Have you joined the e-learning revolution?

E-learning, online learning, digital learning – the nuances may be slightly different, but the sense is the same – technology-supported learning. And the list is lengthening as the trend gathers speed – massive open online courses (MOOCs), m-learning (mobile learning) and t-learning (television learning) are just two of the more recent terms to join the list.

If you’d like to be part of the e-learning revolution in Europe, join the EPALE community.

Technology-supported learning has many supporters, including within the adult learning community. This is hardly surprising – the opportunity to pick up or brush up on skills from anywhere at any time makes learning more accessible to all – from someone learning a new language, to employees following corporate training, and prisoners seeking qualifications.

Add to this the options to tailor courses or assessment styles to individual needs, and to cater for self-regulated and informal learning, different learning styles and collaborative learning, and you can see why the European Commission is encouraging EU countries to mainstream e-learning in national policies. The lower cost compared to traditional learning and training courses is an added incentive.

This flexibility is one of the topics covered in blog posts on the ePlatform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE). Other discussions cover the downsides of digital learning environments (creating a digital divide and social exclusion, according to researcher Barry J. Hake), finding a way to assess the learning outcomes of digital learning, and ensuring digital education caters for disadvantaged learners. What are your experiences of e-learning? If you haven’t done so already, sign up to EPALE free of charge to join the discussion!

EPALE members may also share resources shared via the platform. For e-learning, these include a paper concluding that while demand for e-learning and m-learning is dependent on experience of using ICT, the majority of adults are positive towards lifelong learning using e-learning. Another paper gives an overview of how e-learning is used in prisons in nine European countries.

For those looking to move from discussion and theory to practice, you can even find partners via EPALE. Finland’s Kiipula Vocational College is for example using the partner search to link up with organisations wishing to develop the use of e-learning for vocational education.

It’s clear that the ubiquitous use of smartphones, tablets, the internet and social media have already opened up teaching and training opportunities, and that they have the potential to dramatically increase the number of adults taking up these opportunities. Is this cause for anticipation and celebration? Or should we be cautious about moving away from more traditional learning formats? Perhaps there is, after all, no real alternative to face-to-face learning, particularly for skills taught in a practical, workshop environment. And such skill development is often the focus of adult learning.