What is an e-learning platform?
An eLearning platform is an online space designed to enable and facilitate the studying process, ensure communication within the community, and preserve and share materials.
The emergence of e-Learning platforms has triggered noticeable progress in the EdTech industry, which now covers corporate, private, and individual needs worldwide. Today, companies building an eLearning platform can easily adjust it to the specific task of the user, and the demand for such services is growing.
Benefits of eLearning
So, what are the benefits of eLearning? Below is a list of the main eLearning benefits making so many users change their studies from an offline to an online format:
- User-focused approach. Developing an eLearning platform regularly involves adaptive technologies to create a modified studying plan for every user. Most of such platforms provide unique learning paths based on the participant’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Flexibility. Every company can get a custom eLearning platform to train their employees based on their needs. An enterprise can either develop its own e-Learning website or pay a third party to create and tailor a program for its goals. Learners can study at their own pace and examine materials without the need to be physically present in the class.
- Quality of education. Top-class educators and materials are among the central benefits of eLearning that dictate a rapid shift to online platforms now. Independence from a physical location allows users and organizations to explore suitable learning options with the most promising schedules.
- Diverse strategies. A traditional educational program offers a limited scope of tactics with the resources of a distinct educational institution. Contrastingly, a well-designed online learning website incorporates a variety of resources, including videos, audio recordings, interactive simulations, and digital textbooks.
- Tracking and data analysis. Virtual platforms enable an educator to track their learning journey and monitor their progress. A brand creating an elearning platform for its goals can evaluate its employees’ success.
Types of eLearning platforms
Among all types of eLearning platforms, the most common are the following:
- Corporate training platforms. Businesses effectively utilize the opportunities of an e-Learning industry to create programs to train their staff. Such places target professional skills required at a company or assist the workers during onboarding.
- Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Essentially serving as large libraries, MOOCs feature hundreds of courses on a variety of topics for any user. They regularly host programs from well-known universities and organizations, most of which are paid and offer a certificate after completion.
- Specialized learning websites. Unlike MOOCs, such websites target specific topics or subjects, such as STEM, languages, or artistic growth. They are a good fit for more niche courses and learners seeking distinctive opportunities.
- Virtual classrooms. Unlike websites with actual programs, these are the tools that connect the learners with their educators via video-conferencing and/or chat.
- Individual apps. Apps offering casual learning for entertainment are gaining popularity today, and they often involve studying daily for short periods of time.
Examples of eLearning platforms
Below are the examples of eLearning platforms, though the list is not comprehensive:
- Coursera. This online learning platform provides access to MOOCs that cover a wide range of topics. It partners with universities and recognized professors globally.
- Moodle. This open-source Learning Management System (LMS) is useful for any eLearning platform development. It is popular in both educational and professional environments because organizations can alter it to their needs.
- Khan Academy. Most often providing courses that focus on K-12 programs, it features free lessons on everything from math to humanities.
- LinkedIn Learning. This platform targets career-related programs and training options for users seeking professional growth.
- Blackboard. This LMS is on demand in educational institutions and provides flexible tools to manage virtual learning programs.