When you think of eLearning, what comes to mind? Is it a technological advancement created to rid the world of teachers and the traditional classroom environment? Is it a term you use in your job description to impress parents and colleagues?

I have spent the last ten years creating educational content using Flash, and six of those years were spent creating eLearning activities. The reason being, I had never heard the term eLearning until 2000 or so, and it truly wasn’t a life changing event as I simply kept on doing what I was doing, whether it had a name or not. eLearning, the word and concept itself, can be defined in numerous ways. Just like asking the question “is this normal?” No one can really define ‘normal’ as each person relates the concept to their own personal experiences.

The definition of eLearning can be as dry as a means of electronically delivering information, or as exciting as a first hand experience in educational immersion. I myself think of eLearning as a path to educational immersion. I don’t want to simply describe the feeling of being wet; I want to pour a bucket of water over your head so you can find out for yourself! There’s a big difference, and not surprisingly, the path I have chosen takes a lot more effort, thought, testing and commitment than the simpler concept of making content available through an electronic means.

A lot of organizations feel the need (or pressure) to incorporate eLearning into their work environment; they just aren’t sure what the best way of achieving results would be. In the end, results are directly related to profitability. If you invest in a cheap computer, it may die prematurely, destroy your information, and cost you additional time and money to replace. Relate that to an employee being poorly motivated, trained, and have the potential to quit their job or get fired. eLearning is just one of those things where the amount of effort and clarity put into it at the beginning can exponentially translate into better employee retention, more intelligent employees/students, and a better overall work/school environment for everyone. Anyone in need of knowledge can be better served through a great eLearning system.

The most important thing you can do when starting a career in eLearning is to define your concepts, state your goals and find out what works through constant testing and improvement. There is rarely a single simple answer that can solve multiple issues. The trick is to know your options and know when best to use them.