Technologies that support e-learning:

These are technologies that were not produced primarily for e-learning purposes but they can be used or are being used. Computer systems hardware (personal computers, Personal digital assistants (PDS), cameras and so on), software (like internet browsers, presentation packages, animation, etc), and internet technologies with its website,  email, blogs, wiki, chat, social networking and collaborative  features for managing and sharing information belongs to this category. The networking and communication technologies for teleconferencing and video conferencing are used in e-learning.  Also included in this category are multimedia technologies like animation,  MP3, MP4,  and so on.  These technologies support e-learning with auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning.  Basically, digital technologies have presented a substantial support for e-learning because they provide technologies for producing, storing and accessing digital information (contents); and connecting and grouping users to collaborate.

Technologies that are developed for  e-learning

Currently, e-learning is based on special purpose information system calledLearning Management System (LMS). A learning management system (LMS) is a computer software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of  e-learning education courses or training programs (source Wikipedia). LMSs range from systems for managing training and educational records to software for distributing e-learning courses over the Internet with features for online collaboration.  LMS is the framework that handles all aspects of the learning process. An LMS is the infrastructure that delivers and manages instructional content, identifies and assesses individual and organizational learning or training goals, tracks the progress towards meeting those goals, and collects and presents data for supervising the learning process of organization as a whole.  A Learning Management System delivers content but also handles registering for courses, course administration, skills gap analysis, tracking, and reporting.

Most LMSs are based on web technology and are designed to facilitate access to learning content and administration and support blended, synchronous and asynchronous learning depending on their configuration and implementation.

There are many LMS available in the market, some are open source and free while others are not. Some examples are Moodle, Blackboard, Edmodo, Skillsoft, Schoology and so on.

In different texts and environments,  LMS have several names which basically mean the same. Some are  Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Course Management System (CMS), Learning Content Management System (LCMS), Managed Learning Environment (MLE), Learning Support System (LSS) and Learning Platform (LP).

Augustus ZEKARYAH.

Questions or suggestions?

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the content of this article, please do not hesitate to share them with us through filling the comment form below:

Also, if you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends. If you would like to read more articles like this, then enroll on our email list by ticking the box below to enable you receive our future articles in your inbox as soon as they appear on this website.

Other articles published by the author in this series at http://firstplus.ng that may be of interest are.

1. What is e-learning?
2. Learning and e-learning
3. Types of e-learning
4. Benefits of e-learning
5. Limitations of e-learning
6. The beauties of Moodle

As you read them drop a comment because your feedback is very important to us. It will help us to improve. Regards