E-Learning in 2000

  • Create courses/sims with Authorware, Director or Dreamweaver by Macromedia – all of which required you to have moderate to advanced tech skills, or with HTML/Javascript or with some very difficult and complex authoring tools
  • Create two course versions, since Netscape offered Java and Microsoft did not – they were in a fight with Sun (so you had to add a browser sniffer in the code)
  • People were using either a 56K modem or less; and even though it was advertised at 56K, in reality it was 52.3Kbs. In Boston you were lucky if you hit 38K on a good day
  • A great majority of businesses were not running T1
  • 3rd party off the shelf content was always in English, to locate another language would cost a significant amount of dollars

Outputs

  • Desktop or laptop computer; but the majority of people had a desktop
  • Systems, e-learning products were hosted on your own server, very few were in the cloud
  • Globalization did not exist in the e-learning market
  • People had PDAs, but it was still growing, and really who would want to take a course on a Palm?
  • We watched television on a television, simulations as games, was unfathomable
  • Creating courses in 100% Flash, rare

Now – 2011

  • 115+ rapid content authoring tool vendors, anyone can create a course, even with limited to zero technical skills
  • Simulation content authoring tools in the market, regardless of your tech skill set – you can create them
  • Courses in HTML5 rare, Flash? The norm
  • 3rd party off the shelf multilingual content standard
  • Majority of end users access via DSL or Cable
  • Most businesses have T1 at the minimum
  • Access e-learning via the desktop, laptop, mobile and even the television – streamed from your computer
  • On the Go truly exists – taking the wherever, whenever you are – a whole new meaning
  • Collaboration in real time, regardless of what time of the day or where in the world are you located – exists
  • Video conferencing is as simple as a tiny web cam in your system, even with your tablet
  • HD video is available for e-learning courses, materials, web conferencing and more
  • More and more systems are cloud based only, with the rarity of having the product or solution on your own servers
  • Virtual worlds
  • Open source, APIs, Mashups

Where is it going?

  • Higher interactivity with Kinect technology & touch free gesturing – thus you can become part of the course via your gaming device or a stream onto your television or tablet
  • Augmented Reality via the tablet or laptop
  • HTML5 content with APIs, Mashups integrated
  • Social Gaming Learning
  • Virtual worlds with streaming video, audio and real time video chat/presentations
  • Stronger social learning features and capabilities
  • Cloud based e-mail within a LMS, that can replace your current email system
  • Cloud storage for each end user, within a LMS or learning platform
  • The End of the LCMS

 

 

 

 

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