance and unattractiveness that come with learning are diminished in this type of learning. The attention span is longer and it gives it a sense of challenge to the students when the courses are combined to give rankings and awards based on other learners. The fun aspect associated with it is also irresistible. Nobody knows what the future holds, but it can be surely said that the process of learning is going to be changed completely with the use of technology. E-learning is going to evolve to provide better, efficient, easy and cost-effective education to the masses without any discrimination.
Author’s Bio: Hasib is a professional writer working with the job portal –naukri.com and often writes articles related to engineering fresher’s career opportunities and education. He is an avid reader and lives for two things – football and food. If he is not involved in any of those, you can find him contemplating existential issues. Follow him @ Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn
