Peer Review

elearning 101 concepts, trends, applications

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Reviewed:: Feb 4, 2015 by Faculty Development

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This is a short e-text book that is designed to provide an overview of teaching and learning using electronic technologies. The book shares ideas related to the e-learning and the curriculum and outlines the connection between e-learning concepts and the individual (for personal and professional growth) highlighting ideas for engagement. The content is sub-divided into five main areas as follows: 1. Overview of e-learning inclusive of its history, benefits, best practices and projections for the future 2. The eLearning platform which outlines different learning management tools, systems and input methodologies 3. The online course elements and the creation of learning communities that work 4. E-learning trends and ideas for adding critical components to a course. and 5. The application of e-learning to work areas/ industry utilization
Type of Material:: eBook
Recommended Uses:: This is a resource that can be used by new/ entry level online practitioners (novices) who are at the point of exploring educational technology and the ideas related to dispensing the curriculum through this medium.
Technical Requirements:: PDF reader HTML The site takes a bit of time to load on a slow connection...as such, the hyperlinks and navigational arrows will not work until site is fully loaded, A fast connection to the Internet is the best option. The site works well on IE Chrome and Firefox browsers
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Users can explore the material and explain the purpose and characteristics of eLearning in terms of its connection to traditional education Users will understand how the changes in teaching and learning can be adapted for technological application Students can check their understanding of the content by evaluating critical concepts and entering into critical conversations with their peers. This ebook covers five main topics; history of elearning, learning tools, online courses and learning communities, emerging learning trends, and application of elearning in different industries.
Target Student Population:: Industry trainers; novice elearning professionals; HR development personnel; education practioners
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: There are no prerequisites required to use this resource. It is a web-hosted eBook.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: Clear information that outlines the timelines of e-learning and the different skills and models included in the identified technologies. The material is ready for use without having to refer to other sites or resource texts
Concerns:: The lack of referencing evidence in this resource. As a piece of academic writing, the inclusion of artifacts would have added some value.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

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Strengths:: The goals of the resource are clearly articulated and it allows for community interaction through connection to social media communities. The read/write style of learning is highly supported with minimum support for the kinesthetic learner through the navigational links. The author can be contacted easily and the content is linkable with industry and work situations
Concerns:: Each section could be summarized with the main points for ease of reference and linkages between sections. Pop up videos and podcasts could be used as a pull to make the site more intriguing for users especially when models and best practices are mentioned. Links to artifacts would have added some value... Although it is well-written, the eBook is not fundamentally innovative or challenging. It fulfills a single purpose, to present basic eLearning concepts.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

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Strengths:: The eBook is organized into five major topic areas and sub-chapters within each. There is a persistent navigation toolbar at the top of each page allowing one to move forward and backward sequentially, or access the table of contents for non-linear access. The PDF available is visually more like an eBook, laid out in typical publishing fasion.
Concerns:: The simplicity of the resource is a strength but also a weakness. It is an eBook, nothing more, nor does it claim to be more. It is an introductory resource.

Other Issues and Comments:: The user might wish to explore the Efront website that offer some testimonials about the resource’s origin and authorship especially if they are seeing for authentication
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