The Future of Online Learning

Abstract

To write about technology is to write about change. In the first decade of the 21st century the rate of change of technology is greater than ever before. At a recent meeting of human resource developers using online learning, an executive of a local, national broadcaster mentioned that a year ago his organization did not know what podcasting was and that today they have managers of it. Change in technology has been recognized by almost all who live in developed countries, and it is clear to most that the only certainty about technology is that, for the foreseeable future at least, it will continue to change. Yet a conundrum appears to exist as fundamentally, little has changed about online learning or e-learning in higher education and human resource development for the past 10 or so years. Content is still predominantly text-based and the communications tools are generally limited to text. This contrasts markedly with the trend in other online experiences to include audio, video animation as well as text and graphics. This book argues that it is high time for e-learning to change. The book puts forward theoretical models designed to assist trainers, teachers, and instructional designers to create e-learning where rich media are used for content as well as interactions.