Resumen de Next-Generation eLearning: Sharing and Re-use Digital Learning REsources with Pedagogically-Sound eLearing Tools
Today, eLearning has become the key to a profound revolution in learning. This is because eLearning can offer what is possibly the most flexible and effective learning approach. With eLearning, students can study at their own pace, anytime and anywhere. eLearning enhances student’s learning experience by allowing a better interactive communication with instructors. This is enabled by providing a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous learning activities administered through a welldesigned eLearning environment. Highquality learning content, presented with good teaching methodologies, and instructional models can render a positive impact on the student’s learning outcome. With its promising benefits, eLearning has now enjoyed widespread adoption not only in higher education but also in corporate training. eLearning has grown from its infancy of merely being a way to access online learning text material into a mature, dynamic, and personalized learning experience provided through powerful and blended tools (Garrison and Anderson, 2003, NIIT, 2003). But what about the nextgeneration of e- Learning? Figure 1: Generations of eLearning (NIIT, 2003) This research report is not intended to be a forecast of the future of eLearning, nor an intensive review of all newly designed eLearning tools/ functions offered by widely used eLearning platforms. However, this study aims to create a conceptual guideline for future design and development of eLearning tools and methodologies based on some early indications. In addition, some critical issues related to the future development of eLearning are raised in order to draw the attention of those in the eLearning field. Awareness of these issues will help to prepare them for the next phase of eLearning. 72 Next-Generation eLearning Most of the ideas presented in this report are the products of the author’s review on books, articles, research studies, and literature about eLearning and its future trends. In addition to the documents’ review, this report presents the concepts about nextgeneration eLearning collected from eLearning experts, designers, and visionary thinkers in Japan. Moreover, some widely used eLearning platforms are selected by the author in order to compare their tools/ functions. Emphasis is placed on those platforms that have been grounded in modern instructional theories. Some of the newly developed innovative eLearning platforms’ plug-in tools, currently still in experimentation stage, are also sought.
