When e-learning relies not on the Internet but on proprietary hardware and software, standardization will become requisite.
Naturally, the future of e-learning entails more powerful software and hardware. In every domain of the technology sector, hardware and software becomes more powerful as well as more ergonomic and user-friendly. Some possible ramifications of increased power include the ability for students to multitask, load larger files, and interact with resource-intensive applications on smaller devices including handhelds. Brandon (2010) points out that Apple has recently hinted that future generations of iPhones are going to be powerful enough for multitasking. The availability of iBooks will allow students to read course material from their smart phone (Brandon 2010). Portability is the wave of the future in all information technologies including those related to e-learning. Therefore, manufacturers will find ways to make smaller devices more powerful and conducive to the demands of educators and their students.
E-learning allows students to interact with course content in multiple ways, such as via multimedia. With less of an emphasis on verbal assessments, many students who struggle with verbal learning will find they can excel at the more flexible e-learning assessments. One of the core benefits of e-learning is social justice. Social justice and access to education is facilitated by e-learning. Moreover, e-learning is by definition available across geographic boundaries. Bates & Bates (2005) point out that e-learning is most important for developing countries: "It is in these countries particularly that we are likely to see new models of education emerging based on e-learning and distance education," (p. 14). To adapt current content to suit the needs of students and teachers in developing nations is far more cost-effective than building whole new brick-and-mortar educational institutions.
Bates & Bates (2005) note that organizations have yet to perform effective cost-benefits analyses of e-learning functions. In the future, more detailed financial analyses will reveal both the costs and benefits...
Bates & Bates (2005) claim that mixed-mode e-learning is likely to become the new model for education. Instructors will therefore rely not just on technology nor just on traditional classroom formats. If this is the case, then e-learning can present financial threats. For example, most institutions will expect their instructors to fulfill multiple roles as educator and as e-learning provider. Educators will find themselves burdened by the extra act of creating e-learning materials that correspond with their coursework.
If e-learning in a mixed-mode institution is the future of education, then Clark & Mayer (2007) offer specific tools for the development of effective digital content. The content of future e-learning materials will avoid redundancy, for instance. Instructors will learn how to use digital tools and technologies as separate tools or enhancements to existing content. The future of e-learning is strikingly diverse, too. Each instructor and each institution is bound to strike upon a unique winning formula.
References
Bates, a.W. & Bates, T. (2005). Technology, e-learning, and Distance Education. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Blackboard (2010). Web site retrieved April 17, 2010 from http://www.blackboard.com/
Brandon, B. (2010). Apple's iPhone OS 4.0: What Will it Mean for Mobile Learning? Learning Solutions. April 8, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2010 from http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/444/apples-iPhone-os-40-what-will-it-mean-for-mobile-learning
Clark, R.C. & Mayer, R.E. (2007). e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning, 2nd Edition. Pfeiffer.
Little, J. (2010). 5 Tips for Knowledge Gardeners: How to Grow a Collaborative Learning Community. Learning Solutions. April 7, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2010 from http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/443/5-tips-for-knowledge-gardeners-how-to-grow-a-collaborative-learning-community from Rosenberg, M.J. (2001). E-learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age. McGraw-Hill.
