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Interactive learning goes beyond content

Tech Talk. By Tom Savel, MD, amednews contributor. May 13, 2002.

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There are three main aspects of what we call e-learning: the content, the tools, and the delivery system.

Content in an e-learning product (e.g., online CME) is critical.

Clearly, without high-quality content to teach, you have nothing. This e-learning content will vary greatly, depending on the audience and the goals of the instructor or trainer.

Raw content by itself is of relatively little value. It is like a disorganized box of photos, without any labels or organization. A beautiful photo is very nice to look at, but once you are given additional information about that photo, it can then provide you with much greater meaning, and actually teach you something.

E-learning tools provide structure to the content. They allow content to be shaped to meet the specific needs of the learners. In addition, e-learning tools allow learning progress to be monitored and can improve communication between instructors and students.

The final component of e-learning, the delivery system, lets structured e-learning content reach its audience and allows students to experience e-learning the way the instructors intended. In addition, in many cases the delivery system can let learners make adjustments to meet their momentary needs (e.g., letting learners press the stop or pause button when they want to take a break in the learning).

The delivery system can also provide useful data for instructors to help them better educate their students.

Before the advent of the personal computer, television was the main tool for distance learning. Clearly, the main disadvantage of television is its minimal interactivity with the learner. Although television is still used for educational purposes, its role is relatively small when compared to the computer-based training industry. [...]